Criminal Justice

Admission Requirements

Procedure for Admission to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) Program

Prospective students are required to submit the following:

• Application form
• Official transcripts for bachelor or graduate degree granting institution.  (All credentials earned outside the United States must be evaluated by a NACES or AICE-member credential evaluation service).  Please speak with an admissions representative for more information.

 Specific requirements for admission to classified graduate status are:

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university.
• Completion of application for admission.
• A 2.7 overall grade point average or higher on completed requirements for the baccalaureate degree, or, an earned graduate degree from an accredited institution with a CGPA of 3.0 or higher.

Provisional Admission:

Applicants with an undergraduate degree CGPA of less than a 2.7, but not lower than a 2.3, or a graduate degree CGPA of less than 3.0, but not lower than a 2.7,  will be considered for provisional admission.  Students who do not attain a 3.0 GPA in the first quarter will be dismissed. Students cannot appeal the dismissal from the university as a result of failure to meet the conditions of provisional admission.

Foundational Undergraduate Courses for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Completion of an undergraduate statistics course (with a grade of C or better) is required for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice.  If the student does not have the course as part of their undergraduate degree the course needs to be completed in the first two quarters of the program.  Foundation undergraduate course credits do not count towards the total number of credits for graduation nor do they count in the Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA); however, they do count in determining the maximum time frame (MTF) and the Incremental Completion Rate (ICR). MSCJ students enrolled in foundation undergraduate course must successfully complete the course within their first three attempts or the student will be academically dismissed from the University.

Course Requirements

Outcomes

Offered at South University, Austin; South University, Columbia; South University, Montgomery; South University, Online Programs; South University, Richmond; South University, Savannah; South University, Tampa; South University, Virginia Beach; and South University, West Palm Beach.

The South University Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program is designed for individuals employed in the criminal justice system, as well as those in other careers, both public and private, who wish to acquire further education in criminal justice. Prerequisites are limited so that qualified students with bachelor's degrees in related fields such as criminology, psychology, business or public administration, anthropology, political science, sociology or related social sciences may enroll along with students who have undergraduate degrees in criminal justice.

The program is primarily designed to foster a learning community of criminal justice professionals who will use their knowledge within law enforcement, correctional, political, and legal arenas. Program graduates will be prepared to seek admission to doctoral programs in criminal justice, criminology, and related fields, as well as to seek advancement within law enforcement, correctional, local and state government, and legal institutions.

The goals of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program are to provide students with:

1. Professional skills necessary to assume leadership positions in the administration of criminal justice agencies.
2. Advanced knowledge and understanding of criminal justice institutions and processes, and current criminal justice policy.
3. Advanced knowledge and understanding of research methods and program evaluation techniques to effectively conduct and/or evaluate social policy research.

Program Student Learning Outcomes

Graduates will be able to:

1. Demonstrate mastery of skills in the areas of theoretical and applied criminal justice as well as in managerial principles and practices to effectively solve a variety of real-life problems within a complex organization.  
2. Understand the relationship between crime theory, crime policy, and professional practice.
3. Demonstrate interactive skills and learn behavioral strategies for improving systemic communication within and between criminal justice agencies.
4. Demonstrate the ability to effectively interpret and make use of research methodology by completing a final research project prospectus on a topic related to professional practice in an actual criminal justice agency.

Career Outlook