Legal Studies - Criminal Justice

Overview

The Legal Studies - Criminal Justice program at California University of Pennsylvania will address practical topics that law enforcement professionals can apply to their day-to-day decision-making or use as they step up to executive leadership roles.

Expand your contribution to the community.

Students in the M.S. in Legal Studies: Criminal Justice concentration examine the structural and operational dynamics of criminal justice organizations. They engage in advanced study of the functions and processes of the American criminal justice system, and research and analyze contemporary criminal justice issues.

As a graduate student in this program, you’ll dig deep into critical issues of police accountability, including police practices that frequently trigger civil liability. You’ll learn risk management approaches for reducing criminal and civil liability, and you’ll study investigative practices for financial crimes and sexual offenses.

Degree Benefits

The criminal justice concentration in legal studies encourages research and reflection on topics of concern to all Americans, including police procedures and the functions and processes of the American justice system. Criminal justice students also may:

• Partner with professors in completing research for publication in various academic and professional journals.

• Choose research topics relevant to their current employment. For instance, students who are police officers may select specific police policies and present solutions in their white papers.