Degrees & Programs Offered
Undergraduate Degree Programs
B.A., Justice
The applied nature of the degree results in graduates with a B.A. in justice who can compete for positions in various justice employment fields. Justice juniors and seniors also enjoy opportunities for internships with various justice agencies. We have a dedicated advising team to help you explore your options and guide you throughout your program of study.
In addition to being offered at the Troth Yeddha' campus in Fairbanks, Alaska, the criminal justice degree is available entirely online through eCampus.
Our innovative program provides a strong emphasis on restorative justice — working with victims, offenders and the community to repair the harm caused by criminal behavior. Our criminal justice degree also explores justice in rural environments and tribal justice systems.
Restorative Justice Initiative
UAF’s Restorative Justice Initiative specializes in helping people through crises. The program is a collaborative effort by the UAF Justice Department and Alaska Court System to introduce a pretrial system for certain nonviolent offenders. The program is led by Jeff May, J.D., and the UAF Justice Department interns.
Earn Credits for Previous Experience
Undergraduate Course Descriptions
Survey of the structure and process of the agencies of criminal justice. Includes introduction to criminology, criminal law, police, courts and corrections. Also available via Independent Learning.
Prerequisites: None
Credits: 3
JUST F110X Intro to Justice (3 credits) OR substitution from LE F115 (Enforcement Skills Law Officers)
An introduction to adult institutions, community- based programs, and theories of incarceration. Correctional programs are examined.
Prerequisites: JUST F110 and junior standing.
Credits: 3
Students who have completed a Correctional Academy can earn (9) credits of Justice electives towards their degree.
A study of various treatment and rehabilitative/restorative methods utilized in correctional settings.
Topics include the roles of correctional personnel, the assessment and treatment of juveniles and adults, casework in correctional settings, crisis intervention and the assessment and treatment of special populations in the correctional setting.
Prerequisites: Junior standing: Just 310 Eng. 211x or 231x or permission of instructor
Credits: 3
Application of the western justice system to remote northern Native villages including issues arising from cultural conflicts, difficulties associated with a centralized justice system serving distant roadless communities, the federal/Indian relationship, and a description of crime occurring in the villages.
Prerequisites: 3
Credits: 3
Application of the western justice system to remote northern Native villages including issues arising from cultural conflicts, difficulties associated with a centralized justice system serving distant road-less communities, the federal/Indian relationship, and a description of crime occurring in the villages.
Prerequisites: JUST F110 and junior standing.
Credits: 3
JUST F345 Police Problems (3 credits) OR substituted from LE F120 (Law Enforcement Operations)
A study of elements, purposes and functions of the substantive criminal law with emphasis upon historical and philosophical concepts.
Prerequisites: JUST F110; junior standing.
Credits: 3
JUST F352 Criminal Law (3 credits) OR substituted from LE F205 (Criminal Law for Police)
The justice program focuses on the American Justice System with an emphasis in restorative
processes, alternative dispute resolution, and Alaska justice. This course focuses
on the development of philosophy and law and the historical and modern practice of
justice throughout the world. Prerequisites: Comm. 131x or Comm. 141x;Just. 110; Just.
251 or
permission of instructor.
(3+0)
Offered Fall. The legal limitations of the police and the right of the people to be secure from the government under the protections of the Constitution and the Rules of Evidence.
Prerequisites:ENGL F111X; JUST F110; junior standing.
Credits: 3
Theories of delinquency, the extent of delinquency, the historical development of juvenile justice, the juvenile system, and how it impacts on youth in relation to police, courts, institutions and community programs. Includes youth violence, gangs, gender, race and class.
Prerequisites: JUST F110 and JUST F251, or permission of instructor.
Credits: 3
Advanced study of the elements of criminal procedural law. Emphasis on the legal limitations
of the police and the right of people to be secure from the government under protections
of the U.S. Constitution and “rules of evidence.” Prerequisites: JUST F110; JUST F354;
ENGL F111X; ENGL F211X or F213X; and junior standing; or permission of instructor.
(3+0)
Internship provides students with a supervised experience in a criminal justice agency/setting. Placements include, but are not limited to, Law Enforcement, Probation, Law Practices, and Prosecution/Defense agencies. Prerequisites: Justice Major, Junior standing, minimum 3.0 Cumulative Grade Point Average (GPA) Departmental approval required.
UAF Justice students have participated in Internships through a variety of agencies including, but not limited to, Adult/Juvenile Probation, Fairbanks Police Dept., Alaska State Troopers, District Attorney’s Office, Public Defender Agency, Alaska Court System, offices of private attorney’s, Fairbanks Community Restorative Justice (partnership with Alaska Court System), Alaska Court System, and UAF Office of Students Rights and Responsibilities. Internships offer practical experience, along with career exploration in a professional setting.
JUST F475 Internship (3 credits) OR substituted from LE F125 (Basic Police Procedures)
JUST F400 Forensic Investigations
3 Credits
Offered As Demand Warrants
Course explores forensic investigation techniques used to preserve evidence for trial. The history and purpose of forensic inquiries are explored. A variety of investigative techniques including hair and fiber analysis, botany, fingerprinting, DNA profiling, blood spatter, toxicology, handwriting analysis, entomology, casts and impressions, and ballistics, among other evidence is examined.
Have you chosen your minor? The very interdisciplinary nature of the College of Liberal Arts means that you have so many options when it comes to tailoring your degree program so that it is just right for you. Here are some minors that students have paired with a B.A. in Justice:
Minor in Justice
The minor requires the completion of 15 credits in justice.
Graduate Degree Programs
M.A., Justice Administration
The justice discipline represents a melding of theoretical and applied concepts, and the M.A. degree in justice administration reflects that dichotomy. Consequently, students not only explore theoretical models associated with different aspects of the criminal justice system but also study its structure and administration.
The M.A. degree in justice administration has been designed as a web-based degree program in order to accommodate the needs of justice professionals for whom taking a two-year leave of absence from their profession is not feasible, or for whom relocating to the Fairbanks vicinity is not possible. The M.A. degree program has attracted justice professionals from throughout the country who have found the flexibility of a web-based format useful.
M.A. Degree Map
Admission Requirements
In general, applicants may be admitted to a graduate program if they have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution with at least a 3.0 (B) cumulative undergraduate GPA and a 3.0 (B) GPA in their major. For the purposes of admission to graduate study, all grades, including those generated from retaking a course, are included in calculating GPA.
The Justice Department requires the following:
- Completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution.
- Any students with a GPA lower than 2.75 will be required to submit scores from the GRE.
More information can be requested through our Department Administrator of the Graduate School.
Applications
Applicants should apply to a graduate degree program at least six to nine months before the beginning of the semester in which they plan to enroll.
Graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply early. Applications received near the deadline will be processed as time permits or may be considered for the following semester.
Should you decide to apply for admission to our graduate program, please go to UAF Admissions to begin the application. Please submit all parts of your application to Graduate Admissions, this includes:
Apply online. Applications must be received before the published deadlines, along with a $75 nonrefundable application fee. Applications submitted after the published deadlines have a $100 nonrefundable application fee. Departmental deadlines may allow for applications past the published deadlines.
The Office of Admissions requires official transcripts of all college-level coursework. To be considered official, transcripts must arrive in sealed envelopes or by a secure electronic service from each institution attended. Students with coursework from international institutions must submit transcripts to SpanTran or Word Education Services (WES).
Transcripts for International Applicants
See Applying for Admission: International Students page for additional information.
Please submit a sample of your strongest writing, such as a research paper written during your senior year of undergraduate work;
This should be a 500-word statement that addresses:
- Your academic and professional background and what you would bring to the program;
- The line of study you want to pursue in the program (concentration, focus of coursework, and research)
- TOEFL score of 550 or higher if your native language is not English
- GRE-
- Students with a GPA above 2.75 will be required to submit a score from the Watson-Glaser Critical Thinking Exam.
- Any students with a GPA lower than 2.75 will be required to submit scores from the GRE.
Deadlines to apply to the graduate program are:
- October 15: spring semester
- May 1: summer sessions
- June 1: fall semester
- March 1: fall semester
- September 1: spring semester
Course Requirements
Students must complete a minimum of 30 credits, which they can do following either a non-research path OR a research path. The non-research path consists of 30 credits of coursework. The research path consists of 30 credits of coursework where 6 credits are research project or thesis work. Students opting for the research path must pass an oral defense examination of their thesis or project.
Students must complete JUST 605, JUST 610, JUST 615, JUST 620, JUST 625, JUST 640 and Just 690 as well as 9 credits of Justice or other approved electives.
F400-level (up to 6 credits) or graduate-level (up to 9 credits) credits may be used as substitutes if transferred from the FBI National Academy, Command and General Staff College, Command College, Southern Police Institute or similar programs approved by the American Council on Education (e.g., graduate certificate relevant to justice from another institution).
Browse previously published work by Justice Administration graduate students from the University of Alaska.
Funding
There are several ways that Justice graduate students can obtain funding.
Scholarships
Graduate Certificate,
Justice Administration
The graduate certificate in justice administration has been designed as a web-based degree program in order to accommodate the needs of justice professionals for whom taking a year's leave of absence from their profession is not feasible, or for whom relocating to the Fairbanks vicinity is not possible. The graduate certificate program offers candidates an opportunity to pursue graduate-level work without expending the time or resources needed for a full graduate degree.
Graduate certificate programs are designed to provide education past the baccalaureate level and/or to meet clearly defined educational needs of students who have already completed a master’s degree. Completion of a graduate certificate should prepare students to better accomplish their goals or meet employment criteria. This program provides the student with formal recognition of mastery of a clearly defined academic topic.
Graduate Certificate Map
Admission Requirements
The Justice Department requires the following:
- Students must have a completed baccalaureate degree.
- Students must possess either prior education specific to justice, criminal justice, public administration-related work experience or a combination of both with the approval and review of the program director to enter the justice administration graduate certificate program.
- If the degree is in a non justice or public administration-related field and the student has a 3.0 or higher cumulative GPA, students will be required to start with one 400-level course, that is an elective option for the degree.
- Students who have already obtained a graduate degree will not be required to complete an entrance exam or complete a 400-level course first.
- Students with a baccalaureate degree with a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher in a related field will not have any additional testing or entry course requirements.
- Students with a cumulative GPA between 3.0 and 2.75, regardless of the field of study, will be required to complete the Watson Glaser Critical Thinking Exam.
- Students with a cumulative GPA below 2.75, will be required to submit results from either the GRE or GMAT.
More information can be requested through our Department Administrator of the Graduate School.
Application
Applicants should apply to a graduate degree program at least six to nine months before the beginning of the semester in which they plan to enroll.
Graduate students are strongly encouraged to apply early. Applications received near the deadline will be processed as time permits or may be considered for the following semester.
Should you decide to apply for admission to our graduate program, please go to UAF Admissions to begin the application. Please submit all parts of your application to Graduate Admissions, this includes:
This should be a 500-word statement that addresses:
- Your academic and professional background and,
- How the Graduate Certificate will help you attain your educational, professional, and/or personal goals.
Applicants with transcripts from non-U.S. colleges and universities must submit a World Education Services (WES) or another National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (NACES) certified evaluation as part of their application.
Students from Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington and Wyoming may be eligible for resident tuition through the Western Regional Graduate Program/Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education. This program is for students pursuing a graduate degree in administration of justice, Arctic and Northern studies, or rural development. For more information about this program, contact the Graduate School at 907-474-7464 or uaf-grad-school@alaska.edu. Students with questions may also contact the WICHE Student Exchange Program at P.O. Box 9752, Boulder, CO 80301-9752, or 303-541-0210.
Deadlines to apply to the graduate program are:
- October 15: spring semester
- May 1: summer sessions
- June 1: fall semester
- March 1: fall semester
- September 1: spring semester
Course Requirements
Students must complete the general university requirements, the graduation certificate requirements and a minimum of 12 credits of coursework.
The 12 credits of coursework include JUST 605, JUST 620 and JUST 625, as well as 3 credits from either JUST 610, JUST 615, JUST 640 OR another approved Justice course.
Students may apply 3 units (graduate-level credits) from the FBI National Academy, Command and General Staff College, Command College, Southern Police Institute (Univ. of Kentucky) or similar programs approved by the American Council on Education (e.g., graduate certificate relevant to justice from another institution).
Browse previously published work by Justice Administration graduate students from the University of Alaska.
Funding
There are several ways that Justice graduate students can obtain funding.
Scholarships
For more information