The M.S. in Justice, Law and Society is an interdisciplinary program focusing on the foundations and structure of institutions of justice and law. Students receive a thorough grounding in empirical and theoretical approaches to public policy issues. Four concentrations are offered.

Concentrations

The concentration in Justice and Public Policy provides theoretical grounding in criminology and coursework in criminal justice, including corrections and policing. This concentration prepares students for a variety of practitioner and research positions in criminal justice or for advanced graduate work in criminology or criminal justice.

The concentration in Terrorism and Security Policy focuses on issues of national security from the perspectives of criminology and criminal justice. This concentration prepares students for a variety of practitioner and research positions in the area of the prevention and control of terrorism.

The concentration in Law and Society provides interdisciplinary perspectives on the role of law in society, including the theoretical foundations of law, the relationship between law and the social sciences, and broad issues of social justice. This concentration prepares students for positions in policy research and analysis or for advanced graduate work in law and society.

The concentration in Jurisprudence and Social Thought emphasizes philosophical and comparative perspectives on law, providing students with an appreciation of the nature and structural foundations of law and a firm grounding in analytical thought. This concentration serves students who have a background in either the liberal arts or law and are interested in combining the two. 

Degree Requirements

• A total of 33 credit hours of approved graduate work, of which at least 18 must be at the 600 level.
• One three hour written comprehensive examination in one of the four concentration areas: Justice and Public Policy, Terrorism and Security Policy, Law and Society, or Jurisprudence and Social Thought. Students must complete foundational courses and electives in the relevant area before taking the examination.

Course Requirements

• Research requirement (courses must be completed with a grade of B or better):
  
  For the concentration in Jurisprudence and Social Thought: JLS 604, Rule of Law and Due Process (3 credits) JLS 603 Foundations of Knowledge (3 credits)
  
  For all other concentrations: JLS 680-681 Introduction to Justice Research (6 credits)
  

• Two foundational courses chosen from the following:

  JLS 601 Law and Social Sciences

  JLS 602 Legal Theory

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 609 Criminological Theory

  JLS 610 Current Controversial Issues in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 672 Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy

• Four courses (12 credits) in the area of concentration
• Three electives (9 credits) chosen from other courses offered by the department or approved courses in other departments.

Justice and Public Policy Concentration

• Two foundational courses chosen from the following:

  JLS 601 Law and Social Sciences

  JLS 602 Legal Theory

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 609 Criminological Theory

  JLS 610 Current Controversial Issues in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 672 Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy

• JLS 680 Introduction to Justice Research I and JLS·681 Introduction to Justice Research II with grades of B or better
• Four courses (12 credits) selected from the following list:

  JLS 504 Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice

  JLS 517 Victimology

  JLS 526 Domestic Violence

  JLS 550 Drugs, Crime and Public Policy

  JLS 596 Selected Topics in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 608 The Constitution and Criminal Procedure

  JLS 609 Criminological Theory

  JLS 610 Current Controversial Issues in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 638 Race and Justice in America

  JLS 643 Advanced Seminar in Policing

  JLS 672 Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy

  JLS 676 Theories of Punishment

  JLS 686 Advanced Seminar in Corrections

  JLS 687 Law, Deviance and the Mental Health System

• Nine additional credits selected from other courses offered by the department, or from the following list:

  GOVT 606 Foundations of Policy Analysis

  PUAD 610 Public Management

  PUAD 633 Public Financial Management

  PUAD 616 Legal Issues in Public Management

  PUAD 654 Managing Organizational Change

Terrorism and Security Policy Concentration

• Two foundational courses chosen from the following:

  JLS 601 Law and Social Sciences

  JLS 602 Legal Theory

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 609 Criminological Theory

  JLS 610 Current Controversial Issues in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 672 Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy

• JLS-680 Introduction to Justice Research Iand JLS-681 Introduction to Justice Research II with grades of B or better
• Twelve credit hours selected from the following list, or from other courses relevant to security policy and approved by the department:

  JLS 585 Topics in Terrorism and Security Policy (multiple topics may be used for credit)

  JLS 608 Constitution and Criminal Procedure

  JLS 610 Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 621 Justice in the Face of Terror

  JLS 643 Advanced Seminar in Policing

  JLS 615 Law and Human Rights

• Nine additional credit hours selected from the following list, or from other approved courses in Justice, Law and Society:

  COMM 541 Crisis Communication

  GOVT 529 Principles of National Security

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 608 Constitution and Criminal Procedure

  REL 675 Religion and Violence

  SIS-653 US Foreign Policy: Countering Terrorism

  SIS-653 US Foreign Policy: U.S. National Security Strategy

  S1S-653 US Policy Toward Weak States

  SIS-653 US Foreign Policy: National Security and Proliferation

  SIS-653 Transnational Security Challenges

  SIS-653 US Foreign Policy: Bioterror in the 21 st Century

  SIS-653 US Foreign Policy: Homeland Security

  SIS-653 US Foreign Policy: USFP toward the Middle East

  SIS 610 Theory of Conflict, Violence and War

  SIS 619 International Security

  S1S-619 Transnational Crime and Terrorism

  SIS-619 Cybercrime, Espionage, Warfare

  SIS-619 Corruption, Development & Democracy

  SIS-619 Political Risk Analysis

  SIS-619 Insurgency and Counterinsurgency

  SIS 609 Conflict Analysis and Resolution

Law and Society Concentration

• Two foundational courses chosen from the following:

  JLS 601 Law and Social Sciences

  JLS 602 Legal Theory

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 609 Criminological Theory

  JLS 610 Current Controversial Issues in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 672 Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy

• JLS-680 Introduction to Justice Research I and JLS-681 Introduction to Justice Research II with grades of B or better
• Twelve credit hours selected from the following list:

  JLS 535 Gender and the Law

  JLS 596 Selected Topics in Law & Society

  JLS 601 Law and Social Sciences

  JLS 602 Legal Theory

  JLS 603 Rule of Law and Due Process

  JLS 604 Foundations of Knowledge

  JLS 606 Legal History Seminar

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 608 Constitution and Criminal Procedure

  JLS 610 Current Controversial Issues in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 615 Law and Human Rights

  JLS 650 Constitutionalism in Historical Perspective

  JLS 630 Advanced Seminar in Legal Theory

  JLS 631 Advanced Seminar in Political and Social Theory

  JLS 638 Race and Justice in America

  JLS 648 Law and Religion

  JLS 676 Theories of Punishment

  JLS 797 Master's Thesis Research (with permission of department)

• Nine additional credit hours selected from other courses offered by the department or from the following list:

  HIST 651 Era of the Revolution and Constitution

  SIS 621 International Law and the Legal Order

  GOVT 674 Constitutional Law and Politics

  PHIL 520 Seminar in Ethics

  PHIL 525 Seminar in Modem Moral Problems

  PHIL 641 Philosophy of the Social Sciences

  GOVT 523 The Art and Craft of Lobbying

  GOVT 540 Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Lobbying

  GOVT 541 The Politics of Mass Communication

Jurisprudence and Social Thought Concentration

• Two foundational courses chosen from the following:

  JLS 601 Law and Social Sciences

  JLS 602 Legal Theory

  JLS 607 Concept of Justice

  JLS 609 Criminological Theory

  JLS 610 Current Controversial Issues in Justice and Public Policy

  JLS 672 Terrorism, Crime, and Public Policy

• JLS 603 Rule of Law and Due Process and JLS 604 Foundations of Knowledge with grades ofB or better
• Twelve credits selected from Law and Society electives
• Nine additional credit hours selected from other courses offered by department or from the following list:

  HIST 651 Era of the Revolution and Constitution

  SIS 621 International Law and the Legal Order

  GOVT 674 Constitutional Law and Politics

  PHIL 520 Seminar in Ethics

  PHIL 525 Seminar in Modem Moral Problems

  PHIL 641 Philosophy of the Social Sciences

Admission to the Program

In addition to meeting the minimum university requirements for graduate study, applicants must submit scores for the Graduate Record Examination. Applicants are evaluated on the basis of scholastic achievement in their last 60 credit hours of undergraduate work, test scores, and two letters of recommendation.