St. Ambrose University 518 West Locust Davenport Iowa 52803 admit

Graduate Curricula
which has been approved by students’ chosen
Thesis Committee.
2. Practitioner Option (Competency Exam):
Candidacy is achieved after completion of all
coursework.
Program of Studies
Requirements for the Master of Criminal Justice
30 semester credits including: nine semester credits
in foundation courses: MCJ 500, 507, 530; 12
semester credits in core courses: MCJ 510, 620,
630, 640; three to nine semester credits in professional
studies courses (nine semester credits
required for Practitioner Option; three semester
credits required for Research Option) from the
following: MCJ 550 (must take if doing Research
Option), 501, 503, 511, 532, 587, 599, 600,
650, 660, 670, 671, 672, SOC 322; Research
Option: six semester credits for Professional
Practice from MCJ 701, 702.
Master of Criminal Justice in Juvenile Justice
Education Requirements for Practitioner and
Research Options
Foundation Courses: MCJ 500, 507, 530; SPED
510, 514, 713. Core Courses: MCJ 510, 620,
640. Cognate Courses: MCJ 650, 670; SPED
530, 561, 632, 660. Professional Studies/Practice
Courses: Practitioner—MCJ 600; Research—
MCJ 550, 600, 702.
Note: Undergraduate St. Ambrose Criminal
Justice majors are allowed to petition for up to
six semester credits completed in the undergraduate
curriculum to count towards the completion
of the graduate curriculum. For cross-listed
courses, St. Ambrose graduates of the Bachelor’s
of Criminal Justice program may substitute
Foundations courses taken in the undergraduate
curriculum with appropriate courses at the graduate
level upon appeal. Consult advisor for assistance
in this matter.
Course Descriptions
MCJ 500. Criminological Theory 3 credits
Theories of crime causation, participation, and
treatment, Intervention, and prevention strategies.
Topics covered include: prominent theories
in the study of crime, the use of official and unofficial
statistics in assessing crime in the US society,
the inter-play of theory and social policy/
program implementation. Prerequisite: Graduate
status.
MCJ 501. Independent Study 1–3 credits
Specialized readings and applied research in criminal
justice. Requires director approval.
MCJ 503. Workshop
1–3 credits
Topics and activities are designed to offer practical
skill development opportunities useful to
criminal justice practitioners. May be repeated to
a maximum of three semester credits if topics differ.
Requires director approval.
MCJ 507. Seminar in Criminal Justice 3 credits
Capstone seminar focusing on analysis and evaluation
of current practice, with emphasis on ethical
and operational issues confronting criminal
justice practitioners. Graduate Status.
MCJ 510. Crime Policy Analysis 3 credits
Examination of development and implementation
of crime policy from a political, institutional, and
administrative perspective. Application of political
theories and policy analysis research techniques
to better understanding and improving
crime policy. Overview of crime theories with
analysis and evaluation of the consequences for
crime policy.
MCJ 511. The Constitution and
Criminal Justice
3 credits
This course is a constitutional law course specifically
geared to the interests and needs of the
criminal justice professional. Students will be
introduced to the organization of the American
judicial system, the historical origins of the
Constitution and the Bill of Rights, and the study
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