Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Administration, Online (Z130)
Graduate Programs in Public Safety Leadership and Administration are offered through a collaboration between the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Department of Sociology in the College of Behavioral and Social Sciences. The programs prepare public safety personnel for their next level of career advancement.
Mentoring and advising are an essential part of the program. Students meet with faculty and the academic program director to ensure that educational goals and career learning and development goals are met. Students should contact the Dr. Les Andrist, via email: landrist@umd.edu.
Overview
The Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice Administration, Online (Z130) is a 12-credit, 4-course program that trains students to analyze law enforcement ethics and strategies for contemplating legal, cultural, and political issues in an applied working environment.
- Plan of study includes case studies that help students learn to apply best practices to complicated real‐world challenges, so they can develop a critical and informed understanding of possible criminal justice responses to common problems.
- Students learn how to apply evidence-based research to their professional endeavors while developing the needed skills to overcome the emergent challenges of careers in public safety.
- Prepares criminal justice professionals in a broad array of careers, including those related to law enforcement corrections, public safety education, juvenile justice, social services, and disaster preparedness for their next level of career advancement.
- Curriculum focuses on the analysis of law enforcement ethics and strategies for balancing legal, cultural, and political issues in an applied working environment.
- Students have the opportunity to demonstrate a deeper understanding of one of the following topics: (1) The demands of criminal justice leadership in the context of social service agencies, (2) Responses to heightened terrorist threat, (3) The complexities of campus safety on University campuses, or (4) Technologies in modern policing.
- Program can be completed in twelve months of continuous part-time enrollment. See Designation of Full-time/Part-time Status.
Courses
- Below is a listing of all program courses. For a detailed course description that includes pre-requisites or co-requisites, see The Graduate School Catalog, Course Listing as follows: CCJS Course Descriptions.
| Course Number | Title | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| CCJS631 | Ethics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CCJS632 | Making Sense of Criminal Justice Methods and Statistics | 3 |
| CCJS633 | Translating Research into Practice | 3 |
| CCJS*** | Building Partnerships with Criminal Justice and Social Services Agencies | 3 |
| CCJS*** | Patterns of and Responses to Terrorism | 3 |
| CCJS*** | Campus Safety | 3 |
| CCJS671 | Technology in Modern Policing | 3 |
Registration Overview
- See the sample plan of study, below. Students should use this as a guide to develop a plan with the academic program director.
- Actual course offerings are determined by the program and may vary semester to semester. Students should note if a course has a pre-requisite or co-requisite.
- Specific class meeting information (days and time) is posted on UMD’s interactive web service services, Testudo. Once on that site, select “Schedule of Classes,” then the term/year. Courses are listed by academic unit.
- Program uses specific section codes for registration, which are listed on the sample plan of study.
Sample Plan of Study
| Semester | Course Number | Section Code | Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fall | CCJS631 | PLL* | 3 |
| Fall | CCJS632 | PLL* | 3 |
| Spring | CCJS633 | PLL* | 3 |
| Summer | CCJS671 | PLL* | 3 |
Online Learning
- The program features 100% online instruction with engaging and interactive learning.
- Uses the semester academic calendar with classes held in fall and spring semester (16 weeks each) and Summer Session (two 6-week sessions).
- Instruction provided by University of Maryland faculty and professionals in the field.
- Using advanced audio and video technology, UMD’s online learning environment delivers dynamic and interactive content.
- Featuring convenience and flexibility, online instruction permits asynchronous or synchronous participation.
- Lectures are video archived. Students who are unable to attend in real time can review the session through asynchronous participation.
Upon successful completion, graduates will have mastered the following competencies:
- Demonstrate competency in the ability to read, interpret, and synthesize (in writing) important research related to the criminal justice system.
- Demonstrate understanding of the ethics of law enforcement and strategies for balancing legal, cultural, and political issues in an applied working environment.
- Demonstrate understanding of the research methods used in the study of criminology and criminal justice and explain how to apply the knowledge gained in robust findings to decisions made in the field.
- Demonstrate a deeper understanding of one of the following:
- The demands of criminal justice leadership in the context of working with other social service agencies.
- Responses to heightened terrorist threat.
- The complexities of working within a university setting to ensure campus safety.
- Technologies in modern policing.