University of Cincinnati

It is hard to write a review without it taking an hour to complete. This degree is something you cannot compare at any other school or program. The professors are not wanna-bes. The professors are veterans in their fields and are known globally for the work they have done and continue to do. Anyone can teach but the faculty at UC use their own curriculum while other professors at other universities use the professors at UC. There are two courses that I loved so much I actually am basing my dissertation around it. Boisocial factors and policing theory. These two courses are a breed of their own. They are filled with so much new and intriguing realistic knowledge I could not begin to tell you what an enthusiastic criminal justice student would feel like once reading week one's material. Did I mention there was no GRE requirement?!

The University of Cincinnati is one of the top US universities for the study of criminal justice, and many of its faculty have authored foundational research literature in the field. This program is structured in either a one or two-year format, tailored for the working criminal justice professional, taking two courses per quarter (one after the other, with an overlap week). The curriculum is in a set schedule, and one cycles throught it based on your quarter of entry until one has completed both years' coursework. Each student is assigned a "facilitator" who is a doctoral student that is one's liaison to the program, providing information and grading one's papers. The distance program occurs alongside the on-campus classroom program, covering the same material as the on-campus students. Overall I thought the program was of very high quality, giving one a foundation of knowledge in criminal justice from its inception as a subspecialty of sociology, to landmark studies and research in policing and corrections, to cutting-edge research regarding policy management, neurobiological factors in predisposition to criminality, etc. The courses include provision of copious research literature which students use to write papers during the courses. In the process one gains an understanding of the Principles of Effective Intervention in the correctional context, and an ability to judge the merits of future research and policy initiatives which may be proposed by legislators and the public. Whether you intend to advance in your criminal justice career into administrative fields or academic fields, this program is a solid choice. Since completing the program I have noted in subsequent professional conferences, seminars, etc. that many of the leading academic figures in criminal justice literature were names that I became familiar with during my study at UC. One must be disciplined to self-motivate and be organized to assmiliate the material and complete assignments on time, but I did not find this too challenging. The technical aspects of the program were simple and one can use off-the-shelf Microsoft Office software for the coursework. The readings are mostly provided as downloadable PDF's, with some courses also having textbooks which one may order via the campus bookstore, or obtain independently (via Amazon, etc.). The program culminates in a "Demonstration Project," which is a comprehensive research paper of approximately 30 pages, writing on a topic selected by the professor. I did not find this too difficult after writing all the other shorter (5-6, some 10 pages) papers throughout the program. Another benefit of the program is that one will have the opportunity to meet and interact with fellow students who are criminal justice peers from all around the US and world.

The University of Cincinnati advertises its online CJ Master's program as being the same as its on-grounds program minus the thesis. It is. Having completed the program and looking back at my undergrad texts, I realized that my UOC professors actually wrote most of my undergrad texts. While expensive, the coursework/lectures/feedback is delivered well by some of the most noted and published names in the field. Highly recommend this program.