Northern Arizona University has earned a solid reputation as a comprehensive university
with a personal touch. The personal attention comes in many
forms, including small classes with full-time professors who know
their students' names and a caring and committed staff whose goal
is to help every student succeed.
The mission of the Department of Criminal Justice is to provide
undergraduate and graduate students with an education in criminal
justice that meets the highest national standards, prepares them
to think critically about the problems of crime and justice as
citizens, and will enable them to perform effectively in the
criminal justice arena as workers. Pursuing this mission involves
four interconnected activities: education, scholarship, service
and assessment.
The Department of Criminal Justice recognizes that the issues of
crime and justice are complex, controversial topics that are open
to a number of different interpretations and approaches.
Consequently the department is committed to an open intellectual
environment that encourages teaching and scholarship from a
diversity of theoretical perspectives and research methodologies.
Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice
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Our program in criminal justice is designed to provide you with
a social science education concerning the nature of crime and the
purpose, operations and consequences of the various components of
the justice system in both the United States and other nations.
If you are interested in pursuing a career in one of the three
major areas of the criminal justice system (the courts,
corrections or law enforcement), or if you wish to pursue further
education in law school or graduate school, the BS in Criminal
Justice will provide you with the knowledge and analytical skills
to do so.
Whether you major in criminal justice or in some other field, our
department can also contribute to your ability to make informed
judgments about crime and justice issues through our liberal
studies offerings.
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
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The goal of the MS in Criminal Justice is to provide you with
graduate level skills to understand the challenges of achieving
justice in an increasingly diverse society located in a
continually-shrinking world. The MS in Criminal Justice provides
two pathways to completion, a thesis path and a comprehensive
examination path.
The thesis path provides you with the theoretical, methodological
and communication skills necessary to work effectively in
research or policy positions related to justice, or to pursue
further graduate education.
The comprehensive examination path will provide you with a
graduate-level understanding of criminology and criminal justice,
as well as specialized knowledge in one or more focus areas.