Master of Justice Management Graduate Program Handbook

The Master of Justice Management (MJM) is a special degree program offering a broad selection of courses including foundation courses in justice theory and process, essentials of justice management, and courses specific to emphases such as Juvenile Justice Management, Adult Justice Management, and Executive Court and Agency Administration. The MJM degree is conferred solely by the university and is organized jointly by the School of Social Research and Justice Studies, the National Judicial College and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. It is also supported by other organizations. The degree program is the only one of its kind in the nation.

The MJM degree may be earned entirely online. Courses are offered in Fall, Spring, and Summer terms. New students may begin the program in Fall or Spring terms.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Students will be able to:

1. diagnose and analyze problems within the justice system using techniques from the social, behavioral, and natural sciences.
2. develop and implement effective management strategies within justice-related organizations.
3. develop skills to apply current research to improve justice management practices and policies.
4. apply ethical principles and best practices to address challenges in juvenile and adult justice management and executive court and agency administration.

Tracks Offered (Non-Thesis and Thesis)

The Justice Management Program offers two graduate tracks: non-thesis and thesis. The non-thesis option includes a comprehensive exam that, while based in theory, assesses knowledge about emerging issues in the justice system.

The thesis option allows students to produce an academic empirical research study in conjunction with earning their degree.

Admission Requirements

Prospective students must meet both the general requirements of the University of Nevada, Reno, Graduate School, and the specific departmental requirements below.

Admission to the University of Nevada, Reno Graduate School requires:

• an undergraduate grade-point average of at least 2.75 on a scale of 4.0, or
• an average of at least 3.0 for courses taken during the last half of the undergraduate program, and
• a completed baccalaureate degree from an appropriately accredited institution.

If the undergraduate GPA does not meet this criteria, admission to graduate standing on a prescribed program may be considered. Alternatively, an applicant may take a limited number of courses, with permission from the Justice Management program, as a Graduate Special. This status does not guarantee admission to the program, but allows a student to demonstrate that he or she can satisfactorily perform graduate-level work.

Scores of standardized tests, such as the GRE, are not required for application to the Master of Justice Management program.

Application Deadlines

Applications are accepted for all regular semesters (Fall and Spring). For entry into the program for the Fall semester, applications are due by July 1 each year. For entry into the program for the Spring semester, applications are due by December 1 each year.

Non-thesis option

• Complete a minimum of 32 units of coursework, including a comprehensive examination (non-thesis option) within six years.

Course requirements

• Complete 18 required units in foundation courses and courses representing essentials of justice management.
• Complete 14 elective units in such emphases as juvenile justice management, adult justice management, or executive court and agency administration, in any combination.

A minimum of 15 units must be at the 700-level.

Thesis option

• Complete a minimum of 32 units, including 6 units for an approved thesis in addition to 24 coursework units.

A minimum of 12 units, plus 6 thesis units, for a total minimum of 18 units, must be at the 700-level.

Coursework

For course descriptions, please see the course catalog.

Required Courses:

• Core Courses
  • JM 601 - Introduction to Justice Management
  • JM 602- Methods of Program Research Design and Evaluation
• Additional Foundation Courses
  • JM 703 - Judicial Process I (Civil law & procedure)
  • JM 704 - Judicial Process II (Criminal law & procedure)
  • JM 705 - Juvenile and Family Law and Procedure
  • JM 706 - Applied Ethics in Justice Management
  • JM 707 - Legal Research
  • JM 708 - Legal and Administrative Report Writing
  • JM 790 - Special Topics in Justice Management

(Upon approval by the JM program, graduate-level courses offered by other University of Nevada, Reno departments may be taken as Electives, on a case-by-case basis, may substitute for JM Additional Foundation or Essentials courses.)

• Essentials of Justice Management Courses (minimum of 6 credits)
  • JM 690A - Spec Top Essen Jus Mgmt: Court Mgmt
  • JM 690B - Spec Top Essen Jus Mgmt: Leadership
  • JM 690C - Spec Top Essen Jus Mgmt
  • JM 690D - Spec Top Essen Jus Mgmt: Info Technology
  • JM 690E - Spec Top Essen Jus Mgmt: Budget, Finances, & HR
  • JM 693 - Selected Issues in Court Management

(Upon approval by the JM program, graduate-level courses offered by other University of Nevada, Reno departments may be taken as Electives, on a case-by-case basis, may substitute for JM Additional Foundation or Essentials courses.)

• Elective Courses: Students may choose Electives in any combination, and students may take additional non-elective JM courses as electives, subject to requirements concerning minimum amount of 700-level credits.
  • JM 721 -  Victims' Issues, Restitution, and Restorative Justice
  • JM 723 - Early Intervention and Crime Prevention
  • JM 725 - Race and Gender in Juvenile Justice
  • JM 730 - Privatization in Justice Management
  • JM 732 - History and Development of Parole and Probation
  • JM 734 - Mental Health Issues in Justice Management
  • JM 735 - Special Topics in Homeland Security: the Dynamics the Threat Groups
  • JM 736 - Special Topics in Homeland Security: the Impact on National and International Jurisprudence
  • JM 737 - Special Topics in Homeland Security: Technology
  • JM 790 - Special Topics
  • JM 791 - Special topics in Juvenile Justice Management
  • JM 792 - Special Topics in Adult Justice Management
  • JM 793 - Special Topics in Executive Court and Agency Administration

(Students may also take 700-level CRJ courses to fulfill JM elective requirements as well as additional advisor-approved courses in other departments.)

• Capstone Courses (choose one based on thesis or non-thesis track)
  • JM 795 - Comprehensive Exams (3 credits)
  • JM 797 - Thesis (6 credits)
• Optional Internship and Independent Study credits (counts toward Elective credits)
  • JM 780  - Independent Study
  • JM 781 - Internship in Justice Management

All graduate students must maintain a cumulative graduate GPA of 3.0. If their GPA drops below 3.0, they are either placed on probation or dismissed. Undergraduate courses will not count towards graduate GPA.

Probation: students whose cumulative graduate GPA falls between 2.31 and 2.99 are automatically placed on academic probation for one semester. If they fail to raise their cumulative GPA to 3.0 by the end of one semester, they are dismissed from their graduate program. Thesis, dissertation, S/U graded credits, and transfer credits have no impact on a student's GPA.

Dismissal: students whose cumulative graduate GPA is 2.30 or lower are dismissed. Dismissed students are no longer enrolled in their graduate program but may take graduate-level courses as a Graduate Special. Dismissed students wishing to complete their degree must obtain approval to take graduate-level courses, raise their graduate GPA to at least 3.0, and then re-apply to their graduate program. Any courses taken in an effort to raise their GPA will be included in the graduate special/ transfer credit limitation (9 credits for master's degrees).

Please refer to Nevada System of Higher Education CODE on Student Program Dismissal Procedures (SPDP) and review conference policies: (NSHE CODE, Chapter 11, Sections 1-3). If program dismissal is based upon failure to maintain required grades or a required GPA as described above, SPDP does not apply and the student may be summarily dismissed from the graduate program.

Additional information on the Graduate School's Academic Standing and Dismissal Policy.

Transfer credits

These are credits transferred from another institution. Credits completed at the University in another program or as a graduate special do not need to be transferred. Transfer credit can be requested on the Graduate Credit Transfer Evaluation Request form available on Graduate School website, and must be signed by the student, major advisor, and graduate director. Transfer credits applied to a master's program must comply with the time limitation on master's work (6 years). Thus, if a student took a course five years prior to admission, the student would have to complete the degree within one year for the course to apply to the degree.

Department approval to transfer credits does not guarantee that all courses requested will be approved by the Graduate School to be transferred, or applicable toward satisfying program course degree requirements.

Official transcripts showing courses requested to be transferred must be on file with the Graduate School.

Research, Directed Study, Independent Study, Seminars, Colloquiums, Thesis Credits, Dissertation Credits, Practicum/Internships, Special Topics, Undergraduate Courses, Pass/Fail Courses, or Courses from unaccredited institutions ARE NOT TRANSFERABLE, and are not applicable toward an advanced degree at the University of Nevada, Reno.

All transferred courses must be post-baccalaureate. Only courses with grades of ‘C’ or better may be transferred to a Master’s program.

All coursework and transfer credits must comply with acceptable degree program time limitations; 6 years for a Master’s Degree, 8 years for a Doctoral Degree. (Credits from a completed master's degree will be exempt from the 8-year time limitation for those earning a doctoral degree.)

SPECIAL NOTES: A maximum of 12 credits completed prior to admission (including transfer credits and credits earned with Graduate Special status) may be applied toward a Master’s degree.

Pursuant to applying graduate special credits to a degree on the University website: One does not need to transfer courses taken as a graduate special or courses taken as part of a previous degree at the University of Nevada, Reno. Students who took courses intended for their degree as a Graduate Special student may apply 9 Graduate Special credits towards their degree program. Any application of credits in excess of 9 credits requires an exception to policy to be requested by your Graduate Program Director.

Contact the Graduate School at (775) 784-6869 if you have any questions regarding what can or cannot be applied towards your degree.

Graduate School Enrollment Requirements

Continuous Enrollment: To maintain "good standing" all graduate students are required to enroll in a minimum of three (3) graduate credits each Fall and Spring semester until they graduate, unless a Leave of Absence is approved by the Graduate School (see Section 10 regarding Leave). Summer enrollment is optional.

Forms Required by the Graduate School

• Program of Study form
• Graduation Application
  • May graduation applications due by March 1 each year;
  • August graduation application due by June 1 each year;
  • December graduation applications due October 1 each year.
• Notice of Completion (submitted after all requirements have been met; consult Graduate School website for deadline)
• Thesis Forms (for thesis track only)

A list of required forms and deadlines can be found on the Graduate School website.

All coursework must be completed within six years preceding the awarding of the degree. A student may take up to six years to complete the JM master’s program, but the program is designed to be completed in two to four years. Most students complete the degree entirely online. All courses with a "JM" prefix are delivered online. Students may (but are not required to) take on-campus courses from other departments as approved by the JM program, and may take special JM courses presented at various regional seminar facilities. Completion time is also dependent upon course schedules and graduate-level transfer credits.

Recommended Course Sequence

The sample sequence of suggested courses are recommended to progress through the program. You will need to ensure that you enroll in enough 700-level electives to meet the degree requirements. You can also enroll and complete more credits to complete the program requirements earlier.

The Graduate School requires JM graduate students to have three committee members, at least two of whom must be on-campus graduate faculty. The Graduate School maintains a list of graduate faculty on its website. One of the two on-campus faculty members must agree to serve as committee chairperson. The other on-campus faculty member should be eligible to serve as the "Graduate School Representative." The third member may be another on-campus graduate faculty or may be a part-time off-campus instructor (most JM online instructors fall into this category). On a case-by-case basis, with Graduate School approval, an instructor from another university, or another professional with appropriate credentials may serve as the third member. If a part-time off-campus instructor or other outside person is to serve on the committee, the JM department must obtain approval from the Graduate School. Such requests are made routinely on behalf of JM students, but must be approved by the Graduate School prior to submitting the student's Program of Study form.

All committee members should have an active interest in and knowledge of the student's topic area, and be ready to advise and assist the student at each stage of the thesis process. The advisory committee is responsible for reviewing and approving the program of study; reviewing and recommending revisions, improvements, and reference suggestions on drafts of the thesis; and approving the final draft of the thesis. The chairperson carries final authority on passing the student’s thesis, and resolves disputes if necessary.

Students should form their committees in conjunction with completing JM 602 and working with JM program administrators.

Formal approval of all student advisory committees is made by the Graduate School Dean.

Students completing the thesis option will work with JM program administrators when taking JM 602, to develop their topic and seek a committee chairperson. Students then work directly with their chairperson to develop a thesis prospectus and research parameters. Students will take 6 credits of JM 797 Thesis, generally 3 credits in each of two consecutive semesters. Students who do not complete their thesis in two semesters will continue to take a minimum of 3 credits of JM 797 in Fall and Spring semesters until their thesis is satisfactorily completed and approved by their committee.

NOTE: If a student is enrolled in 3 or more credits in a Spring semester intended to be the final semester, but does not complete his or her thesis, the student may extend graduation to Summer without having to enroll in any Summer credits. If a student is not enrolled in Spring semester credits (i.e., on Leave) or is enrolled in less than 3 credits, then to graduate in Summer, the student must enroll in 1 credit (i.e., JM 899) for Summer.

Graduate School forms and resources related to thesis: Master's Thesis Filing Guidelines, Program of Study, Application for Graduation, Thesis Final Review Approval, and Notice of Completion. More information about expectations, formatting, and deadlines can be found on the Graduate School website: Thesis Filing Guidelines.

All domestic degree-seeking graduate students who are enrolled in six or more credits (regardless of the course level) in a semester will be automatically enrolled and billed for the University-sponsored health insurance for each term they are eligible (fall & spring/summer). If a student has other comparable coverage and would like to waive out of the student health insurance, it is the student's responsibility to complete the University online waiver form prior to the deadline. If approved, a health insurance waiver is good for the current academic year only. A new waiver must be submitted each academic year. JM program students participating in online courses only should contact the Graduate School to confirm an exemption from this requirement.

Students in good standing may request a leave of absence by completing a Leave of Absence form. During an approved leave time they are not required to maintain continuous enrollment. Usually, a leave of absence is approved for one or two semesters. The leave of absence request may be extended by the student filing an additional leave of absence form. Students applying for a leave of absence should not have any "incomplete" grades which could be changed to "F" and have a detrimental impact on their cumulative GPA. Requests for leave of absences must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the leave is to begin. A student on an approved leave does not need to request Reinstatement if the student returns at the end of the leave period.

Reinstatement

When a student has been absent for one semester or more without an approved leave of absence, he or she may request reinstatement via the Notice of Reinstatement form found on the Graduate School website. This form allows the program the option to recommend the student be re-admitted to the graduate program based on the student’s previous admission OR require the student to re-apply for admission, which would require the student to submit a new application for admission and pay the application fee. The Notice of Reinstatement to Graduate Standing must be received by the Graduate School no later than the last day of enrollment for the semester the reinstatement is to begin.

The Graduate Student Association represents all graduate students and promotes the welfare and interests of the graduate students at the University of Nevada, Reno. The GSA works closely with appropriate university administrative offices, including the Graduate School and Student Services and reports to the President of the University. The GSA government functions through the Council of Representatives, Executive Council and established committees. Information for the Graduate Student Association can be found on their website.

Please refer to the Graduate School website for updated and current forms as well as deadlines.