Skip To Top Navigation Skip To Content Skip To Footer

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 Thesis, Non-Thesis, or Comprehensive Examination options 

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 

or 

  • MATH 526 – Statistical Analysis 

or 

  • JS 507 – Data Visualization/Interpretation 

or 

  • HIST 597 – Graduate Seminar in Historical Research 


Electives: 24 Hours – Students must take electives from at least 2 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 Murderers  
  • 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 0342/ JS 0552 - Public Policy 
  • PSC 0432/ JS 0553 - Constitutional Law II & Civil Liberties 
  • PSC 0435/ JS 0554 - Philosophy of Law 
  • 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 
  • SOC/ JS 570: Globalization & Native Peoples 
  • KINE/HIST 0488 /JS 0588 - Wellness and Justice: A lion Co-op Experimental Learning Course   
  • JS 598 - Special Topics in Justice Studies 
  • JS 602 – Capstone Enrollment 
  • JS 620 – Comprehensive Exam in Justice Studies 
  • JS 0699 - Independent Study 

Capstone: 6 Hours Students must choose the Thesis, Non-Thesis, or Comprehensive Examination Option  

  • Thesis JS 0600 and JS 0601 

or 

  • Service Project and Process Paper in Justice Studies JS 0610 and JS 0611 

or 

  • Comprehensive Examination in Justice Studies JS 620 and 1 other, 3-hour elective course 

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.