James L. Hague, J.D., LL.M.
Program Coordinator
Email: jlhague@vcu.edu
The
Master of Criminal Justice program is a 36 credit hour degree described
in Program Curriculum.
Program
Overview
The graduate program in
criminal justice is designed to provide advanced educational
preparation for students and criminal justice professionals pursuing
careers in the field of criminal justice. Such preparation
includes understanding the range of theory, research and policy in
criminal justice. The curriculum is directed especially toward
assisting students in developing the advanced knowledge, skills and
abilities required by criminal justice professionals.
The
Master of Science in Criminal Justice Program requires 36 semester
hours of course work.
The
curriculum provides for the group of core courses and approved
electives noted on the curriculum outlines that follow.
The
Post-baccalaureate Certificate in Criminal Justice Program offers an
abbreviated graduate-level course sequence of 15 credit hours for
individuals with an academic and/or professional background in
criminal justice. The graduate programs are designed toe
accommodate both full- and part-time students. nearly all
courses are offered in the evenings after 4 p.m. Internships are
available for students without field experience.
Applying
for a Master of Science Degree or Post Baccalaureate Certificate in Criminal Justice ProgramThe
graduate school application materials required to apply for the
master's degree and post-baccalaureate certificate are on-line and can be downloaded from the Graduate
School website.
If
you wish to contact the Program Coordinator to discuss your interest in
the program, please email, call or write James L. Hague, J.D., LL.M. at
Email
jlhague@vcu.edu
Phone
(804) 827-0622
Graduate
Program in Criminal
Justice
Virginia Commonwealth University
923 West Franklin St., Room 315
P.O. Box 842028
Richmond, Virginia 23284-2028
Requirements
for Admission
There is no application
deadline for the Graduate Program in Criminal Justice. However,
we urge applicants to get their materials to the School of Graduate
Studies in plenty of time to get registered for the upcoming semester.
Specifically,
the application for admission requires:
-
a
minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.7 overall;
-
a
satisfactory score on a standardized examination (e.g. GRE, LSAT,
GMAT)
-
previous
evidence of ability to perform graduate-level work (where
applicable);
-
professional
experience in criminal justice (where applicable).
Acceptable
Examinations:
- Graduate
Record Examination (GRE)
- Graduate Management Admission
Test (GMAT)
-
Miller Analogies Test (MAT) *
-
Law School Admissions Test (LSAT)*
* Evidence of successful completion of an undergraduate math course
is required of applicants using the MAT and LSAT for admission to the
CRJS program.
Individuals
With Advanced Degrees
Persons
holding advanced degrees from fully accredited institutions
of higher education may be accepted as degree students without
submitting standardized examination scores.
Special
Student Status - Attending Courses Prior to or Without Formal Admission
Without
formal admission, but with departmental permission, a student may
take up to 9 credit hours of instruction. If appropriate, these
credits may be applied to the Master of CRJS. Taking such courses in no way
guarantees admission to either program.
Transfer
Credit
A
maximum of 9 semester hours of graduate credit from an accredited
institution may be applied toward the Master of CRJS with the
approval of the Graduate Program Coordinator. These
hours will not have been credited to another degree.
Requirements
for the Degree of Master of
Science
in Criminal Justice
A
student must complete a minimum of 36 semester hours, as approved,
with an overall grade point average of 3.0 or above. Students
who do not have at least one year of professional level experience
are encouraged to take a three semester credit intership as part of
their 36 semester hours.
Core
Curricula (Required Courses)
Master's
Degree in Criminal Justice
Required
Core (7 courses)
CRJS
501 Criminal Justice Assessment
CRJS
550 Professional Ethics and Liability
CRJS
601 Research Basis of Criminal Justice
CRJS
616 Justice Policies and Administration
CRJS
620/SOC 620 Seminar in Criminology
Comprehensive
Exam (required of all students)
CRJS
684 Comprehensive Exam
Approved
electives (5 courses)
Post-baccalaureate
Certificate in Criminal Justice
Required
Core (5 courses)
CRJS
501 Criminal Justice Assessment
CRJS
601 Research Basis of Criminal Justice
Select
3 from the following courses:
CRJS 550 Professional Ethics and Liability
CRJS 616 Justice Politics and Administration
CRJS 620/SOCY 620 Seminar in Criminology
For a detailed description of all CRJS graduate course
descriptions, click here.
Expectations
and Requirements
To
remain in good standing, students must maintain continuous registration
for each Fall and Spring semester (except for approved leaves
of absence) until they have completed all requirements. Students who
fail to register for two consecutive semesters (summer sessions included)
will be dropped automatically from the program and must reapply for
admission in order to continue. Exceptions to this policy will
be made on an individual basis by petition. A student who
reapplies after having been dropped for failure to register continuously
will be evaluated under the bulletin requirements in effect at the
time of readmission.
A
minimum grade point average of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale must be maintained.
Compliance with other University regulations is also required.
Computer
Proficiency
Familiarity
with basic microcomputer applications, including word processing,
spreadsheets, and presentation programs, is essential to successful
completion of the master's and certificate program. Familiarity with
basic Internet navigation is also recommended. Students lacking
in these skills are strongly urged to develop them prior to enrollment
or early in their program of study. While access to the Internet
is available on campus, it is generally advantageous for students
to have access through a connection at home or work.
Financial
Assistance Information
Fellowship
and scholarship opportunities are available through the VCU Financial
Aid office. Most of these require a student to be enrolled in at least
nine (9) credit hours per semester.
Include
in your letter of application, your request to be considered for scholarships
offered by the Department. For all other information regarding
financial assistance contact:
Financial
Aid Office
Virginia Commonwealth University
VCU's Financial Aid Office Online
901 West Franklin Street
P.O. Box 843026
Richmond, Virginia 23284-3026
Phone: (804) 828-6669
Fax: (804) 828-1120
TDD: (804) 828-6187
Email: faidmail@vcu.edu
