Criminal Justice, MSCJ

Jace Valcore, Ph.D., MSCJ Program Director
C340M, 713-221-8133
valcorej@uhd.edu 

The degree is designed to prepare graduate students to provide leadership, critical thinking, and knowledge in the areas of criminological theory, program evaluation, and criminal justice administration. The curriculum provides for the development of skills in criminal justice planning, implementation, and evaluation in order to ensure that the management and administration of the criminal justice system is effective, efficient, and responsive to the needs of the community. The degree is particularly beneficial for students already working in a criminal justice occupation and who wish to:

• increase their professional knowledge and skills or obtain employment in a criminal justice agency
• teach at the community college level, and
• pursue a doctoral degree.

Admission is competitive and selective and is designed to identify applicants who have the ability, interest, and qualities necessary to successfully complete the program and the potential to contribute to the field of criminal justice. MSCJ applicants must indicate whether they intend to complete the program through traditional face-to-face courses or fully online. Students must take their coursework in the format they have chosen. Students will be allowed to take up to six hours of credit in the alternative format; exceptions or waivers for additional hours in the alternative format may be granted upon student petition to the MSCJ Director and the Department Chair.

Program Outcomes

Graduates who earn a MS in Criminal Justice will be able to:

1. Interpret and apply techniques of statistical analysis to the study of crime and justice.
2. Apply theoretical concepts to the study of crime and justice.
3. Identify, describe, and communicate current issues in the criminal justice system.
4. Apply knowledge of the operations of the criminal justice system to develop solutions to the specific problems of criminal justice agencies.
5. Design a research plan to evaluate criminal justice programs, policies, or issues in the study of crime and justice.

Admission Requirements

To be eligible for admission, an applicant will be required to present the following:

• Must have earned a baccalaureate degree conferred by a regionally-accredited institution
  • Official transcripts, submitted to the Office of Admissions, of all academic work previously undertaken, including graduate-level courses or degrees
  • Transcripts should show completion of the following:
    • Criminology, Sociology, or Psychology Theory course(s)
    • Statistics or Quantitative Data Analysis
    • Research Methods
    • If an applicant does not have these required prerequisites or functional equivalents, they may be required to complete them prior to full admission and/or may be granted admission on a conditional basis.
  • Major or minor in criminal justice or related field is strongly preferred
• Cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher (on a 4-point scale)
  • Emphasis is placed on the final 60 credit hours of study
• Three (3) letters of recommendation that address the applicant’s potential for success in graduate school, including written and oral communication skills, professionalism, leadership potential, and critical thinking skills.
  • Letters should be from former/current professors who can speak directly to the applicant’s academic skills and potential
    • Applicants who have not been enrolled at a university in the past 5 years may submit letters from employers, but must make an effort to get a letter from at least one former professor
    • Applicants who do not meet the 3.0 minimum GPA requirement are expected to obtain all three letters of recommendation from professors
• Completion of admission essay that demonstrates strong writing skills, rationale for seeking the MSCJ degree, and commitment to completion
• For graduates of universities where English is not the native language: minimum TOEFL scores of 550 with section scores of 50 or higher.

Preferences:

• Major or minor in criminal justice or a related field from accredited university. Otherwise, additional preparatory course work will be needed.*
• Undergraduate GPA of 3.0, or higher, on a 4-point scale for the final 60 semester hours of study.*
• Admission essay demonstrates strong writing skills, a commitment to completing the degree, and a strong rationale for wanting this specific degree.
• Completion of a previous master’s degree in any field, from an accredited institution.
• Authoring of publication(s) - technical, professional or academic.
• Research experience.
• Grant-writing experience.
  *Primary attention is paid to these preferences.

Any student accepted into the Master of Science Criminal Justice program may be required to take undergraduate course work in Criminal Justice. Applicants who have earned a graduate degree in a field other than criminal justice at an accredited institution, and who meet all other admission requirements are required to submit all graduate transcripts.