Criminal Justice (MS)

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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.
  • Those applicants whose native language is not English and who do not hold a degree from a university where the language of instruction is English must also submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a minimum score of 80 on the Internet-based test (iBT) or 213 paper based test (PBT) or 550 (old test), IELTS score of 6.5 overall band score from the academic module exam or official Duolingo score of 105.

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

CJ 621The Criminal Justice System3
CJ 625Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice Management3
CJ 643Theories of Crime and Delinquency3
CJ 649Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice3
CJ 650Research Methods3
Criminal Justice Electives - see list below15
CJ 699Thesis6
Minimum Total Hours36

Professional Paper Option

CJ 621The Criminal Justice System3
CJ 625Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice Management3
CJ 643Theories of Crime and Delinquency3
CJ 649Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice3
CJ 650Research Methods3
Criminal Justice Electives - see list below18
CJ 698Professional Paper - WR3
Minimum Total Hours36

List of Approved Criminal Justice Electives - A minimum of three (3) credit hours must be 600+ level

CJ 500Crime and Criminal Justice in the Cinema3
CJ 505International Terrorism3
CJ 507Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design3
CJ 509Crime Analysis3
CJ 510Managing Conflict, Change and Justice3
CJ 516Juvenile Justice Issues3
CJ 517Gangs in America3
CJ 519Domestic and Family Violence3
CJ 520Capital Punishment - WR3
CJ 521White Collar Crime - WR3
CJ 522Serial & Mass Murder3
CJ 523Race and Gender Issues in Criminal Justice - WR3
CJ 530Intro to Homeland Security3
CJ 531Covert Operations in Policing3
CJ 576Managing Organizational Performance3
CJ 577Trauma Informed Policing3
CJ 578Criminal Justice Leadership - WR3
CJ 580International Service Learning: Criminal Justice Seminar3
CJ 596Seminar in Criminal Justice3
CJ 597Ethics in Criminal Justice - WR3
CJ 602Criminal Justice History3
CJ 605Police and Society3
CJ 606Personnel Management in the Criminal Justice System3
CJ 607Seminar in Law and Justice3
CJ 609Economic Analysis of Crime3
CJ 610Theoretical Foundation of Corrections3
CJ 611Critical Issues in Corrections3
CJ 612Criminal Justice Administration: Police3
CJ 613Advanced Comparative Criminal Justice3
CJ 614Seminar in Policing3
CJ 626Emergency Management3
CJ 627Computer and Cyber Crime3
CJ 630Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience3
CJ 644Seminar in Juvenile Justice3
CJ 652Constitutional Issues in Criminal Justice3
CJ 653Communities and Crime3
CJ 655International Perspectives on Violence3
CJ 656Crime Mapping3
CJ 665Special Topics in Justice and Criminology3
CJ 670Directed Studies/Readings3
CJ 690Practicum1-6
Electives from outside the Criminal Justice department must have the approval of the Director of Graduate Studies.