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Criminal Justice (M.S.)

Our 100% online Master of Science in Criminal Justice program can prepare you to achieve your leadership goals and contribute to a safer world as a criminal justice professional.

Next Application Date:

08/21/22

Next Term Starts:

09/10/22

30

Credit Hours

1.5-2

Year Program

$704

Per Credit Hour

6

Starts Per Year

Do you have a passion for criminal justice, public safety, and the law enforcement organizations and systems that bring balance to our society?

If you’re looking to advance your career in criminal justice or start a new path, Xavier is the place for you. Xavier University’s online Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program emphasizes criminal justice administration, training students to provide effective and efficient oversight in matters related to criminal justice and criminal justice research. This flexible online criminal justice master’s program is specifically tailored to students who have set their sights on careers in middle and upper management in the criminal justice system and for students looking to pursue advanced study in a doctoral program or law school. As part of their online master’s degree training, students will study criminal justice work-related topics, and develop leadership and management skills valuable in the justice system, such as public relations, accounting, finance, human resources, policy formulation, budgeting, human interaction, crisis strategies, organizational behavior and writing skills.

In addition to the best online program for a criminal justice master’s degree, Xavier University also offers a 9-credit, fully-online Certificate in Criminal Justice Administration that can be completed in as little as one year! This online criminal justice master’s program is designed for busy professionals with an undergraduate degree who want to advance in the criminal justice system and possibly apply credits towards a master’s degree in criminal justice. The online master’s program in criminal justice prepares professionals with a graduate degree looking to enhance their administration skills and credentials for career advancement.

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Why Xavier Online?

You’ll get more from your online education, from the personal attention of faculty to rigorous courses taught in the Jesuit Catholic tradition.

Personalized Experience

You’ll get the personal attention and flexibility needed to reach your goals at your pace. Our invested professors and small class sizes will set you up for success.

Jesuit Values

Our Jesuit Catholic values are based on a vision of a world changed for the better, emphasizing service and community engagement in addition to academics.

Affordability

We offer exceptional online programs at an affordable cost. Numerous financial aid resources are available for our online students, making education more affordable.

What Makes Xavier Different
This program provided me with exceptional knowledge in one of the most important fields of our time. The critical thinking skills I developed continue to play a vital role in my ability to detect, deter and disrupt foreign intelligence services and terrorism activities within the Dept. of Defense."
Counterintelligence Agent, U.S. Dept. of Defense; Former Student
Xavier University's criminal justice program is a place where students and faculty share information and experiences that enhance learning and promote understanding. It’s where our hearts and our minds intersect. The result is a very special bond between people that stands the test of time.”
Joe Milek, Chief of Staff, Boulder Police Department; Xavier Graduate
Curriculum

Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Online Course Requirements

30 credits

Xavier University’s online Master of Science in Criminal Justice consists of 30 credit hours, which can be completed in as little as 1 year (attending full time). The master’s degree in Criminal Justice online is structured for working professionals. Because of this, courses are offered in online or online blended formats where students will be face-to-face with an instructor on selected weekends throughout the semester. For the master’s degree in criminal justice program, online coursework consists of 10 core courses designed to provide comprehensive coverage of the field of criminal justice online with an emphasis on administration.

The Master’s in Criminal Justice online will only be granted to those who have completed 30 credit hours, including research requirements. At the end of the Master’s in Criminal Justice degree program, a comprehensive written exam on the field is required. In order to graduate, students must also maintain an overall grade point average of 2.800. Students with a Master’s in Criminal Justice are required to take ten core courses that provide a comprehensive knowledge base of criminal justice with an administrative concentration. The classes required for a Master’s in Criminal Justice are:

The online Certificate in Criminal Justice Administration is a 9-credit program that consists of 3 administration-focused courses that can be taken on your schedule. (Credits might also apply toward a master’s degree should you decide to pursue further studies.)

Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Online Core Courses 30 credits

Presents legal issues in all 3 segments of the American criminal justice system. Constitutional and statutory rights and obligations are considered, along with policy. Major emphasis is placed on student initiative in learning.
Social foundations of the criminal justice system are examined, along with the social cause of crime and societal response. The understanding of crime within the social context is presented, along with in-depth exploration of cross-cultural, subcultural and other demographic expositions.
A comprehensive course that focuses on management issues and problems specific to law enforcement. This course will introduce students to both theoretical and practical issues faced by law enforcement agencies from the view of an administrator. Attention will likewise be paid to understanding and resolving problems and issues.
This course examines the methods of detection, investigative techniques and social impact of white-collar crime. Emphasis will also be placed on exploring theories related to why this type of crime is committed, the various types of white-collar crime and difficulties in the criminal justice system response to white-collar crimes. Finally, this course will examine the socially injurious acts of corporations and formal organizations against their employees, consumers, the public and/or the environment.
Presents organizational and management theories and practices within criminal justice settings. Management styles, management objectives, total quality management and other course topics are applied to issues in contemporary prisons, probation, parole and juvenile justice. Legal and ethical considerations are applied to actual practice situations.
A comprehensive course concerning correctional rehabilitation. This course will introduce students to a variety of theories related to human behavior and the application of those theories to correctional programming. Students will also be exposed to a variety of assessments used to guide the classification and treatment of offenders as well as commonly used components, and the advantages and disadvantages of multiple treatment modalities. Finally, students will examine holistic family treatments and gender-responsive treatments.
This course introduces the basic concepts and techniques of fund accounting and the financial reporting for governmental and not-for-profit entities. Additional course coverage includes identifying and applying appropriate accounting and reporting standards for government and private not-for-profit organizations, preparing fund basis and government-wide statements for state and local governments, preparing financial statements for private not-for-profit organizations, using nonfinancial performance measures to evaluate governmental and not-for-profit entities and describing auditing requirements for these entities. Special attention will also be paid to forensic accounting and auditing, with emphasis on the audit of financial statements, and methods of examination relating to prevention and detection of fraud.
Examine the role of Human Resource Manager in strategic planning and decision making within their organizations. Prerequisites: STAT500 or Statistics 500
This course provides students with the working knowledge of research methods necessary to complete their final master’s project. As such, topics related to the issue of causation, sampling, measurement and data collection/analysis will be explored and practically applied. Comprehension of the material will enable students to evaluate research studies and policy with a more critical eye. Moreover, comprehension of course material will allow students to write quality research projects.
This course is an extension, by application, of Research and Planning in Criminal Justice. As such, the major objective for this course is to provide students with the individual guidance needed to perform basic research and complete their graduate thesis. At the close of their studies for the MS, students must pass a comprehensive examination.
Pre-requisite: CJUS 683

Online Certificate in Criminal Justice Administration Courses 9 credits

Presents organizational and management theories and practices within criminal justice settings. Management styles, management objectives, total quality management and other course topics are applied to issues in contemporary prisons, probation, parole and juvenile justice. Legal and ethical considerations are applied to actual practice situations.
Examine the role of Human Resource Manager in strategic planning and decision making within their organizations.
This course introduces the basic concepts and techniques of fund accounting and the financial reporting for governmental and not-for-profit entities. Additional course coverage includes identifying and applying appropriate accounting and reporting standards for government and private not-for-profit organizations, preparing fund basis and government-wide statements for state and local governments, preparing financial statements for private not-for-profit organizations, using nonfinancial performance measures to evaluate governmental and not-for-profit entities and describing auditing requirements for these entities. Special attention will also be paid to forensic accounting and auditing, with emphasis on the audit of financial statements, and methods of examination relating to prevention and detection of fraud.
Certificate

We also offer a certificate in Criminal Justice Administration

This certificate program is designed for working professionals to advance their careers in the criminal justice field.
Admission

Our Admission Process is Easy, on Your Phone or Computer!

Our online Criminal Justice program offers a flexible student experience, giving learners the option to start the program at multiple times throughout the year.

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To apply for official acceptance as a degree-seeking student of the Criminal Justice (M.S.) program, submit the following:

Get Started on Xavier University’s free online application. You can begin the process in just a few clicks.

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One official transcript directly from all colleges or universities that you have attended for any undergraduate and graduate course work. Applicants must have a degree from a regionally accredited university. Send transcripts to:

Xavier University
ATTN: Admission Processing Center
3800 Victory Parkway
Cincinnati, OH 45207-5131

For electronic transcripts, send to:
xugrad@xavier.edu

2 letters of recommendation from professional references who are able to assess your potential for success in this program.

GPA Requirements are:

  • 3.0 out of 4.0 in the last two years of undergraduate matriculation; or,
  • 2.7 cumulative GPA in undergraduate matriculation; or,
  • 2.5 cumulative in the last 2 years of undergraduate matriculation with 5 years of work experience in a criminal justice or related field.

Applicants not meeting the GPA requirements can submit official test scores for the GRE, MAT or LSAT.

  • GRE (Graduate Record Exam): The minimum score requirements is 143 on the verbal section and 3.0 of the analytical section
  • MAT (Miller Analogies Test): The minimum scoring requirement for the MAT is 390
  • LSAT (Law School Admission Test): The minimum scoring requirement for the LSAT is 138
 

Non-degree Seeking Status

Students may complete an application form and register for up to 6 graduate credit hours as a “non-degree seeking graduate student” before they are formally admitted in the program.

  • Students must turn in all required admissions materials before they are permitted to go beyond the first 6 hours.
  • Students do NOT qualify for financial aid until formally admitted into the program.

State Authorization

Xavier University is authorized to offer this fully online degree program in all states.

View the complete list of approved states on the State Authorization page.

Tuition

Get More from Your Education with a Graduate Degree from Xavier

At Xavier, we understand that no two degree programs and no two students are alike. Therefore, we structure every online degree program to address the unique needs of individual students and have created unique fee structures for each degree program, as well.
View Financial Aid Options
$704

Per Credit Hour

$21,120

Total Estimated Tuition

The amounts listed are for the 2023-2024 academic year, and include classes from Summer 2023 through Spring 2024. Tuition cost is per credit hour unless otherwise stated. For the full, official listing, please visit xavier.edu/costs.
Xavier University reserves the right to correct any computational or clerical errors.

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Faculty

Students enrolled in Xavier’s online programs take classes with the same world-class faculty as our traditional students.

Dr. Hurst’s interests center on juvenile perceptions and experiences related to the criminal justice system, and issues surrounding gender and crime. Recent research with youths in the Midwest has led to a series of articles on the determinants of juveniles’ attitudes towards the police, and a comparative analysis of black and white youths’ attitudes and perceptions of police treatment. Dr. Hurst has also published articles related to the criminal justice ideology of youths and the experiences and attitudes of teenage girls as they relate to the justice system. Dr. Hurst’s research on women in the criminal justice system includes a book chapter and a current research project that explore rehabilitative programs available to women.

Dr. Jonson’s current research interests focus in the impact of prison on recidivism, incentivizing justice, the use of meta-analysis to organize criminological knowledge, prison conditions and active shooter response. She has several publications, including Correctional Theory: Context and Consequences and The American Prison: Imagining a Different Future.
Dr. Springman is a clinical faculty member who teaches primarily law courses. He is licensed to practice law in Ohio and before the Unites States District Court for the Southern District of Ohio, as well as the United States Supreme Court. He has been a prosecutor for more than 25 years, and for the last 11 years has served as Chief Assistant Prosecutor in Hamilton County in addition to teaching at Xavier.
Mr. Brown has served more than 20 years in law enforcement as a State Trooper, Detective, and Specialist, and is currently a Deputy Sheriff specializing in court security. He also acted as a Field Training Officer for 18 years, and brings all of this experience to students in areas of study such as criminal behavior, community policing, police policy legitimacy, deadly force, police policy and non-profit organizations. Mr. Brown’s research interests include rural policing, furthering policy legitimacy and emergency responder communications.
Mr. McFarland has more than 25 years of experience in the criminal justice field, including 21 years of Juvenile Court experience, 5 years of active military law enforcement, correctional facility security, general security and 2 years in retail loss prevention. He is trained and experienced in correctional and law enforcement supervision, management and training; and in the conduct of inspections and investigations. Areas of teaching emphasis include Introduction to Criminal Justice, Juvenile Justice and Criminal Justice Administration.
Andrew Berghausen, J.D., is a criminal prosecuting attorney with over 25 years of complex jury trial and supervisory litigation experience in state courts in Ohio. For the past 20 years, he has focused exclusively on the investigation and prosecution of organized financial crime. He specializes in financial and economic crimes involving document fraud, corporate malfeasance, embezzlement, organized retail theft, insurance and benefit fraud, and government corruption.

What Can I do with a Master's in Criminal Justice?

Criminal Justice is a rapidly evolving landscape that encompasses the whole legal enforcement, court and jail systems. Those who work in criminal justice organizations are the gatekeepers, ensuring that laws and regulations are upheld to the highest degree. A Master’s in Criminal Justice prepares you for a wide range of job opportunities open to criminal justice professionals with varying backgrounds, such as experts in emergency management, crime scene investigation, domestic and international terrorism, criminal justice theory, human trafficking, crime control and so much more. With an online master’s in criminal justice from Xavier University, your opportunities for work in the field expand immensely.

Law Enforcement

Criminal justice professions in law enforcement careers deal with the protection of the community and people. Law enforcement agents respond to emergencies, work on crime prevention and apprehend criminals. Some of the most common jobs in the criminal justice system for this category include:

A law enforcement officer is a government employee who is responsible for preventing, investigating, apprehending and detaining individuals who are suspected or convicted of breaking the law. Law enforcement officers include uniformed police officers, special jurisdiction police, sheriffs and deputies, state police officers, detectives, and fish and game wardens. Some examples of the many fields of opportunity of work for law enforcement officers include crime scene investigation, human trafficking, emergency management and many teaching positions.
The prison warden is the top corrections officer at a correctional facility. As they are in a leadership position, they are primarily responsible for the safe and secure operation of the facility.
Security managers train new officers, plan and implement security standards, policies and procedures focused on the crime prevention aspect of law enforcement rather than responding. They monitor all large events to ensure public safety.

Criminology

Criminal justice professions in criminology combine sociology and criminal specializations to examine criminal behavior in society, cultures and organizations. Some of the most common jobs in the criminal justice system for this category include:

Also called criminal investigative analysis, criminal profiling specialists untangle the behaviors, emotions, and personalities of criminals to find how they tick.
This area focuses on criminal justice theory, studying crimes, and their cause, effects and social impacts. A criminologist searches and analyzes data to determine the reason the crime was committed and find ways to predict, deter and prevent further crimes.
Forensic psychologists apply psychology to criminal matters. They often work in family courts offering psychotherapy services, performing child custody evaluations, and visitation risk assessments. Forensic psychologists that work in criminal courts conduct assessments of juvenile and adult offenders, perform mental competency evaluations and work with child witnesses. They can also work in civil courts providing psychotherapy to crime victims and providing second opinions.
This position provides scientific evaluations of evidence in a crime scene investigation. A forensic examiner will get to visit crime scenes and collect evidence to be examined for clues in a laboratory.
Fraud investigators help identify fraudulent activities and work to prevent them in the future. Common organizations that employ this role include financial institutions, insurance companies, private investigation firms, and government organizations.
A criminal justice policy analyst gathers, reviews and conducts analysis on data to find trends in the effectiveness of the criminal justice system programs. Duties may include reviewing statistics, determining jail efficiency, reviewing jail management and serving on committees.

Legal

Legal criminal justice professions take place in the courtroom and involve solving and understanding crimes. Some of the most common jobs in the criminal justice system for this category include:

Both of these positions involve criminal justice theory, investigating crimes, undercover work and testimony. District Attorneys may also serve warrants and collaborate with other agencies on cases.

A victim advocate provides information and notification of court proceedings, offers emotional support and victims rights information.

This role works with convicted criminals to help rehabilitate and reintroduce them to the community.

Homeland Security

Criminal justice professions in homeland security deal with the security of our people and borders. Some of the most common jobs in the criminal justice system for homeland security include:

Cyber defense operators collect and process information on a target using geolocation. Other duties include tactical forensic analysis, network navigation and on net operations.

An intelligence analyst gathers and analyzes data from a multitude of sources such as law enforcement databases, surveillance, intelligence networks and GIS systems. This career in homeland security focuses on using information gathered to anticipate and prevent organized crime like terrorist attacks.

ICE agents prevent illegal trafficking across the nation’s borders as well as illegal immigration. These agents work with Homeland Security and US Customs and Border Protection.

FBI agents investigate drug trafficking, terrorism, white-collar crime, extortion, and foreign counterintelligence at a national level.

DEA agents are focused specifically on illegal drug trafficking and can be a national or international position.

Cyber investigation is the process of tracking criminals via the computer. Cybercrimes such as internet fraud, pornography, hacking, copyright infringement, and malicious viral attacks can be performed locally or worldwide. Cybersecurity investigators use a wide variety of techniques and tools to search for and apprehend cybercriminals.

People entering the criminal justice system have often already earned associates or bachelors degrees in another field. Corrections officers, court advocates, paralegals and cybercrime specialists may all have a bachelor’s degree in a field such as social work, psychology, law, or IT. No matter the college degree, a Master’s in Criminal Justice will help you begin or further your career in the public or private sector as a criminal justice professional and prepare you for leadership positions in the future.

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FAQs
No, the criminal justice degree is from Xavier University and is awarded on meeting coursework standards independent of course delivery regardless of being an online program. You will receive a Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree.

The tuition rate for the online Criminal Justice program is $655 per credit hour. The total cost of the online master’s in criminal justice program will vary, depending upon transfer credits awarded, additional fees and the cost of textbooks/materials. See the Tuition page for more information.

No, online criminal justice courses charge the same rate as all other courses.
Some students believe that online programs will be easier than face-to-face courses. However, that is not true for every student in the masters in criminal justice program. Each online course at Xavier University will have the same academic standards and content as a face-to-face course. You may find online learning to be easier because it suits your learning style, but the course content, the expectations for how much you will learn, and the assessment of what you have learned in our criminal justice program will be just as rigorous as in a face-to-face class.
Criminal justice master’s students may find that they can get to know their professor/instructor and other students better in an online course than in a traditional face-to-face course. There are many options for interacting with your instructors and classmates in your online program, including discussion boards, video or audio files from your instructor, email and video conferencing. There may be additional opportunities for interaction available based on the criminal justice course and instructor.

You will need to review the syllabus for each of your criminal justice courses to determine how to obtain materials (print and digital) you will need for your online criminal justice course. The Xavier Bookstore and/or Library will be happy to assist you in finding course materials. Some readings or media lessons may be posted digitally within the online course itself or in Xavier’s E-Reserves system.

If you are new to online learning at Xavier University, we encourage you to go through the student orientation for online courses.

The Technology Services website offers great resources to support online students.

We encourage you to take advantage of the library’s online resources.

Xavier University prides itself on upholding the value of “cura personalis,” or “care of the whole person,” in its classes. University faculty maintain those values in our online courses by constructing activities that build a sense of community among participants and by making themselves available for questions and instructional support.

Complete a free online application here.

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