Program Overview

The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice is a 27-credit hour degree offered as either a course and project-based or a course and thesis-based program of study. Students will study on campus in class and seminar settings and with options to learn in research field placements. The length of the program is 24 months full-time and 48 months part-time. Thesis students complete 6 courses for 18 credits and get 9 Thesis credits for 27 total. Course based students complete 24 course credits and another 3 credits when their Research Project is complete.

Learning Outcomes

a) Strong understanding of contemporary criminal justice theories;

b) strong grasp of research methodology, study design and application;

c) knowledge of critical and historical perspectives on the criminal justice system, its agent and its strengths and limitations in assisting the socially disadvantaged;

d) ability to understand the application of evidence-based practice, and;

e) capacity for policy development.

f) Students completing the course and thesis-based program will achieve competency in graduate level theory, methods and research sufficient to qualify for further doctoral study.

g) Students completing the course and project-based option will develop thinking, writing, policy development and research skills suitable for a mid-level planning/research officer position in government or the non-profit sector.

Courses

GCJ 7101 (3 credit hours) Conceptualizing Criminal Justice*

GCJ 7105 (3 credit hours) Youth & Criminal Justice System

GCJ 7116 (3 credit hours) Program and Policy Evaluation

GCJ 7117 (3 credit hours) Research Design*

GCJ 7130 (3 credit hours) Constitutional Issues in Criminal Law*

GCJ 7140 (3 credit hours) Criminal Justice Policy*

GCJ 7300 (3 credit hours) Critical Criminal Justice Theory

GCJ 7500 (3 credit hours) Colonialism and Criminal Justice in Canada

GCJ 7654 (3 credit hours) Interdisciplinary Perspectives Preventing Wrongful Convictions

GCJ 7800 (6 credit hours) CJ Research Field Placement

GCJ 7802 (3 credit Hours) Field Placement in Criminal Justice

GCJ 7801 (3 Credit Hours) Research Project

GCJ 7900 (9 Credit Hours) Thesis 

*Required

Course descriptions can be found in the graduate studies calendar.

For more information on the research project and thesis, and the differences in programs, please visit: Research Project or Masters Thesis.

Schedule for Full and Part-time Students

For a detailed breakdown of the Criminal Justice schedule, please visit: Schedule.

Further Information

Please contact Graduate Program Chair Dr. Michelle Bertrand at m.bertrand@uwinnipeg.ca or 204.988.7503.