Criminal Justice (MS)
Admission Requirements
Anyone seeking admission to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program must submit an application to the Graduate School that includes the following:
- Transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work completed. The minimum requirement for admission is the Baccalaureate degree or its equivalent.
- Two letters of recommendation from individuals who can speak to the applicant's academic or professional capabilities.
- An original essay identifying the applicant's background, professional interests and goals. The essay should be 300-500 words and should allow the faculty to better understand the applicant's motivation and the potential for graduate work.
- Completed graduate application to the Graduate School.
In addition to other admissions materials, international students whose native language is not English must submit proof of language proficiency. The University of Louisville currently accepts TOEFL, IELTS and DET. Score reports are valid for two years and scores will be considered expired if the test was taken more than two years prior to the application deadline. The minimum score accepted for each test is below.
TOEFL: 79 iBT, 213 cBT, 550 pBT
IELTS: 6.5 (no sub-score lower than 5)
Duolingo English Test (DET): 105
For more information, visit English Language Proficiency Requirements.
The Department of Criminal Justice is committed to providing an opportunity to a diverse range of students. The Department of Criminal Justice has adopted the Council of Graduate Schools recommendation for a holistic approach to our admission criteria. Successful applicants will typically have a strong undergraduate record, and excellent letters of recommendation that speak to the nominee's scholarly ability and potential to succeed in a master's program. However, candidates may have other documented strengths that speak to the potential for success as evidenced by: prior research experience; exceptional community engagement or service; leadership experience; evidence of creativity or resilience; standardized test scores (GRE); or unique experiences or background that will contribute to our program.
The holistic review of applications allows our faculty to select the best students who fit the research areas offered within the department. Application information that highly influences the decision to offer admission includes the previous institution attended, research interests, grade point average, letters of recommendation, personal statements and resumes, and the experience, background or qualities that make the applicant eligible for admission.
Degree Requirements
A cumulative 3.0 grade point average must be maintained for all graduate coursework. Students may have no more than six (6) credit hours of grades of C and any grade of D must be repeated.
Students are advised to complete the Criminal Justice core courses prior to electives. Core or specific courses required for graduation total 15 credit hours with the remaining courses being electives or research.
Thesis Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 621 | The Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CJ 625 | Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice Management | 3 |
| CJ 643 | Theories of Crime and Delinquency | 3 |
| CJ 649 | Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 650 | Research Methods | 3 |
| Criminal Justice Electives - see list below | 15 | |
| CJ 699 | Thesis | 6 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 36 | |
Professional Paper Option
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 621 | The Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CJ 625 | Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice Management | 3 |
| CJ 643 | Theories of Crime and Delinquency | 3 |
| CJ 649 | Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 650 | Research Methods | 3 |
| Criminal Justice Electives - see list below | 18 | |
| CJ 698 | Professional Paper - WR | 3 |
| Minimum Total Hours | 36 | |
List of Approved Criminal Justice Electives - A minimum of three (3) credit hours must be 600+ level
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| CJ 500 | Crime and Criminal Justice in Film | 3 |
| CJ 505 | International Terrorism | 3 |
| CJ 507 | Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design | 3 |
| CJ 509 | Crime Analysis | 3 |
| CJ 510 | Managing Conflict, Change, and Justice | 3 |
| CJ 516 | Seminar in Juvenile Justice Issues | 3 |
| CJ 517 | Gangs in the United States | 3 |
| CJ 519 | Domestic and Family Violence | 3 |
| CJ 520 | Capital Punishment - WR | 3 |
| CJ 521 | Corporate and Financial Crime - WR | 3 |
| CJ 522 | Serial and Mass Murder | 3 |
| CJ 523 | Race and Gender in Criminal Justice - WR | 3 |
| CJ 530 | Introduction to Homeland Security | 3 |
| CJ 576 | Managing Organizational Performance | 3 |
| CJ 577 | Trauma Informed Policing | 3 |
| CJ 578 | Criminal Justice Leadership - WR | 3 |
| CJ 580 | International Service Learning: Criminal Justice Seminar | 3 |
| CJ 596 | Seminar in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 597 | Ethics in Criminal Justice - WR | 3 |
| CJ 602 | Criminal Justice History | 3 |
| CJ 605 | Police and Society | 3 |
| CJ 606 | Personnel Management in the Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CJ 607 | Seminar in Law and Justice | 3 |
| CJ 609 | Economic Analysis of Crime | 3 |
| CJ 610 | Theoretical Foundation of Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 611 | Critical Issues in Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 612 | Criminal Justice Administration: Police | 3 |
| CJ 613 | Advanced Comparative Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 614 | Seminar in Policing | 3 |
| CJ 626 | Emergency Management | 3 |
| CJ 627 | Computer and Cyber Crime | 3 |
| CJ 630 | Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience | 3 |
| CJ 644 | Seminar in Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| CJ 652 | Constitutional Issues in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 653 | Communities and Crime | 3 |
| CJ 655 | International Perspectives on Violence | 3 |
| CJ 656 | Crime Mapping | 3 |
| CJ 665 | Special Topics in Justice and Criminology | 3 |
| CJ 670 | Directed Studies/Readings | 3 |
| CJ 690 | Practicum | 1-6 |
| Electives from outside the Criminal Justice department must have the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies. | ||
