Admission Requirements: Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Next Term Application Deadline

December 06, 2022

Total Credits

Next Term Starts

January 09, 2023

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Admission Requirements

Admission into the University of Cincinnati’s Master of Science in Criminal Justice online program is selective and based on meeting the requirements outlined below. A background in criminal justice is not required for this program.

Prerequisites

Bachelor’s Degree (in any field of study) from a regionally accredited university
At least two professional or academic letters of recommendation from individuals you have known for a minimum of one year – at least one letter must be from a current or past supervisor
A personal goal statement
Current resume or CV
An overall 3.0 GPA (on a 4.0 scale) or higher from all previous undergraduate coursework

– OR –

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*
  - *The GRE is not needed with a 3.0 GPA or higher

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor's Degree Letters of Recommendation Personal Goal Statement Current Resume or CV GPA Requirement TOEFL Scores Transfer Credits

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 advisor to discuss the petition process.