Law and Justice

Master of Science in Law and Justice

The need for personnel in human and protective services will grow at a rate above the state and national average, where an advanced degree is increasingly in demand. The benefits to obtaining a masters degree include career advancement, increased salary/pension, improved skill/professional abilities, increased retirement contribution and savings, and improved hiring possibilities.

Program Description

The MS degree in law and justice is designed to serve two distinct groups: (1) those in a law and justice field with professional experience and (2) those without professional experience who aspire to a law and justice career or doctoral work. The program offers two options, both of which are 60 credits. Of these 60 credits, 28 credits are in the core courses (7 mandatory courses) and another 28 are from seminar electives. Option A is geared towards the working professional; it entails taking 56 credits worth of courses plus a four credit capstone course where the final culminating experience is a written exam with an oral defense. This option is aimed at those who are already working in a law and justice career and are looking for advancement, or those who are looking for a career in criminal justice. Option B also includes 56 credits of courses but has a thesis or research project as the culminating experience. This option is primarily for those interested in continuing on and doing doctoral work.

The program will be offered in person at the main campus in Ellensburg and at the Des Moines Center located at Highline Community College. Courses will be a mix of in-person, Distance Education, online, and hybrid (combining in-person and online) delivery methods.

With class scheduling centered around the working professional, we believe convenience and access are essential to student success. Two courses will be offered each quarter, one presented in-person in Ellensburg or Des Moines and broadcast (via Distance Education) to the other campus, and one presented online. In-person/DE classes are conveniently held in the early evenings to allow students to maintain employment and/or pursue an internship.

Our vision is to offer the program entirely online by the fall of 2015. This should provide the flexibility to allow any interested students, whether working, managing a family, or residing far away from our campuses, the ability to earn their masters degree in law and justice.