Admission Requirements: Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Bachelor’s Degree

A bachelor’s degree (in any field of study) from a regionally accredited university.

Letters of Recommendation

At least two professional or academic letters of recommendation from individuals you have known for a minimum of one year, presented on corresponding professional letterhead. At least one letter must be from a current or past supervisor.

Personal Goal Statement

The personal goal statement should explain how the Master of Science in Criminal Justice will further your career goals in less than 500 words. You may also provide any other information about your ability to succeed in our program that you’d like us to consider.

Current Resume or CV

Must provide a current resume or CV.

Minimum GPA

An overall 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) or higher from all previous undergraduate coursework. An overall 2.75 GPA will be considered for acceptance with at least one of the following:

• Five years of criminal justice work experience (does not include social work)
• Nine hours of graduate coursework with a 3.0 GPA or higher with a regionally accredited college or university
• A minimum combined score of 300 on the verbal and quantitative parts of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) taken within five years of your application.

Minimum TOEFL Score

International applicants must have a minimum TOEFL (Test of English as a Foreign Language) score of 550 (paper version) or 190 (electronic version) to be considered for acceptance.

Transfer Credits

Have you already completed some graduate study? You may transfer up to 9 hours of graduate credit in criminal justice or criminology courses from a regionally accredited college or university. These credits must have been earned within the last five years prior to entrance into the program and can be used only for general electives. Talk to your Enrollment Services Advisor to discuss the petition process.

Fast Track Admission

Automatic admission into the MSCJ-DL program for undergraduate students who graduate from UC.

• Cumulative GPA of 3.50 or above (for courses completed at UC)
• Earned 4-year undergraduate degree from UC
• Graduated from UC within the past 5 years (15 academic semesters)
• Any major applies (not limited to Criminal Justice majors)
• Must still complete the application and pay the application fee, but if the student meets the above requirements they will be automatically admitted to the program
  • Starting Fall 2024, the Fast Track application process removes the Statement of Purpose/Personal Statement, CV/Resume, and Letter of Recommendation requirements from the application for qualified applicants; submission of transcripts as part of the application process is still required
• Letter of recommendation will be waived as a requirement (a generic letter signed by the MS DL Director or the Associate Director will be provided to meet Graduate School requirements)