Criminology and Criminal Justice Introduction
Satisfy your desire for career growth and public service in the complex and high-profile fields of global security, policing or victimology. Kent State University’s interdisciplinary online Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice will equip you with the social science insights, theoretical frameworks and critical thinking skills to help you safeguard the public and secure your future.
Satisfy your desire for career growth and public service in the complex and high-profile fields of global security, policing or victimology. Kent State University’s interdisciplinary online Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice will equip you with the social science insights, theoretical frameworks and critical thinking skills to help you safeguard the public and secure your future.
Make a Bigger Impact With a Kent State Online Master’s in Criminal Justice
Criminology and criminal justice are related professions, working in tandem to protect the public. Criminologists study the causes of crime and the effectiveness of prevention efforts, using research to solve social problems and formulate policy. Criminal justice professionals focus more on practice: implementing policy and managing crime prevention programs.
Prepare for a Top-Level Career in Policy or Practice
Kent State’s online master’s in criminology and criminal justice offers a unique blend of theoretical and applied learning that helps you create a top-level career in policy or practice.
The knowledge and perspective gained through our advanced degree program will help you thrive in your chosen field. The degree may also be required for employment or promotion at many organizations.
Take a big step toward your next career move with a Kent State master’s in criminal justice.
The work of those in the profession of criminal justice is becoming increasingly complex, demanding the ability to think critically, interact well with those you serve, and be capable of understanding complex and quickly changing situations.
Allen Lowery, Adjunct Professor
Law enforcement veteran with a Ph.D. in psychology
Law enforcement veteran with a Ph.D. in psychology
Our Commitment to Your Success Shows in Our Ratings
Military Friendly® School
The Military Friendly® designation indicates a school’s commitment to serving members of the extended military community, including active service members, spouses and veterans.1 Kent State’s gold status places us among the highest-ranked schools in our category. Job placement, graduation and retention rates are factored into the ranking based on public and proprietary data and personal opinion surveys of veterans.
Satisfied Alumni
Recent alumni, motivated by the desire to advance and thrive in public service careers, unanimously gave our online master’s in criminal justice and criminology ratings of satisfied or highly satisfied. The knowledge and connections you can gain through our program will help you thrive too.
Get Ready for a Satisfying Career. Keep Living Your Life.
Our rigorous and respected program is designed to fit in with your real-world responsibilities, including work and family obligations. Finish your degree in as little as two years, taking just two 7-week classes each semester.
A career in criminal justice is a good fit if you are:
Analytical
Career-oriented
Committed to justice
Enterprising
Ethical
Interested in human behavior
A skilled communicator3, 4
Find your future in one of three degree concentrations.
Kent State’s master’s in criminal justice begins with a solid grounding in core subjects, including research methods, criminal law and justice institutions, and theories of crime and delinquency. Choose a concentration that aligns with your professional interests to finish your degree.
Advance your public or private-sector global security career with core knowledge of intelligence, strategy and policy topics.
Online MA graduates who have concentrated in Global Security have gone on to pursue roles that include:
Online MA graduates who have concentrated in Global Security have gone on to pursue roles that include:
- U.S. Border Patrol Agent
- U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agent
- Drug Enforcement Administration Agent
- U.S. Marshal
- Special Agent
- Security Analyst
- Policymaker
Become a force for restorative justice through a comprehensive study of crime victims, their treatment and their rights.
Our MA graduates who have concentrated in Victimology have gone on to pursue roles that include:
Our MA graduates who have concentrated in Victimology have gone on to pursue roles that include:
- Criminal Profiler
- Law Enforcement Agent
- Crime Analyst
- Victim Advocate
- Criminal Investigator
Formulate research-backed theoretical frameworks for managing policing organizations and responding to emerging issues.
Graduates of the online MA program who concentrated in Policing have been successful in the following careers:
Graduates of the online MA program who concentrated in Policing have been successful in the following careers:
- Police Officer
- Deputy Sheriff
- State Trooper
- Correctional Officer
- Highway Patrol
- Private Security
This dynamic field evolves with society and technology, while the demand for highly skilled workers remains strong.
Build Your Career with a Degree Built Around You
Call Us
A phone call with one of our Admissions Outreach Advisors will make it even easier, call +1 330-672-8671
A phone call with one of our Admissions Outreach Advisors will make it even easier, call +1 330-672-8671
To submit a successful application, check out the Graduate Degree Student Checklist
Designed for busy working professionals and students seeking to expand their career options.
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Related Criminology & Criminal Justice Reading
Respond to the need for change in your community. The NASPAA-accredited Kent State Master of Public Administration program will prepare you to focus on ethical leadership, budgeting and financial management in the private and nonprofit sectors, while you learn to comprehend and utilize complex nonprofit and public sector laws and strategic planning.
This year, discussions of criminal justice reform in this country have changed a great deal. In our presidential primaries, a record number of Democratic candidates’ platforms included the importance of reform.1 The COVID-19 pandemic and recent social justice protests have brought to light ways in which our entire system, including criminal justice and law enforcement, disproportionately affects poor communities and minorities.2
Many people want to have a meaningful impact on the world, and if you pursue a career in criminal justice, you have the power to do exactly that. So when considering what the best criminal justice jobs are, there’s more to think about than just salary. It’s also important to ask yourself what career you would find most personally fulfilling.
Sources
1. Retrieved on April 10, 2023, from militaryfriendly.com/faqs/
2. Based on a limited sample of self-reported data from Kent State alumni from graduating cohorts between 2016-2020.
3. Retrieved on May 5, 2022, from onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3021.06
4. Retrieved on May 5, 2022, from onetonline.org/link/summary/33-3021.00