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Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Dramatically increase your potential (without setting foot
on a campus) through our Master of Science in Criminal Justice
(MSCJ) program.
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The Master of Science in Criminal Justice program
prepares students for entry and advancement in criminal
justice related careers. Students will gain advanced
knowledge of the justice system and law enforcement
process - from police patrol procedures, the courts,
terrorism, forensic science, the correctional facilities
and the systems of probation and parole.
Graduates of the program are prepared to provide
leadership in agencies and institutions of the criminal
justice system.
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The goals of the program are to provide students
with the ability to:
- Evaluate the scientific study of crime, criminals,
the law-making process, the criminal justice system,
and the treatment of offenders.
- Develop critical thinking, analytical, and interpersonal
skills applicable to real-world problems.
- Implement innovative solutions for law enforcement,
criminal investigation, and management and administration
of criminal justice related activities.
- Achieve career goals and rapid advancement in
criminal justice and related fields.
- Develop the qualifications to advance in administrative
and managerial positions in the criminal justice
industry or related fields
- Apply advanced research in the collection and
analysis, and reporting of criminal justice related
information and empirical data.
- Develop an advanced understanding of ethical
practices and professionalism as they apply in fields
of criminal justice.
- Develop problem solving skills to identify and
implement solutions to issues confronting practitioners
in areas of criminal justice.
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MSCJ Degree Program Admission Requirements:
All candidates must submit a completed application for
admission. In addition, candidates are required to provide
evidence of a bachelor's degree in the form of official
transcripts from an accredited college or university, or
an equivalent certified degree from a recognized foreign
college or university.
Official transcripts of all previous baccalaureate and
post-baccalaureate study must be sent directly to Aspen
University by the granting institution(s). A minimum GPA
of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale is required for transfer credits.
Visit the FAQ page to learn more about our course
delivery methods.
Please contact our admissions
office if you have any questions about your ability
to enroll in the MSCJ Program.
Aspen University's MSCJ degree requirement is the equivalent
of 36 credit hours of earned credit:
- 5 Core Courses including a Capstone Course- 3 semester
credits each
- 7 Elective Courses- 3 semester credits each
Course Listing
| Core Courses: |
5 Courses (15 Credits) |
| Elective Courses: |
Select 7 Courses (21 Credits) |
Core Courses (15 credits)
Elective Courses (21 credits - selected from the following
courses)
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Course Descriptions:
Core Courses
CJ500 Criminal Law
This course examines the background and foundations of American
criminal law, including United States Constitutional requirements,
Federal and State court organization and jurisdiction, criminal
law basics, and rules of evidence and procedure. It covers
in depth various categories of crimes and offenses including
assault, homicide, sex offenses, theft, arson, forgery,
narcotics, extortion, traffic offences, crimes affecting
the judicial process and organized crime.
CJ510 Criminal Procedure
This course provides a clear and legally based exploration
of the criminal procedure. It takes an in-depth look at
conducting searches and what goes in to obtaining a search
warrant, conducting plain view, open fields and consent
searches and frisk searches. It covers all aspects of confessions,
suspect identifications, and entrapment. This course concludes
with pretrial matters and the trail and jury process.
CJ515 Technology in Law Enforcement
This course provides a comprehensive outline of the the
use of technology by both criminals and law enforcement
agencies. Advanced law enforcement-specific technologies
are explored in depth. Topics include wiretaps, surveillance,
high-tech crimes, disaster response, and police protection.
Ethical and legal implications of technology are explored,
as well as technology's place in the community based policing
model; and, how technology impacts traditional criminal
justice theories.
CJ520 Criminology
This course explores criminology and the factors that affect
it including Supreme Court rulings, and governmental policies.
This course examines the nature and causes of crime, and
the effects of crime on issues of law, community, and law
enforcement. Students will explore
the nature, extent, and patterns of crime; victims and victimization;
and theories of crime causation.
599 Capstone Project
The capstone project allows students to apply the knowledge
and skills acquired in their courses to the work environment.
This project is completely individualized; students are
encouraged to select work-related projects that are of particular
interest to them and that will result in professional growth
and benefit the organization.
Elective Courses
CJ530 Law Enforcement Management
This course explores the behavioral aspects of police management,
the functional aspects of police management, and issues
associated with modern police management. Topics covered
include leadership styles, the organizational environment,
workforce development, management planning, problem identification,
management by objectives, productivity, and fiscal management.
Additionally there is focus on special issues including
the use of power and force, civil liability, accreditation,
ethics, establishing a police presence in schools, and the
use of an assessment center for identifying promotion candidates.
CJ535 Crime Scene Investigation
This course covers the skills necessary for gathering evidence
from a crime scene and reconstructing what occurred. It
starts with the basic search principles necessary for gathering
evidence and ways to capture the evidence. It will then
go into the different types of evidence present. This includes
fingerprint, hair, fiber, glass, paint, soil, arson accelerant,
biological fluid stain, firearms, impression, drug, alcohol
and document evidence. Finally this course concludes with
how to use this evidence to reconstruct the crime.
CJ540 Fingerprinting
With the advances in technology and research into fingerprinting
it is important to stay up do date on current developments.
This course explores the latest techniques and findings
in the science of fingerprinting. It covers how a fingerprint
is formed, the techniques necessary for detecting fingerprints
on a wide variety of surfaces, how to identify the fingerprint,
and issues related to fingerprint evidence.
CJ545 Drug Enforcement
The drug trafficking industry is continually growing and
changing making enforcement. This course is deigned to explore
drug enforcement through a variety of methods as well as
look at those methods used by criminals to avoid detection.
We will look at drug investigations in hotels/motels, airports,
storage units, trains, commercial busses, parcels and rental
vehicles. It also looks at various ways of obtaining information
and conducting investigations.
CJ550 Forensic Science
This course covers the comprehensive realm of forensic science
or criminalistics as it is commonly known. Case studies
are combined with the most current technologies in forensic
analysis to instruct students how to properly identify,
collect & preserve crime scene evidence. Common items
of physical evidence encountered at crime scenes including
fingerprint development, document examination, and bullet
identification are examined. Students will also explore
the history and scope of forensic science and how it is
applied to those criminal and civil laws that are enforced
by police agencies in a criminal justice system.
CJ560 Dynamics of Family Violence
Family violence is often difficult to identify and interpret
legally. This course is designed to equip law enforcement
officials with the necessary information to combat domestic
violence by highlighting the role of the police officer
and the proper law enforcement response. This course begins
by exploring the history, prevalence and causes of family
violence. It then examines how to recognize family violence
with a focus on child and elder abuse.
CJ565 Use of Forcein Law Enforcement
Hesitation and indecision in deciding when to use force
and the amount of force necessary is a threat to the safety
of law enforcement personnel. Although most police activities
do not involve the use of force, those that do reflect important
patterns of interaction between officer and citizen. This
course mentally and legally prepares students to use your
weapons effectively in a law enforcement role. It addresses
such questions as is a force decision legal and necessary,
is there any ambiguity in the situation, and is this decision
within departmental policy? This course also looks at tactical
ability to ensure proper training when the decision to use
force has been made.
CJ570 Patrol Procedures
Police Patrol is an important part of the law enforcement
process for the protection and safety of the community.
By looking at real-life scenarios it prepares students for
patrol. This course covers all aspects of patrol including
police communications, basic field procedures, traffic direction
and enforcement, crimes in progress, preliminary investigations,
and reporting and records. It also looks at unusual occurrences,
interview techniques, and officer survival and stress reductions.
CJ575 Police Administration
The basic duty of the police administrator is to reduce
crime while still holding on to democratic ideals and values
in an increasingly diverse culture. This course will delineate
the relationship between operations, administration, and
auxiliary services. Students will examine the political
and professional eras of American policing and how they
led to the community era of policing. Students will explore
how contemporary factors have contributed to the development
of American policing in the last two decades, and how a
police administrator's job often conflicts with the values
of a democratic society. Students will study the roles of
the police executive and the sources of organizational policies
that define their roles in crime control, order maintenance,
and social service.
CJ580 Terrorism and Homeland Security
The Global War on Terror has posed new challenges for law
enforcement organizations to contribute, along with military
forces, to the homeland security of the United States. This
course examines latest information on the technology, weapons
(including weapons of mass destruction, biological and chemical),
transportation modes of terrorists, and profiles of terrorists
themselves. Students will be exposed to the phenomenon of
modern terrorism and its characteristics, modus operandi,
scope and dissemination throughout the world. Likely trends
in 21st Century terrorism and the law enforcement response
are also discussed.
CJ585 Corrections
In this course students will study incarcerated terrorist
offenders, legal issues in imprisoning terrorists, federal
legislation to restrict post-conviction conditions as well
as conditions of confinement appeals. Other topics covered
include: historical perspectives, the court process, imprisonment
alternatives, correctional systems and functions, institutional
clients and their rights, reintegration systems, and the
future of corrections.
CJ590 Interview & Interrogation
This course will intoroduce students to the basics of interviewing
a victim, witness or suspect. It will equip the student
with key skills necessary for conducting an interview and
explain how to interview while addressing diversity and
special needs. By incorporating "hands-on" practice
the course will help law enforcement officials in their
day-to-day encounters with people.
CJ595 Communications in Law Enforcement
Forensic linguistic analysis evidence can be as important
as physical evidence, but often does not receive the same
degree of scrutiny by investigators, attorneys and the courts.
This course examines how language functions in investigations
and the interrogation of suspects. It will examine how law
enforcement uses (and misuses) language with examples of
real-life experiences and details. Also examined are controversial
conversational strategies used by undercover operatives.
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