Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice and Criminology

If you are a criminal justice professional, you know the landscape: Increasing levels of crime, social problems born of drug use, explosion of offenders in courts and correctional settings, plus violence in neighborhoods, workplaces, and schools that paralyzes entire communities.

Do you want to develop the leadership skills to navigate this landscape?

Ball State University’s graduate certificate in criminal justice and criminology features a sequence of courses that concentrate on the philosophy of justice, interpersonal skills, and administrative skills.

Whether you work in law enforcement, corrections, or victim advocacy, you’ll need these skills to advance professionally. Likewise, Ball State graduate students who are adding elective courses outside of their home disciplines, particularly sociology students, will find relevant course work in this certificate.

Why Ball State’s Certificate?

• It’s one of the few criminal justice and criminology certificates in the Midwest.
• It’s the only such graduate certificate in the state of Indiana.
• It is an applied program so you can take what you learn to work and apply it the next day.
• Ball State undergraduate and graduate criminal justice and criminology programs, including the master in public administration (MPA) with a criminal justice concentration have a strong reputation.
• The certificate’s four courses will count toward the MPA program when you decide to pursue the master’s.
• Because class enrollments seldom exceed 15 students, you get individual attention from faculty—and time to interact with classmates from across the country.

You also benefit from the national and international reputations of our faculty scholars who publish frequently and participate in criminal justice and criminology academic and professional societies. Ball State professors have worked as practitioners—as well as consultants—with numerous criminal justice agencies. Learn more about our criminal justice and criminology faculty.

Course Requirements

The 12-credits graduate level certificate in criminal justice and criminology consists of the same four courses used in the master of public administration degree with a criminal justice and criminology concentration.

These courses may be taken in any order:

• CJC 650 Criminal Justice Administration (3 credits)
• CJC 651 Interpersonal Relations in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
• CJC 652 Philosophical Aspects of Criminal Justice Practice (3 credits)
• CJC 690 Independent Study (3 credits)

Your independent study is supervised by a criminal justice graduate faculty member and gives you the opportunity to apply your knowledge to specific issues, such as an issue that is relevant to the agency where you are employed.

These courses are suitable as electives if you are seeking elective courses outside their home disciplines, such as sociology.

For a complete list of program requirements and courses, see the course catalog.

View Catalog

More about Online Learning

Ready to Apply?

Are you interested in our program? Then it’s time to apply! 

Apply Now