Law and Justice Department

College of the Sciences
Ellensburg
Farrell Hall, room 309
CWU-Des Moines (D)
CWU-Lynnwood (L)
Mail Stop 7580
509-963-3206

www.cwu.edu/law
See website for how these programs may be used for educational and career purposes.

Faculty and Staff
Chair
Paul Knepper, PhD

Professors
Paul Knepper, PhD, theoretical criminology, history of crime, crime prevention
Rodrigo Murataya, PhD, criminal investigation, police-community relations, police personnel administration
Krystal Noga-Styron, JD, criminal law, crime and the media
Charles Reasons, PhD, LLB, criminology, criminal justice, law, comparative justice

Associate Professors
Teresa Francis, JD, LLM, criminal law, correctional law
Cody Stoddard, PhD, policing, courts, criminological theory, quantitative methods

Assistant Professors
Veronica Cano, PhD, research methods, community and social justice, juvenile justice
Roger Schaefer, PhD, corrections, research methods, criminal justice policy

Senior Lecturer
Scott Willis, MS, police management, police personnel, investigators, current issues in policing

Lecturers
Saul Chacon, MA, corrections, policing
R. Shaffer Claridge, JD, civil practice, courts and trails, legal writing, legal research
Robert Moore, MA, corrections, correctional counseling

Staff
Kaetlynn Brown, internship coordinator
Emily Veitia, MS, secretary supervisor

Program Description
The M.S. in Law and Justice is designed to serve two distinct groups: (1) those in law and justice fields with professional experience, and (2) those without professional experience who aspire to law and justice careers, including research and data analysis.

The M.S. program focuses on the concept of empirical and research based practices in criminal justice, criminology, law, social justice, and public policy. Classes are designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of the mechanics of social science research and how research informs best practices in the field. Core classes in the program provide students with the detailed knowledge of social science methods of inquiry in Law and Justice where elective courses allow students understand how the science is applied to practice. During the culminating experience, students use social-scientific inquiry to address current issues and challenges in Law and Justice

Option A includes a comprehensive examination as the culminating experience and option B includes a thesis or research project as the culminating experience. Both options are 60 credits to complete. Option B is primarily designed for those interested in research or pursuing further graduate level work.

Program Delivery
With the idea of accommodating a diverse group of students, the courses M.S. in Law and Justice program are typically delivered in person during the evenings or online.

Admission Requirements
Applicants should have the following:

a bachelor’s degree related to the social sciences
a statement of objectives and purpose that outlines how the M.S. in Law and Justice would apply to their future goals
three letters of recommendation
an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher
applicants may include a writing sample as a supplement to their application.

All materials for admission consideration should be submitted to the Central Washington School of Graduate Students and Research. Applications will be accepted in early January and review of applications will occur around mid-March. Applications after mid-March will be accepted and admission decisions after this point will be made on a rolling bases based on program capacity.

M.S. in Law and Justice: 4 +1 Option:

Overview
The Law and Justice Department’s 4 + 1 program is designed to allow students, who meet eligibility criteria, to enroll in select 500 level courses during their Senior year to allow them to potentially complete the M.S. in Law and Justice the following year. Ultimately, this allows students to complete their M.S. degree in Law and Justice in one year following completion of the bachelor’s degree.

Requirements
In order to participate in the 4+1 program, students must:

meet with the graduate director, or other designee of the department, to discuss planning and expectations in program.
apply for admission to the M.S. in Law and Justice 4+1 program during the junior year.
have completed LAJ 400, or an equivalent research methods course approved by the Law and Justice Department, with a B or higher prior to Fall of senior year when students would be taking graduate level courses.
maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher
have declared a major in Law and Justice, or a major another approved social science area.

NOTE: In compliance with CWU Graduate Courses taken during the senior year may not be applied towards the undergraduate degree - they must be reserved for graduate credit only.

Program Outcomes
For information on program outcomes, please go to: www.cwu.edu/mission/assessment-improvement/slo-assessment-plans.

Course Offerings
Frequency of course offering information can be found at the department website: www.cwu.edu/law or by contacting the department directly.

Programs

Master of Science (M.S.)

Law and Justice, MS

Courses

Law and Justice (LAJ)