Online Option
Advance your career. The Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice & Criminology can be completed online part time or full time.
Our criminal justice master’s program prepares students for leadership positions in the field of criminal justice and criminology. It also provides excellent preparation for students who anticipate advanced study at the doctoral level.
This program is offered part time and full time.
Graduation Requirements
Minimum GPA of 3.0; Minimum of 33 graduate credits; A grade of B or better in the following: CRM JST 743, CRM JST 756 and CRM JST 773. All students complete a minimum of 33 graduate credits; 27 credit hours must be taken within the criminal justice program and the other 6 may be taken elsewhere in the Helen Bader School of Social Welfare or in other UWM departments with the consent of the student’s advisor. Students must complete all degree requirements within seven years of enrollment.
Thesis Option (Essay Option)
Ideal for students intent on pursuing a doctoral degree. Required: 3 credits of approved research and an oral exam in defense of the essay.
Capstone Option (Non-Essay Option)
Students who do not complete the essay option are required to complete the capstone seminar course (CRM JST 920, Masters Capstone Seminar). This seminar integrates learning from the degree coursework and synthesizes criminal justice theories, empirical research, and program creation and implementation.
The curriculum offers criminal justice professionals a broad foundation for understanding criminal justice policy. Legal, organizational, political and behavioral frameworks are used to analyze the operation of the U.S. criminal justice system. Students are introduced to advanced knowledge on the nature and causes of crime, the justification and means of social control, the administration of the justice system, and the evaluation of criminal justice programs.
All students must take the following five courses.
| Course | Credits |
|---|---|
| CRM JST 713: Measuring Crime and Analyzing Crime Data | 3 |
| CRM JST 756: Analysis of Criminal Justice Research | 3 |
| CRM JST 743: Administration of Criminal Justice Systems | 3 |
| CRM JST 773: Perspectives on Crime and the Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CRM JST 920: Criminal Justice Masters Capstone Seminar | 3 |
| Criminal Justice Electives (4) | 12 |
| Electives (2 Criminal Justice or outside electives with advisor’s consent) | 6 |
| Total | 33 |
Sample Course Schedule
The following example begins in Spring 2023 and includes four semesters, excluding summer.
| Spring 2024 | Fall 2024 | Spring 2025 | Fall 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRM JST 743 Administration of Criminal Justice Systems (core class) | CRM JST 756 Analysis of Criminal Justice Research (core class) | CRM JST 773 Perspectives on Crime and the Criminal Justice System (core class) | Elective |
| Elective | CRM JST 713 Measuring Crime and Analyzing Crime Data (core class) | CRM JST 920 (Capstone) | Outside Elective |
| Elective | Outside Elective | Elective | |
| Total Credits | 33 |
- Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice & Criminology
- Graduate Program Coordinator, Criminal Justice & Criminology
- asheeran@uwm.edu
- 414-251-8687
- Enderis Hall 1135