STAY RELEVANT IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING FIELD

The Drug Policy Management Certificate emphasizes policy development within the rapidly evolving field of drug enforcement, offender diversion, decriminalization, and treatment. To complete the certificate, you must complete nine hours of required coursework, including Theoretical Foundations of Criminal Justice, Criminal Justice Policy Deployment and Substance Abuse and Crime in the United States, and three elective hours focused on criminology. Elective hours include courses such as Global Drug Trafficking, Restorative Justice Programs for Drug Offenders, Human Trafficking, Drug Enforcement Operations and Management, Drugs and the Brain, and Gangs in the United States.

ABOUT THE DRUG POLICY MANAGEMENT CERTIFICATE

Graduate Certificates provide an opportunity for a focused program of graduate study in a specific topic. You may complete the certificate program while enrolled in a graduate degree program, or you may be admitted directly to the certificate program. The credit hours you take to complete your graduate certificate may be applied to a graduate degree program.

Program Type

12 hours that can be completed 100% online. 

Certificate Topics:

• Foundations of criminal justice
• Substance abuse and crime
• Victimology and restorative justice
• Program development, implementation, and evaluation
• Community corrections

Admission and Retention

Students may apply to be admitted to the Graduate College to pursue the certificate program, or they may complete the certificate program while currently enrolled in a graduate degree program.

For students applying for admission to pursue the certificate, the admission requirements and process are the same as for a degree-seeking student; however, students cannot be admitted on conditional status to a certificate program.

The Graduate Certificate Program Report will be completed during the term the last course is being taken.

Use of Certificate Graduate Credit Towards a Graduate Degree

Credit hours gained during a certificate program are eligible to be applied to a graduate degree at OU. However, in all cases, the specific hours that may be transferred to the graduate degree are subject to the prevailing rules regarding residence credit. Certificate hours completed while a student is enrolled in a graduate degree are not considered to be transfer credit.

Read further information from the Graduate College.

Certificate Program Planning Sheet:

Drug Policy Management Graduate Certifiicate Program Planning Sheet

Curriculum

Program requirements

This graduate certificate offers a program of graduate level coursework in Criminal Justice:

• Minimum of 12 hours of graduate credit, including a majority of 5000 and 6000 level courses
• Minimum 3.0 GPA required for successful completion
• No substitution of courses or transfer courses is allowed in the certificate program.

Required Courses

• Theoretical Foundations of Criminal Justice (three hours)
• Criminal Justice Policy Deployment (three hours)
• Substance Abuse and Crime in the United States (three hours)

Elective Courses (choose one)

• Global Drug Trafficking (three hours)
• Victimology and Restorative Justice (three hours)
• Community Corrections in the 21^st Century (three hours)
• Restorative Justice Programs for Drug Offenders (three hours)
• Human Trafficking (three hours)
• Drug Enforcement Operations and Management (three hours)
• Gangs in the United States (three hours)
• Program Development, implementation, and Evaluation (three hours)
• Drugs and the Brain (three hours)

APPLY FOR CERTIFICATE

1. First-time users: Go to the Graduate Application and then scroll down to bottom of page to create an account and then click “Start New Application.”
2. Select the term and Graduate Certificate application. Follow the on-screen prompts to fill out your application information.
3. Under Program Selection, choose Extended Campus Online for the campus associated with your intended program
4. Upload the following to the application:
   • Last Degree Conferring Transcript
   • Resume: Formatted in a professional manner, highlighting past work experience and education
5. Pay the $50 application fee. 

Note:  Upon admission, you will be required to submit official transcripts. Financial aid may be available to degree-seeking students only.