Learning Objectives:
Students in the Criminology and Criminal Justice 4 + 1 program will have the opportunity to:
- Demonstrate an advanced understanding and comprehension of the criminal justice system. This includes having the ability to conceptualize, analyze, and theorize the changing nature of crime, social order, and justice issues.
- Students will be able to assess the relevance of historical and current criminological theories to evidence-based practices and contemporary public policy.
- Articulate key concepts in criminology and criminal justice and master content in upper-level specialization courses.
- Acquire the methodological and analytical skills to interpret available information related to the criminal justice system and various justice issues; including the ability to assess, analyze, and evaluate the effectiveness of various policies and laws governing the operation of the criminal justice system and its function in society.
- Analyze and evaluate a contemporary criminal justice-related issue with advanced knowledge of concepts, major topic areas/issues in criminal justice and criminological theory, and ethical and legal issues in crime and justice.
- Integrate knowledge of the criminal justice system to contribute to the ever-growing and increasingly interdisciplinary field.
- Prepare for career advancement, especially as they relate to leadership roles within their agency, company, or organization.
Master’s Degree Requirements Include:
The curriculum will require the completion of 44 credit hours. There are two tracks to complete these credit hours. Students will either enroll in a Thesis Track - this track begins spring semester for both 4 + 1 students and returning alumni - or a Professional track which would begin spring semester for 4 + 1 students and fall semester for alumni. Students in both tracks complete 11 courses that sum to the required 44 credits.
For the accelerated 4 + 1 tracks (i.e., both thesis and professional) students will either complete 11 courses including an internship (4 credits each) or 12 courses with two of the courses being 2-credit electives. A total of 8 credits (2 courses) will be taken in the final spring semester of the senior year during the completion of the undergraduate degree, with the remaining 36 credits taken at the graduate level over the summer, fall, and spring terms (9 or 10 courses cumulatively).
For the Alumni Master’s Program Thesis Track students will either complete 11 courses (4 credits each) or 12 required courses with two of the courses being 2-credit electives. This track begins in the spring and ends the following spring.
The Alumni Master’s Program Professional Track students will complete 11 courses (4 credits each). This track begins in the fall and ends in the fall.
Please see the department’s website for more information on the course offerings and schedule.
Our alumni returning to earn a master’s degree can complete the program in one academic year, either fall-to-fall for the professional track or spring-to-spring for the thesis track. For the thesis track, the two courses offered in the spring term of the senior year for the accelerated 4 + 1 will be provided online for those that cannot attend the course if these are offered during the day. The remaining 36 credits will be offered either as hybrid or online courses during the evening.
4 + 1 Thesis Track or Returning Alumni Thesis Track
The Criminal Justice Master’s Program Alumni Professional Track
Academic Standing
Full-time, Half-time, and Part-time status
Graduate students enrolled in 12 or more credits per semester are classified as full-time students; those enrolled in less than 12 credits per semester are classified as half-time and less than 6 credits are less than halftime. Matriculated students will be dismissed from their graduate program if, after one semester of being placed on Academic Probation, they do not maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0. A student will need to repeat a course if their grade falls below a B-. Dismissal requires absence from the College for one semester, pending action on an appeal, if submitted.
Academic Dismissal Appeal Procedure
If dismissed for academic deficiency, students may appeal for reinstatement. Appeals must be made in writing to the Graduate Director, who will then share the appeal with the Criminal Justice Department. The appeal must be submitted within two weeks following notification of dismissal. Students will be notified in writing of the decision of the Criminal Justice Department within two weeks of appeal receipt.
A student’s written appeal to the Graduate Director and the Criminal Justice Department must include the student’s name and a discussion of the circumstances contributing to the academic deficiency.
The Criminal Justice Department will consider the appeal at the next Criminal Justice Department meeting. The decision will then be discussed with the Dean of the College, who will then need to approve the decision. If the appeal is approved, the student may need to wait until the following term to re-enroll in classes.
In the written response to the student, the Department will outline the conditions and rationale of its action:
- If the appeal is granted, the Department will outline conditions of reinstatement and a time frame for program continuation/completion;
- If the appeal is denied, the student is administratively withdrawn from the program and s/he/they may not re-apply to the same program;
- A second dismissal for academic deficiency is not subject to appeal.
Evaluation of academic standing will take place after each semester, beginning the summer session. The decision of the Department is final.
Appeals for Academic Dismissal should be emailed to:
Kaitlyn Clarke
Graduate Director
Kclarke@anselm.edu
Course Repeat Policy
Under specific terms and conditions, graduate students may repeat up to a total of two courses. Students wishing to repeat a course should consult with the Graduate Director and the course instructor as necessary. Only the higher of the two grades is computed in the cumulative GPA. A course may be repeated only once. Both the old and the new grade will appear on the transcript. Students will not receive additional credit for repeating a course.
Matriculated vs. Non-Matriculated Status
A matriculated student has been accepted into and is enrolled in a degree program at the College.
Non-Matriculated status indicates that a student has registered for and is taking a course (or courses) at the College without being formally accepted into a program.
A graduate applicant may take courses before being accepted into a graduate degree program, but only 2 courses may apply toward the master’s degree.
Auditing a Graduate Course
Audit grades for graduate courses will satisfy the needs of the following students:
- Students who wish to test the likelihood of continuing in the 4 +1 Criminology and Criminal Justice Program.
- Professionals interested in taking courses to learn the latest information in the field, and who are not interested in graduate credit or a graduate degree.
The following rules apply:
- Typically, up to 16 credits per term can be taken without an overload fee. Thereafter, the cost of an audited course will be the same as the cost of a credit-bearing course
- Students will have to declare at registration that audit is their choice; they cannot switch to credit-bearing status after registration.
- Similarly, students cannot switch from credit-bearing to audit status after registration.
- Auditing will not be possible in internship courses, or in any courses where the instructor deems participation, such as group or team work, essential for the success of the course.
- Students who audit a course are typically governed by the same attendance policies that apply to the enrolled students in that course.
- Students may repeat any course for credit they have audited.
- To audit a course, a student must first obtain the consent of the Graduate Director and then the instructor of the course.
Auditors will receive a final grade of an AU. Audit courses do not satisfy any credit, coursework, or degree requirements, nor do they count in fulfilling minimum or maximum credits required in each term.
At the discretion of the instructor, an auditor is not required to take examinations or submit class work.
Attendance Policy- Athletics & Employment
Students are expected to attend all classes either in person or remotely. It is up to the discretion of the professor teaching the course to decide what constitutes an excused absence and what does not. That is, absences for work, practice, or games may not be considered acceptable. For this reason, students should meet with the professor prior to the start of class to provide and discuss the student’s athletics and employment schedule. Coursework and due dates are outlined in course syllabi and must be adhered to in order to successfully complete a course. Any absence will negatively affect the grade in the course and, in some cases, may result in course failure. It may be suggested to the student if they cannot attend in person or remotely to refrain from enrolling in the course.
Email Policy
Students are issued a campus e-mail address. The Registrar, faculty, and staff who need to reach students generally do so through this option. In order to ensure access, it is the student’s responsibility to regularly review and respond to emails within 48 hours and maintain campus e-mail accounts.
Graduate Course Add/Drop/Withdrawal
COURSE REGISTRATION
Due to the nature of the program, students will be added by the Graduate Director to the required courses before the start of each term (summer, fall, & spring).
COURSE WITHDRAWAL
Students may drop a course before the end of the add/drop period. After the add-drop period is over, during the first four weeks of the module, a student may withdraw from a course without grade penalty by completing a withdrawal form with the Graduate Director. After the start of the fifth week, the student may withdraw from a course by completing a withdrawal form with the Graduate Director and the instructor teaching the course from which the student is withdrawing who will advise the Dean of the College on whether a “W” or “WF” is appropriate. The “WF” is transcripted as a failing grade and has a negative effect on the student’s GPA. A student may not withdraw from a course during the last two weeks of the module, e.g., the last two weeks of classes.
A course withdrawal results in a grade of “W” next to the course on the student’s transcript, which indicates that the course was attempted but not completed. A “W” has no impact on the student’s GPA. Students are strongly encouraged to discuss withdrawing from the course with the course instructor, Graduate Director, and with Financial Aid. Withdrawing from a course may have additional financial and academic implications. Students are considered the responsible party for any transactions processed against their academic records and are wholly accountable for determining to withdraw. Courses dropped may result in the student being unable to enroll in another course until the dropped course is completed. Courses are currently offered only once during the year for an academic cohort. This means that students might need to wait until the following year to not only complete the dropped course, but to continue with the program.
WITHDRAWAL FROM THE PROGRAM
Students may withdraw from the graduate program by informing the Graduate Director in writing and submitting the Notice of Withdrawal form. An undergraduate student who either withdraws or is denied continuation in the program will complete the traditional bachelor’s degree.
Matriculated students who do not register for a course each term will be administratively withdrawn from the program.
LEAVE OF ABSENCE
Matriculated students may request a leave of absence by submitting a request in writing to the Graduate Director. If a student takes a leave of absence s/he/they will have three (3) years from the point of the start of the program to resume studies. After this time, the student must reapply for acceptance into the program. In extenuating circumstances, at the discretion of the Dean of the College and the Graduate Director, a student may be granted an extension. The date of withdrawal is established on the day the College receives a notification. Courses are currently offered only once during an academic cohort. This means that students might need to wait until the following year to complete the withdrawn semester or specific course(s).
Graduate Grade Appeal Procedure
When a student wishes to appeal a final grade assigned by an instructor, the following procedure must be initiated within ten (10) days after the beginning of the next module.
- The student will confer with the instructor who assigned the grade.
- If the discussion with the instructor proves unsatisfactory, the student will confer with the Graduate Director of the department.
- If the discussion with the Graduate Director proves unsatisfactory, the student will confer with the chairperson of the department of which the instructor is a member.
- If the discussion with the chairperson of the department proves unsatisfactory, the student may appeal the case to the Dean of the College.
- If the appeal to the Dean of the College proves unsatisfactory, the student, as a final appeal, will request the Dean to call a meeting of the instructor, the chairperson of the department and the Dean of the College. The student may present evidence supporting the request for a change in grade. Final decision of the issue will be made by the Dean of the College.
Incomplete Policy
If a student is assigned an Incomplete in any graduate course aside from CJ 710 - Master’s Thesis II, they may not participate in graduation until the course is successfully completed.
Incomplete Policy for Master’s Thesis CJ 710
Students granted an incomplete for CJ 710 Master’s Thesis II will have the opportunity to submit a second draft on June 1st for feedback. The committee will have two weeks to provide the student with comments. The final thesis submission and defense will take place the last week in July. At the conclusion, the student will be granted the master’s degree or informed that they will not be receiving the degree. Students can appeal the decision by emailing the Dean of the College and Graduate Director seven (7) days from being notified of the committee’s decision. At the discretion of the Dean of the College and the Graduate Director, a student might be eligible to re-enroll in CJ 710 Master’s Thesis II.
Requirements for Graduation
Requirements for the 4 + 1 in Criminology and Criminal Justice Master of Arts degree are satisfied upon successful competition of forty-four (44) credits. Students who begin the program in spring of their senior year will earn 36 credits at the graduate level and returning alumni 44 credits.
Candidates for degrees must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 and earn a B- (2.67) or higher in all program courses. Failure to earn the B- or better requires a student to repeat the course. A student may still be eligible to walk at graduation if they only need to repeat one course, due to not earning the B- or better. If a student fails a course, they will not be eligible to walk at graduation.
Students pursuing the thesis track, if granted an Incomplete for CJ 710 - Master’s Thesis II, will still be eligible to walk at graduation if they have maintained the cumulative GPA of a 3.0 or higher and will not be repeating another graduate course in which they earned below a B-.
If a student is assigned an Incomplete in any graduate course aside from CJ 710 - Master’s Thesis II, they may not participate in graduation until the course is successfully completed.
Only those students who have met all graduation requirements are eligible to participate in the commencement activities.
For students who have matriculated full-time, the expectation is that requirements for the degree will be completed within three (3) years from the date of initial enrollment in the program.
No student will be recommended for graduation who has not satisfied the faculty and administration of the College as to standards of character and sufficient accomplishment in scholarship.
An application for degree and intent to graduate form must be completed and submitted to the Registrar’s office.
Graduate Student Handbook
For information pertaining to rules, polices, and guidelines applicable to the graduate community at Saint Anselm College please see the Graduate Student Handbook.
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