Today@Sam Article

College Of Criminal Justice Ranked No. 2 For Online Graduate Education

Jan. 28, 2021
SHSU Media Contact: Wes Hamilton

Story By: Victor Henson II

Sam Houston State University’s College of Criminal Justice is ranked as the No. 2 online master’s program in the United States, according to the 2021 rankings released by U.S. News & World Report. The highly touted online program at SHSU is consistently recognized as one of the best graduate educations in the nation.

The ranking indicators, according to U.S. News & World Report, show that SHSU’s Criminal Justice department ranks in the top ten for faculty credentials, training, services and technologies, and student excellence. The online Criminal Justice Program debuted at No. 5 in 2015 and has consistently gained prominence among Criminal Justice programs in the nation.

“I was pleased, but not surprised, to learn that our online MS program was again included among the country’s very best by US News and World Report, one of the nation’s most respected ranking systems,” said Phillip Lyons, dean of the College of Criminal Justice. “After all, the program is staffed by outstanding faculty, buttressed by our award-winning SHSU Online infrastructure, and supported at the highest levels of our university administration. We are fortunate to be in a position to deliver such a high-quality program for the ultimate benefit of Texas communities served by these students.”

online shsu

The U.S. News & World Report takes in many considerations when making the rankings list each year. These considerations such as class size, best practices, and technological infrastructure have quickly become what SHSU’s Criminal Justice program is known for. After each category is weighed and given a score, the U.S. News & World Report gives each university an overall grade. This year, the Criminal Justice program at Sam Houston State University was given an overall score of 95 out of 100.   

Sam Houston State University’s Criminal Justice department is one of the best in the nation and offers a variety of programs tailored to students interested in various criminal justice fields. These online programs specialize in pursuits in criminal justice, victim studies, and security studies. These programs include:

  • The Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership and Management, which is designed for criminal justice professionals working in mid-management positions seeking career advancement in criminal justice. The online format caters to these professionals whose job and family commitments prevent them from returning to campus as a full-time student.
  • The Master of Science in Criminal Justice, which prepares students for success in law enforcement, corrections, securities, and social services.
  • The Master of Science in Victim Services Management, which is designed to prepare graduates to work in various areas of victim services. This degree will benefit students with or without previous employment in the victim services field and is sequenced so that students can complete the degree in two years.
  • The Master of Science in Homeland Security Studies, which is designed to help students meet the needs of the homeland security enterprise at all levels of government as well as the private sector.

Along with its nationally recognized online offerings, the College of Criminal Justice offers a variety of face-to-face graduate programs in Criminal Justice, Forensic Science and Homeland Security Studies. It also features the first multi-disciplinary Ph.D. degree in Forensic Science and one of the first Ph.D. programs in Criminal Justice. The college has one of the largest faculty in the nation to meet the growing need of criminal justice professionals in the world.

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