Reader emails: Radek, what are the best criminal justice schools in New York?

New York has some of the best colleges and universities in the US, and it definitely has its share of best criminal justice schools in America. Even though these schools are representing the State of New York, you will be pleased to know there is a treat for those looking for the best criminal justice school in New York City, too.

Best Criminal Justice Schools in New York

• John Jay College of Criminal Justice (CUNY)
• University of Albany (SUNY)

It can be debated that NYC has the best criminal justice college on the planet: John Jay College of Criminal Justice, part of the City University of New York (CUNY) system of schools. But, don’t forget one of the strongest criminal justice schools in the country: University of Albany, part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system.

Both John Jay College of Criminal Justice and SUNY Albany rank consistently well in publications such as US News & World Report.

Just so you know, these New York schools are well regarded in academia and the work force.

Share your opinions about the top criminal justice schools in New York. See how I picked these top schools at the Best Criminal Justice Schools and Colleges page.

Radek, what are the best criminal justice schools in Pennsylvania?

Besides the top criminal justice schools, Pennsylvania has some of the best colleges and universities in the country. It was quite easy to find the top criminal justice colleges and universities in PA, so check them out.

Best Criminal Justice Schools in PA

• Pennsylvania State University
• Temple University
• University of Pennsylvania
• Villanova University

All four schools are well regarded and share top ranks and accolades in many national and international publications.

Penn State, Temple University and University of PA are ranked as some of the best criminal justice / criminology schools in the US. Oh… and University of Pennsylvania is an Ivy League School — just like Harvard, Yale, Brown, Cornell, Columbia, Dartmouth, and Princeton).

Share your opinions about the top criminal justice schools in Pennsylvania. If you want to see how I picked these top schools please go back to Best Criminal Justice Schools and Colleges page.

Reader emails and comments: Radek, what about best criminal justice schools in Texas?

I guess it’s time to start messing with Texas…

Texas has some of the best schools in America, and it certainly has a share of best Criminal Justice schools in the United States. Texas, being as big as it is, has quite a few higher learning institutions, but only a few of the schools can make the list of being the best in TX.

Best Criminal Justice Schools in Texas

• Sam Houston State University
• Texas State University (San Marcos)
• University of Texas (Arlington)

Sam Houston State University was ranked by US News & World Report and boasts one of the best criminology programs in the country.

I also heard that University of Texas (Austin), University of North Texas, and Texas A&M University (College Station) may be worth a look at, too — the last three schools may not have a direct Criminal Justice or Criminology program, but may have great programs that are related, like: Homeland Security, Sociology, Emergency Management, and Public Administration.

The Texas schools listed are well regarded in academia and the work force.

Share your opinions about the top criminal justice schools in Texas. If you want to see how I picked these top schools please go back to Best Criminal Justice Schools and Colleges page.

University of California, Irvine is offering an online Master’s degree in Criminology, Law and Society.

I received the news recently from Adrianna Lopez, Assistant Director of the MAS Program at UC’s Irvine Campus.

I was pleasantly surprised, but perplexed why I haven’t found out sooner. Haven’t you heard? UC Irvine’s Criminology Program ranks as one of the best in the nation and has made my Best Criminal Justice Schools in California list.

About The Criminology Program at UCI

Despite the differences between Criminology and Criminal Justice, the program offers a healthy serving of theory and application in both disciplines, and then some.

Courses:

• Introduction to Criminology, Law and Society (One-week class on the UC Irvine campus)
• Legal Institutions and Society
• Police, Courts and Corrections
• Crime and Social Deviance
• Applied Statistics
• Research Methods
• Public Policy, Crime and Criminal Justice
• Organizational Perspectives on the Legal System
• Leadership
• Social Problems, Law and Policy
• Hate Crimes
• White-Collar Crime
• Sentencing and Corrections

Notice: that the first course requires you to come to the UC Irvine campus. Consider this a golden opportunity to meet your peers, professors, and have a feel for what the school is about. Then, you’ll have 99% of your time to study in your pajamas, if you choose to, of course.

Thirteen courses later, you’ll be able to attend the commencement ceremony at the UC Campus, if you want to. Oh, and you’ll have Summers off, too!

The Master’s degree in CLS is designed for working professionals seeking an advanced degree while continuing their full-time jobs.

Tuition

For $10,836 per year, or a total of $21,672 for this 2-year program you’ll be getting a Master’s of Advanced Study (MAS) in Criminology, Law and Society. I think the price for a program of this caliber is more than fair.

In case you’re wondering, the diploma and any transcripts will be the same as the on-campus students get. All you have to worry about is graduating.

Did you know the prestigious Criminology degree program at UC Irvine is, and has been, an online degree program for the past 8 years? I sure didn’t!


That means that UCI doesn’t have an on-campus clone and it has been consistently ranked as one of the best graduate programs in Criminology by US News & World Report, a very respected college ranking guide.

How Do You Benefit?

• Increase your competitive edge for advancement into managerial or supervisory positions.
• Interact with internationally recognized faculty known for their expertise and applied research in CLS.
• Earn a prestigious degree from a top-ranked research university and a nationally ranked department.
• Save time with online learning designed to fit your busy schedule.

*straight from the UCI Criminology, Law and Society MAS Program brochure

How to get in?

Simple, shell out the $70 for the application fee and apply… OK, maybe it’s not that easy.

First you’ll need to have your GRE scores ready. Adrianna informed me there’s no waiver, but don’t worry, the scores are not the only factor considered. Here’s what you need:

• Yes, get your Graduate Record Exam out of the way
• GPA of 3.0 or above
• Experience in the field or similar fields, or at least true intent
• Your letters of recommendation and the personal statement may help you if you aren’t on par with any of the last three items
• For more requirements, see the program website or request a brochure

Program & Contact Info

Official Program page: http://clsmas.soceco.uci.edu/
You can also contact Adrianna directly:
email: masinfo@uci.edu
phone: 949-824-5462

If you’re truly interested in the Criminology program from University of California (Irvine), make sure to request a brochure that explains everything you need to know about the program in more detail. However, I wouldn’t wait too long, as the first class starts in September.

Students are admitted only once a year.

Prepare for career advancement into top leadership positions in the criminal justice, legal, and social service systems

And.. Criminal Justice Degree, College, and Career Blog gets a warm welcome on the “20 Blogs Criminal Justice Students Will Love” at spot #1. It’s an honor to be on Rasmussen College’s list featuring some of the best criminal justice blogs.

Please check out their informative post and see other great criminal justice resources.

Thank you Rasmussen College. The list looks terrific.

Email from some of my blog readers: Hi Radek, what are the best criminal justice schools in Arizona?

To those thinking about attending college in Arizona, it should come as no surprise that AZ has truly wonderful universities. Arizona has schools that are ranked as some of the best in the country in many disciplines, and that includes one that ranks tremendously well for Criminal Justice and Criminology related programs.

best criminal justice schools in Arizona

• Arizona State University (ASU)
• Northern Arizona University (NAU)
• University of Arizona (UA)

Arizona State University was rated as one of the best Criminology schools on USNews.com – US News & World Report.

All of these Arizona schools are highly regarded in academia and the work force.

Please submit your feedback about the top criminal justice schools in Arizona. If you would like to see how I picked these top schools please go back to Best Criminal Justice Schools and Colleges page.

What are the top criminal justice schools in America? It’s a question I get in my mailbox at least once a week. The truth is, it’s not University of Phoenix, Everest College, or Westwood College as you probably found other sites claiming a list of “10 Best Criminal Justice Schools” to be. Come on! Here’s the real deal.

In my opinion, some of the best criminal justice colleges in the US include:

• CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Michigan State University
• Northeastern University
• Pennsylvania State University at University Park
• University of Albany (SUNY)
• University of California at Irvine
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Maryland at College Park Campus

These are just my recommendations, and rightfully so, as USNews.com has it’s own list of Top Criminal Justice Schools in America. Many of the schools I had in mind they listed, too.

Best Criminal Justice Schools in America for 2012

• American University
• Arizona State University
• CUNY John Jay College of Criminal Justice
• Florida State University
• George Mason University
• Indiana University
• Michigan State University
• Northeastern University
• Pennsylvania State University (University Park)
• Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey (Newark campus)
• Temple University
• Sam Houston State University
• Washington State University
• University of Albany – SUNY
• University of California (Irvine campus)
• University of Cincinnati
• University of Delaware
• University of Florida
• University of Illinois (Chicago campus)
• University of Maryland (College Park campus)
• University of Missouri (St. Louis campus)
• University of Nebraska (Omaha campus)
• University of Pennsylvania (Ivy League School)

sources: US News and Criminal Justice Degree, College, and Career Blog

This is a list of the Top Criminal Justice Schools in America without the fluff.

More than half of these best Criminal Justice universities have online Criminal Justice degree programs – a great alternative to on-campus education.

No matter what you’ve heard before, be aware that the name of the school and/or program ranking matters; it can make a big difference between being accepted for a career position or getting promoted. We, as society, have preconceived notions, expectations for high standards, and the understanding of what’s real and what’s not – the people and organizations that will be hiring you or looking over your grad school application will look at the program and the school your graduated from.

And one more thing… your college grades and GPA matter, especially when applying for highly sought after career positions, and of course, graduate study. Just thought you should know.

Wait… When picking schools that have multiple locations be aware that a program from one campus location – for example – may be OR may not be better than the program from the other campuses. Take University of California (a.k.a. UC). This educational system has quite a few university campuses, but UC Irvine reigns supreme in Criminal Justice/Criminology over UC Davis (example).

Even if you can’t get into a great college or university, which doesn’t hurt to apply, remember that when researching your criminal justice schools make sure to take the accreditation, tuition, and time investment into consideration. Now, go share this great resource with someone! Thanks for reading.

Do you think there are criminal justice schools that should make the list, but didn’t? Share them with us and tell us why your picks should belong among the best criminal justice schools in the United States.

Email from many many readers: Hey Radek, I think it goes without saying, what are the best criminal justice schools in California? Quit holding out on us.

I’m not holding out. Really, I’m not.

You would think that California has the best Criminal Justice schools in the United States, but the truth is not that clear cut. California has one of the biggest university networks in the world, but only a handful of criminal justice schools can qualify as the top victor in the degree program arena. Yes, it’s true. Despite its large size and many colleges and universities, California lacks in the best Criminal Justice colleges department.

Before you see the list, you should know that the University of California (UC) system has many great academic institutions, as does the California State University (CSU) system. Most will argue that UC schools reign supreme. For the most part, I agree. Seeking criminal justice degree options at any UC or CSU universities is a great start.

Enough chit-chat. Here’s the list.

best criminal justice schools in California

• University of California – Irvine
• University of California – Davis
• San Jose State University

UC Irvine was rated #5 on usnews.com – US News & World Report – for Criminology related programs. I’ve asked around, scoured the Web, and even made a few phone calls to some of my academic contacts to verify as much information as I could. I was truly surprised that there aren’t too many more California schools that can take the title of “Best.”

All of these CA schools are highly regarded in academia and the work force.

Please share your opinions or expert knowledge about the top criminal justice schools in California. If you want to see how I picked these top schools please go back to Best Criminal Justice Schools and Colleges page.

I recently had a great e-mail conversation with one of my blog readers and I thought this can be helpful for some of you. Just remember, it is a personal e-mail so nothing is scripted. Take it for what it’s worth. Hope it helps some of you.

The Story – The Questions

Hey Radek, I left a couple comments on the blog, but I wanted to say hi and shoot you an email — I’m in a graduate program for Criminal Justice right now at SUNY Albany, and I’m thinking about applying for a PhD (but I have a lot of interests so I’m not sure what my focus would be at all whatsoever!) but I was just wondering if you had encountered doctorate types in the field or knew much about where they fit in?

I’m not really interested in academia yet at my age (and generally it seems like universities and CCs [Community Colleges] prefer people with both credentials AND CJ system experience), I figure I’d be in my mid-late 20s by the time I finish a doctorate, but I would like to work for either my state or the national government in investigation or analysis, is there a danger of over-qualification though? Would it be overburdening myself to get a doctorate instead of just applying away with a master’s degree? I really sorely lack experience, all I have under my belt is a year of non-profit work and a year as an intern/glorified clerk at the local attorney general’s office so I don’t really feel confident that I could get a position at this point.

Anyways, though, thanks for maintaining the blog, I really enjoy checking it out and it was a big confidence boost for me to read your posts about jobs with the alphabet soup of Fed. agencies that like CJ grads!

- Mystery Reader

The Response

Consider yourself a blessed entity in the criminal justice realm. SUNY Albany is one of the best. Kudos!

I understand your questions and confusion that is related to picking out the best PhD program for you. It is the contention that you would go into Criminology after your Master’s. Unfortunately there is no cornucopia of PhD kinds to choose from. One piece of advice is to look for PhD programs that are NOT within the criminal justice direct line of sight (aka PhD in Criminal Justice, Justice Administration, and Criminology).

For example, I am very interested in the studies that are related to terrorism. I love the Criminal Justice and Criminology side of terrorism related issues, but I found that to get my proper fix of healthy education and terrorism information I had to look into the field of Political Science with an emphasis on International Security (check out MIT’s program to see more). Or, search “Australia” on my blog – one of the best transnational crime programs is in AU.

Very often a PhD degree will suffice with higher learning institutions (experience won’t hurt). Academia may be an option, if you would like.

I know that there’s always a risk of over-qualification, but that’s usually on an individual level, not an organizational one. Thus, if you get passed up based on your Doctorate credentials, it is usually the judgment of one, or a few, individuals who are mostly worried about their careers and you passing them by.

Another issue that may present itself is budget. It is not uncommon to hire Master level grads over PhDs, based on salary offers. However, yet again, a professional organization will always offer the position to a PhD grad with the lower salary clause. Most municipalities and government agencies are looking for more qualified individuals, and even if you had to take a pay cut in the beginning, your status as a doctoral grad will propel you further, and surely, will increase your bottom line over time.

Experience is something you are gaining by sitting in on those seminars, and even though you don’t have the proverbial “street cred” you will get it with time. Most government agencies will hire a demonstrated and professional Master level grad. Considering that you’re looking into the government sector, you should have no problem – despite your concerns.

I am sitting on the fence right now, because I would like to get into your school (LOL), Penn State, or MIT (I have a few more I like). My take on it – a PhD by your mid or late 20′s is great, and if you have the will, you should go for it.

Thank you for the kind words and your input.

- Radek

The Response To The Response

Hey, thanks for getting back to me!

That’s a lot of food for thought, I really appreciate your reflections on this for sure!

Interestingly what you said about not getting the direct line-of-sight programs in the criminal justice field in specific interest areas like studying terrorism from the perspective of CJ orgs like Interpol actually kind of reassures me that getting the PhD in Criminal Justice MIGHT actually be appropriate for me… I don’t have any interest in sociology approaches (Criminology, or well except for comparative because it’s really cool to read about the way things are done in Japan and other countries of course…), but Criminal Justice — the system, institutions, and the players — are all very interesting to me.

One nice thing in Albany’s program too might be that I could take the IT concentration to show the “credentials” in GIS, SPSS, and all that sort of buzz-word kinda tech stuff employers like to know about! And I actually wouldn’t mind teaching as much as I mentioned earlier, it would be something I’d prefer doing after some professional experience, but if life thrusts me towards that I wouldn’t complain at all.

You know and it’s funny because — as far as I’m aware — I’m the only person in the program who comes from a humanities background rather than a social science or bio/hard science background, so I feel like a little bit of an anomaly (but in a good way) in the program and feel like I bring and take away completely different things to/from the program as a result. I guess an example would be my more crafted presentation of research, pushing for emotional as well as logical appeals for academic arguments.

And I mean like I said, my interests are pretty wide and I don’t seem to have any specific thing I can point to and say “aha!” I have interest in crime analysis and strategy planning, law enforcement intelligence, white collar crime (it seems like that’s more of a law school thing though?), historical research, field observation (did it once in an adjudication system class — observing court and the like, had a blast doing it), survey design maybe (though I haven’t tried it), legal research, using technology/crime mapping/stat analysis… I honestly haven’t taken a single course in this program that didn’t completely engage me, and that’s really saying something since I was an English major and loved reading and writing, yet hated 70% of my courses as an undergrad!

That’s great to hear you’re looking into the PhD thing too, I really like going to Albany (I didn’t like it at first, but it was a big under-renovation mess and I had a crazy ex-gf trying to kill me on the uptown campus) but it’s grown on me. Albany, NY has got a lot of government agencies to work/intern with, and is a close hop away from NYC and Boston, so it’s also a great place for opportunities, like the internship I had. MIT would be great though since it has your specific interest there, plus Boston is like the nicest city in the east by far if you ask me…

But really, thanks for your response. I feel a lot more encouraged now and I think applying to this thing might be for real even this very week!

- Mystery Reader

Duquesne University is offering an online Bachelors in Criminal Justice degree. This Spiritan academic institution has a Tier 1 ranking amongst the best colleges and universities in the nation. It’s a University of honor and tradition that offers robust criminal justice courses for an accelerated Bachelor’s degree program in the School of Leadership.

Take care to remember that Duquesne University is regionally accredited by the the Middle States Commission on Higher Education and has both online and traditional programming based out of Pittsburgh, PA.

Some of the online criminal justice courses that you can expect at DU are not from a pure Criminal Justice core curriculum, but rather, as an added concentration to The Bachelor of Science in Professional Studies (BSPS) degree program. The noteworthy criminal justice related concentrations include:

• criminal justice and forensic science
• behavioral science
• security administration

Hands down, the Criminal Justice and Forensic Science concentration is the “meat and potatoes” of what you should be looking for in a leadership program that pertains to criminal justice. The others should also be considered, as you will be picking two concentrations in your BSPS degree.

Check out Duquesne University for more information on the online criminal justice course offerings. It’s definitely a school that’s worth considering for your academic needs.