The School of Criminal Justice is concerned with study of all aspects of crime
and societal reactions to crime. We examine political, economic and cultural
patterns that shape definitions of crime and influence the policy choices
about how to respond to certain categories of crime. We also study social
and personal forces that lead to criminal conduct, and we analyze the organization
and operation of crime control systems. Particular emphasis is placed on the
interactions among the many agencies which comprise criminal justice systems
and on the relationships between these systems and other facets of society.
Since its inception, the School has been interdisciplinary in its approach. Our graduates have been highly successful in academic and in practice positions. Graduates find opportunities in the expanding academic field of criminal justice research and teaching, all the operating agencies of criminal justice, in the many private and non-profit organizations which provide services or make policy recommendations.
The school offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy. It also offers a dual master's degree program with the School of Social Welfareand an undergraduate major in criminal justice.
A graduate student in the school must meet the requirements and standards of the school and of the University and be governed by their regulations. See Admission and Graduate Requirements for further details.
PH.D. PROGRAM IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Program of Study
To satisfy requirements for the Ph.D. degree, students must:
1. Complete 60 credits of coursework with a B (3.0) grade point average;
2. Pass comprehensive examinations, as desribed below.Justice;
3. Pass or waive the required courses in the support sequence: Statistics
II (CRJ 687) Research Design II (CRJ 688);
4. Complete research tool requirements in a specialized area of research methodology;
6. Present and successfully defend a dissertation prospectus;
7. Present and successfully defend a dissertation;
8 Comply with the University's statute of limitations requirement by completing
all program requirements within eight calendar years of the date of initial
registration.
The Course of Study
Each student shall be assigned a faculty advisor at the beginning of his
or her program; the advisor will help the student identify interests, select
coursework that will develop those interests, and locate appropriate professional
opportunities in research and teaching. Consistent with individual interests
and preparation, and with the assistance of the academic advisor and other
faculty as appropriate, students select a programs of coursework and other
experiences that provide them with broad training as well as more specialized
background in areas of individual research interest. offerings .
Students will be involved in organized research as early in their program
as preparation permits. Research may be conducted in a variety of modes and
settings: through independent study with faculty, collaborative work with
faculty and/or other students, and paid research assistantships. By the third
year, students are expected to identify and develop a substantive area of
research expertise, as well as the methodological skills necessary to conduct
original research, and demonstrate that expertise in the comprehensive examination
(see below). This preparation culminates in the identification and development
of major research problem, on which the student conducts original research
to be reported in the doctoral dissertation.
For students who plan to enter college and university teaching, a supervised
experience in teaching is available and encouraged.
Comprehensive Examinations
The doctoral comprehensive examination provides students with the opportunity
to practice and be assessed on important skills: development of a research
knowledge base, exercise of critical synthesis and writing skills, execution
of an independent research project, and presentation and defense of individual
work.
A faculty committee selected by the student shall administer each comprehensive
examination. The committee shall be comprised of at least three faculty members
eligible to teach graduate classes. The chair and at least one other committee
member shall be voting members of the School of Criminal Justice faculty.
A record of the committee's composition shall be filed with the Dean's Office
when the committee is constituted. The committee must be formed not later
than the beginning of the student's fifth semester of enrollment following
admission to the doctoral program.
The committee must approve the subject of the student's examination. Thereafter, a written description of the examination subject shall be distributed to the faculty.
The committee shall determine how to assess the student's proficiency, and will conduct the assessment. All examinations shall include:
A. demonstration of critical reading and mastery of relevant literature,
in written form;
B. completion of a research project, involving a written report that in the
committee's view is suitable for publication in an academic journal; and
C. an oral presentation and defense of both.
The committee will report annually to the faculty regarding the student's progress on the examination.
The committee will report to the Dean regarding its assessment of the student's performance on the comprehensive exam. The committee must deem the student's performance to be acceptable on each part of the exam for the student to pass the comprehensive exam.
In the event an examining committee reports that a student has performed unsuccessfully on a comprehensive exam, or in the event that the student has disbanded his or her committee, the student may petition the Student Performance Committee to be allowed to form a new committee. The Student Performance Committee's recommmendation shall be considered by the faculty. Not more than one petition to form a new examining committee will be entertained.
area.
a. Nature of Crime:
Crj 601 Crime, Deviation and Conformity;
Crj 603 Structural Factors in Crime;
Crj 606 Measurement of Crime and Delinquency;
Crj 607 Theories of Crime;
Crj 608 Ideology and Crime
Crj 700 Violence
Crj 700 Gangs
b. Law and Social Control:
Crj 620 The Law of Deprivation of Libert
Support Sequence
Most students enroll in Statistics I (CRJ 681) and Research Design I (CRJ 682) in their first year, which are prerequisites for two required courses, Statistics II (CRJ 687) and Research Design II (CRJ 688). A student whose prior coursework is substantively similar to the prerequisites may seek approval from the instructors of those courses for a waiver.
Research Tool Requirement
1. Students must submit a proposal to the Student Performance Committee specifying
the area of research methodology in which they will demonstrate competence,
and the manner in which such competence will be demonstrated. The proposal
must include a statement explaining why the selected area is appropriate to
the student's anticipated research in criminal justice.
2. The area of research methodology must be appropriate to academic study
in criminal justice. Illustrative areas that may satisfy the research tool
requirement include statistical analysis, legal research, foreign language
proficiency, historical research, computer utilization, survey design, techniques
of field observation, and clinical research techniques (this listing is not
intended to be exhaustive).
3. A level of proficiency in research that is appropriate to the Ph.D. degree
must be evidenced in order to demonstrate competence in an area of research
methodology. Such competence may be evidenced:
a. By completing successfully an approved course (no course credits may be
applied toward the Ph.D. degree if completion of the course is used in satisfaction
of the tool requirement); or
b. By demonstrating proficiency in a foreign language under procedures and
criteria approved by the Student Performance Committee. This normally will
involve an examination administered by a foreign language department at the
University (e.g., the Departments of French, Hispanic and Italian Studies,
Germanic Languages and Literature);
c. Upon the certification of two members of the faculty that the student has
satisfactorily completed an approved research tool proposal.
Prospectus and Dissertation
1. Prospectus and dissertation committee: Each student's dissertation work
is overseen by a five-member committee, and supervised by one member as chair.
At least three members of the committee, including the chair, must be School
of Criminal Justice faculty. The student and committee chair will consult
about membership on the committee; the dean must approve the committee composition
after members have agreed to serve. The student is expected to work with the
members of his/her committee in the initial development and written articulation
of the prospectus and the dissertation.
2. The prospectus: The presentation and defense of a dissertation prospectus
is a formal step toward Ph.D. candidacy. The written prospectus should detail
the research methods and techniques to be used in conducting the dissertation
topic. It also should address the relevance of the dissertation topic to the
field of criminal justice, describe the conceptual and research content in
which the proposed study is located, specify the originality or uniqueness
of the proposal, and review, in bibliographic form, the research and other
literature relevant to the topic.
3. The dissertation: The dissertation is the culmination of the program of
advanced study leading to a doctoral degree. It is expected that the dissertation
report in accepted scholarly style an investigation of a problem of significance,
and make a unique contribution to the field of study. It must demonstrate
independent research and analysis, scholarly reporting, and a high degree
of scholarly competence.
Statute of Limitations
All requirements for the Ph.D. degree must be completed within eight calendar years of the date of initial registration in the program.
Concentration in Information Technology
Crj 692 Data Utilization in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
Crj 693 Geographic Information Systems in Criminal Justice I (4 credits)
and Either
Crj 696 Geographic Information Systems in Criminal Justice II (4 credits)
or
Crj 695 Responsible Use of Criminal Justice Information (3 credits)
THE MASTER OF ARTS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Program of Study
To satisfy requirements for the M.A. degree students must:
Nature of Crime:
One of the following courses:
Crj 601 Crime, Deviation and Conformity
Crj 603 Structural Factors in Crime
Crj 604 Gender and Crime in American Culture
Crj 605 Juvenile Delinquency and Youth Groups
Crj 606 Measurement of Crime and Delinquency
Crj 607 Theories of Crime
Crj 608 Ideology and Crime
Crj 610 Guns and Gun Control
Crj 611 Race and Crime
Crj 612 Homicide Research
Crj 613 Nature of Gangs
Crj 614 Crime and Cities
Law and Social Control:
One of the following courses:
Crj 620 The Law of Deprivation of Liberty
Crj 623 Substantive Criminal Law
Crj 625 Principles of Punishment
Crj 626 Law and Social Science Research
Crj 629 Constitutional Criminal Procedure
Crj 630 Legal Rights of Children
Crj 721 Capital Punishment
Criminal Justice Process and Policy:
One of the following courses:
Crj 636 Juvenile Justice
Crj 641 Comparative Criminal Justice
Crj 642 Issues in Policing
Crj 643 Community Supervision and Treatment of Convicted Persons
Crj 645 Prison Environments
Crj 646 Sentencing
Crj 647 Innovations in Policing
Crj 649 Gender, Administration, and Policy
Crj 651 Policing in America
Crj 652 Prosecution and Adjudication
Crj 655 Crime, Criminal Justice, and Public Policy
Crj 662 Community Intervention and Criminal Justice
Crj 667 Prison Reform
Planned Change:
One of the following courses:
Crj 560 Introduction to Individual and Organizational Interventions
Crj 561 Introduction to Community Intervention
Crj 647 Innovations in Policing
Crj 656 Social Response to Youth Gangs
Crj 661 Modes of Correctional Intervention
Crj 662 Community Intervention and Criminal Justice
Crj 667 Prison Reform
Pln 505 Comprehensive City Planning
Students must satisfactorily complete Statistics I (Crj 504, Crj 679, or Crj 681) and Crj 682 Research Design I. Two different sections normally are offered in both Statistics 1 and Research Design I, one for "consumers," and one for "users" of statistics and research design techniques. M.A. students have the option of enrolling in either section of these courses; prior consultation with the professors teaching the different sections is advised.
Concentration in Information Technology
Crj 692 Data Utilization in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
Crj 693 Geographic Information Systems in Criminal Justice I (4 credits)
and Either
Crj 696 Geographic Information Systems in Criminal Justice II (4 credits)
or
Crj 695 Responsible Use of Criminal Justice Information (3 credits)
The Master's Essay Option
A master's essay may be completed as an elective within the M.A. curriculum,
and in exceptional cases, with the approval of the appropriate faculty, may
satisfy area requirements for the M.A. degree within one of the substantive
areas.
Combined Baccalaureate-Master’s Degree Program
Qualified undergraduates may apply for admission to the combined B.A. Criminal
Justice/M.A. Criminal Justice program and, if accepted, simultaneously work
toward completion of the requirements for both undergraduate and graduate
degrees. See Combined Baccalaureate-Master's Degree Programs https://www.albany.edu/grad/requirements_general_admissions.html#combined_baccalaureate
for details.
DUAL MASTER'S PROGRAM IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE (M.A.) AND SOCIAL WORK (M.S.W.)
The dual master's program brings together the resources of the School of Criminal Justice and the School of Social Welfare. The School of Criminal Justice has established an international reputation based both on the scholarship of its faculty and on the contributions of its graduates in the field of criminal justice.
The School of Social Welfare is a national leader in social work, both in its direct practice concentration and its training in agency management and human service policy administration.
The dual master's program is directed at students who wish to combine expertise in criminal justice policy and research with the study of direct practice or management of human services. The joint degree broadens the range of student perspectives and interests in each of the schools, and widens the educational program available within each unit.
The Dual Master's Degree Program in Criminal Justice (M.A.) and Social Work (M.S.W.) requires a minimum of 70 graduate credits.
Students may be admitted to the dual master's program at the beginning of their graduate studies, but not later than completion of 20 graduate credits applicable to the dual master's program. Work completed for a previously awarded master's or doctoral degree may NOT be used for this program.
Dual Master's Program in Criminal Justice (M.A.) and Social Work - Direct Practice Concentration (M.S.W.)
Program of Study (70 graduate credits minimum)
To complete requirements for the MA/MSW with the Direct Practice Concentration, students must complete 70 credits through required coursework and electives:
1. Required courses (63 credits minimum):
a.) Social Welfare (48 credits minimum) including: Ssw 600; 610; 611; 620;
621; 630; 631; 650; 651; 752; 753; two advanced practice courses, one advanced
behavior course, plus one advanced policy course per field of study or advisement;
b.) Criminal Justice: Students must complete one course each in three of
the four following substantive areas (9-10 credits):
Nature of Crime: Crj 601, 602; 606; 607;
Law and Social Control: Crj 620, 623, 626, 629;
Criminal Justice Process and Policy; Crj 641,642, 643, 645, 646, 647, 649
651, 652Planned Change: Crj 560 or 561;
c.) Complete course requirements in support sequence (6-7 credits): Crj 504
or Crj 679 or Crj 681 or equivalent; and Crj 682;
2. Electives (5-7 credits) from criminal justice to total 70 credits.
Dual Master's Program in Criminal Justice
(M.A.) and Social Work - Management Concentration (M.S.W.)
Program of Study (70 graduate credits minimum)
To complete requirements for the MA/MSW with the Management Concentration, students must complete 70 credits through required coursework and electives:
1. Required courses (57 credits minimum):
a.) Social Welfare (42 credits minimum) including: Ssw 600; 610; 611; 620; 621; 630; 650; 651; 714; 715; 726; 752; 753;
b.) Criminal Justice: Students must complete one course in two of the three
following substantive areas:
Nature of Crime: Crj 601, 602; 606; 607;
Law and Social Control: Crj 620, 623, 626, 629;;
Criminal Justice Process and Policy: Crj 641,642, 643, 645, 646, 647, 649
651, 652c.) Complete course requirements in support sequence: Crj 504 or Crj
679 or Crj 681 or equivalent; and Crj 682 PLUS Crj 691 or Ssw 665;
2. Electives (11 credits minimum) including at least three credits from each of the elective groupings in criminal justice to total 70 credits.