Programs

Criminology and Criminal Justice

Degrees Offered: MS, PhD

MS in Criminal Justice: The masters program in Criminal Justice concentrates both on the problem of crime as a form of deviant behavior, and on the criminal justice and private security systems that deal with it. The program emphasizes a systems approach to criminal justice, stressing policy development and analysis, as well as the impact these policies have on the individuals and organizations charged with delivering justice in a fair and equitable manner. Broad in concept and scope, it encompasses such related disciplines as law, sociology, political science, psychology, criminology, and public administration.  More>>

PhD in Criminology and Justice Policy: This program prepares students for academic careers as well as careers in research and policy development.  The program is small and student-centered with the goal of preparing students for academic and policy placements.  For full-time students it is expected that students entering the program with a bachelor's degree  will be able to complete the program in five to six years and students entering with a master's degree will be able to complete the program in four years. More>>

The Executive Master of Science in Criminal Justice Leadership is distinguished by its balanced emphasis on leadership and best policies and practices in criminal justice, while providing its students with a rigorous intellectual and philosophical foundation in an adult learning format. It combines experiential, urban, and global career-oriented learning through a combination of online courses and a week-long on-campus summer workshop. The program emphasizes themes of leadership, communication, integrity, and ethics, as well as best practices in the disciplines of policing/law enforcement, private security, corrections and community corrections.  More>>

Economics

Degrees Offered: PhD, MA

The Master of Arts degree in applied economic policy analysis is designed to serve the need for a terminal graduate degree for professional economists, government officials, and economic consultants, and to lay the groundwork for students who wish to pursue the PhD degree. Approximately twenty students enter the program each year. Whether we are in periods of economic growth or decline, periods of increasing regulation or deregulation, or in Republican or Democratic administrations, public and private sector employers are looking for PhD-trained economists in applied areas. The doctoral program in applied economics at Northeastern University is small and focused, with specialization in two fields: Industrial Organization and Labor Economics. More>>

English

Degrees Offered: PhD, MA

Graduate faculty members in the English Department at Northeastern University cover a spectrum of traditional literary fields from the medieval period to postmodernism, as well as composition and linguistics. In addition, many faculty members conduct research that cuts across the subjects and methods of traditional fields, including research on the Atlantic literary world from the Renaissance to the present; cultural studies, including material culture, film, feminist and queer theory; African-American and multi-ethnic literatures; and rhetoric.  More>>

History

Degrees Offered: PhD, MA

Boasting an energetic faculty that has achieved national and international recognition for its research, the Department of History at Northeastern University offers three programs of graduate study. The Ph.D. and MA programs focuses on global approaches to historical analysis in research and teaching, and the Master of Arts with a certificate in Public History is geared toward students who wish to work in historical organizations. The Doctoral Program is one of few Ph.D. programs in the country that specifically emphasizes world history as a primary field of study, and for its particular strengths in gender, social, and cultural history. Recently, the AHA Committee on Graduate Education cited Northeastern's World History Program as being in the vanguard of these studies. Each of the two Master's programs provides training to students who translate their Northeastern degrees into rewarding careers in teaching or into admission to leading doctoral programs in history throughout the country. The MA in Public History has achieved special recognition as one of the best of its kind nationally, preparing students for careers in museum and archives administration, historical preservation, editing, and in public history filmmaking and media. In all areas, the Department emphasizes close mentoring of students, training in a range of research methods and methodologies, and practical experience in teaching. Graduate students participate actively in the History Department Seminar, where they, along with faculty, are invited to present their research. Benefiting from Northeastern's location in Boston, students can take advantage of multiple research opportunities offered by a wealth of archives and libraries in the Boston area. In recent years the Department has been able to provide significant financial aid to more than eighty percent of incoming students.  More>>

Law and Public Policy

Degrees Offered: PhD, MS

Law and Public Policy is an interdisciplinary program that offers the Ph.D. and M.S. degrees. It prepares students for careers in research, teaching, government, non-profit, or legal institutions. Our courses examine how law, regulation, and policy interact with social structures and political institutions. Students gain a solid grounding in legal, social science, and humanistic research methods and a deeper knowledge base in their chosen area of law and policy. Students may take courses in all Northeastern colleges and schools, including the School of Law. The program values practical experience in its applicants and especially welcomes mid-career students, but it is open to all. The JD/MS program is also available.  More>>

Political Science

Degrees Offered: PhD, MA, MPA

The Doctor of Philosophy in Political Science provides theoretical and applied training related to the world of government and politics. The program covers four fields: comparative politics, international relations, American government, and public policy.  In addition to masters-level work, students complete doctoral seminars, qualifying examinations and a dissertation. The PhD program prepares students as practitioners, researchers, and teachers. 

The Master of Arts Program focuses on the core scholarly areas of political science. Students specialize in one of four concentrations: American government and politics, comparative government and politics, international relations, or public policy.  Courses in the MA program serve as a foundation for work in a doctoral program or as preparation for careers in government, nonprofit organizations, or the private sector. 

The Masters in Public Administration (MPA) Program is designed to integrate theoretical foundations with practical skills directed toward defining and developing analytical, conceptual and practical competencies in the public and non-profit sectors. With classes scheduled after 5 PM, and flexible enrollment options, the program is designed for both the full-time student and the professional, who is attending classes part-time. The MPA program is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Public Affairs and Administration (NASPAA), the membership association of graduate programs in public administration, public policy and public affairs.  More>>

Sociology

Degrees Offered: PhD, MA

The Department of Sociology and Anthropology is home to an exciting interdisciplinary graduate program that leads to a Ph.D. in Sociology. The scholarly interests of our faculty are diverse. Ongoing research projects range from quantitative analyses of inter-group attitudes to comparative and historical investigations of regional, national, and globally-based institutional changes. Within our graduate program, this diversity is organized around four overarching themes that represent key 'areas of concentration': globalization and international studies; urban affairs and community studies; gender studies; and social justice, conflict, and inequality. More>>

Urban and Regional Policy

Degree Offered: MS

The School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Northeastern University offers an exciting new interdisciplinary Master's of Science in Urban and Regional Policy (MURP). The program provides sophisticated analytical skills combined with a thorough understanding of how cities and regions work for graduates who will occupy key research and policy-making positions in an array of urban-focused public, non-profit and private sector institutions. Program graduates will be part of the next generation of key strategists in urban and regional policymaking, leaders with the ability to analyze global economic, technological and social trends, develop policy responses designed to enable their respective cities and regions to adapt to those trends, and move those policies toward implementation. More>>