Graduate Program

The University of Texas-Pan American’s (UTPA) Department of Criminal Justice Graduate Program offers a Master of Science (MS) in Criminal Justice. This is a 36-semester hour program requiring 30-36 semester hours of graduate level course work and allowing thesis, applied research project, or additional course work options

The MS in Criminal Justice is designed to accomplish the following objectives:

• Enhance students competence in the content, principles and methods of criminal justice;
• Enable students to become critical thinkers, to help improve the Criminal Justice System, and reduce crime in society.
• Prepare students for administrative and management positions in federal, state and local criminal justice agencies;
• Prepare students for entry level positions requiring a graduate degree, such as federal probation, parole and selective law enforcement agencies; 
• Develop, through faculty and graduate research, a criminal justice knowledge base concerning issues unique to the south Texas region, as well as Mexico and South America; and
• Provide a resource for federal, state and local criminal justice agencies in need of administrative assistance in policy analysis, planning, development and program evaluation.

The Campus:

UTPA is a regional university situated in the culturally diverse area of South Texas known as the Rio Grande Valley. The university has a current enrollment of about 18,000. The main campus, located in the city of Edinburg, few miles to the Mexican border and over 70 miles from South Padre Island, provide students with ample opportunities for both research and recreation.

Admission Requirements:

All applicants must be admitted into UTPA's Graduate School. They must have demonstrated academic preparation for graduate work in criminal justice and related fields. This preparation would be shown by (a) a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, criminology, corrections, police administration, or closely related field or (b) a bachelor's degree in another field and graduate or advanced undergraduate courses in the following areas: political science, psychology, public administration, social work, or sociology and (c) undergraduate course work in research methods and criminological theory. The GPA for Graduate School admission requirement is currently 2.5 and above. Prospective applicants can register online. Go to: http://portal.utpa.edu/utpa_main/daa_home/ogs_home and click on Apply Now or go straight to: https://apply.embark.com/GRAD/UTPA/16/ and follow the instructions. Applicants must also submit online (or hardcopy) a 250-500 word letter of interest in which the applicant addresses the following: (a) Reason(s) for pursuing the Master's degree in Criminal Justice; (b) Personal data - strengths, limitations, interests, abilities, as they relate to academic and professional performance, and any unique information that the applicant deems relevant; (c) Academic and (d) Professional aspirations. Hardcopies of the application materials may be obtained from the Graduate Program Director, Department of Criminal Justice. Applicants should arrange to have the originals of their transcripts and any other documents that may enhance their chances of admission.

Three Letters of Recommendation
Three letters of reference from university/college professors who can assess the applicants ability to pursue a graduate study. In exceptional cases (where an applicant has left school for a long period of time, say ten years), a non-academic referee, such as a Captain in the USA Armed Forces, Federal or County Judge, Senior Federal, State or County Public Service Officer above the rank of a supervisor may be accepted.

Completed admission requirements for students who wish to be considered for the fall semester should be turned in no later than August 1st while those wishing to be considered for the spring semester should be no later than December 1st. Dead line for summer applications are May 1st for summer 1 and June 1st for summer 2. For international applicants the following are the application deadlines: Fall - June 1st, Spring -October 1st, Summer 1 - March 1st and summer 2 - April 1st.

The Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice requires the successful completion of 36 graduate semester hours. In addition, ALL students must pass a comprehensive written examination, testing knowledge from the core courses. Students are expected to make satisfactory progress in the program. All students must maintain an overall 3.0 grade point average in all graduate courses and have no more than two grades of 'C' in the core. All students must take the core courses. These courses may be taken in any order with the exception of CRIJ 6307 Criminal Justice Research Methods and Statistics, which has a prerequisite of CRIJ 6306 CJ Research Methods.

The course load for all full-time UTPA graduate students is nine (9) semester hours. This rule is strictly enforced to ensure that students are not unduly overwhelmed. However, students may be permitted to take an additional three hours per semester with the approval of the GPD. During the summer sessions students may take up to six hours with permission of the GPD. Approval for extra hours shall be based on the students' progress.

Core Courses (7 courses, 21 Semester hours)

Group I

• CRIJ 6301 Theories of Justice
• CRIJ 6302 Advanced Criminology
• CRIJ 6304 Criminal Law and Procedure
• CRIJ 6306 Criminal Justice Research Methods
• CRIJ 6307 Criminal Justice Research Methods and Statistics

Group II

• Either CRIJ 6303 Criminal Justice Policy-Development and Analysis
• Or CRIJ 6305 Criminal Justice Organizations: Theory and Behavior

Group III

• Either CRIJ 6309 Correctional Theories and Issues
• Or CRIJ 6310 Policing in a Democracy

Electives (5 Courses, 15 Semester hours)

In addition to the core courses, students will complete a minimum of nine hours of electives, six of which may be from graduate courses in related disciplines. Outside electives must be approved by the Graduate Program Director.

The Criminal Justice electives may be taken from among the following:

• CRIJ 6308 Youth Crime and Justice
• CRIJ 6311 World Criminal Justice Systems
• CRIJ 6312 Independent Study (Can be repeated once for credit if new topic)*
• CRIJ 6313 Selected Topic in CJ (Can be repeated once for credit if new topic)
• CRIJ 6314 Women, Law and Justice
• CRIJ 6315 Victimology
• CRIJ 6316 Environmental Crime and Justice
  CRIJ 6317 Organizational Crime
• CRIJ 6318 Law in Culture and Society
• CRIJ 6322 Terrorism
• CRIJ 6325 Social Justice and Human Rights
• CRIJ 6332 Directed Study

Thesis and Applied Research Track

• CRIJ 7101 One hour Thesis
• CRIJ 7301, 7302 Thesis
• CRIJ 7303, 7304 Applied Research Project

*Independent Study can only be taken with prior approval from the GPD.
*UTPA policy (see current Graduate Handbook) allows all graduate students to take up to six semester hours (two courses) from departments other than their major departments. The six hours is normally counted towards their electives. Criminal Justice graduate students who decide to go this option should first seek the approval of the GPD.
*See Appendix A for course descriptions.

Teaching Assistantships:

A limited number of teaching assistantships may be available for qualified graduate students. The GPC selects TAs on the basis of undergraduate record, letters of recommendation, and progress toward the graduate degree. TA applicants must apply in writing to the Graduate Program Director. 

Graduate Faculty :

• A-Gyamfi, Joseph Ph.D. 
• Dearth, Daniel Ph.D. 
• Ethridge, Philip Ph.D. 
• Vincentnathan, Lynn Ph. D. 
• Vincentnathan, George S. Ph.D. 
• White, Thomas Ph. D.

For more information, contact:

Dr. Joseph A-Gyamfi
Criminal Justice Graduate Program Director
Department of Criminal Justice
The University of Texas Pan American
Social Behavioral Sciences Building, Room 367
1201 W. University Dr.
Edinburg, TX 78541-2999
Telephone: 956/316-7061
Fax 956-381-3680
Fax: CJ Office 956/381-2490
E-mail: appiahen@panam.edu