Criminology and Criminal Justice Graduate Studies and Research at EKU!

WELCOME

Our graduate programs in the School of Justice Studies offers a rigorous and high-quality course of instruction that includes a range of relevant and intellectually engaging courses taught by leading academics in the field of crime and justice studies. We’ve been educating graduate students for over 30 years, and our full-time graduate faculty have a wealth of experience as educators and scholars. 

Our program provides a unique level of support and unmatched learning experience. Here are the top five reasons to consider EKU’s Justice Studies’ graduate offerings. 

1. Due to being designated a Program of Distinction by the state of Kentucky, we are able to award up to 8 research assistant positions. These generous awards provide 2 years’ worth of funding, tuition waivers, and financial support for travel to conferences and conducting research.
    
2. We have an extremely low professor to student classroom ratio, resulting in an intimate and quality learning experience. Most on-campus courses have between 6-8 students; and our online classes rarely exceed 20. Student-Faculty collaborative research, and even publishing, is encouraged and a common practice in our program. Close partnerships between faculty and graduate students are the cornerstone of the EKU graduate experience.
    
3. Our faculty are highly accomplished researchers and authors. Their scholarly accomplishments are unmatched by any stand-alone Master's program, and exceed or are on par with most doctoral programs. However, our first priority at EKU is quality teaching. We take seriously the idea of fully integrating this cutting-edge knowledge into the classroom.
    
4. We have a unique identity - which centers around critical thinking, grounded research, and relevant scholarship - that distinguishes us from most Master's programs.
    
5. The students in our programs are a complimentary blend of both in-service professionals and traditional graduate students. This helps to create a stimulating learning environment. Moreover, a high percentage of our graduates receive full funding in our field’s leading doctoral programs, and others find rewarding careers in a diverse range of crime and justice professions. It is our goal to ensure students pursue their passion. Graduate students also administer our vibrant Graduate Student Association, which hosts events that include trips, brown bag lunches, and invited speakers.

Thank you for considering our graduate program, and please feel free to contact us if you have any questions.  Contacts for each graduate program are listed below:

Criminology and Criminal Justice Graduate Program
Dr. Judah Schept
judah.schept@eku.edu

Online Criminal Justice Policy and Leadership Graduate Program
Amy Eades
amy.eades@eku.edu