Justice Studies
The Department of Justice Studies offers undergraduate degrees in Criminal Justice and Criminal Justice with Specialization in Juvenile Justice. The criminal justice program is designed to produce proficient graduates who can excel in various aspects of the field in leadership, service, research and innovation.
Our curriculum provides a comprehensive perspective on the justice system examining topics such as sentencing, ethics, homeland security, etc. Criminal justice majors will have the benefit of an informed and caring faculty to challenge them in their preparation to meet the demands of today’s workplace and the nation’s most rigorous graduate programs.
Bachelor of Science Criminal Justice
The criminal justice program is designed to produce proficient graduates who can excel in various aspects of the field in leadership, service, research and innovation. Criminal justice majors will have the benefit of an informed and caring faculty to challenge them in their preparation to meet the demands of today’s workplace and the nation’s most rigorous graduate programs.
Master of Science in Juvenile Justice
The online Master of Science degree in Juvenile Justice is designed to prepare graduates to actively participate in the development of knowledge in juvenile justice and develop their skills as practitioners in the system. The program is based on a multidisciplinary study of all facets of the juvenile justice system. The disciplines of sociology, criminology, psychology, economics, administration, methodology, and statistics are built into the program. Our faculty has experience and expertise encompassing the broad spectrum of the juvenile justice system.
The educational objectives of the online Master of Science in Juvenile Justice (MSJJ) are designed to:
- Enhance students’ knowledge, skills, and resourcefulness related to detained and institutionalized juveniles in the juvenile justice system increase students’ knowledge of theoretical explanations and the etiologies of juvenile delinquency and juvenile crime
- Assure that students develop knowledge of the humanistic, technical, and scientific aspects of juvenile delinquency and juvenile crime
- Increase students’ knowledge concerning effective methods to intervene and prevent juvenile delinquency
- Increase students’ skills in how to conduct research and evaluate programs related to juvenile delinquency
- Expand students’ knowledge of programs and policies related to juvenile delinquency
The online MSJJ Program requires the completion of 36 semester credit hours. Two options are available for students: thesis and non-thesis. Students opting for the thesis option must successfully complete 30 hours work in addition to 6 hours of thesis. The non-thesis option requires successful completion of 36 hours of course work and passing the comprehensive examinations. Students can apply throughout the year.
Application Instructions
Please read all information carefully before applying to the program. More specifically, each applicant must complete the Prairie View A&M Graduate School Application (i.e., Apply Texas) and the departmental application. Please email the MSJJ application to applyjusticestudies@pvamu.edu. If you have any questions about this process or need further assistance, please contact Mrs. Sandy Siegmund (slsiegmund@pvamu.edu or 936-261-5234).
Doctor of Philosophy Degree in Juvenile Justice
The goal of the Ph.D. program is to provide doctoral training in juvenile justice research. General objectives include the development of new knowledge, juvenile delinquency prevention, improvement in the juvenile justice system, and dissemination of knowledge gained. The specific intent of the program is to produce scholars with three characteristics: First, graduates will have superior empirical skills. Second, they will be specialists in the subject matter of the juvenile justice discipline. Third, they will be generalists in the subject matter of criminal justice. The program produces scholars to teach in criminal justice and criminology departments in colleges and universities and researchers to work in federal, state, and large local agencies.
Application Instructions
Please read all information carefully before applying to the program. More specifically, each applicant must complete the Prairie View A&M Graduate School Application (i.e., Apply Texas) and the departmental application. If you have any questions about this process or need further assistance, please contact Mrs. Sandy Siegmund (slsiegmund@pvamu.edu or 936-261-5234).
Please email the Ph.D. in Juvenile Justice application to applyjusticestudies@pvamu.edu.