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Students are provided with a comprehensive understanding of crime and the justice system, administration, and public policy. The curriculum also provides the background and educational experience necessary for those who may wish to later pursue doctoral work in criminal justice or related fields.
The MA in Criminal Justice capstone seminar option includes a thesis, or a major research project or paper. This option is desirable for those students who wish to focus on specific subject matter of an interdisciplinary nature or who would like to continue their education at a higher level.
In addition to the institutional and degree level learning outcome objectives, the Master of Criminal Justice also seeks the following specific learning outcomes of its graduates. Graduates in this degree program will be able to do the following:
- Distinguish between the major systems of Criminal Justice and how the functions of police, prosecution, courts, and corrections interface.
- Analyze the various biological and psychological theories and philosophies of criminal behavior as they influence modern developments in punishment, sentencing, and corrections.
- Evaluate the various definitions, objectives, and issues of new or emergent criminal threats, such as terrorism, and how they compare and contrast with traditional criminal behavior theories.
- Assess the rule of law and changes to it as it pertains to direct and indirect influence and impact on social reactions to crime, corrections, and victims of crime.
- Critically examine landmark criminal justice cases, from the Supreme Court down to local levels, and determine their cultural, social, and economic impact.
- Apply the concepts of professional and ethical behavior within the criminal justice system.
Core Requirements
- CMRJ500Criminal Justice Ethics
- CMRJ501Criminology
- CMRJ505Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Security
- CMRJ512Police Administration
- LSTD502Criminal Law
- LSTD503Criminal Justice Process
International applicants are required to pay each course in full using a U.S. credit card or money order. The Automatic Debit Plan (ADP) payment option is available when used with a credit card drawn from a U.S. institution.
Suggestions for international students seeking financial assistance to fund their studies at APUS:
Contact their Ministry of Education explore scholarship, grants or loan possibilities
Contact private lenders companies or banks
Seek sponsorship from a personal investor
Accreditation
American Public University is part of the American Public University System (APUS), which is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). The HLC accredits degree-granting institutions located in a 19-state region, and is recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED), and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
ED formally recognizes accrediting commissions that meet all federal standards, and CHEA extends recognition to accrediting bodies and their institutions that meet these established standards. Accreditation should be important to you because it determines a schools eligibility for federal and state financial aid, and may influence acceptance of transfer credits and admission to accredited graduate schools.
In addition to our HLC accreditation, our B.S. in Nursing program, as well as many of our business programs, have obtained specialized accreditation from external accrediting organizations in these specific disciplines.
Credits and degrees earned through APUS may be recognized for promotion, assignment, and position qualification standards within the military, federal government, and private sector. For students transferring to other colleges, APUS credit is considered transfer-eligible based on its accreditation. However, APUS cannot guarantee that its credit will be accepted, as acceptance of credit is always the prerogative of the receiving institution.
Institutional AccreditationThis level of accreditation requires a significant amount of self-study and presentation of evidence to satisfy the demanding requirements of accrediting organizations. Obtaining accreditation with HLC demonstrates our focus on providing academic excellence and the best possible experience for our students.
As an accredited institution, our university is eligible to participate in federal educational entitlement programs such as military tuition assistance, government tuition reimbursement programs, the Department of Veterans Affairs GI Bill, and many corporate education assistance programs. In addition, APUS has been granted approval by the Department of Education to participate in Title IV Federal Student Aid Programs.
Further information on recognition policies and standards may be found on the following websites:
U.S. Department of Education (ED)
400 Maryland Avenue, SW
Washington, DC 20202
(800) USA-LEARN (800-872-5327)
Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA)
One Dupont Circle NW, Suite 510
Washington, DC 20036
(202) 955-6126
The Higher Learning Commission (HLC)
230 South LaSalle Street, Suite 7-500
Chicago, IL 60604
(800) 621-7440
View the APUS 2011 HLC Reaccreditation letter
Specialized AccreditationIn addition to our HLC accreditation, our university has obtained specialized/programmatic accreditation through appropriate governing organizations for the specific academic programs listed below. The curriculum for these programs meets the higher standards required by these external accrediting organizations.
Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (ACBSP)
Business School
A.S., B.S., and M.S. in Accounting; A.A. in Business Administration; Bachelor of Business Administration; Master of Business Administration; B.A. in Marketing; A.A., B.A., and M.A. in Management; A.A. and B.A. in Retail Management; A.A. and B.A. in Hospitality Management; B.A. and M.A. in Transportation and Logistics Management; and A.A. in Real Estate Studies.
The B.A. and M.A. in Reverse Logistics Management and the B.A. and M.A. in Entrepreneurship programs within the School of Business are not accredited by ACBSP. They will be eligible for accreditation once they have been standing for a minimum of two years and each has at least one graduate.
Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (CCNE)
B.S. in Nursing (RN to BSN)
CCNE is an autonomous accrediting agency, contributing to the improvement of the public's health. CCNE ensures the quality and integrity of baccalaureate, graduate, and residency programs in nursing. CCNE serves the public interest by assessing and identifying programs that engage in effective educational practices. As a voluntary, self-regulatory process, CCNE accreditation supports and encourages continuing self-assessment by nursing programs and supports continuing growth and improvement of collegiate professional education and post-baccalaureate nurse residency programs.
Council for Education for Public Health (CEPH)
At this time, our university is not accredited by CEPH, and our prior application for CEPH accreditation lapsed on January 1, 2013. However, the governing body of the CEPH, at its June 2013 meeting, formally approved our request to begin the accreditation process for our Master of Public Health program. The steps and timeline for the CEPH accreditation process are subject to modification, and there is no assurance that we (or any institution seeking accreditation) will achieve this accreditation.
Professional Recognition and AffiliationManagement
Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM)
Sports and Health Sciences
American Sport Education Program (ASEP) (B.S.)
National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM) (M.S.)
Information Systems Security
National Security Agency (NSA) - Information Assurance Courseware Evaluation (IACE)
Child and Family Development
National Council on Family Relations (NCFR)
School of Education, M.Ed. Teaching, M.Ed. Educational Leadership, M.Ed. School Counseling
WV state approved educator certification programs (WVDE)