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Master of Science in Justice Studies Degree

About the Program

36 Credit Hours:

  • 6 Hours Core Courses
  • 24 Hours Elective Courses
  • 6 Hours to complete capstone with Thesis or Non-Thesis option(s)

Core: 6 Hours

  • Research Methods: Sequence before Statistics
    • CJ 0305/ JS 0503 – Criminal Justice Research Methods

or

    • PSC 0340/ JS 0504 - Social Science Research Methods
  • Statistics: Sequence After Research Methods
    • JS 0505 – Statistical Analysis

or

    • PSC 0350/ JS 0506 - Social Science Statistics

Electives: 24 Hours – Students must take electives from at least 3 different disciplines

  • JS 409/ JS 509 - Inequalities in America
  • CJ 0301/ JS 0511 - International Justice Systems
  • CJ 0430/ JS 0513 - Family Violence
  • CJ 0432/ JS 0514 - Ethics in Criminal Justice
  • CJ 0440/ JS 0515 - Victimology
  • CJ 0316/ JS 0516 - Homeland Security
  • CJ 0417/ JS 0517 - Serial Murders
  • COMM 0410/ JS 0520 - Crisis Communications
  • JS 0521 - Crime & Criminal Justice Policy (CJ)
  • JS 0522 - Seminar in Corrections (CJ)
  • JS 0523 - Restorative Justice (CJ)
  • HIST 0320/ JS 0540 - The Civil Rights Era
  • PSC 0310/ JS 0550 - Judicial Politics and Process
  • PSC 0364/ JS 0551 - War and International Security
  • PSC 0342/ JS 0552 - Public Policy
  • PSC 0432/ JS 0553 - Constitutional Law II & Civil Liberties
  • PSC 0435/ JS 0554 - Philosophy of Law
  • PSC 0366/ JS 0555 - International Politics and Cyber Security
  • SW 0300/ JS 0570 - Social Welfare Policies and Services
  • SW 0475/ JS 571 - Social justice Practice
  • SOC 0302/ JS 0580 - Cults in the U.S
  • SOC 0311/ JS 0581 - Social Stratification
  • SOC 0312/ JS 0582 - Juvenile Delinquency
  • SOC 0391/ JS 0584 - Penology and Corrections
  • SOC 04XX/ CJ 04XX/ JS 0585 - Seminar in Race, Class, Gender, and Crime
  • KINE/HIST 0488 /JS 0588 - Wellness and Justice: A lion Co-op Experimental Learning Course 
  • JS 0699 - Independent Study

Capstone: 6 Hours Students must choose either the Thesis on Non-Thesis Track

  • Thesis JS 0600

or

  • Service Project and Process Paper in Justice Studies JS 0610

About the Degree:

The Masters of Science in Justice Studies is an interdisciplinary partnership between multiple departments, schools, and colleges at Missouri Southern State University designed to allow students, from all disciplinary backgrounds, the opportunity to explore and gain a deeper understanding of the multiple facets of what we call “Justice.” Students in this program will synthesize advanced scholarly knowledge from diverse yet interrelated fields, critique historical and theoretical concepts related to the understanding and application of justice, and master disciplinary and interdisciplinary skills essential to both scholarly and professional settings.   

What You’ll Learn:

  • How the concept of ‘justice’ is defined and applied in real-world settings.
  • How professionals’ work is related to the application of ‘justice’ defined in a variety of careers (politics, law, criminal justice, policing, social work).
  • How a variety of social systems work to achieve ‘justice’ or not (‘injustice’).
  • How to use data and other sources of information to make inferences and draw logical conclusions about questions focused on ‘justice’.

This Degree is Great for You if:

  • You have a baccalaureate degree from an accredited college or university (national or regional).
  • You want to pursue a career or professional activity that requires additional training in the operation of systems related to ‘justice’ or data analytics/critical thinking/problem-solving.
  • You are a career professional who seeks additional credentialing for professional development and/or advancement.