4+1 College Pathway to the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice
The Criminal Justice 4+1 College Pathway program allows students to complete both a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree consecutively, while saving time compared to a more traditional route. The program is flexibly designed for students with a variety of ambitions that require or prefer Master’s degrees, such as those seeking: (1) positions in governmental or non-profit research organizations related to criminal justice; (2) promotions or advanced positions (e.g., “special agent”) in law enforcement; or (3) graduate training and an advanced degree to augment graduate or law school applications.
The Master of Arts in Criminal Justice provides two paths. Students seeking applied positions in criminal justice may wish to combine related coursework and practical experiences with the “substantial paper” option. Those nterested in pursuing further graduate studies at another institution may wish to pursue the more traditional “thesis” option.
Requirements
Students must satisfy all requirements for a baccalaureate degree in the College of Arts Sciences. While graduate courses are typically taken before completion of the baccalaureate degree, they cannot be applied to both the graduate and undergraduate degree. The courses will apply to the graduate degree once the baccalaureate degree has been conferred. Students must also satisfy all the University Graduate School's requirements for the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice.
- GPA Requirements. A minimum GPA of at least 3.000 overall and in any Criminal Justice courses taken.
- Written Statement. A 300- to 500-word statement of academic and professional goals.
- Transcripts. Official transcripts of all college-level coursework completed at the time of application.