From Supporting Role to Front Stage: Shining a Spotlight on the Programmatic Features and Experiences of Master’s Degree Programs in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Abstract

While criminology and criminal justice (CCJ) undergraduate programs serve the bulk of our students, much research within the field pays attention to Ph.D. programs and their faculty. Such focus at the polar ends of educational opportunities for those seeking higher education in CCJ leaves a gap in information on master’s degrees in the discipline. This research note describes the programmatic features and experiences of 34 programs and paints a picture of current master’s level education to guide program refinement and development and assist undergraduate students applying to CCJ master’s programs. Findings suggest there are a set of core courses offered across programs that often align with faculty expertise and students have varied culminating experience opportunities. There is also much productivity among graduate students who conduct research and publish and/or present their findings. The paper describes gaps in the literature and discusses suggestions for future research directions.

Keywords:

• Graduate education
• master's degree programs
• graduate curriculum
• graduate student productivity

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Notes

1 https://newscenter.sdsu.edu/sdsu_newscenter/news_story.aspx?sid=77628; https://www.businessinsider.com/college-major-most-popular-in-every-us-state-2018-4

2 For a detailed history of accreditation and quality improvement in CCJ education, see Southerland et al., 2007.

3 ACJS is no longer accepting applications for certification.

4 Elite journals were defined per the 2017 Thompson Reuters Impact Factor for Criminology and Criminal Justice journal rankings. They are, in alphabetical order: Aggression and Violent Behavior; Aggressive Behavior; British Journal of Criminology; Criminology; Journal of Criminal Justice; Journal of Experimental Criminology; Journal of Interpersonal Violence; Journal of Quantitative Criminology; Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency; and Justice Quarterly.

5 There is a larger number of faculty reported in the question related about faculty credentials; this may be due to faculty holding a J.D. and Ph.D., which faculty record on their curriculum vitae as they are both terminal degrees. It may also be due to respondents reporting the credentials of their adjunct faculty.