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Graduate Certificate Program in Criminal Justice Leadership and Policy Development

Designed to support ethical leadership and evidence-based policymaking, UMass Lowell's online graduate certificate empowers you to lead reform in justice-related organizations.

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Alarm Clock Courses Start: May 18

Online Leadership & Policy Development Certificate

Designed for criminal justice managers, administrators and aspiring leaders, the flexible online Graduate Certificate in Leadership and Policy Development helps you strengthen your leadership and decision-making toolkit. You'll learn organizational structure, leadership styles and examine how laws shape policymaking and how policy shapes justice outcomes. The curriculum allows you to choose from additional policy, research or correctional leadership courses.

The graduate Leadership and Policy Development certificate provides essential management tools to deliver high-quality, cost-effective services in an ever-evolving field. As demands shift in criminal justice, from public policy to program evaluation, you'll build up-to-date skills tailored to real-world agency leadership and reform.

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Variety of Financial Aid and Scholarships Available

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Complete in 9 Months

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One of the Most Affordable Tuitions in the Nation

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No GRE Required

Career Outlook

43,705
Jobs (2023)
+10.8%
% Change (2023-2035)
$94K/yr
Median Earnings
3,900
Annual Openings
Source: Lightcast, Jobs in New England, 2025

Why Study Leadership and Policy Development at UMass Lowell?

  • Recognized public research university with programs built for busy professionals.
  • Faculty in the School of Criminology and Justice Studies bring expertise in various areas, including transnational crime, weapons of mass destruction, offender reentry, victim advocacy, and the intersection of mental health and the justice system.
  • Course content aligned with current policy trends, public safety, law enforcement, and community justice evolution.
  • Online delivery lets you complete the certificate without relocating or pausing your career.

One Success Leads to Another

Apply credits from lower credentials to higher ones. Our programs are designed to build upon themselves:

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Graduate Certificate Program in Criminal Justice Leadership and Policy Development
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Master of Arts in Criminal Justice

Curriculum Outline

-Total Courses Required: 4 (12 Credits)

Core Courses (2 Courses / 6cr)

Elective Courses (2 Courses / 6cr)

Course Descriptions

CRIM.5210 Managing Justice Organizations (3cr)

A range of criminal justice management issues are addressed, including organizational structure, purpose, rewards and relationships, leadership and management styles, and the development of effective change strategies by criminal justice agencies. The complex role of the criminal justice manager in both the adult and juvenile justice system is emphasized.

CRIM.5230 Issues in Policing (3cr)

The course provides a foundation for understanding policing in the United States. The American public has voluntarily given the police the right to use coercive force; and yet, the modern police force is often taken for granted with little analysis of its function in a free society. The implications of this function provide the context for the current course, which reviews fundamental issues, both historical contemporary, in policing a democratic society. Such issues include, but are not limited to: the police function, culture, discretion, misconduct, legitimacy, accountability, and contemporary reforms.

CRIM.5910 Research Design (3cr)

Research design is a graduate-level introduction to methodology as used in criminology/criminal justice. The course surveys the research design enterprise and covers a host of issues on the measurement and collection of data, and other procedures that influence whether a research study will lead the investigator to scientifically rigorous information. This course explains various strategies for devising social science studies, compares the relative benefits of various designs, and identifies the tools necessary to conduct studies that will yield data worthy of analysis and interpretation. This material will be valuable for students who will conduct research and administrators who must evaluate the research of others.

Requirements:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

CRIM.6130 Law and Public Policy (3cr)

The course is an introduction to crime and the efforts to control crime through public policy. We explore the foundations of the policy-making process at the federal, state, and local levels. The course also considers broad theoretical applications pertaining to public opinion, national culture, and comparative analyses among Western democracies and their differing approaches to crime. This course employs a variety of learning tools, from roundtable discussions to policy cases.

Requirements:

CSCE Graduate Restrictions

Graduate Certificate Requirements

Students enrolled in graduate certificate programs through UMass Lowell must complete all courses indicated in the curriculum outline. Students may complete the certificate program at their own pace by registering for and successfully completing one or more courses each semester, depending upon his/her personal time constraints. Students are required to maintain a minimum grade point average of 3.000 with no more than one course grade below B to receive the certificate.

Online courses meet throughout the year during the Fall, Spring and Summer semesters (see Calendar for details). Online students generally log into their online course website one or more times per week to retrieve lectures and assignments or to participate in a chat session. Online students should expect to spend 6 to 10 hours per week engaged in course-related activities for each course. For more information on online courses, visit our online program home page .

Completing a Graduate Certificate Program

Graduate certificate courses must be completed within a five-year period with a minimum 3.000 grade point average and no more than one course with a grade below B. Once all courses for a graduate certificate have been completed, students must complete and submit the Graduate Certificate Clearance Form. Students must submit their clearance form to their coordinator. The coordinator will apply them in SIS, Graduation Tracking.

Tuition & Fees

Tuition at UMass Lowell is typically half the cost of private colleges, and our online tuition is among the lowest in the nation. Tuition for online programs offered through the Division of Graduate, Online & Professional Studies is the same whether you live in-state, out-of-state or outside of the U.S.

Summer 2026 Tuition

 Cost Per Credit Cost Per 3-Credit Course*

Graduate
Online $610 $1,830
Online Business1 $655 $1,965
Online Engineering2 $625 $1,875
Online Education3 $470 $1,410
Online 7000-Level Education $750 $2,250
Online HyFlex $750 $2,250
Select Online Nursing M.S. courses4 $750 $2,250
Select On Campus courses5 $610 $1,830
All other On Campus courses6 View Here
*Tuition is priced on the listed credit hour unless the contact hour is different. Tuition is then based upon the listed contact hour.
1Applies to ACCT, BUSI, ENTR, FINA, MGMT, MKTG, MIST and POMS courses.
2Applies to courses with the following prefixes: BMBT, BMEN, CHEN, CIVE, EECE, ENGN, ENGY, ENVS, IENG, MECH and PLAS excluding online hyflex courses.
3Applies to EDUC courses excluding 7000-level courses.
4Applies to NURS.6510, NURS.6511, NURS.6512 and NURS.6513 courses.
6Applies to graduate on campus courses excluding select courses

Additional Costs

 Cost
Term Registration Fee $30
Returned Check Fee $30
Graduate Degree and Certificate Application $50

Please note: Tuition and fees are subject to change.

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Looking for Financial Assistance?

UMass Lowell offers a variety of financial aid and scholarship options.

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Applying into a Graduate Certificate Program

You can apply anytime. There are no deadlines. Applications are accepted throughout the year.

All applicants must submit:
  • An application
  • An application fee ($50)
  • Official transcripts
  • Official test scores
    • GRE not required
    • If English is NOT the national language in your home country, please submit one of the following English proficiency tests:
      • TOEFL: minimum acceptable score is 79
      • IELTS: minimum acceptable score is 6.5
      • Duolingo: minimum acceptable score is 115
      • ASC English: minimum acceptable level is 6
      • PTE: minimum acceptable score is 53

Admission Requirements

  • Bachelor's degree with a minimum 2.800 GPA from an accredited institution

Additional Information

F1 student visas are not issued for this program.

You may apply to more than one certificate program but can only take 12 credits maximum before enrolling in an advanced degree.

Certificates must be completed within 5 years.

Official transcripts can be sent to us directly from your previous institution either electronically or mailed to:

Graduate Admissions
University of Massachusetts Lowell
839 Merrimack St., Floor 2
Lowell, MA 01854-5104

We cannot accept previously opened transcripts, photocopies, PDF email attachments or faxed transcripts.

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Questions Regarding Your Graduate Application?

Email Graduate_Admissions@uml.edu or call 800-656-4723 (for U.S. students) or 978-934-2390 (for international students).

For General Assistance:

For general questions about registering for courses or to find out who the advisor is for your graduate program, call 800-480-3190. Our admissions and advising teams are here to help!

Out-of-State

Information for Out-of-State Students

International

Information for International Students

Complete Your Online Graduate Certificate Program in Criminal Justice Leadership and Policy Development from an Award Winning Public University.

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