Criminal Justice Administration

Earn M.C.J. degree online at MTSU. Advance in law enforcement, homeland security, courts, corrections, and more.

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Criminal Justice Administration, M.C.J.

A Master of Criminal Justice (M.C.J.) degree can help pave the way for advancement in professional opportunities in law enforcement, homeland security, courts, police administration, correctional management, probation, parole, juvenile justice, drug rehabilitation, private security, or private investigations.

Students can choose either the thesis option or a non-thesis option. MTSU's Master of Criminal Justice degree can be earned entirely online.

Careers
Requirements
Faculty
Information
Careers
Requirements
Faculty
Information

News Briefs

Alum works with faith communities to combat addiction

Monty Burks (M.C.J. 2011) directs Faith-Based Initiatives for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), working to expand addiction recovery support services across the state. Burks has more than 15 years' experience in criminal justice, including working on the faculty of two higher education institutions; as a process server; as one of Tennessee's first project coordinators for Lifeline, a state program to reduce the stigma associated with people who suffer from addiction; and as a coordinator with Middle Tennessee Rural Reentry's jail and prison program, which has earned national recognition. An accomplished and nationally recognized public speaker, Burks is pursuing a Doctorate of Theology. "MTSU was my college of choice because of its rich and diverse culture," he says. "My favorite instructors, Dr. Lance Selva, Dr. William Shulman, and the late Dr. Dennis Powell have left a lasting imprint on my career!"

Gross joins Korean Institute of Criminology

Sarah Gross signed her contract with the Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC) on February 23rd. KIC is one of the seventeen United Nations Programme Network Institutes. She will be working on government grant-sponsored research projects on human trafficking, cybercrime, and other social issues. She will represent KIC at international criminal justice and criminology institutes. She received the opportunity through Amercian Society of Criminology conference through networking. She will be working overseas in Seoul until she is admitted into a criminology Ph.D. program.

News Briefs

Alum works with faith communities to combat addiction

Monty Burks (M.C.J. 2011) directs Faith-Based Initiatives for the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services (TDMHSAS), working to expand addiction recovery support services across the state. Burks has more than 15 years' experience in criminal justice, including working on the faculty of two higher education institutions; as a process server; as one of Tennessee's first project coordinators for Lifeline, a state program to reduce the stigma associated with people who suffer from addiction; and as a coordinator with Middle Tennessee Rural Reentry's jail and prison program, which has earned national recognition. An accomplished and nationally recognized public speaker, Burks is pursuing a Doctorate of Theology. "MTSU was my college of choice because of its rich and diverse culture," he says. "My favorite instructors, Dr. Lance Selva, Dr. William Shulman, and the late Dr. Dennis Powell have left a lasting imprint on my career!"

Gross joins Korean Institute of Criminology

Sarah Gross signed her contract with the Korean Institute of Criminology (KIC) on February 23rd. KIC is one of the seventeen United Nations Programme Network Institutes. She will be working on government grant-sponsored research projects on human trafficking, cybercrime, and other social issues. She will represent KIC at international criminal justice and criminology institutes. She received the opportunity through Amercian Society of Criminology conference through networking. She will be working overseas in Seoul until she is admitted into a criminology Ph.D. program.

Related Media

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CAREERS

A Master of Criminal Justice degree allows graduates to pursue advanced opportunities in law enforcement, courts, and corrections at the federal, state, or local level, or with private security or businesses associated with the criminal justice system. M.C.J. holders also may continue studies for careers in higher education or for law degrees. Some occupations for MTSU graduates from this program:

  • Attorney
  • Chief of police
  • Corporate security officer/director
  • Court administrator
  • Criminal justice professor
  • Crisis counselor
  • Emergency services director
  • Family resource specialist
  • Forensic scientist
  • Investigator
  • Juvenile court judge
  • Police officer
  • Pre-trial release/pre-trial diversion officer
  • Probation officer/director
  • Public information officer
  • Regulatory board investigator
  • Sheriff
  • Social services district director
  • Special agent
  • State director of safety/homeland security
  • State trooper
  • U.S. deputy marshal
  • Warden

Employers of MTSU alumni include

  • Blue Ridge Center, Asheville, N.C.
  • Cannon County
  • City of Atlanta
  • Cope, Hudson, Scarlett, Reed, McCreary
  • Cumberland University
  • Eastern Kentucky University
  • Family Voices of Tennessee
  • Fillauer & Wilson, P.C., Cleveland, Tenn.
  • Forensic Medical
  • Gallatin Police Department
  • Hendersonville Police Department
  • Humphreys County 911
  • Keiser University
  • La Vergne Police Department
  • Litigation Paralegal
  • Metro-Nashville Government
  • Metro-Nashville Police Department
  • Murfreesboro Police Department
  • Oasis Center
  • Regions Bank
  • Rutherford County
  • State of Tennessee
  • State of West Virginia
  • Tennessee Bureau of Investigation
  • Tennessee Correction Academy
  • Tennessee Department of Human Services
  • Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security
  • Tennessee Highway Patrol
  • Tennessee Parole Board
  • U.S. Department of Justice
  • U.S. Probation Office (various locations)
  • University of South Carolina

Click here for more helpful career links.

REQUIREMENTS

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FACULTY

INFORMATION

A Master of Criminal Justice (M.C.J.) degree can help pave the way for advancement in professional opportunities in law enforcement, homeland security, courts, police administration, correctional management, probation, parole, juvenile justice, drug rehabilitation, and private security or investigations. Master's candidates may choose either the thesis option or a non-thesis option.

Thinking About Getting a Master's Degree? 

If after taking the survey and exploring our website, you find that you have questions about the M.C.J program, feel free to contact Dr. Carter Smith at [email protected].

If you do not have above 3.0 GPA, but have criminal justice experience since college that would mitigate your grades, please contact Dr. Smith at [email protected] to discuss your readiness for attaining an MCJ Degree.

Take the M.C.J. Readiness Survey

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