
Melissa A. Logue, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Program Director
A master’s in criminal justice from Saint Joseph’s University will help you advance a career in the fields of law enforcement, intelligence, behavior management and more. This program can be taken online or on campus.
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 M.S. in Criminal Justice at Saint Joseph’s University is right for you. Start today and take classes on campus, online or both.
In the 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. In the classroom, you’ll be challenged to apply ethical principles to complex social and legal issues. Outside of the classroom, you’ll have opportunities to gain professional experience through credit-bearing internships in criminal justice.
General Track - Choose six electives from across the tracks in addition to the four core courses.
Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging - Learn to develop partnerships, facilitate inclusive conversations, create change within an institution, and understand methods for researching, implementing and evaluating diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives. - become fluent in the languages of social identity, the impact of social context and group dynamics and psychological and neuropsychological constructs that result in implicit bias, discrimination and marginalization.
Behavior Analysis - Become skilled a behavior management practitioner. A minimum of one year of applied behavior analysis work experience is expected for candidates applying to and enrolled in this concentration.
Behavior Management - Take courses on addiction, mental health and youth culture and deviance and learn how to manage these issues in the context of criminal justice.
Federal Law Enforcement - Dig into topics like forensic financial analysis, white collar crime and federal justice with this track.
Intelligence and Crime Analysis - Explore the intelligence area of criminal justice at a variety of levels, including intelligence policy and process.
Homeland Security - Classes on terrorism threats and strategy, risk assessment and the sociology of disaster are covered in this track.
With a Master's in Criminal Justice you'll be prepared to take on lead roles in your community and change the conversation in the field. Among the many career possibilities that will be available to you, you will have the opportunity to pursue the following:
Local/State/Federal Law Enforcement Officer
Intelligence Analyst
Criminal Investigator
Federal Agent
Adjudicated Youth Counselor/Probation Officer
Substance Abuse Counselor/Parole Professional
Rooted in the Jesuit value of "care for the whole person," the Criminal Justice M.S. embraces a human-centered approach to justice. This unique 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 a classroom (or an online 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, Program Director
Length | 18-24 months |
Start Terms | Fall, Spring, Summer |
Format | On-Campus, Online |
Credits | 30 credits |
Full-time | 9 credits per semester |
Part-time | 6 credits or less per semester |
Tuition | $905 per credit (2020-2021) |
Average Class Size | 20 students |
Average Work-Experience | Work experience in the criminal justice field is not required for most concentrations. For the Behavior Analysis concentration, 1 year of work experience in behavior analysis is required. |
Housing | While most graduate students commute, we do offer on and off-campus housing options for adult and graduate students. |
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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