Who We Are:

The Master of Arts Degree Program in International Crime and Justice and the Advanced Certificate in Transnational Organized Crime Studies are designed for professionals and university graduates wishing to specialize in the fields of comparative criminal justice, international criminology, international criminal law, human rights, and transnational crime.

Through a combination of core and elective coursework totaling 36 credits, students admitted to the Master of Arts Degree Program in International Crime and Justice:

• Integrate interdisciplinary knowledge to explain the causes and consequences of international crime, and to analyze and assess the workings of institutions, mechanisms and processes of international criminal justice, as well as related developments in law and policy worldwide
• Critically analyze and apply research techniques in international crime and justice to the planning and execution of applied research projects

This program is offered on-campus and online. It combines advanced substantive knowledge of international crime challenges and domestic and international responses, with analytic and research techniques in an interdisciplinary framework. It aims to produce graduates with a global outlook on criminal justice, a moral commitment to international justice, and professional competence in the increasingly multicultural workforce.

Our Mission:

Graduates of the program will enter the job market equipped with advanced, substantive knowledge and the analytical and research skills necessary to pursue careers that include the fields of investigation, policing, counterterrorism, crime analysis, financial crimes, international human rights, anti-money laundering and doctoral programs.

Students can earn the MA degree in 1-2 years of full-time study or in 3-4 years of part-time study. Courses are offered both in person and online.

Our Program

The Master of Arts in International Crime and Justice reflects the College’s commitment to the internationalization of criminal justice education and builds on the strengths of our undergraduate degree in international criminal justice by opening the possibility of graduate education in this field. Indeed, this is the first program of this nature in the United States. The MA in International Crime and Justice combines advanced substantive knowledge of international crime challenges and domestic and international responses, with analytic and research techniques in an interdisciplinary framework. It aims to produce graduates with a truly global outlook on criminal justice, a moral commitment to international justice, and professional competence in the increasingly multicultural workforce.

Degree Requirements

Thirty-six (36) credits are required to complete your graduate program. Students should be able to complete the coursework in 2 years if they maintain full-time status (defined as 9 credits per semester over two years) or in four years if they study part-time. Summer and winter courses are available and enable faster progress towards graduation. Students have up to 8 years to complete their coursework. Graduate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA to remain in good standing and graduate. 

Admission Requirements:

1. Must have completed a bachelor’s degree with GPA of 3.0 or higher
2. Provide at least two letters of reference (academic references highly recommended and preferred)
3. Personal statement
4. Submit an online application
5. For foreign students: Proof of English language proficiency

How to Apply:

For more information regarding the application process, please visit the Graduate Admissions website at www.jjay.cuny.edu/graduate

Check for application deadlines at: www.jjay.cuny.edu/application-deadline

Required Courses

The Master of Arts in International Criminal Justice requires 36 credits consisting of eight required core courses (24 credits) and four electives (12 credits; see the list of courses below).

• ICJ 700    International Crime and Justice Theory    
• ICJ 701    Illegal Markets and Economic Justice    
• ICJ 702    Comparative CRJ Systems    
• ICJ 703    International Criminal Law    
• ICJ 704    Crime, Justice and Cultural Struggles    
• ICJ 706    Transnational Crime    
• ICJ 715    Applied Research Methods in International Crime and Justice    
• ICJ 770    Capstone Course in International Crime and Justice

Electives may be selected from the list below or from any of the graduate courses offered at John Jay and CUNY, subject to the approval of the graduate program director

In addition, students may use their 12 elective credits to complete courses toward the Advanced Certificate in Transnational Organized Crime Studies (ACTOCS) or Terrorism Studies or take a combination of different electives chosen from the list of approved electives below. Students who have completed 15 credits and have a GPA of 3.5 or above are eligible to take the following electives: Internship (6 credits) and Thesis I/Thesis II (6 credits). The thesis elective is taken over a two semester sequence as ICJ 791 and ICJ 792.

The internship course (ICJ 780) is an online course that is accompanied by a mandatory 280 hours in an internship site. Placements in internship sites are arranged at the initiative of the student in consultation with the Center for Career and Professional Development and the program director. Students interested in the internship elective should start their search for an internship site at least one semester in advance. Students are encouraged to pursue one or more internships during their graduate studies, even if they are not taking the internship elective course, potentially as an Independent Study (3 credits).

Approved Electives

Current List of ICJ Electives (updated September 1, 2024)

International Crime & Justice Courses

• ICJ 705               Human Rights and Counterterrorism
• ICJ 725               Environmental Crime
• ICJ 726               Drug Trafficking             
• ICJ 728               History of Genocide  
• ICJ 729               Organized Crime: An International Perspective            
• ICJ 730               Human Trafficking      
• ICJ 735               Gender Justice for Conflict Related Sexual and Gender-Based Violence         
• ICJ 750               Special Topics in International Crime and Justice       
• ICJ 755               Terrorism and Transnational Crime    
• ICJ 760*              Information Technology and Cybercrime *also offered as SEC760)       
• ICJ 762               Corruption and the Global Economy
• ICJ 765               Intelligence in National Security and Policing  
• ICJ 780               Internship Course (6 credits)
• ICJ 791               International Crime and Justice Thesis I           
• ICJ 792               International Crime and Justice Thesis II         
• ICJ 794               International Crime and Justice Independent Study
• ICJ 798               Faculty-Mentored Research in International Crime and Justice

Criminal Justice Courses

• CRJ 713             White-Collar Crime   
• CRJ 727*             Cybercriminology  *also offered as FCM727       
• CRJ 739             Crime Mapping             
• CRJ 744             Terrorism and Politics  
• CRJ 746             Terrorism and Apocalyptic Violence  
• CRJ 759             Comparative Police Administration   
• CRJ 784             Organized Crime          
• CRJ 789             Violence Across the Globe     
• CRJ 797             Homeland Security and International Relations           
• CRJ 798             Homeland Security and Terrorism      

Human Rights Courses

• HR 701               International Human Rights: Organizations and Institutions 
• HR 711               Human Rights and Humanitarianism
• HR 712               Civil and Political Rights and Civil Liberties   
• HR 713               Economic, Social and Cultural Rights  

Public Administration Courses

• PAD 718            International Public Policy and Administration
• PAD 746            Comparative Public Administration   
• PAD 772            International Inspection and Oversight             

Psychology Courses

• PSY 705             Victimology   
• PSY 729             Terrorism         
• PSY 746             Empirical Profiling Methods  
• PSY 705             Victimology   
• PSY 729             Terrorism         
• PSY 746             Empirical Profiling Methods  

Want to learn more course information in our program, please click here.

Schedule Your Courses

On campus courses meet two hours per week during the fifteen-week fall or spring semester, and more often if offered during winter or summer.

Online courses are generally offered intensively in 8 week sessions, termed 8W1 and 8W2, during academic semesters. Summer and winter offerings are shorter.

Students who have not take undergraduate statistics must complete it during their first year and prior to enrolling in ICJ715 (Applied Research Methods in International Crime and Justice).  This requirement may be satisfied by taking Statistics 250 at the college. These credits will not count towards your graduate degree, and you may take the course pass/fail.

Military/veteran students are encouraged to consult with Military and Veterans Services.

Students will receive a program handbook with all the necessary information to complete the program successfully.