Administration of Justice Track

This track is appropriate for persons with interest in the following areas:

  • A senior administrative position in a criminal justice-related agency
  • A planner, budget analyst, or crime analyst within a criminal justice-related agency
  • Opportunities for advancement within local, state, or federal criminal justice-related agencies

Students in the Administration of Justice track must complete the eight required core courses, choose two pre-approved criminal justice courses, and select three elective courses that are chosen with approval of the MPA director.

All Administration of Justice track students must complete 6 credit hours of internship experience that involves full-time service in an approved criminal justice-related agency.

Courses Required

  • MPA core courses listed on Academics page (CJ 5000 can be taken in place of PA 5000)
  • 6 hours of required CJ courses from the following:
    • CJ 5060-Administration of Justice
    • CJ 5660-Crime, Theory, and Policy
    • CJ 5670-Crime Analysis and Criminal Justice Planning
  • 6 hours of CJ graduate courses
  • 3 hours of graduate elective coursework from outside the MPA program as approved by MPA Director
  • 6 hours of internship PA 5900-Internship in Public Administration or CJ 5900-Internship in Criminal Justice

Meet the Administration of Justice Faculty

  • Dr. Jeff Holcomb
  • Dr. Catherine Marcum
  • Dr. Elicka Peterson Sparks
  • Dr. Matthew Robinson
  • Dr. Marian Williams
  • Dr. Kristin Morgan
  • Dr. Paul Lucas

Recent Administration of Justice Internship Placements

  • Federal Bureau of Investigation
  • Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms
  • Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department
  • NC Department of Public Safety
  • Durham County Criminal Justice Resource Center
  • Guilford County Sheriff's Office

Recent Administration of Justice Alumni Include:

  • U.S. Probation Officer, U.S. Probation and Pretrial Services
  • United States Marshals Service
  • Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS)
  • Chief of Police, Enterprise, Oregon
  • Assistant Chief, Winston-Salem Police Department
  • Sergeant, Alexander County Sherriff's Office
  • Assistant Vice Chancellor for Public Safety/Chief of Police, UNC-Asheville
  • Fire Chief, Statesville Fire Department
  • Fire Captain, City of Winston-Salem
  • Assistant Fire Marshal, Winston-Salem Fire Department
  • Fire Captain, Statesville Fire Department

The Administration of Justice faculty are actively involved in the North Carolina Criminal Justice Association which holds an annual meeting each spring. Topics at the conference relate to career development, changing professional standards, and research about new and emerging issues. Graduate students are encouraged to attend the conference and, if possible, present research.

Other academic and professional organizations that faculty and graduate students are members of and attend annual conferences include:

"After graduating with my MPA, I was appointed a Fire Chief position in another state. In the last two years I have received numerous recruitment letters from major municipalities wanting me to apply to work in their cities. I attribute this to the knowledge and skills obtained from the MPA that aided my success in my professional endeavors." - MPA Alum