Master of Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice Leadership Emphasis

Master’s Degrees | Criminal Justice | Leadership Emphasis

Online Master of Criminal Justice Degree—Criminal Justice Leadership Emphasis

As a law enforcement professional, you tirelessly work to keep your community safe. With a stellar track record and multiple accomplishments to your name, you’re not just a vessel of justice and an enforcer of order. You aspire to protect and uplift through exemplary, inspiring leadership and effective, meaningful advocacy. Take that next step with the University of Mississippi’s online Master of Criminal Justice with a Criminal Justice Leadership emphasis.

The Ole Miss Department of Criminal Justice and Legal Studies gears this emphasis toward those currently working in law enforcement and aspiring to a more advanced position. The practical knowledge in your wheelhouse isn’t just broadly applicable across a spectrum of responsibilities and agencies—it makes you instrumental in influencing policies and top-level decisions, solving ethical dilemmas, and improving your organization and surrounding community through exceptional leadership.

 

About the Criminal Justice Leadership Emphasis

Leadership in the criminal justice sphere is changing. Today’s professionals working in the field, teaching criminal justice topics, or consulting law enforcement organizations need an understanding of practical skills, criminology’s sociology foundation, and change-based policy development.

Advanced positions require you to step up to the challenge. Along with protecting and serving others through evidence-based measures, you’re expected to guide your team, department, or organization to success with clear and compelling communication and a strong command of management theory and application. Our Criminal Justice Leadership emphasis directs your online master’s degree toward these higher-level opportunities:

  • Learn management philosophies, budgeting, communication, human resources, policy development, and administrative applications within the context of law enforcement.
  • Examine criminal behavior theories, human services, and the use of technology in law enforcement to create new or influence existing policy.
  • Evaluate factors influencing crime statistics and the impact of the criminal justice process on victims and perpetrators, and apply these data-driven decisions to shape internal practices and procedures.
  • Promote social justice and change through the analysis and application of criminal justice theories and practices.
  • Assess the overlap and interactions among law enforcement systems, courts, and corrections at local, state, and federal levels, and use your findings to develop, implement, and evaluate effective criminal justice policies.
  • Translate traditionally rooted business management theory to criminal justice applications, including in the context of managing diverse teams, utilizing conflict resolution techniques, leading organizational change, and becoming an effective administrative professional in law enforcement.

Criminal Justice Leadership Curriculum

Begin with a 12-credit core consisting of four foundational courses before proceeding onto four (4) electives. A two (2) course-sequence (6 credits) capstone project serves as the culmination of your education.

Core

As an online Master of Criminal Justice student, you’ll broaden your practical knowledge with a four-course core. These four courses serve to enhance your understanding of topics relevant for criminal justice leadership, management, and operational decision-making. Law enforcement professionals will find they can apply these concepts directly in their existing roles. Following the program’s foundational courses, you’ll then proceed onto the Criminal Justice Leadership emphasis.

All core courses last eight weeks each, and you’ll be expected to maintain a minimum B- average.

  1. CJ 600: Criminal Justice Administration
  2. CJ 601: Criminal Justice Statistics
  3. CJ 602: Criminal Justice Research Methods
  4. CJ 624: Theories of Criminal Behavior

Emphasis and Electives

As part of this 30-credit, 10-course program, you’ll complete four (4) electives. All emphasis courses and electives are scheduled in eight-week blocks and are valued at three (3) credits each. For the Criminal Justice Leadership emphasis, you’ll take at least three (3) electives in the following topics:

  1. CJ 649: Independent Study*
  2. CJ 671: Communications for Criminal Justice Leaders
  3. CJ 672: Conflict Resolution and Decision-Making
  4. CJ 673: Criminal Justice Evidence-Based Decision-Making
  5. CJ 674: Budgeting and Finance
  6. CJ 676: Principles of Leadership
  7. CJ 678: Diversity and Inclusion
  8. CJ 679: Special Topics in Criminal Justice Leadership*
  9. CJ 680: Personnel Management*

*May be taken two times with a different topic.

For a more holistic perspective of the criminal justice field, students can customize their online master’s degree by fulfilling their elective requirements with courses in Homeland Security and Emergency Management. 

Capstone

The online Master of Criminal Justice prepares you not only to practice but to become a thought leader in the field. Nationally recognized experts teach all courses, and learning from their example, you’ll produce a capstone project (CJ C92 and CJ 693) before graduating. 

You’ll research and evaluate a topic or issue in criminal justice leadership and, after compiling and analyzing your data, present an authoritative systematic review paper highlighting your findings. Students must complete this course with a grade of B- or above.

Careers in Criminal Justice Leadership

Embrace your desire to lead and transform your community. Through the knowledge acquired from our Criminal Justice Leadership emphasis, you’ll have the practical competencies and theoretical background to:

  • Excel in a criminal justice management, leadership, or administrative role,
  • Shape organizational change as a criminal justice management consultant, or
  • Instruct others as motivated as you are by becoming a criminal justice educator.

Transform Your Career with an Online Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice Leadership from Ole Miss

Take the next step by beginning the Ole Miss online Master of Criminal Justice degree and honing your management and policy skills through our Criminal Justice Leadership emphasis.

To learn more before starting an application, contact our Coordinator of Advising, Recruitment, and Retention Andy King to set up an appointment to talk more about the program, your interests and needs, and your future.