Criminal Justice (M.A.)
Announcement: Deadline has been extended to January 8th for the Spring 2021 term!
With threats to domestic and national security looming, the need for criminal justice professionals who can keep pace with the changing environment is real.
At Kean, our master's degree in criminal justice focuses on study of the various systems within the criminal justice system, the current theoretical models explaining crime and delinquency, and their practical use in addressing criminal acts and enforcement.
Our students take a variety of courses, from victimology to ethics, and use scientific inquiry to research and address the problems facing the criminal justice system.
Kean graduates have a firm grasp of police, courts and corrections in order to be productive contributors to the debate on policy and practice in law enforcement.

James Drylie, Ph.D. ‘80, executive director of the Kean University School of Criminal Justice and Public Administration, received the Fulbright-Police Research and Criminal Justice Scholar Award in 2016.
Other programs you might be interested in

After graduating from Kean, I was fortunate to be accepted into the alternate route program for police officers. Now I'm back at Kean. You could say I've come full circle being an adjunct professor, trying to be the mentor that my professors were to me."

The Classroom and Beyond
At Kean we believe learning and job growth extends far beyond the walls of our classrooms. That's why we encourage you to take advantage of a variety of research opportunities available to you, study abroad and pursue internships that will advance your career or set the stage for another advanced degree.
After Kean
The growing field of criminal justice offers many career opportunities, including:
- First-line police supervisor
- Criminologist
- Forensic examiner
- FBI agent
- District attorney
- Emergency management director
- Probations officer supervisor
- Criminal profiler
Justice for all
Criminal Justice Career Hub explores the field
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