Administration of Justice
- Faculty
- Course Work
- Undergraduate Program
- Graduate Programs
Phone: 703-993-8315
Web: adj.gmu.edu
Faculty
Professors: Mastrofski (chair), Taxman
Research professors: Turner
Associate professors: Gallagher, Gould, Maguire, Wilson
Assistant professors: Agha, Johnson, Lum, Merola, Willis
Term instructor: Jones
Affiliate faculty: Uchida
Course Work
The Administration of Justice Department offers all course work designated ADJ and JLCP in the Course Descriptions chapter of this catalog.
Undergraduate Program
Administration of Justice, BS
This program provides a sound foundation in the liberal arts and a focused study of the justice system and social, human, and moral problems raised in the administration of justice. The course of study prepares students for careers in law enforcement, corrections, the courts, investigations, juvenile justice, private and homeland security, and related social and human services. The program also provides a strong background for law school and graduate study in criminal justice or law and society.
Students may use up to 18 credits of approved ADJ courses taken at Northern Virginia Community College (NVCC) or another Virginia community college to fulfill the requirements detailed below. Once a student matriculates at Mason, no courses may be taken at another institution without prior written approval from the program and the dean.
In addition to satisfying the university and college general education requirements, students must complete the following 67 credits with a minimum GPA of 2.00.
- 16 credits of core courses: ADJ 100, 300, 303, 306, 424
- 36 credits of approved electives chosen from the following, including at least 24 credits of ADJ courses: ADJ 301, 302, 304, 305, 307, 308, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 405, 406, 407, 408, 409, 422, 423, 425, 460, 461, 462, 471, 475, 490, 491, 492, 499; GOVT 101, 103, 320, 420, 421, 452; PHIL 151, 311, 326; PSYC 100, 211, 231, 314, 325, 326; SOCI 101, 301, 308, 310, 315, 352, 401, 475; SOCW 400, 410, 423, 430; CONF 300, 302, 320, 330, 393
- 15 credits of skills for the justice professional chosen from the following: ADJ 479/480; foreign language courses that develop or require foreign language skills and are taught in the language; GEOG 311; GOVT 305, 309, 351, 355, 356, 357, 359, 364, 366, 376, 400, 416, 459, 464; PSYC 260; SOCI 405, 410; STAT 362, 455, 463, 474; SOCW 200, 301, 323, 324, 351, 352, 425, 430; any CS course; any IT course
ADJ majors have the option of obtaining a concentration by completing 15 of their 36 elective credits within one of the following areas.
Concentration in criminal justice: 15 credits chosen from ADJ 302, 304, 305, 307, 400, 401, 402, 403, 404, 408, 409, 425, 471
Concentration in law and society: 15 credits chosen from ADJ 301, 308, 405, 406, 407, 408, 422, 423, 460
Credits earned in ADJ 490, 491, 492, and 499, when relevant, may be applied to a concentration with prior written approval of the director of the BS in Administration of Justice Program.
Writing-Intensive Requirement
The university requires all students to complete at least one course designated "writing intensive" in their majors at the 300 level or above. Students majoring in administration of justice fulfill this requirement by successfully completing ADJ 303. Students should complete ENGL 302 before taking the writing-intensive course in the major or take the two courses simultaneously.
Honors Program
Qualified students may pursue advanced work leading to graduation with honors. Those highly qualified students selected for the honors program participate in a two-course sequence, ADJ 491 and 492. To graduate with honors in ADJ, students must complete these courses with a minimum GPA of 3.50.
Minor in Administration of Justice
This minor develops knowledge of the principles, institutions, and practices for systems of administering justice. It provides a solid foundation for students seeking to supplement their major area of study, develop knowledge and skills needed for justice-related occupations, or lay the foundation for possible graduate study in the justice field. Students first obtain an overview of the justice system, learn legal or ethical standards by which to judge the behavior of justice practitioners, and then develop advanced knowledge of selected features of the justice system.
To receive this minor, students must complete 18 credits distributed as follows:
- ADJ 100 (3 credits)
- ADJ 306 or 424 (3 credits)
- 12 credits of upper-level ADJ courses (excluding ADJ 479 and ADJ 480)
Students should plan their course of study with an administration of justice faculty advisor who will be assigned by the program. The minor must be approved by the administration of justice program before graduation. At least 9 credits must be completed at Mason. For policies governing all minors, see the Academic Policies chapter of this catalog.
Graduate Programs
Justice, Law, and Crime Policy, MA
The master's degree in justice, law, and crime policy (JLCP) prepares graduate students for doctoral study or employment in academia or relevant policy or practitioner communities.
The program draws from a multidisciplinary faculty in the Administration of Justice Program for required core courses and electives. It also makes available a wide range of other electives from many different university programs, including those in computational social science, conflict analysis and resolution, economics, government, law, philosophy, psychology, public administration, sociology, and statistics.
The program takes advantage of the university's proximity to many justice organizations at the federal, state, and local levels in the capital region. The curriculum is structured to give students the skills to do policy-relevant research and work with justice and security agencies in the region to exercise those skills and serve the needs of those agencies.
Admission Requirements
Applications are accepted for fall semester only. See the Application for Graduate Study for admissions deadlines. Late applications will be considered on a space-available basis. There is no required background or preferred experience, but students should demonstrate interest in and aptitude for graduate study in justice, law, and crime policy. In addition to meeting all requirements for graduate study, applicants should submit three letters of recommendation from faculty members or individuals with first-hand knowledge of academic or professional capabilities; a statement of purpose of study no longer than 500 words; official verbal, quantitative, and analytical GRE scores on tests taken within five years of application submission; and a writing sample of a recent sole-authored work of at least 2,500 words. An interview may be required.
Satisfactory Progress
Each new student is assigned a faculty advisor who helps develop a program of study. The advisor and JLCP faculty assess the progress of all students annually. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress may be terminated from the program.
Degree Requirements
Students must complete 30 credits distributed as follows.
- 12 credits of core courses in three fields:
Justice and law: JLCP 700, 720
Justice organizations, administration, and leadership: JLCP 740
Crime and security: JLCP 760 - 9 credits of analytic methods: JLCP 780; STAT 554, 656 or JLCP 780, STAT 510 and SOCI 630
- 3-6 credits of electives in one or more fields of specialization
- 3-6 credits of thesis: JLCP 799
A maximum of 6 credits of thesis may be applied to the degree. The master's thesis must be defended orally before a committee of three faculty appointed by the JLCP graduate coordinator.
A list of possible electives by field is given under the doctoral degree requirements below.
Students may request a maximum of 12 transfer credits for prior graduate course work in a relevant area, subject to approval by the graduate coordinator and dean and in accordance with university policies.
Justice, Law, and Crime Policy, PhD
The goal of this program is to provide a rigorous course of study that will prepare students to do research, teach, develop and test policies, and administer agencies and programs designed to administer law, deliver justice, reduce crime, and enhance domestic security.
The program draws from a multidisciplinary faculty in the Administration of Justice Program for required core courses and electives. It also makes available a wide range of other electives from many different university programs, including those in computational social science, conflict analysis and resolution, economics, government, law, philosophy, psychology, public administration, sociology, and statistics.
The program takes advantage of the university's proximity to many justice organizations at the federal, state, and local levels in the capital region. The curriculum is structured to give students the skills to do policy-relevant research and work with justice and security agencies in the region to exercise those skills and serve the needs of those agencies.
Admission Requirements
Applications will be accepted for the fall semester only. See the Application for Graduate Study for admissions deadlines. Late applications will be considered on a space-available basis. Students should have a master's degree in a relevant discipline, or they will be required to complete the JLCP master's degree as an integral part of the doctorate. There is no required background or preferred experience, but students should demonstrate interest in and aptitude for graduate study in justice, law, and crime policy.
In addition to meeting all requirements for graduate study, applicants should submit three letters of recommendation from faculty members or individuals who have first-hand knowledge of the applicant's academic or professional capabilities; a statement of purpose of study no longer than 500 words; official verbal, quantitative, and analytical GRE scores on tests taken within five years of application submission; and a writing sample of a recent sole-authored work of at least 2,500 words. An interview may be required.
Financial Assistance
The program offers financial assistance on a competitive basis through graduate assistantships and fellowships. Students on financial assistance must show satisfactory progress in the degree program.
Credit for Prior Graduate Work
Students entering the doctoral program with a master's degree in a related discipline may request that the required credits for the doctoral degree be reduced by a maximum of 24 credits with approval of the program coordinator and dean and in accordance with university policy. Students who have prior graduate course work that has not been applied to another degree may request to have a maximum of 12 of these graduate credits transferred to their JLCP degree program, with approval of the program coordinator and dean and in accordance with university policy.
Satisfactory Progress
Each new student is assigned an advisor who helps develop a program of study. The program of study must be submitted by the end of the first year. On advancing to candidacy, the chair of the dissertation committee becomes the advisor. The advisor and JLCP faculty assess the progress of all students annually. Students who fail to make satisfactory progress may be terminated from the program or dismissed from the university.
Degree Requirements
Students must successfully complete 48-60 credits of course work, pass two qualifying exams, and complete a dissertation proposal (3-6 credits), after which the student is advanced to candidacy for the doctorate in JLCP. The final requirement is a dissertation (9-21 credits) of original research representing a significant contribution to the field, which should be publishable in a referred journal or a quality press.
The 72 required credits are distributed as follows.
- 12 credits of core courses in three fields:
Justice and law: JLCP 700, 720
Justice organizations, administration, and leadership: JLCP 740
Crime and security: JLCP 760 - 12 credits of analytic methods: JLCP 780; STAT 554, 656; and one elective chosen from list below, or JLCP 780, STAT 510 and SOCI 630, and one elective chosen from the list below
- 18 credits of electives in two substantive fields of study (9 credits per field) chosen from list below
- At least 3 credits of an elective relevant to JLCP
- 3-6 credits of dissertation proposal JLCP 998
- 12-21 credits of dissertation JLCP 999
A maximum of 6 credits of 998 may be applied to the degree. A maximum of 24 credits of 998 and 999 may be applied to the degree. The dissertation must be successfully defended in public in accordance with university policy.
Qualifying Exams
Students must pass written qualifying exams in two core substantive fields of the student's choosing, selected from the three fields below. Students may take a single qualifying exam at each sitting. All three qualifying exams will be offered at each sitting.
Questions from the two fields may be administered at one time or serially, depending on the preference of the committee. Students are not eligible to take the comprehensive exams until they have successfully completed required course work as well as course work in the area in which they intend to sit for the qualifying exam. Students earning the master's in JLPC must have completed the master's thesis (799).
Students have one opportunity to retake a failed exam. Students who receive a grade of pass or below on part of the written qualifying exam are required to offer an oral defense of the answers graded by readers of both parts of the written exam.
Dissertation Committee
The student's committee is composed of at least three faculty members and a chair, at least two of whom must be full-time JLCP faculty and one, a member of the graduate faculty outside JLCP. The chair must be a full-time JLCP faculty member.
Substantive Fields of Study
The curriculum covers three substantive fields of study, as well as analytic methods. Elective courses in each of these areas of study are listed below.
Justice and Law
Justice-related electives: JLCP 702, 703; GOVT 520, 725, 631; SOCI 611, 612, 619, 640; CONF 501, 701, 720, 721, 723, 724, 726, 747, 802, 803; PHIL 656; ECON 611, 852, 854
Law-related electives: JLCP 721, 722, 723, 730; SOCI 503; PHIL 611; CONF 733; ECON 895 (when topic is law and economics); selected LAW courses*
* Successful completion of JLCP 720 and 721 is a prerequisite for enrollment in LAW courses, which also requires preapproval from the JLCP coordinator, law school instructor, and associate dean for student academic affairs of the Law School.
Justice Organizations, Administration, and Leadership
JLCP 741, 742, 743, 749, 509, 510, 691; PUAD 502, 620, 621, 622, 640, 661, 671, 680, 700, 727, 781; CONF 731, 741, 742, 743; PSYC 532, 631, 639; SOCI 505, 523, 525, 692
Crime and Security
JLCP 761; SOCI 607; GOVT 745; PUAD 640, 644, 741; CONF 734; PSYC 616, 617
Analytical Methods
JLCP 781; SOCI 631, 632, 634; STAT 574, 674, 658, 662, 665, 673; PSYC 633, 640; PUAD 643; CSS 600, 610
Students may use other courses offered by JLCP or other programs as elective credit for a substantive field with prior written approval of the student's advisor, coordinator of the JLCP program, and sponsoring program.