Criminal Justice Administration

Master of Science

Overview of Criminal Justice Administration Program

Our faculty strive to deliver an individualized experience for students, with the intention to offer one-on-one support to assist students as they pursue their Criminal Justice Administration education.

A graduate degree in criminal justice administration prepares students for leadership positions in a wide range of criminal justice-related fields. The faculty work to deliver a student-centered and tailored educational journey for each student, one that emphasizes the integration of unique experiential and applied work opportunities. The robust curriculum helps graduates to anticipate, address, and work towards plausible solutions to problems associated with the criminal justice system and the individuals connected to it. The active-learning and engagement philosophy ensures that students are keeping up with the latest discipline and industry insights and are well prepared to move forward with their career endeavors.

The faculty work collaboratively with numerous local, state, and federal agencies and organizations, which provides students with unique research and internship opportunities. The coursework and small class sizes are designed to maximize student success and assist students in further developing their critical thinking, analytic, decision making, and deductive reasoning skills.

Curriculum

The program consists of 11 three-credit courses, including a balance of required and elective courses, that allow students flexibility in tailoring their course selections to meet their career goal needs. The curriculum allows students to take courses in an array of highly relevant discipline topics such as system management, victimization, law and legal policy, restorative justice, and race, gender, and crime. Courses affiliated with Niagara’s other graduate programs in MBA, counseling, and information security and digital forensics are also available as elective options.

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Why Criminal Justice Administration at NU?

Quality

Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for their research and specialize in a variety of relevant criminal justice topics, such as court systems, capital punishment and wrongful convictions, law enforcement, religiosity and crime, and victimization.

Flexibility

Complete your studies in one year (or at your own pace) – with a flexible schedule that includes on-campus, online, hybrid, and weekend course offerings.

Personalization

The faculty intentionally aim to assist students achieve their individual educational and professional aspirations, such as by tailoring class electives, coordinating internship opportunities, and/or having students collaborate on their research projects.

Application Requirements

Applicants must submit the following:

Official transcripts from colleges and universities attended indicating the awarding of an accredited undergraduate degree.
An online application.
Two letters of recommendation – Academic or Professional (the form is automatically generated during the online application).
Personal statement – Two-page, double-spaced, typewritten statement discussing your academic and/or research background, your career goals, your personal philosophy related to your area of study, and how Niagara University’s graduate program will prepare you to meet your career and educational objectives.
GRE scores taken within the past five years. Students that have an undergraduate cumulative GPA of over 3.0 area are not required to submit a GRE for consideration.
Optional Resume.
** Niagara University will not accept copies or emails for any test score or credential evaluation**

International Applicants

Along with the standard application for requirements shown above, you will need to submit the following items in order for your application to be complete.

Official TOEFL or IELTS score sent from testing service if English is not your native language. The minimum Internet based score required for the TOEFL is 79, while the minimum score for the IETLS is 6.0.
Contact a credential evaluation service and submit any student transcripts for review. Please choose the “comprehensive course by course evaluations” from any of the agencies websites below:
- Spantran
- World Education Services
Financial evidence showing proof of sufficient funds to cover your tuition and living expenses during the period of your intended study will be required to apply for an I-20 document from Niagara University. You will need the I-20 document from us in order to apply for a student visa to study in the U.S.

For visa questions, information regarding the I-20 and the I-20 application, please go to the International website.

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling admissions basis. Once all of the requirements have been received, your application will be reviewed by the admissions committee and you will be notified of the decision.

Niagara University’s Criminal Justice Administration program provided me with the tools and confidence to continue onto my doctoral degree. I developed professional relationships with the faculty, which bolstered my confidence to continue my educational journey and work with criminal justice agencies. While at NU, I developed research skills and learned the importance of situating my work to make our communities a better place to live for all.

Natalie Snow, Ph.D. ’17

Education Data Lead, Chiefs of Ontario Research Analyst, Canadian Center for Women’s Empowerment

Careers

Crime Analysis & Research
Crime Prevention
Courts & Corrections
Police Services
Victim Support

Accreditations

AACSB

Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation