School of Criminal Justice

Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Research Concentration Thesis Option

STUDENT HANDBOOK 2019-2020

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Table of Contents

Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 4

Overview of MSCJ Programs at Texas State University .............................................................. 5

The MSCJ Research Concentration Program................................................................................ 6

Applying for the MSCJ Research Concentration Thesis Option Program.................................. 11

Admission Criteria .......................................................................................................... 11

Application Process ......................................................................................................... 12

Application Deadlines ..................................................................................................... 12

Funding and Scholarships ........................................................................................................... 13

Scholarships from the Graduate College ......................................................................... 13

Scholarships from the School of Criminal Justice .......................................................... 13

Graduate Assistantships .................................................................................................. 14

Program Goals ............................................................................................................................. 14

School of Criminal Justice Graduate Faculty .............................................................................. 14

Completing the MSCJ Research Concentration Thesis Option Program ................................... 19

Completing the Research Thesis ................................................................................................. 25

Thesis Deadlines ............................................................................................................. 25

Step 1: Identifying the Research Questions and Thesis Chair ........................................ 26

Step 2: Putting Together your Thesis Committee ........................................................... 26

Step 3: The Thesis Research Proposal ............................................................................ 27

Step 4: Carry Out and Write Up the Research ................................................................ 27

Step 5: Defend your Thesis ............................................................................................. 28

Step 6: Submit the Final Draft of your Thesis to the Graduate College ......................... 28

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The Comprehensive Examination ............................................................................................... 28

Graduating ................................................................................................................................... 29

Frequently Asked Questions ....................................................................................................... 29

Applying for the Program ............................................................................................... 29

Student Progress .............................................................................................................. 30

Completing the Thesis ..................................................................................................... 30

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Introduction

Welcome to the School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University!

We are delighted you have joined – or are considering joining – us as a master’s level student.

Located in the Hines Academic Center, the School of Criminal Justice offers baccalaureate,

master's, and doctoral-level curricula addressing a wide range of social issues and research

opportunities. Our faculty are recognized nationally and internationally for their commitment to

outstanding teaching, cutting-edge research, and unparalleled service to the field. Their broad

practical experiences and diverse academic backgrounds contribute to a curriculum that provides

students the skills needed for criminal justice program planning, implementation, and evaluation.

This handbook will provide you with all the information you will need to, first, decide which of

our Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) programs is best for you and, once you have

joined and registered, successfully complete your degree. We hope you find the handbook helpful

and that it answers all the questions you have. If you have any outstanding questions, please do

not hesitate to contact our MSCJ team on CJMasters@txstate.edu.

Best of luck with your studies and welcome again!

Dr. Christine Sellers

School Director, Graduate Advisor and

Coordinator for the MSCJ Executive

Concentration Program

Dr. Lucia Summers

Graduate Advisor and Coordinator for the

MSCJ Non-thesis Option and MSCJ

Research Concentration Programs

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Overview of MSCJ Programs at Texas State University

The School of Criminal Justice at Texas State University offers three separate paths towards a

MSCJ degree, to meet the varying needs and interests of our students: 1) the (original) MSCJ Non-

thesis Option program; 2) the MSCJ Research Concentration Thesis Option program; and 3) the

MSCJ Executive Concentration Non-thesis Option program (see Table 1).1 No minor options are

offered for any of these three programs.

The MSCJ Non-thesis Option and the MSCJ Research Concentration programs share some of the

curriculum, so students from both programs may find themselves in the same classroom, despite

different curriculum and assessment requirements. The MSCJ Executive Concentration program,

on the other hand, is cohort-based and taught completely separately.

This student handbook focuses on the MSCJ Research Concentration program.

Table 1. Overview of Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) degree options.

MSCJ

Non-thesis Option

MSCJ

Research Concentration

MSCJ

Executive Concentration

36 credit hours 30 credit hours 30 credit hours

5 core courses and 7 electives 5 core courses and 3 electives

(plus 6 credit hours for thesis)

5 core courses and 4 electives

(plus 3 credit hours for

problem-solving project)

No thesis or professional paper Research thesis Problem-solving project

Written comprehensive exam Oral comprehensive exam Oral comprehensive exam

16-week courses in Fall/Spring,

10-week courses in Summer

16-week courses in Fall/Spring,

10-week courses in Summer

8-week courses in Fall/Spring,

10-week course in Summer

Generalist program for those

seeking additional training in CJ

Competitive program for those

seeking research analyst jobs or

to pursue a PhD

Competitive program for full-

time CJ professionals only

1 Also see http://mycatalog.txstate.edu/graduate/applied-arts/criminal-justice/masters/.

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The MSCJ Research Concentration Program

The MSCJ Research Concentration program (hereafter, MSCJ-Res) is a competitive program

specifically designed for those seeking to eventually complete a doctoral program and/or careers

in research-related fields. The curriculum for the Research concentration provides for the

development of theoretical, methodological, and analytical skills to evaluate and conduct scientific

inquiry into the criminological and criminal justice issues.

The MSCJ-Res program requires 30 credit hours, which are split into five core courses (15 credit

hours), three electives (nine credit hours), and a minimum of six credit hours towards your

research thesis (CJ 5399A Thesis A and CJ 5399B Thesis B). The thesis will have to be presented

in a public oral defense, during which you will also complete your oral comprehensive

examination. This examination will test your ability to apply concepts from research methodology

and analysis, criminology and criminal justice to real-world situations. There is no professional

thesis option within this program; instead, ALL students complete a research thesis.

The five core courses you will need to complete as part of the MSCJ-Res are:

▪ CJ 5310 Administration of Justice;

▪ CJ 5315 Advanced Research Methods in Criminal Justice;

▪ CJ 5325 Statistics for Criminal Justice;

▪ CJ 5335 Advanced Crime Theory; and

▪ CJ 5380P Quantitative Data Analysis.

The three elective courses may be chosen from any of the other courses offered by the School of

Criminal Justice at the master’s level. For a full list of master’s-level courses at the School of

Criminal Justice, see Table 2.2

2 Also see http://mycatalog.txstate.edu/graduate/applied-arts/criminal-justice/masters/#coursestext. Please note there

are some courses listed in the catalog that are not currently being offered in the MSCJ Non-thesis Option and MSCJ

Research Concentration programs. These include: CJ 5300 Foundation Studies in Criminal Justice; CJ 5311

Administrative Law in Criminal Justice; CJ 5380N Applied Research Practicum; CJ 5323 Special Operation Units;

CJ 5324 Investigations; CJ 5380C Drugs in Society; CJ 5380H Police Problem Solving Methodologies; and CJ 5380L

Geospatial Intelligence and Geographic Profiling. These courses may be offered in future, subject to faculty

availability.

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Table 2. Courses offered on the MSCJ program.

Code Title Description

CJ 5101 Graduate Assistant

Supervision

Prepares graduate student teaching and instructional assistants to perform effectively in diverse instructional

settings and in their assigned instructional support roles. The course provides for regular and planned

opportunities for continuing evaluation of instructional and assistive responsibilities. This course does not earn

graduate degree credit. Repeatable with different emphasis. Graduate Assistantship course (excluded from

graduate GPA). Course graded as Credit / No Credit. Credit hours: 1.

[Please note this course is only required for and available to those employed as graduate instructional

assistants by the School of Criminal Justice.]

CJ 5310 Administration of

Justice

Introduction to the study of crime; explanations of criminal behavior; typologies of criminal behavior; the

criminal justice system; and social reaction to crime and the criminal justice system.

CJ 5315 Advanced Research

Methods in

Criminal Justice

The study of scientific research methods as used in the criminal justice system to include a review and critique

of research on crime causation, law enforcement, courts, and corrections.

CJ 5320 History and

Philosophy of

Justice

An exploration of historical approaches to social control of nonconforming behavior. The principal

contributions of architects and theorists of systems of social justice are examined with emphasis on major

Western European schools of thought. Special emphasis given to the development of the scientific method and

its role in the contemporary system of justice.

CJ 5322 Police in Society This course provides an in-depth assessment of policing and the various types of community crime control.

Core topics include the history of police, organizational and individual police discretion, police culture, use of

force, minorities and the police, community-oriented policing, and police problem-solving.

CJ 5325 Statistics for

Criminal Justice

The study of basic and advanced descriptive and inferential statistics, with an emphasis on applications in the

criminal justice system will be taught. Focus will be given to various multivariate statistical procedures.

N.B.: All courses are three credit hours and graded using standard letter, unless otherwise specified.

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Table 2 (cont.). Courses offered on the MSCJ program.

Code Title Description

CJ 5330 Management

Principles in

Criminal Justice

The study of behavior in complex bureaucratic or administrative organizations with an emphasis on

organizational behavior, group processes, and the managerial function. Concepts and practices of managing

criminal justice agencies within the United States will be stressed.

CJ 5335 Advanced Crime

Theory

This course will develop and apply analytical skills surrounding a wide range of theoretical concepts,

assumptions, propositions, and variables aimed at explaining crime-related outcomes. In the process, students

will learn how social scientists empirically (i.e., quantitatively and qualitatively) access theory and how theory

influences public policy.

CJ 5340 Personnel Practices

in Criminal Justice

The study of personnel decision-making within the criminal justice agency. Topics emphasized will include

recruitment and selection, promotion, training, performance evaluation, and human resource allocation.

[Please note this course is currently only available on the MSCJ Executive Concentration program.]

CJ 5350 Current Issues in

Criminal Justice

An in-depth presentation and discussion of vital contemporary issues in criminal justice, including research,

process, procedure, and substance. General issues addressed remain constant and specific emphasis will vary

depending on changes in contemporary issues.

CJ 5355 Intelligence

Gathering and

Operational Issues

as Applied to

Terrorism and

Counterterrorism

Operation

This course provides an overview of the importance of intelligence gathering in the global and domestic war of

terrorism, and critically examines issues involved with the gathering of intelligence, techniques for the

gathering of intelligence, methods of collecting, collating, analyzing and disseminating intelligence, and a

review of current terrorist threats.

[Please note this course is currently only available on the MSCJ Executive Concentration program.]

N.B.: All courses are three credit hours and graded using standard letter, unless otherwise specified.

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Table 2 (cont.). Courses offered on the MSCJ program.

Code Title Description

CJ 5360 Independent

Studies in Criminal

Justice

Student will work directly with a faculty member and develop in-depth knowledge in a specific topic area of

Criminal Justice. Repeatable for credit. Course graded as Credit / No Credit.

[There is a separate section for each faculty member. You can only sign up for this course after you have

discussed and agreed this with a member of faculty and decided what the independent studies would involve.]

CJ 5380A Ethics and the

Criminal Justice

System

This special-topics course will explore ethical issues that are faced by criminal justice professionals, basic

ethical systems, and applications to dilemmas of criminal justice professionals.

CJ 5380F Police Problem-

Solving Practicum

This course applies contemporary police problem-solving tools and techniques (including SARA, COMPSTAT,

crime mapping, intelligence led policing and computer enhanced problem solving) to real world problems with

practicum problems derived from situations commonly facing police practitioners such as common law

enforcement “problems” such as noise abatement, property offenses and traffic violations.

[Please note this course is currently only available on the MSCJ Executive Concentration program.]

CJ 5380I Race, Class, and

Crime

This course addresses issues related to racial/ethnic minorities, socioeconomic status, crime trends, perceptions

of crime and criminal behaviors. The social/historical constructions of race and class are covered as well as their

intersectionality within the criminal justice system. Topics include racial/ethnic and socioeconomic disparities

in offending, victimization, law enforcement and sentencing.

CJ 5380J Sex Offender and

the Criminal Justice

System

This course explores sex offenders and the criminal justice system and the issues faced by criminal justice

professionals. Recent trends in assessment tools, treatment approaches, and legal responses to sex offenders are

emphasized.

CJ 5380M Crime Analysis This course teaches students step by step how to evaluate and synthesize local crime data and present it to

others. It helps students identify local crime trends and cycles, develop usable crime maps, and to think of

practical local police responses.

N.B.: All courses are three credit hours and graded using standard letter, unless otherwise specified.

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Table 2 (cont.). Courses offered on the MSCJ program.

Code Title Description

CJ 5380P Quantitative Data

Analysis

This course provides an introduction to quantitative data analysis. For the purposes of research and exploratory

data analysis, topics include data construction and cleaning, variable coding, descriptive and inferential

statistics, summary measures, and visual presentations of data. This course makes extensive use of statistical

software.

CJ 5380Q Qualitative

Research Methods

and Data Analysis

This course provides students with a detailed and participatory introduction to the principles and use of common

qualitative methods and data analysis used in social science research with a particular focus on the field of

criminal justice.

CJ 5380R Criminal Justice

Policy

This course covers contemporary public policies designed to prevent and reduce crime and criminal offending.

There is also an emphasis on different levels of evaluation that should be used to address specific criminal

justice issues.

CJ 5399A Thesis This course represents a student’s initial thesis enrollment. Credit is not awarded until student has completed the

thesis in Criminal Justice 5399B. Course graded as Credit / No Credit.

[As with the independent studies course, there is a separate section for each faculty member, and you can only

register for it after you have approached a member of faculty and he/she has agreed to chair your thesis.]

CJ 5399B Thesis This course represents a student’s continuing thesis enrollment. The student continues to enroll in this course

until the thesis is submitted for binding. Course graded as Credit / No Credit.

N.B.: All courses are three credit hours and graded using standard letter, unless otherwise specified.

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You may also choose to register for an outside elective for just ONE of your elective courses. Such

a course would have to be a master’s level course and directly relevant to criminology and/or

criminal justice. Examples of suitable outside electives include PSY 5360G Forensic Psychology,

from the Department of Psychology, and LS 5361 Criminal Law and Procedure, from the

Department of Legal Studies. In some cases, it may be appropriate for a MSCJ-Res student to

register for an outside elective covering methodological or analytical techniques relevant to the

student’s thesis research that are not adequately covered by the curriculum at the School of

Criminal Justice. Outside electives must be approved by your Graduate Advisor.

All courses in this program, both core and elective, are delivered as full-term courses in the Fall

and Spring terms. In the Summer, courses are offered as ten-week courses. Most of the courses are

delivered on campus, with a small number being offered as online courses.

Applying for the MSCJ Research Concentration Thesis Option Program

Admission Criteria

To be admitted into the MSCJ-RES program, you must have:

▪ a baccalaureate degree in criminal justice or related field from a regionally accredited

university; and

▪ a minimum 3.0 GPA in your last 60 hours of undergraduate course work (plus any

completed graduate courses; please note this will increase to 3.25 for Fall 2020 entry); and

▪ competitive Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores in the GRE General Test, which

includes Verbal Reasoning, Quantitative Reasoning, and Analytical Writing sections; and

▪ a statement of purpose where you outline your career goals and research interests, and how

the completion of your MSCJ fits into your plan to achieve these (aim for about 300-500

words).

Please note there is no minimum GRE score, but that your GRE score, in the context of your whole

application, will be assessed to determine not just which applicants are offered a place into the

relevant program, but also who receives additional support in the form of graduate assistantships

and/or nominations for merit scholarships (more on this in later sections). Therefore, you should

adequately prepare for your GRE and retake the test if you feel your scores – and their associated

percentiles, which indicate what percentage of test takers have received a score lower than yours

– are good enough. Taking the GRE test can be expensive but, if you are currently enrolled as a

Texas State University student, you can apply for a test fee scholarship to cover your exam fee

(see https://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/funding/scholarships/test-fee.html); there is also a GRE

Fee Reduction program available to all test takers (for eligibility criteria and application form, see

https://www.ets.org/gre/revised_general/about/fees/reductions). For assistance with preparing for

your GRE test, please visit https://www.txstate.edu/slac/stad-test-prep/gre.html.

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International applicants whose first language is not English must have adequate TOEFL or IETLS

scores. The minimum official TOEFL iBT overall score is 78. The minimum official IELTS

(academic) overall score is 6.5, with minimum individual scores of 6.

Application Process

All applications for Spring 2020 entry are submitted via ApplyTexas, and those for Fall 2020 entry

via the new Texas State University online application system (for more information, please see

https://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/admissions/document-info.html). There is a non-refundable

application fee of $55 ($90 for applications with international credentials). Detailed instructions

and information about the application process can be found in www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/apply.

Application Deadlines

The deadlines for priority and standard applications are shown in Table 3. Please note students

will need to apply by the priority deadline if they want to be considered for the scholarships offered

by the Graduate College and the School of Criminal Justice, and for any graduate assistant

positions that may be available at the School (more on these later). Although standard deadlines

have been set, the Graduate College will continue to process applications received after such a

deadline on a first-come, first-served basis, with no guarantees for admission. The deadlines for

international students, however, are firm (and earlier than those for domestic students) because

time is needed to apply for the necessary student visas. If you are an international applicant, please

visit the International Office webpage for other admission requirements that may apply.

Table 3. Application deadlines for the MSCJ Non-thesis Option program.

Fall entry Priority Standard

Domestic students February 1 June 15

International students February 1 June 1

Spring entry Priority Standard

Domestic students August 15 October 1

International students August 15 October 15

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Funding and Scholarships

As indicated earlier, scholarships are available from both the Graduate College and the School of

Criminal Justice. The School also employs several graduate assistants, as do other departments

and schools throughout the University. In addition to these, students may be eligible for financial

aid if they are enrolled at least half-time in courses counting towards their degree (please see

https://www.finaid.txstate.edu/graduate.html).

Scholarships from the Graduate College

Both program applicants and continuing students can apply for the Celebrity Classic Scholarship

offered by the Graduate College. This is a self-nominated scholarship where $1,500 may be

awarded per term, for the remainder of your program of study. This scholarship is highly

competitive and requires students to maintain a 3.5 GPA and continuous enrollment (i.e., register

for courses in Fall, Spring, and Summer). Applications may be submitted between October 1 and

February 1 every year. (For more information about this scholarship and how to apply, please see

https://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/funding/scholarships/celebrity-classic.html).

Although you will see information about the Graduate College Scholarship in the website of the

Graduate College, this is NOT available for students from the College of Applied Arts, to which

the School of Criminal Justice belongs. However, the Graduate College offers other types of

funding, such as partial funding to attend academic conferences, which may be supplemented

by the School (see https://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/funding/travel.html).

MSCJ-Res students may also apply for the Thesis Research Support Fellowship, which can

cover expenses related to their thesis research. Information about eligibility, application

requirements, and deadlines can be found in the relevant section of the Graduate College website

(see https://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/funding/scholarships/thesis-research.html).

Scholarships from the School of Criminal Justice

There are two scholarships available to master’s students at the School of Criminal Justice, namely

the Stephan C. Geigel Scholarship and the William M. and Emily W. Pruitt Criminal Justice

Endowed Scholarship (see https://www.cj.txstate.edu/resources/gradscholarships.html). To be

eligible, you must be either a current student or a prospective student who has met the priority

application deadline of February 1. The applications for these scholarships are also due on

February 1 every year and you can apply online.

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Graduate Assistantships

A limited number of graduate teaching and research assistantships are also available. Typically,

only new program applicants meeting the priority deadline are eligible to apply. Graduate

assistants work for the School of Criminal Justice for 20 hours per week during the Fall and Spring

terms (no work is available during the summer), while completing their program of study full-

time. All graduate assistants (GAs) start their term as a graduate instructional assistant (GIA),

helping one or more faculty members with their classes. MSCJ-Res students employed as GRAs

will then be employed as a graduate research assistant (GRA) for one or two terms during their

second year.

Available vacancies will be advertised on the School’s website, and information about policies,

general requirements, pay, and conditions of employment is available from the Graduate College

website (https://www.gradcollege.txstate.edu/funding/assistantships.html).

Program Goals

The central educational goal of the MSCJ Research Concentration Thesis Option program at Texas

State University is to prepare students for PhD programs in criminology and criminal justice,

and/or for research-related careers in the criminal justice field. The aim is to master research

design, data collection, and data analysis skills, with an emphasis on criminal justice program

planning, implementation, and evaluation to ensure a meaningful contribution to this important

area of community and human services.

School of Criminal Justice Graduate Faculty

The School of Criminal Justice currently has 25 full-time faculty members, of whom 13 are full

professors, three are associate professors, six are assistant professors, and three are lecturers. Not

all faculty will teach on the MSCJ Research Concentration program, but you should familiarize

with them and their research interests (see Table 4) as they may be available to conduct an

independent study with you, which would count as one of your CJ electives. Independent Studies

in Criminal Justice (CJ 5360) is a three-credit hour course where you agree a program of study

with a member of faculty; this usually focuses on a topic not covered by the curriculum and

involves the faculty member working with the student on a one-to-one basis or perhaps with a

small group of students. You can only register for this course after you have approached the faculty

member with an informal proposal (about what you’d like to work on) and he/she has agreed to

conduct the independent studies with you.

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Table 4. Full-time faculty at the School of Criminal Justice.

Last name First name Position Highest degree Areas of interest / expertise

Arnio* Ashley Assistant professor Ph.D. Florida State

University

Communities and crime

Law and social control

Spatial data analysis

Blair* Pete Professor Ph.D. Michigan State

University

Active Shooter Events

Policing

Investigations

Bowman* Scott Associate professor Ph.D. Arizona State

University

Race/ethnicity, class and criminal justice

Juvenile justice

Qualitative research methods

Critical criminology

Implicit association testing (IAT) research

Chamlin* Mitch Professor Ph.D. SUNY – Albany Interrupted time series analysis

Macro-criminology

Elsass Jaymi Lecturer Ph.D. Texas State University Mass shootings

Fear of crime and moral panic

Media and crime

Juvenile delinquency

Felson* Marcus Professor Ph.D. University of Michigan Routine activities

Environmental criminology

Crime analysis

Hewitt Ashley Assistant professor Ph.D. Simon Fraser

University

Sexual violence

Environmental criminology

Criminal profiling

Offender decision-making

(*) Can chair research theses.

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Table 4 (cont.). Full-time faculty at the School of Criminal Justice.

Last name First name Position Highest degree Areas of interest / expertise

Jamieson* Jay D. Professor Ph.D. Sam Houston State

University

Comparative criminal justice and deviant behavior

Jones* Angela Assistant professor Ph.D. City University of New

York

Juror decision making

Expert testimony

Judicial instructions

Wrongful convictions

Procedural justice

Jones* Shayne Professor Ph.D. University of Kentucky Personality

Legal decision-making

Measurement

Mullins* Wayman Professor Ph.D. Univ of Arkansas Main

Campus

Crisis negotiation

Intelligence analysis

Terrorism

Perkins David Professor J.D. University of Texas at

Austin

Criminal court structures

Substantive criminal law

Criminal procedure

Practices, procedures and administration within

limited jurisdiction criminal courts

Roche Sean P. Assistant professor Ph.D. SUNY – Albany Perceptual deterrence

Public opinion on crime and justice issues

Survey research methods

Criminological theory

(*) Can chair research theses.

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Table 4 (cont.). Full-time faculty at the School of Criminal Justice.

Last name First name Position Highest degree Areas of interest / expertise

Rossmo* Kim Professor Ph.D. Simon Fraser

University

Criminal investigations

Policing

Geography of crime

Offender profiling

Sellers* Chris Professor Ph.D. University of Florida Criminological theories

Intimate partner violence

Gender and crime

Stafford* Mark Professor Ph.D. University of Arizona Criminological theory

Juvenile delinquency and juvenile justice

Quantitative methods

Stone* William Professor Ph.D. Sam Houston State

University

Criminal justice education

Corrections

School safety

Summers* Lucia Associate professor Ph.D. University College

London

Environmental criminology

Crime analysis

Geographic analysis

Offender interviewing

Offender decision-making

Supancic* Michael Assistant professor Ph.D. University of Texas at

Austin

Criminal justice education

Institutional policy development

Tillotson Stephen Lecturer Ph.D. Indiana University

Bloomington

Corrections

(*) Can chair research theses.

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Table 4 (cont.). Full-time faculty at the School of Criminal Justice.

Last name First name Position Highest degree Areas of interest / expertise

Vandiver* Donna Professor Ph.D. Sam Houston State

University

Sex crimes

Research methods

Risk factors for recidivism

Vásquez* Bob Associate professor Ph.D. SUNY – Albany Quantitative research methods

Statistical techniques involved in modeling causes

of crime

Criminological theory and in the unexamined

dimensions of peer influence

Vaughan Adam Assistant professor Ph.D. Simon Fraser

University

Policing

Health criminology

Mental health and substance use policy

Environmental criminology

Williams Howard Lecturer Ph.D. Texas State University Policing

Management of criminal justice organizations

Use of force, Taser

Withrow* Brian Professor Ph.D. Sam Houston State

University

Police systems and practices

Racial profiling

Police officer decision-making

Organizational behavior and development

(*) Can chair research theses.

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Full-time faculty at the School of Criminal Justice also serve as members in research thesis

committees, so once again it helps to be familiar with their areas of interest and expertise. As will

be explained later, you will need three faculty members in your thesis committee, and one of these

will be the chair of the committee. Not all faculty members at the School will be available to chair

research theses (please see Table 4; those with an asterisk after their name can chair).

Completing the MSCJ Research Concentration Thesis Option Program

When studying full-time, the MSCJ-RES program can be completed in as few as four continuous

terms, or 16 months. In graduate school, full-time study involves registering for nine credit hours

per term in the Fall and Spring terms, and six credit hours in the Summer term. With just 30 credit

hours to complete, therefore, it would be possible to start the program in Fall one year and graduate

in December of the following year (see Table 5) or to start the program in Spring one year and

graduate in May of the following year (see Table 6). However, completing a research thesis is

time-consuming and demanding, so only those students with outstanding time management and

dedication (and a willingness to start conducting thesis-related preliminary work and planning as

soon as they start the program) are advised to follow this route. More often, however, full-time

students on the MSCJ-RES program complete the program over 21 months if they start in Fall (see

Table 7) or two years if they start in Spring (see Table 8).

Table 5. Possible program plan for a full-time MSCJ-RES student starting in Fall 2019 (16

months).

Term Course Credit hours

Fall 2019 CJ 5315 Advanced Research Methods 3

CJ 5325 Statistics for Criminal Justice 3

One CJ elective 3

Spring 2020 CJ 5335 Advanced Criminological Theory 3

CJ 5380P Quantitative Data Analysis 3

One CJ elective 3

Summer 2020 CJ 5399A Thesis 3

Fall 2020 CJ 5310 Administration of Justice 3

CJ 5399B Thesis 3

One CJ elective 3

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Table 6. Possible program plan for a full-time MSCJ-RES student starting in Spring 2020 (16

months).

Term Course Credit hours

Spring 2020 CJ 5335 Advanced Criminological Theory 3

CJ 5380P Quantitative Data Analysis 3

One CJ elective 3

Summer 2020 CJ 5399A Thesis 3

Fall 2020 CJ 5310 Administration of Justice 3

CJ 5315 Advanced Research Methods 3

CJ 5325 Statistics for Criminal Justice 3

Spring 2021 CJ 5399B Thesis 3

One CJ elective 3

One CJ elective 3

Table 7. Possible program plan for a full-time MSCJ-RES student starting in Fall 2019, without

summer classes (21 months).

Term Course Credit hours

Fall 2019 CJ 5315 Advanced Research Methods 3

CJ 5325 Statistics for Criminal Justice 3

One CJ elective 3

Spring 2020 CJ 5335 Advanced Criminological Theory 3

CJ 5380P Quantitative Data Analysis 3

One CJ elective 3

Summer 2020 NO CLASSES

Fall 2020 CJ 5310 Administration of Justice 3

CJ 5399A Thesis 3

One CJ elective 3

Spring 2021 CJ 5399B Thesis 3

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Table 8. Possible program plan for a full-time MSCJ-RES student starting in Spring 2020, without

summer classes (2 years).

Term Course Credit hours

Spring 2020 CJ 5335 Advanced Criminological Theory 3

CJ 5380P Quantitative Data Analysis 3

One CJ elective 3

Summer 2020 NO CLASSES

Fall 2020 CJ 5310 Administration of Justice 3

CJ 5315 Advanced Research Methods 3

CJ 5325 Statistics for Criminal Justice 3

Spring 2021 CJ 5399A Thesis 3

One CJ elective 3

One CJ elective 3

Summer 2021 NO CLASSES

Fall 2021 CJ 5399B Thesis 3

Note how students first enroll in CJ 5399A Thesis, then CJ 5399B Thesis in a later term. It is

possible to take CJ 5399A and CJ 5399B concurrently, but this can be done only with the approval

of the Dean of the Graduate College, and it is highly unlikely that the student will receive approval

without an approved thesis proposal on file.

When studying part-time, students typically enroll for one or two courses in Fall/Spring and

sometimes also one course in Summer. The Summer term is only three months long, which means

Summer courses are completed in two thirds of the time of Fall/Spring courses and are, therefore,

more time consuming and intensive. For this reason, only full-time students (who do not have other

significant commitments, such as a full-time job) are advised to take two courses over the summer.

A part-time student taking two courses in the Fall/Spring terms and one course in the Summer

terms can complete their MSCJ Research Concentration program in two years.

It is extremely important that you work closely with your Graduate Advisor when planning

your program of study, and that you update her when things change (e.g., if you decide not

to register for a course after a plan was made for you to do so). This is because careful planning

will ensure you graduate when you intend you and that you have as many options as possible when

choosing elective courses.

22

Table 9. Possible program plan for a part-time MSCJ-RES student starting in Fall 2019, with

summer classes (2 years).

Term Course Credit hours

Fall 2019 CJ 5315 Advanced Research Methods 3

CJ 5325 Statistics for Criminal Justice 3

Spring 2020 CJ 5335 Advanced Criminological Theory 3

CJ 5380P Quantitative Data Analysis 3

Summer 2020 One CJ elective

Fall 2020 CJ 5310 Administration of Justice 3

One CJ elective 3

Spring 2021 CJ 5399A Thesis 3

One CJ elective 3

Summer 2020 CJ 5399B Thesis

As a general rule, core courses are offered once a year and elective courses once every two years.

For this reason, if you see an elective you’re interested in, you should register for it as it will likely

not be offered again during the course of your program. All students must register for their core

courses during their first year in the program, except for CJ 5310 Administration of Justice, which

Fall-intake students may complete during their second year. This allows students more choice

when it comes to your CJ electives, as just 2-3 CJ electives will be offered per Fall/Spring term

(and typically just one in Summer). Although changes sometimes need to be made (due to low

enrollment), we are working off the draft class schedule shown in Table 10, which you may want

to use to plan your program of study.

Your progress through the program can be tracked using the online degree audit, which you can

access through Texas State Self-Service. You are required to complete all program

requirements within six years from the date of your initial enrollment, regardless of whether

you are a full-time or a part-time student.

23

Table 10. Draft class schedule for the MSCJ Research Concentration program (Fall 2019 to Summer 2021).

MON TUE WED THURS

Fall

2019

3.30-4.50

PM

CJ 5315 Res Meth

[A. Jones] CJ 5380J Sex Offenders

[Vandiver]

CJ 5315 Res Meth

[A. Jones]

5.00-6.20

PM

CJ 5325 Statistics

[S. Jones]

CJ 5325 Statistics

[S. Jones]

6.30-9.20

PM

CJ 5310 Admin

[Stafford]

CJ 5322 Police

[Vaughan]

Spring

2020

5.00-6.20

PM CJ 5355 Intel [Mullins] CJ 5355 Intel [Mullins]

6.30-9.20

PM

CJ 5380A Ethics & CJS

[McKenna]

CJ 5380P Quant D An

[Vásquez] CJ 5335 Theory [Sellers]

CJ 5330 Management

[Williams]

Summer

2020

10 weeks

HYBRID TBC

24

Table 10 (cont.). Draft class schedule for the MSCJ Research Concentration program (Fall 2019 to Summer 2021).

MON TUE WED THURS

Fall

2020

2.00-3.20

PM

CJ 5321 Curr Legal Iss

[Perkins]

CJ 5321 Curr Legal Iss

[Perkins]

3.30-4.50

PM

CJ 5380I Race

[Arnio]

CJ 5315 Res Meth

[A. Jones]

CJ 5380I Race

[Arnio]

CJ 5315 Res Meth

[A. Jones]

5.00-6.20

PM

CJ 5325 Statistics

[S. Jones]

CJ 5325 Statistics

[S. Jones]

6.30-9.20

PM

CJ 5310 Admin

[Stafford]

Spring

2021

5.00-6.20

PM

CJ 5380R CJ Policy [S.

Jones]

CJ 5380R CJ Policy [S.

Jones]

6.30-9.20

PM

CJ 5380P Quant D

Analysis

[Vásquez]

CJ 5335 Theory

[Sellers]

CJ 5330

Management

[Williams]

CJ 5380Q

Qual Meth

[Tillotson]

Summer

2020

10 weeks

ONLINE

CJ 5350 Current Issues in CJ

[Bowman]

25

Completing the Research Thesis

A research thesis is a great undertaking, so you should start planning as early as possible,

preferably during your first term on the program. In fact, it would make sense to have an idea of

what research area(s) you would like to explore prior to applying to join the program, as your

statement of purpose should describe your intended research plans and, in line with this, the faculty

member(s) you think you would like to work with. Although the thesis requires you register for

just six credit hours (as a minimum), any preparatory work you undertake before registering will

be invaluable.

Thesis Deadlines

One of the reasons you should start working on your thesis early is that you will need to meet

specific thesis-related deadlines that are set for weeks before the end of the term. For example, if

you intend to graduate in May, you will need to defend your thesis by early April and submit the

final copy of your thesis by mid-April. It is helpful to plan backwards from these deadlines and to

allow extra time as research – just like many other work-related tasks – often takes longer than

anticipated. Recommended timelines for Fall and Spring intake students are presented in Table 11

and Table 12, respectively.

Table 11. Recommended timeline for completing thesis-related tasks (Fall intake).

Term Course

Fall 2019 Start literature search and identify thesis topic and possible chair

Agree research questions and methodology with thesis chair

Spring 2020 Draft proposal and refine with feedback from chair

March – Draft proposal to committee

April – Finalize proposal and obtain IRB clearance

Summer 2020 Write up thesis literature review and methodology sections

Data collection and analysis

Fall 2020 Data collection and analysis

Write up thesis results and discussion sections

Spring 2021 January – Full final draft to chair

February – Full final draft to committee

March – Thesis defense and final amendments

April – Submit thesis and paperwork to Graduate College

26

Table 12. Recommended timeline for completing thesis-related tasks (Spring intake).

Term Course

Spring 2020 Start literature search and identify thesis topic and possible chair

Agree research questions and methodology with thesis chair

Summer 2020 Draft proposal and refine with feedback from chair

Fall 2020 Continue working on proposal

October – Draft proposal to committee

November – Finalize proposal and obtain IRB clearance

Spring 2021 Write up thesis literature review and methodology sections

Data collection and analysis

Summer 2020 Data collection and analysis

Write up thesis results and discussion sections

Fall 2021 August – Full final draft to chair

September – Full final draft to committee

October – Thesis defense and final amendments

November – Submit thesis and paperwork to Graduate College

Step 1: Identifying the Research Questions and Thesis Chair

After you have explored and familiarized yourself with the evidence base in your area of interest,

you will hopefully be in a good position to formulate an appropriate research question and identify

a faculty member who might be able to supervise your thesis research. Please refer back to Table

4 on page 15 for the areas of expertise/interest of the faculty members at the School of Criminal

Justice. Once you find a potential chair, it would also be helpful to check their faculty profile to

familiarize yourself further with their research and recent publications.

Step 2: Putting Together your Thesis Committee

You and your thesis chair will discuss what other faculty members may be appropriate for your

committee. Your thesis chair must be a member of faculty at the School of Criminal Justice; in

contrast, you are allowed committee members from other departments/schools from Texas State

University.3 Overall, you need a minimum of three faculty in your thesis committee, namely one

chair and two committee members. You could, however, have additional committee members

3 Please note that, if you have a minor, one of your committee members must be from the school/department of your

minor.

27

(e.g., if you would like an experienced practitioner or academic expert external to Texas State

University to also advise you). Co-chairs are also allowable. All committee members must be

approved by the Graduate College as Graduate Faculty. The thesis committee is officially formed

when you submit your proposal and relevant documentation to the Graduate College (see next

section). After this, changes to the committee – including the chair – may be made using the Thesis

Chair/Committee Member Change Request Form.

Step 3: The Thesis Research Proposal

The next step is to prepare a thesis proposal with the guidance of your thesis committee. This

proposal states the problem you intend to address and the research methodology you plan to use.

The proposal should include a comprehensive discussion of the pertinent literature. Once your

thesis chair and the rest of the committee approve your proposal, a copy of the final proposal and

a completed Thesis Proposal Form are submitted to the Graduate College. The proposal form must

bear original signatures of the student, the student's committee members, the Graduate Advisor,

and the School Director.

It is your responsibility to see that the proposed research procedures do not violate laws or

university regulations. Any necessary permits and approvals must be secured prior to beginning

the proposed research project. If your research project involves human subjects, you and your

research advisor must understand university regulations governed by the Texas State Institutional

Review Board (IRB). This permit is also required for research using secondary data sets or

information collected for human beings as well. A request for exemption or an application must

be submitted and be approved by the Texas State IRB before a research project involving the use

of human subjects can begin (please refer to the IRB website for additional information).

It is anticipated that the research design may need to be slightly modified over the course of the

project. Revisions to the proposal are not necessary under such circumstances. However, if the

thesis chair judges that major changes in the research design are necessary, or if a new topic is

selected, the student must submit a new proposal.

Step 4: Carry Out and Write Up the Research

Once your proposal has been approved by your committee and the IRB, you are ready to go ahead

and carry out the research, under your chair’s supervision. Finalize the literature review and

methodology sections as soon as you can, so you spread out the writing. Work with your chair on

your thesis drafts and keep an eye on your timeline, so you don’t get too behind. At some point,

your chair will be satisfied your thesis draft is ready to be sent to the other committee members for

feedback and for an assessment as to whether the thesis is ready to be defended.

28

Step 5: Defend your Thesis

When everyone in your committee agrees your thesis is ready to be defended, you will liaise with

everyone in your committee to schedule a defense date. During this defense, you will give a brief

presentation with an overview of your thesis research, main findings and implications, and this

will be followed by questions from your committee and then, if applicable, the audience (all thesis

defenses at the School of Criminal Justice are public). After all questions have been asked, your

chair will ask you and the audience to leave the room, so the full committee can discuss your

performance and decide whether you passed. After a decision has been reached (and this usually

just takes about 5-15 minutes), you will be called back into the room to be told the outcome. If

successful, the Thesis Submission Approval Form will be signed and sent along to the Graduate

College. It is not unusual for this form to be signed at a later date, if the committee requests changes

to the thesis are made. The deadline for thesis submission is just one week after the defense

deadline, but you can defend earlier in the term to allow yourself more time to make any needed

changes and prepare your thesis document for submission to the Graduate College.

Step 6: Submit the Final Draft of your Thesis to the Graduate College

A final copy of your thesis, incorporating any feedback received by your committee during the

defense, must be submitted to the Graduate College via Vireo within the specified deadline. This

will then be checked and, if there are still issues with formatting, they will send you a list of

changes to be made. The Graduate College Guide to Preparing and Submitting a Thesis or

Dissertation will be invaluable in ensuring your thesis is formatted appropriately, and also contains

detailed information about the process briefly described in this handbook, additional resources,

and helpful checklists.

The Comprehensive Examination

All MSCJ students must complete a comprehensive examination to show they have mastered the

main concepts covered in the program. MSCJ Research Concentration students are given two lists

of concepts, one pertaining to the administration of justice and the other to research methods. There

are 50 concepts in each list, and you will be asked to explain five of those as part of your

comprehensive examination. The lists and assessment criteria will be made available to you on the

term when you take your comprehensive examination, and the examination will take place

immediately after your thesis defense. After passing the comprehensive examination, your thesis

committee will complete and sign the Master’s Comprehensive Examination Report Form, which

is then submitted to the Graduate College.

29

Graduating

Once all program requirements have been met, you will be eligible to graduate. Program

requirements will have been met once: 1) you have completed all five core courses, three CJ

electives, and at least six hours of thesis courses; 2) you have successfully defended your research

thesis and your thesis document has been approved by the Graduate College; and 3) you have

passed your comprehensive exam. There is one more thing to do before you can graduate, however:

you need to apply for graduation by the deadline specified each term. This deadline is usually set

for approximately two months before the end of the term. Even if you are not sure if you’ll be

able to graduate, you should apply. If you apply to graduate and end up not meeting the

requirements for graduation that term, nothing happens. If you don’t apply within the deadline,

you will NOT be allowed to graduate, even if all program requirements have been met. The

GradBulletin, which you will receive by email every Friday, will remind you about this and other

deadlines, so make sure you pay attention to this mailing!

Frequently Asked Questions

Applying for the Program

If I have been to another graduate school and have taken classes, can I transfer them in?

You can transfer up to six hours of graduate credit from an accredited institution if the grades

are B or higher. These can be used to replace elective courses, but not core courses. As part of

this process, you will need to submit both the official transcript(s) and course syllabus/syllabi

for the course(s) completed, and these will be reviewed by both the graduate advisor and the

Graduate College.

Can the GRE requirement be waived if I have already completed a master’s program in another

discipline?

No. All applicants need to include their GRE scores in their application. Once you sit the test,

your GRE scores will remain valid for five years.

I will sit the GRE before the application deadline but the results may not come in on time. Can my

application be considered and a decision made about my being admitted into the program before

the GRE scores arrive?

No. Incomplete applications cannot be formally reviewed by the admissions committee until

all required documentation is on file.

30

I’m interested in the MSCJ program, but I’d like a minor in another discipline. Can I use some/all

of my elective courses to satisfy the minor requirement?

No. If you want to add a minor to your MSCJ program, you will be required to complete the

minor credit hours (usually 6-9) in addition to the 30 credit hours required for your MSCJ

program.

Student Progress

Do I have to take courses every term or can I take a break?

Although most MSCJ students enroll continuously on Fall/Spring terms (many do not take

courses over the Summer), you can, if needed, take a break from enrollment during a given

Fall/Spring term. In such a case, it is advisable you complete a Leave of Absence Form. This

form is optional, but completing and submitting it to your graduate advisor and the Graduate

College will expedite your readmission the following term (see the Graduate College Leave of

Absence Policy for more information).

I understand I need to complete all program requirements within six years, but extenuating

circumstances (e.g., health issues) will prevent me from doing so. Can I apply for an extension?

Yes. If you are unable to complete all program requirements due to circumstances beyond our

control, you can ask your program advisor to rely this request to the Dean of the Graduate

College, Dr. Andrea Golato, for consideration. A detailed plan specifying how you will meet

all remaining program requirements and your planned graduation date will need to be provided.

Completing the Thesis

I am completing my thesis but I need more time to complete it than the two terms during which I

registered for CJ 5399A Thesis and CJ 5399B Thesis. Will this be a problem?

No. You need a minimum of six credit hours for your research thesis, but you can register for

more hours if needed. (Note you need to be registered for thesis hours during the term when

you defend.) The simplest way to do this is to register for CJ 5199B Thesis, which is a one-

credit-hour course (as indicated by the second digit in the course numeric code). If needed, you

can register for CJ 5199B on subsequent terms, until you are ready to defend your thesis.

Registration for CJ 5199A, just like anything else related to your thesis progress, should be

discussed and arranged with your thesis chair.

If you need additional thesis credit hours to count for your degree and thus be eligible for

financial aid, you will need to complete the online Financial Aid Course Justification for

Thesis/Dissertation Form.

31

I am a student on the MSCJ Research Concentration program, but I have changed my mind and

no longer want to complete a thesis. Is it possible for me to do a professional paper instead or to

switch MSCJ programs?

All students on the MSCJ Research Concentration program need to complete a research thesis

as a requirement for graduation. Unfortunately, there is no Non-thesis Option for this program,

and no allowable substitute for the thesis. You could, however, switch to the MSCJ Non-thesis

Option program, although you must remember this program requires 36 credit hours (instead

of the 30 required by the MSCJ Research Concentration program). For more information about

the MSCJ Non-thesis Option program, including graduation requirements, core courses, and

more, please see https://www.cj.txstate.edu/degrees-programs/graduate/mscj-nc.html. If you

decide to request to switch programs, you should consult the Graduate Advisor, as she will

have to authorize the change. You can then both complete the Change of Minor/Concentration

Form.