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Guide to Master's Degree

How to Get a Master's Degree in Juvenile Justice

Juveniles convicted of crimes present a unique challenge for the criminal justice system. With respect to juvenile offenders, the justice system aims not only to punish but also to protect and remediate its young charges. To meet these goals, juvenile justice professionals work directly with youth or indirectly, shaping the justice system as it applies to them. Roles range from counseling and evaluation to high-level policy advocacy.

The graduate juvenile justice program helps you build the criminal justice expertise to function effectively as an administrative leader, researcher, or social worker. Earn a master's degree online or on campus in about two years, and graduate with an advanced credential in high demand across the juvenile justice sector.

WorldWideLearn.com helps you take the crucial first steps toward completing a master's degree in juvenile justice. Bring your career ambition and academic interests into focus, and pursue the education to make your professional goals a reality.

Guide to Master's Degrees in Juvenile Justice

Juvenile justice occupies a unique niche in the criminal justice discipline. Because the welfare of children is at stake, the field reaches out to resources in related social science fields--social work, developmental psychology, child education, and communication strategies. As a juvenile justice master's student, you have the opportunity to build:

To learn more about the discipline, see WorldWideLearn.com's Guide to College Majors in Criminal Justice. For information specific to juvenile justice, see Online Law and Criminal Justice Degrees in Juvenile Justice.

Professional and Academic Master's Degrees

Master's degrees in juvenile justice reflect different professional competencies. Options include:

Most of these degrees are available through digital graduate education, making them accessible for professionals who want to earn a master's degree online while they work. Learn more about your master's degree options at WorldWideLearn.com's The Master's Degree Explained and Master's Degrees Online.

Specializations

Specializations in juvenile justice can focus on a specific area of the justice system, an issue or problem in youth justice, or an applied professional role. Examples of a few specialized fields include:

Many degrees are designed to accommodate independent research interests, pursued under the guidance of a faculty expert in the field.

Career Track

A master's degree in juvenile justice qualifies you for high-level administrative, research, and social work counseling positions. Career paths include:

According to the U.S. Department of Labor, correctional specialists can expect "excellent" job opportunities in the decade ending in 2018, with jobs growing nearly twenty percent. Social workers also face favorable prospects, with 12 percent new employment overall and 20 percent growth for substance abuse and mental health social workers.

Plan for a Master's Degree in Juvenile Justice

A master's degree in juvenile justice exposes you to new career opportunities throughout the justice system. To take full advantage of the credential, plan your academic journey well in advance. The following steps position you for success.

Step One: Find the Right Graduate Juvenile Justice Program

With dozens of juvenile justice and criminal justice master's degree programs to choose from, it's important to do your homework before you apply. Narrow down your options and identify the right campus or online graduate program for you.

1. List Accredited Programs
Survey your options by accessing lists of accredited master's degree programs. To get a full sense of your options in the field, consider both juvenile justice master's degrees and criminal justice degrees with a concentration in juvenile justice.

Accreditation is an important baseline requirement at this initial stage in your research. Periodic program reviews by independent third parties speak to the value of your degree on the job market, the quality of your education, and your eligibility for federal financial aid programs. The U.S. Department of Education website posts a searchable database of approved accreditation agencies.

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2. Choose Program Format: Campus or Online Master's Degree?
In an effort to accommodate working professionals interested in upgrading their academic credentials, more and more graduate criminal justice programs are developing online and hybrid program formats. The option to earn a master's degree online helps busy, mid-career adults access the virtual classroom without putting their career on hold. Hybrid programs combine online courses with in-person training via campus residencies or applied internships.

The right program format for you depends on:

Continuing undergraduates can benefit from the support and local resources of a campus program. Returning students, by contrast, can take advantage of the convenience, no-nonsense career training, and networking opportunities of an online program.

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3. Explore Academic Programs

Each juvenile justice master's degree program takes a slightly different approach to the discipline. Department resources influence the professional opportunities available to you. To get a sense of which program fits your goals, evaluate these features:

It's at this stage that your professional focus pays off. Look for programs that match your academic interests, with courses, faculty experts, internships, conferences, and prospective employers in your field.

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4. Evaluate Program Quality

Finally, assess each program on your list for quality and selectivity. Features to consider include:

Aim for a final list of five or six schools that represent strong educational value while remaining within your reach as an applicant. Your strength as a program candidate depends on your undergraduate GPA, standardized test scores, letters of recommendation, and in some cases, work experience.

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Step Two: Apply to Graduate Juvenile Justice Programs

Applications are pretty standard across the criminal justice academy. Expect to complete the following steps on the road to admission into a master's degree in juvenile justice.

1. Complete Prerequisites

Most graduate programs in juvenile justice specify the following eligibility requirements:

For help completing these requirements, turn to WorldWideLearn.com's Education Resources Guide. The guide features links to test preparation resources, prerequisite courses, and online learning advice.

2. Prepare Application Materials

Look for an application form and instructions on the school's website, or contact the admissions department for an application. Most criminal justice master's degree programs require an information form, application fee, and these supporting documents:

Because some of these documents arrive from third parties, it's important to start your application well in advance of the deadline.

3. Finance Your Master's Degree in Juvenile Justice
Distance graduate education has reduced the cost of going back to school by allowing professionals to earn a master's degree online while they work. Still, most graduate students rely on some financial aid to cover the cost of their graduate education. Financial aid options for a juvenile justice degree include:

Investigate these options with the help of a financial aid advisor, who can point you to the right programs and applications. Fill out university and/or federal FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) financial aid applications. To learn more about financial aid, visit the WorldWideLearn.com resource page on graduate education funding.

Step Three: Build an Academic Support Network

The interim period between applying and starting the program offers a golden opportunity to establish yourself within the academic community. Meet your peers and mentors, and learn about the issues current in your field of research today. Resources in your self-guided program orientation include:

The value of a graduate degree in juvenile justice depends as much on the people you meet as the knowledge you gain. Start building your network now, and you can have the support you need to thrive in the program and in your future career.

Conclusion

A master's degree in juvenile justice gives you the contacts, expertise, and perspective to make a difference in the field. Whether your hope is to reform the system or make a meaningful change in the lives of juvenile offenders, the graduate credential can help you attain a leadership role and realize your professional vision. Sources


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