Overview
The Criminal Justice program emphasizes a multidisciplinary approach to understanding deviant behavior and crime, the nature of law and social control, the organization and management of criminal justice agencies, and the use of research and evaluation for planned change in criminal justice. Criminal Justice is an interdisciplinary field that includes material from sociology, political science, and psychology.
Washington State University Spokane offers the Master of Arts degree in Criminal Justice and, in collaboration with our Pullman campus, a PhD in Criminal Justice.
Students
The program is designed for those who have an interest in understanding societal issues associated with crime, the work performed by criminal justice professionals, and the impact public policy decisions have on the operation of the criminal justice system.
Our student body is comprised both of traditional students who have recently completed their undergraduate degrees and working professionals interested in furthering their careers in criminal justice. Classes are held in the evening, making the program accessible to both full-time and part-time students.
Scholarship
The program is taught by highly qualified faculty in small seminar settings. Excellence in scholarship, combined with applications of knowledge useful to practitioners in the field, provides students with both an understanding of the criminal justice system and opportunities to engage in meaningful research in the community.
The Criminal Justice program prepares students for positions of leadership in law enforcement, court administration, corrections, and academia.
Research
WSU Spokane is home to the Western Regional Institute for Community Oriented Public Safety, Washington State Institute for Community Oriented Policing (WSICOP), and a branch of WSU's Division of Governmental Studies and Service (DGSS).
These units are closely associated with the Criminal Justice program, and offer opportunities for master and doctoral candidates to work on a variety of applied research projects.
Heritage
Established in 1941 as the Department of Police Science and Administration, the WSU Criminal Justice program is among the oldest in the country. It is ranked in the top twenty criminal justice programs nationally. Degrees in Criminal Justice are offered at two of WSU's four campuses: WSU Spokane (MA, PhD [in collaboration with the Pullman campus]); and WSU Pullman (BA, MA, PhD).
Admissions
Graduate school application (indicate Spokane as
your campus choice)
For prospective
students
Financial
aid
Contacts
David Brody, JD, PhD
Campus Academic Director
E-mail: brody@wsu.edu
Telephone: 509.358.7952
Rachel Young
Administrative Assistant
E-mail: reyoung@wsu.edu
Telephone: 509.358.7950
Travis Pratt
Program Director, WSU Pullman
E-mail: tcpratt@wsu.edu
Telephone: 509.335.4075
Academic Center, Suite 401
Mailing address
Criminal Justice, WSU Spokane
PO Box 1495
Spokane, WA 99210-1495
Shipping address
Criminal Justice, WSU Spokane
412 E Spokane Falls Blvd.
Spokane, WA 99202
