MA in Criminal Justice Admissions Information

Admission Requirements

MA Program applicants need to submit the following:

  • Transcript showing the completion of a BA or BS degree. Applicants with a GPA under 3.0 will be considered on a case-by-case basis
  • Three letters of recommendation (academic reference preferred)
  • Personal statement
  • 750-word essay on criminal justice issue or GRE results
  • Brief resume highlighting education and experience
  • TOEFL/IELTS/Duolingo score requirement for international students

Dual MA/MSW applicants should satisfy the above requirements, along with MSW requirements (see here). Dual JD/MA applicants should satisfy the above requirements along with the JD requirements (see here). Applicants to the Accelerated MA program should satisfy these requirements.

Application Deadline

The MA Program admits students in the Fall only. The priority decision deadline (first look) for applications is February 1. The regular deadline for applications is May 1 (March 1 for international students). Applications will also be considered on a rolling basis before and after these deadlines.

MA Requirements

Four Required Courses (12 Credits)

  • 27:202:522 Research and Evaluation
  • 27:202:523 Data Analysis and Management
  • 27:202:525 Justice, Law and Policy
  • 27:202:553 Master’s Project Seminar

Six Electives (18 Credits)

We provide varied course offerings in relation, for example, to policing, corrections, courts, cybercrime, juvenile justice, research methodology and more (see Course Descriptions & Syllabi). We also allow students to combine courses to earn certificates. Certificates are currently offered in Mediation, Financial Crime, and Data Analysis and Statistics (see MA Certificates).