
Melissa A. Logue, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor and Director of the Graduate Criminal Justice Program
An online master’s in criminal justice from Saint Joseph’s University will help you advance a career in the fields of law enforcement, intelligence, forensic behavioral health and more
Whether you’d like to concentrate on the theoretical knowledge needed to pursue a degree beyond a master's or you are focused on getting the management skills to succeed as a decision-maker, the online criminal justice master's program at Saint Joseph’s University is right for you. Our online program has been recognized as one of the nation's best in U.S. News & World Report's online education rankings for 2021.
In this online criminal justice program, you’ll enhance your foundational knowledge, develop written and oral communications skills and expand your critical thinking, reasoning and research abilities. Our faculty are experts — criminal justice practitioners and scholars — who take an active role in mentoring their students.
As an online graduate student, you’ll be challenged to apply ethical principles to complex social and legal issues. You’ll also have opportunities to gain professional experience through credit-bearing internships in criminal justice.
Students in the criminal justice graduate program can choose from six tracks:
This unique 72-credit Criminal Justice MS/Applied Behavior Analysis Certificate program meets BCBA requirements and prepares students to use a behavioral analytic approach to intervention when working with individuals who struggle with addiction, self-harm, thoughts of suicide and mental health disorders within the criminal justice system. It provides the necessary skills to support neurodivergent people (e.g., those with autism) with navigating the juvenile and criminal justice systems; it also provides the skills for criminal justice officials to help them avoid criminalizing those with mental illness and neurodivergent people.
Through Saint Joseph’s University's 4+1 program, current undergraduate students who are completing a B.S. in criminal justice can also start earning credits towards the MS, allowing them to earn a master’s degree in criminal justice in just five years. Students interested in this option must apply to the graduate program in their junior year and be conditionally accepted before they complete their bachelor's degree.
The Criminal Justice M.S. is designed to meet the needs of both working professionals in the field looking to advance their careers. Courses in the master’s program are fully online, with small virtual class sizes making it easy to connect with your professors and classmates to develop your graduate network. For maximum flexibility, this program can be completed on a part-time basis.
A graduate degree in criminal justice will prepare you to take on leadership roles in your community and change the conversation in the field. Getting a master's in criminal justice can help you pursue many careers including:
Rooted in the Jesuit value of "care for the whole person," the Criminal Justice MS embraces a human-centered approach to justice. This unique online program will help you draw connections between theory and practice to become a change-maker in your career.
You'll learn among a diverse group of students in an online or in-person classroom that has the city of Philadelphia as a backdrop — a unique and important environment in which to examine issues within the criminal justice system.
Assistant Professor and Director of the Graduate Criminal Justice Program
Degree | Master of Science |
Length | 18-24 months |
Start Terms | Fall, spring, summer |
Format | Online |
Credits | 30 credits |
Full-time | 9 credits per semester |
Part-time | 6 credits or less per semester |
Tuition for 2022-2023 | $941 per credit |
Average Class Size | 20 students |
Average Work Experience | Work experience in the criminal justice field is not required for most concentrations. |
Graduate Assistantships | Graduate assistantships are offered on a limited basis. Please contact the program director for availability. |
Discount Eligibility |
Note: discounts cannot be combined. |
Veterans | SJU is a Yellow Ribbon School that accepts GI education benefits. Our Office of Veterans Service can help you access and understand your benefits. |
For additional information regarding whether SJU’s programs meet educational requirements for professional licensure/certification, please visit https://www.sju.edu/disclosures.
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