The Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology offers both a Master of Arts and a Doctor of Philosophy, in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

The graduate program in Criminal Justice and Criminology aims to prepare students to face and address security and justice challenges at the local, national, and international levels. This goal is achieved through the development of theoretical, methodological, and policy-related knowledge and skills as they pertain to criminal justice and criminology. Graduate Programs Objectives.

Specifically, students in the graduate program in Criminal Justice and Criminology will

• Understand and be able to conceptualize, analyze, and theorize the changing nature of
  crime, order, security, and justice issues in the current societal environment of the USA
  and the world
• Acquire the cultural, methodological, and analytical skills needed to interpret available
  information related to security and justice issues.
  These objectives will be expressed differently at each level of the program

Both degrees offer students a complete overview of the criminal justice system, Criminological Theory, and methods of analysis. The department is large enough to offer the range of specializations necessary for a flexible graduate program, yet small enough to retain a sense of community among students and faculty.

Master of Arts (M.A.) in Criminal Justice and Criminology

M.A. Graduates often enter law school, doctoral programs, or are successful in finding employment in local, state, and federal agencies and private corporations. Recent graduates have been employed by the Drug Enforcement Agency, the Department of Energy, the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Unit, Washington State Department of Corrections, Washington State Sentencing Commission, Port of Seattle Police Department, Spokane Police Department, Benton/Franklin County Juvenile Court, and many other agencies. Several students from the master’s degree program remain within the department to pursue their doctoral degree, while others have been admitted to Ph.D. programs at the University of Maryland, University of Cincinnati, University of Minnesota, American University, The Pennsylvania State University, and the University of Indiana.

M.A. Learning Outcomes

1. Disciplinary Proficiency: Students will be generally knowledgeable about criminal justice
   policy and criminological theory.
2. Diversity Knowledge: Students will understand how history, structures of power and privilege, and cultural, social, and economic forces affect criminal justice and criminological outcomes.
3. Methodological Competence: Students will be competent in the basics of criminal justice and criminological research, including research design and rudimentary quantitative analysis.
4. Proficient Communication: Students will become capable communicators in terms of research according to professional standards in both written and oral formats

Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D) of Criminal Justice and Criminology

Graduates of the Ph.D. program are active scholars and teachers working at a variety of universities across the country. Our recent graduates are on the faculty at Arizona State University, Boise State University, Sam Houston State University, California State University Sacramento and San Bernardino, Michigan State University, Southeast Missouri State University, Arkansas State University, Weber State University, Western Oregon University, University of Texas at Dallas, and the University of Nevada–Reno.Disciplinary Proficiency: Students will be generally knowledgeable across the entire field
of criminal justice and criminology.

Ph.D. Learning Outcomes

1. Disciplinary Proficiency: Students will be generally knowledgeable across the entire field
   of criminal justice and criminology
2. Diversity Knowledge: Students will understand how history, structures of power and
   privilege, and cultural, social, and economic forces affect criminal justice and
   criminological outcomes.
3. Methodological Competence: Students will be competent in the full range research methods and analytical techniques used in the field of criminal justice and criminology.
4. Specialized Expertise: Students will develop a comprehensive understanding of the published scholarship and contemporary research methods in a specific, defined area of study within the field of criminal justice and criminology.
5. Proficient Communication: Students will become proficient communicators in terms of research and pedagogy according to professional standards in both written and oral formats.