Tag: criminal justice

UofL’s Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Ranked in the Top Ten in the US

UofL’s Online Master’s in Criminal Justice Ranked in the Top Ten in the US

Outstanding faculty, student services, and high levels of student engagement are just a few of the reasons US News & World Report ranked UofL’s online Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) ninth in the nation in its listing of the 2016 Best Online Graduate Criminal Justice Programs. More than 50 regionally accredited online criminal justice programs were evaluated for the 2016 report. The University of Louisville program improved its ranking from 13th in the nation in 2015 to 9th in 2016.

The US News & World Report rankings are based on a survey of academics at peer institutions and each school’s score reflects its average rating on a scale from 1 (marginal) to 5 (outstanding). Programs are ranked based upon faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, student engagement, and admissions selectivity. The MSCJ online program received its highest scores in faculty credentials and training, student services and technology, and student engagement.

The online master’s in criminal justice is designed for law enforcement, investigation, security and corrections professionals who are interested in pursuing positions of leadership within the justice system. The program has developed educational partnerships, that provide additional financial support to qualifying students, with the National Sheriffs’ Association, Kentucky State Police, Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police, Metro Louisville first responders and the Southern Police Institute.

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The degree curriculum addresses the criminal justice system, theories of crime and delinquency, legal issues in criminal justice, advanced statistics and research methods as well as a number of specialized electives such as capital punishment, justice policy, and justice in the media. UofL’s MSCJ program can be completed in two years.

The value that faculty brings to the classroom goes beyond their expertise in the field, reputation in the industry and extensive networking opportunities they facilitate for their students. “The faculty at the University of Louisville are so completely dedicated to the success of their students,” said MSCJ Online graduate Virginia Braden. “They are remarkable in their personal attention to the students and though I had all online classes, I was able to develop and maintain relationships with them that have served me so well throughout the years – all without ever stepping foot in a brick and mortar classroom.”

Through faculty involvement in community service and professional organizations, the Criminal Justice Department at UofL has developed a strong network of organizations and entities including Metro Louisville Government, Family & Children First, American Correctional Association, National Consortium for White Collar Crime Research, and the American Bar Association, among many others.

To learn more about the online criminal justice graduate program, visit the MSCJ website.

 

Social Networking and Cybercrime: New Book Examines It All

Social Networking and Cybercrime: New Book Examines It All

Is social media keeping youSocial Networking as a Criminal Enterprise up at night? Is it your role to be on the look out for criminals on Facebook or Instagram? What is the proper course of action for folks who are caught doing something illegal on those sites?

Law enforcing authorities assigned to monitoring cybercrime issues must be able to engage in the best and most effective practices and resources to alleviate the intrusions into virtual space and invasion of privacy or abuse of social interaction platforms and the Internet in general.

“As social networking continues to evolve and expand, the opportunities for deviant and criminal behavior have multiplied.” That is the premise behind Social Networking as a Criminal Enterprise, a book published earlier this year and edited by Dr. George Higgins, a professor in the Department of Justice Administration at the University of Louisville (UofL) and Dr. Catherine Marcum of Appalachian State University.

The book compiles contributions from experts in the growing field of cybercriminality (including chapters co-written by the two editors). Here, Higgins and Marcum explore how new avenues for social networking criminality have affected our criminal justice system.

The text includes case studies that place the material of study in the context of real-world application and offers discussion questions at the end of each chapter to encourage critical thinking for specific scenarios. Ideal for students and scholars, the book offers a comprehensive examination of how the emergence of social networking has affected criminality on the Internet, and the resulting impact on the criminal justice system.

Naturally, with the advancements of technology, social interaction and communication, there are now new types of crimes that didn’t exist even a decade ago, but it’s how the criminal justice and corrections system is handling these offenders that Higgins and Marcum pay special attention to throughout their work. In fact, the book concludes with a discourse on law enforcement’s response to cybercrime, including new techniques and training relating to identifying the offense and offenders, type of evidence required, and use of experts and best practices in bringing offenders to justice. It all revolves around how the corrections system is handling cybercriminals.

As for students, many can experience learning from the master when taking Higgins’ courses at UofL, where he’s recently taught classes in the Justice Administration department on Race and Gender Issues in Criminal Justice and Advanced Statistical Computer Applications for Criminal Justice. This coming spring, Dr. Higgins will also be teaching a Research Methods online class which examines the application of quantitative and qualitative analyses in criminal justice research.

To learn more about the 100% online Master of Science in Justice Administration program, or to apply and enroll to the criminal justice degrees offered online at the University of Louisville, please visit our program page at Louisville.edu/online.