2024-2025 University Catalog
Law and Justice Department
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College of the Sciences
Ellensburg
Farrell Hall, room 309
Mail Stop 7580
509-963-3219
https://www.cwu.edu/academics/law-justice/
Faculty and Staff
Chair
Cody Stoddard, PhD
Professors
Teresa Francis Divine, JD, LLM, criminal law, correctional law
Rodrigo Murataya, PhD, criminal investigation, police-community relations, police personnel administration
Krystal Noga-Styron, JD, PhD, criminal law, crime, and the media
Associate Professors
Roger Schaefer, PhD, corrections, research methods, criminal justice policy
Cody Stoddard, PhD, courts and law, decision making, policing, criminal justice theory, and quantitative method
Assistant Professors
Trye Price, PhD, victimization, and quantitative methods
Sara Toto, PhD, corrections, victimization, and quantitative methods
Senior Lecturers
Saul Chacon, MA, corrections, policing
R. Shaffer Claridge, JD, civil practice, courts and trails, legal writing, legal research
Lecturer
Todd Mildon, JD, civil practice, paralegal, courts, legal writing, legal research, community and social justice, constitutional law
Staff
Megan Dickinson, secretary supervisor
Department Standards
Admission to the major and to the minor
- Grade requirement: overall grade point average of 2.25 or higher. The department chair may admit a limited number of students with grade point averages below 2.25 under extenuating circumstances.
- Students applying to the major must submit a major application form.
- The law and justice department reserves the right to modify these requirements in special cases or as the needs of the department change.
Exit Requirements
A minimum grade of C- must be earned in all courses used to fulfill the requirements of the major and of the minor.
(NOTE: for all 400-level LAJ courses, student must have completed either a DTA or ENG 101 and 102, MATH 101 or 153 or 154 or 164 or 170 or 172, MATH 102 or MATH 130 or CS 105 (basic skills in these categories.)
Graduate Information
Program Description
The MS in Law and Justice program 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 MS 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 MS 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.
MS in Law and Justice: 4 +1 Option:
Overview
The Department of Law and Justice’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 MS in law and justice the following year. Ultimately, this allows students to complete their MS 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 MS 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; and
- 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.
Course Offerings
Frequency of course offering information can be found at the department website: https://www.cwu.edu/academics/law-justice/ or by contacting the department directly.
ProgramsBachelor of Arts (B.A.)Master of Science (M.S.)Non-degree Undergraduate Minors or CertificatesCoursesLaw and Justice (LAJ)- LAJ 102 - Introduction to Law and Justice
- LAJ 202 - Policing in a Contemporary Society
- LAJ 203 - Wildlife Law Enforcement
- LAJ 210 - Latinos, Law and Justice
- LAJ 215 - Law in American History
- LAJ 216 - Race, Gender, and Justice
- LAJ 298 - Special Topics
- LAJ 299 - Seminar
- LAJ 300 - Administration of Criminal Justice
- LAJ 302 - Criminal Procedure
- LAJ 303 - Legal Research
- LAJ 310 - Trial Practice and Strategy
- LAJ 311 - Family Law
- LAJ 313 - Introduction to Criminal Law
- LAJ 316 - Introduction to Paralegal Studies
- LAJ 317 - Introduction to Civil Practice
- LAJ 318 - Introduction to Forensics
- LAJ 324 - Correctional Law
- LAJ 326 - Correctional Counseling
- LAJ 327 - Community Corrections
- LAJ 329 - Drugs, Alcohol, and Criminal Justice
- LAJ 331 - Investigation
- LAJ 332 - Police Community Relations
- LAJ 333 - Police Personnel Administration
- LAJ 334 - Issues in Policing
- LAJ 342 - Juvenile Justice Process
- LAJ 347 - Court Structure and Process
- LAJ 350 - Criminal Justice and the Media
- LAJ 351 - Preparing for Law Enforcement and Corrections Careers
- LAJ 353 - Great American Trials
- LAJ 360 - Sex Crime and Sexual Offending
- LAJ 377 - Mock Trial
- LAJ 396 - Individual Study
- LAJ 397 - Honors
- LAJ 398 - Special Topics
- LAJ 399 - Seminar
- LAJ 400 - Research Methods in Criminal Justice
- LAJ 401 - Ethics, Diversity, and Conflict in Criminal Justice
- LAJ 402 - African Americans and the Constitution
- LAJ 403 - Sexual Minorities, the Law, and Justice
- LAJ 409 - Forensics Capstone
- LAJ 410 - Legal Writing
- LAJ 418 - Contract Law
- LAJ 420 - Community and Social Justice
- LAJ 422 - Justice, Activism, and Social Science
- LAJ 426 - Advanced Correctional Counseling
- LAJ 436 - Statistical Applications in Law and Justice
- LAJ 440 - Basic Mediation
- LAJ 449 - Legal Regulation of Expression
- LAJ 450 - Report Writing
- LAJ 451 - Crime in America
- LAJ 453 - Domestic Violence Issues
- LAJ 455 - Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
- LAJ 459 - Current Issues
- LAJ 460 - Terrorism
- LAJ 470 - Victimology
- LAJ 489 - Senior Seminar in Law and Justice
- LAJ 490 - Cooperative Education
- LAJ 491 - Workshop
- LAJ 492 - Teaching Experience in Law and Justice
- LAJ 493 - Field Experience
- LAJ 495 - Directed Research
- LAJ 496 - Individual Study
- LAJ 498 - Special Topics
- LAJ 499 - Field Experience Seminar
- LAJ 511 - Theories of Crime, Deviance, and Justice
- LAJ 516 - Organizational Leadership
- LAJ 520 - Constitutional Issues in Criminal Justice
- LAJ 524 - Policy Analysis
- LAJ 535 - Research Methods
- LAJ 536 - Statistics and Data Analysis
- LAJ 540 - Law and Social Control
- LAJ 541 - Race, Class, Gender, and Justice
- LAJ 544 - Theory and Evidence in Policing
- LAJ 545 - Ethical Studies
- LAJ 546 - Theory and Evidence in Corrections
- LAJ 547 - Theory and Evidence in Courts and Law
- LAJ 548 - Decision Making in Law and Justice
- LAJ 549 - Juvenile Justice
- LAJ 550 - Advanced Research Methodology
- LAJ 551 - Legal Liability for Professionals
- LAJ 552 - Criminal Justice Controversies
- LAJ 570 - Victimology and Victimization
- LAJ 590 - Cooperative Education
- LAJ 596 - Individual Study
- LAJ 598 - Special Topics
- LAJ 599 - Seminar
- LAJ 689 - Master’s Capstone (Put on reserve 9/16/23, will go inactive 8/24/26)
- LAJ 690 - Internship
- LAJ 696 - Individual Study
- LAJ 698 - Special Topics
- LAJ 699 - Seminar
- LAJ 700 - Master’s Thesis, Project, Study, or Portfolio
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