Graduate Faculty

701-231-8567

Criminal Justice Faculty

Carol Archbold, Ph.D.
University of Nebraska-Omaha, 2002
Research Interests:
Police Studies, Race and the Criminal Justice System, Alternative Dispute Resolution and the Criminal Justice System, Qualitative Research Methods

Sarah E. Browning, Ph.D.
University of Toronto, 2007
Research Interests:
Substance Use and Abuse, Violence, Quantitative Methods, Criminological Theory

Thomas D. McDonald, Ph.D.
Southern Illinois University, 1972
Research Interests:
Criminal Justice, Deviant Behavior, Social Disorganization, Evaluation Research

Amy J. Stichman, Ph.D.
University of Cinncinatti, 2003
Research Interests:
Corrections, Institutional Life, Inmate and Correctional Officer Attitude, Treatment Program Evaluation

Kevin M. Thompson, Ph.D.
University of Arizona, 1986
Research Interests:
Delinquency, Quantitative Methods, Alcohol and Drugs, Juvenile Drug Courts

Courtney A. Waid, Ph.D.
Florida State University, 2008
Research Interests:
Inmate Treatment Programs, Criminal Victimization, Juvenile Justice

Political Science faculty

Nicholas Bauroth, Ph.D.
Loyola University , Chicago , 2003
Research Interests:
State and Local Politics, Politics of Crime

Robert Wood, Ph.D.
University of Missouri, 1983
Research Interests:
Terrorism, Constitutional Law, Judicial Politics, Campus Crime

Affiliated faculty

Wendy Troop-Gordon, Ph.D.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2002
Research Interests:
Violence and Aggression, Adolescent Development, Victimization, Quantitative Methods

Joel Hektner, Ph.D.
University of Chicago, 1996
Research Interests:
Aggression, Research Methods, Peer Influence on Delinquency

 

Program Description

The Department of Criminal Justice offers graduate study leading to both a MS and a Ph.D. degree in Criminal Justice. The MS degree has two tracks; Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology. The program in Criminal Justice is designed to enhance student's skills in understanding, gathering, processing, and analyzing research in the areas of criminology and criminal justice. The topical curriculum is geared to understanding, critiquing, and analyzing the criminal justice system with an orientation toward urban issues as they impact crime and criminal justice. The curriculum consists of foundation courses in theory, policy, and research methods, plus three substantive areas: 1) criminology, 2) policing, and 3) corrections. Students have their choice of specializing in one of the three. Elective course work can include classes such as Violence, Gender and Justice, and crime commodities. Students also will be afforded course work in learning how to teach a college course.

Graduates will find an expanding and terrific academic job market available as well as professional employment in the criminal justice policy and research sector. There are currently less than 40 Criminal Justice Ph.D. programs operating on a national level, so students graduating with a Criminal Justice Ph.D. will be competitive for the 350 positions available annually in academic units.

Ph.D. in Criminal Justice

Admissions Requirements

Students should enter the program with either a baccalaureate degree or with an approved master's degree. Students will be required to have had one course in research methods; and one course in statistics. Plus, students should have adequate background preparation or demonstrated potential in the field of Criminology or Criminal Justice.

Students will be required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit their undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts. For admission to full standing, students are required to attain a combined minimum score on the GRE of 1,000 (verbal and quantitative) and achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 over their last 60 credit hours. Students not meeting these standards will be evaluated and possibly admitted on conditional status.

A student entering the program with a master's degree would take a minimum of 60 credit hours. Students entering the program with a master's degree should submit their research thesis to the graduate committee for review. This committee would be charged with determining whether the research project is sufficient in scope and depth to warrant further supervised research.

Degree Requirements

The curricular structure of the program is listed below for students entering the program without a master's degree:

Credits

1. Theory/Policy courses --- 9
2. Research skills --- 12
3. Substantive Area --- 18
4. Electives --- 18
5. Individual Study/Dissertation --- 36

Total --- 90

Theory/Policy Courses (9 credits)

1. Advanced Criminology - CJ 703
2. Criminal Justice Policy - CJ 709
3. Introduction to College Teaching - Hum 702

Research Skills (15 credits)

1. Advanced Criminal Justice Methods - CJ 734
2. Applied Statistics - Stat 725
3. Applied Regression and Analysis of Variance - State 726 (Note: Stat 725 is a prerequisite for this course)
4. Program Evaluation - CJ 702

Substantive Areas - Students must complete four courses in substantive area of choice (12 credits) plus complete one course (6 credits) in each of their non-substantive areas (Total 18 cr.).

Substantive Area A - Criminology

1. Delinquency - CJ 606
2. Violence - CJ 750
3. Criminogenic Commodities - CJ 752
4. Individual Theories of Crime - CJ 721
5. Structural Theories of Crime - CJ 722

Substantive Area B - Corrections

1. Corrections - CJ 661
2. Crime Prevention - CJ 765
3. Community Corrections - CJ 762
4. Juvenile Corrections - CJ 707
5. Correctional Rehabilitation - CJ 763

Substantive Area C - Policing

1. Criminalization - CJ 660
2. Administrative Policing - CJ 755
3. Community Policing - CJ 757
4. Police and Race Issues - CJ 760
5. Police Effectiveness - CJ 761

Electives (15 cr.)

1. Deviant Behavior - CJ 607
2. Gender and Justice - CJ 768
3. Qualitative Methods - SOC 700
4. Adolescent Development - CDFS 650
5. Experimental Methods - PSY 640
6. Experimental Social Psychology - PSY 670
7. Applied Survey Sampling - STAT 660
8. Meta-Analysis Methods - STAT 665

Dissertation (1-15 Credits)

MS Degree in Criminal Justice

Admission Requirements

Students will need to enter the program with a baccalaureate degree. Students will be required to have had one course in research methods, one course in statistics, and should document adequate background preparation or demonstrated potential in the field of Criminology or Criminal Justice. For admission to full-standing, students are required to achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 over their last 60 credit hours.

Applicants will be required to submit all academic transcripts, three letters of recommendation (at least one must be from a person who can evaluate their academic work), and a letter of interest detailing their rationale for pursuing a master's degree and justifying their ability to succeed in the program. Students not meeting these standards will be evaluated and possibly placed on conditional status.

Interested students can apply online at http://www.ndsu.edu/gradschool/apply/index.shtml

Degree Requirements

Students will need to declare their choice of a Track by the end of their first semester in the program. Both Tracks require the completion of the following 5 Foundation Courses (15 Credits total)

Advanced Criminology

Criminal Justice Policy

Program Evaluation

Applied Statistics

Advanced Criminal Justice Methods

In addition to the Foundation Courses, students enrolled in the Applied Track must complete 1 course from each of the following 3 areas (9 credits total).

I. Corrections

1. Corrections
2. Community Corrections
3. Crime Prevention
4. Correctional Rehabilitation
5. Juvenile Corrections

II. Policing

1. Criminalization
2. Administrative Policing
3. Community Policing
4. Police Effectiveness
5. Police and Race Issues

III. Management-Related

1. Organizational Psychology
2. Legal/Social Environment of Business
3. Organizational Communication I
4. Human Resource Management

In addition to the Foundation Courses, students enrolled in the Criminology Track must complete 1 course from the Theory area (3 credits total) and 2 courses from the Elective Area (6 credits total).

I. Theory

1. Individual Theories of Crime
2. Structural Theories of Crime

II. Electives

1. Crime and Delinquency
2. Violence
3. Criminogenic Commodities
4. Deviant Behavior
5. Advanced Psychopathology

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Courses Offered

CJ 606 Crime and Delinquency 3

Study of the nature and extent of juvenile delinquency and adult crime. Analysis of causes of juvenile and adult offending, and an exploration of policies to combat crime and delinquency. Prereq: Soc 110.

CJ 607 Deviant Behavior 3

Analysis of the sociological aspects of the antecedents, the social/human relations processes, and the consequences of deviance in Western society, Prereq: Soc 110.

CJ 660 Criminalization 3

Analysis of historical and contemporary developments in the functions of police and courts. Focuses on societal and inter- and intra-organization contexts.

CJ 661 Corrections 3

Analysis of institutional- and community-centered corrections. Emphasis on historical, contemporary, and developing trends regarding structures, program content, and problems.

CJ 702 Program Evaluation 3

Methods and techniques of conducting applied research associated with the evaluation of criminal justice programs.

CJ 703 Advanced Criminology 3

Examination of measurement and correlates of crime as well as theoretical explanations of crime and criminal behavior.

CJ 707 Juvenile Corrections 3

Historical and contemporary examination of the role of juvenile facilities in punishment, treatment, and reform.

CJ 709 Criminal Justice Policy 3

Examination of the role of criminal justice agencies in developing and implementing policy. Focus on the interplay between criminal justice theory and practice.

CJ 721 Individual Theories of Crime 3

Review of historical and contemporary individual theories of crime. Discussion of the assumptions, causes, and policy implications of criminological theories.

CJ 722 Structural Theories of Crime 3

Review of historical and contemporary structural theories of crime. Assumptions, causes, and policy implications of criminological theories.

CJ 734 Advanced Criminal Justice Methods 3

Provides an examination of the research process. Examines how criminologists conduct research, the pitfalls that accompany research, and why scientific research is critical to the process of discovery and application.

CJ 750 Violence 3

The course will examine violence in various social settings (e.g., community, domestic, and school) with attention to the causes, consequences, and moderating factors associated with violent criminal behavior.

CJ 752 Criminogenic Commodities 3

Examination of the role of drugs, firearms, and gangs in contributing to crime. Analysis of the laws pertaining to drugs, guns, and gangs and their impact on criminality.

CJ 754 Criminal Investigations 3

Researches the process of gathering information and evidence in the administration of justice. Focus on the role of evidence gathering and its importance to disseminating justice.

CJ 755 Administrative Policing 3

Organizational theory, leadership, communication, labor relations, and crisis management in police administration.

CJ 757 Community Policing 3

Examines the history, philosophy, theory, and implementation of community policing, compares community policing with other policing styles, and describes community-police collaborations to apprehend criminals, prevent crime, maintain order, and enhance community quality-of-life.

CJ 759 Security Management 3

Examination of public and private security concerns and methods for addressing them. Analysis of protection of money, materials, information, and secrets.

CJ 762 Community Corrections 3

Evaluation of practices, issues, and trends in community corrections. Focus on probation, parole, halfway houses, and other community alternatives to incarceration.

CJ 760 Police and Race Issues 3

Provides an in-depth historical and contemporary view of the police and race issues in the United States. Discussions on diversity, use of force, racial profiling, and citizen complaints

 

CJ 761 Police Effectiveness 3

Examines effectiveness of police delivery services in the U.S. Examines theories and scrutinizes factors that are associated with police effectiveness.

CJ 763 Correctional Rehabilitation 3

Examines issues related to the implementation and effectiveness of various correctional treatment programs that utilize theories of behavior change.

CJ 765 Crime Prevention 3

This course will examine methods for responding to crime outside of the traditional criminal justice and correctional systems, as well as innovative crime reduction, control and prevention programs within these traditional institutions.

CJ 768 Gender and Justice 3

Critical analysis of the role of gender in the justice system. Focuses particularly on the role of women in justice circles and as employees, offenders, and victims.

For descriptions of Stat 725 and 726 and, HUM 702 see appropriate section.