Albany State University
Release: 06/12/08
Albany, Georgia

ASU to offer completely online master’s degree in criminal justice

Beginning in January 2009, students will be able to earn a master’s degree in criminal justice from Albany State University without ever stepping onto campus.

While other institutions offer a few criminal justice classes online, ASU will be the only institution in the University System of Georgia to offer a completely online master’s degree in criminal justice. Since 1980 ASU has offered a traditional master’s degree in criminal justice in the classroom. In April 2008, the USG Board of Regents approved ASU’s online Master of Science Degree in Criminal Justice.

“The new degree will run parallel to our on-campus program,” said Dr. Charles Ochie Sr., chair of the ASU Department of Criminal Justice and Forensic Science.

He said the decision to offer the completely online degree came from requests that he received.

“This is a great opportunity for our program and for Albany State,” Ochie said. “We’ve been receiving requests from people in all levels of law enforcement agencies asking if we had an online program. This provides an opportunity to enroll in this program without having to come to campus.”

The MS in criminal justice program will be offered through Georgia ONmyLine, a University System of Georgia website that provides access to online classes offered by all of the system’s 35 colleges and universities.
ASU is the only USG institution to offer the online master’s degree in criminal justice, but other institutions will offer the undergraduate degree programs. Through Georgia ONmyLINE, Darton College will offer a completely online associate’s degree in criminal justice, and Fort Valley State University will offer a completely online bachelor’s degree in criminal justice.

“We’re providing opportunities to people who are not able to come to campus,” Ochie said.  “It’s a milestone for us in that our department has been trying to do online classes for some time.”

Ochie credits Virginia Stewart, vice president for information and instructional technology, and Tarrah Mirus, director of instructional technology, with spearheading the effort to create the online MS degree in criminal justice.

ASU received a $100,000 loan from the University System of Georgia to develop and market the online MS in criminal justice degree. ASU contracted with Learning House to develop the online courses.

Learning House is assisting in the creation of the online degree program, including website design and instructional design. Learning House will also help generate leads for potential students, Mirus said.

According to Ochie, anyone with a bachelor’s degree in a social science can obtain the MS in criminal justice, but students without a criminal justice undergraduate degree may be required to take a few additional prerequisite courses.
“This degree is for people in law enforcement who are looking for a master’s degree, especially those who work in criminal justice agencies,” Ochie said.