• Admission Requirements


• Degree Requirements


• Application Form


• International Student Information

The objective is to meet the needs of students who are preparing for careers in criminal justice as well as those planning doctoral study. Master's training focuses on development of knowledge and skills in the areas of management, administration, theory and research. The program is located at the nexus of theory and practice to insure that students are grounded in criminal justice theory, understand the practical implications of theory, and have the ability to perform rudimentary analysis of both theory and practice.

Doctoral students are prepared to pursue research positions in either the criminal justice industry or in academe. The curriculum is composed of 5 elements: a criminal justice theory core, a criminological theory core, a research methods core, a substantive specialty in either corrections, policing, or crime prevention and courses in professional development (research and teaching practice). The Doctor of Philosophy program is designed to immerse students in criminal justice theory and methods, therefore, admission to the doctoral program is limited to full-time students.

Admission Requirements

Full-time students are admitted in the Autumn Quarter only.

Applicants are expected to have a baccalaureate degree (any major) from an accredited institution. Applicants with bachelor's degrees are required to have a minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants with master's degrees are required to have a minimum graduate grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Applicants are also expected to present acceptable scores on the GRE, two (2) letters of reference and a personal statement.

Admission Requirements and Information for International Students

.Degree Requirements

Traditional Master of Science: Students must complete 45 hours of coursework. The curriculum is divided into four main area. First, the seven courses in the Core are aimed at establishing the conceptual basis for understanding crime and criminal justice, and provide a grounding in methods and statistics. Second, students select a concentration in one of three areas: Corrections, Law Enforcement and Crime Prevention, or the Administration of Justice and must complete 12 hours in their specialty area . Third, flexibility in the program is allowed through elective coursework. Students must also demonstrate master's level competency in criminal justice subject matter. This requirement can be met by passing a comprehensive examination or by successfully completing a “demonstration project”. The M.S. degree is intended to be completed in one academic year. Degree Checklist

Doctor of Philosophy: The criminal justice faculty have devoted considerable time to designing a curriculum that will firmly ground students in the core of the discipline of criminal justice/criminology. Students must complete 135 graduate credit quarter hours beyond the baccalaureate degree with at least a 3.0 GPA. The curriculum is flexible and required coursework is dependent on the substantive areas in which students wish to specialize. Students must specialize in either Criminology or the Criminal Justice System and must complete 15 hours of coursework in their selected area or 9 hours in the other area. Students must also select a substantive specialty and complete 12 hours of coursework in either corrections, policing, or crime prevention. In addition, students are required to pass 27 credit hours in criminal justice statistics and methods, and 6 credit hours in professional development. Doctoral students must pass 2 comprehensive examinations and complete a dissertation. The dissertation presents original criminal justice research and is defended publicly. A minimum residency of one year is required. Degree Checklist

Application Form

Graduate Studies On-Line Application