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Master's of Science in Criminal Justice

The Criminal Justice Masters Degree requires 36 semester units of course work. The program consists of six core courses and a series of electives. The program is designed to be completed in a two-year, full-time traditional program on CSULB's campus. In addition, we offer an off-campus accelerated master's program to be completed in 18-19 months of classes offered on Saturdays.

• To view the course requirements, click on on the links below:
  • M.S. Requirements for those Advancing to Candidacy During or After 2008
  • M.S. Requirements for those Advancing to Candidacy Prior to 2008
• To view the courses offered, click on the link below:
  • Graduate and Undergraduate Catalogs
• Press here to download our Graduate Student Handbook.

Admissions to the Graduate Program

• Application Deadlines

  The Department of Criminal Justice admits students once per year for fall start dates. The application deadlines are:

  • May 1: Fall semester application deadline to full-time M.S. program.
  • May 31: Application deadline to the next annual cohort of the accelerated M.S.-E program.

  Note: These deadlines are the dates on which application files must be complete. Thus, applicants must be sure that we receive all of the required materials (e.g., letters of recommendation, GRE scores, official transcripts, etc.) by the applicable deadline. Applications that are incomplete on the due date will not be reviewed. Applicants are, therefore, strongly encouraged to submit their application materials early.

  To view the online application instructions and university deadlines, click on the links below:

  • Application instructions
  • University admission deadline

• Admissions Process

  • Applying to the master's program in criminal justice at CSULB requires a dual application. One version of the application must be electronically submitted to the University using CSU Mentor. But being accepted to the University is only the first step; you must also be admitted to the master's program in criminal justice. That is accomplished by submitting hard-copies all of the materials specified below to the Department of Criminal Justice's Graduate Advisor.
    
    
  • When completing the online application at CSU Mentor:
    
    
    • the first item on the application form asks: TERM APPLYING FOR. Whether you are applying for the full-time, on-campus master's program or the accelerated, off-campus M.S.-E program, students should indicate the Fall semester and the year in which they desire to enroll (we do not admit students in the spring semester).
      
      
    • The second item asks: MAIN CAMPUS/OFF-CAMPUS CENTER. Applicants for the full-time, on-campus master's program should indicate "Main Campus"; applicants for the accelerated, off-campus M.S.-E program should indicate: “Special Session Degree Program.”
      
      

    • The third item asks: MAJOR/PROGRAM OBJECTIVE. Applicants for the full-time, on-campus master's program should indicate "Criminal Justice M.S."; applicants for the accelerated, off-campus master's program should indicate: “Criminal Justice M.S.-E.”

• Admission Requirements

1. Complete a University Application via CSU Mentor.
   
   
• When completing the electronic application, print-out two copies of the university application; then:
  
  
  • send a hard-copy of the completed application to the Criminal Justice Department; and
    
    
  • keep a copy for your own records.
• When applying for the off-campus accelerated program, please indicate this where it asks for "Program of Study."
2. Send official GRE scores (General Test Scores) to CSULB directly from Educational Testing Service (ETS). Scores must be from within three (3) years of the date of application and they must be received by CSULB before the application deadline.
   
   
   • Minimum Scores:
     
     
     • A score of 4.0 or higher (out of a maximum possible score of 6.0) must be earned on the GRE writing test to qualify for admission. Scores of 5.0 or higher are strongly preferred. Prospective applicants scoring 3.5 or lower on the analytic writing section of the GRE should not apply for admission to either of the master’s programs in criminal justice, as they will be automatically denied admission.
       
       
     • While the Department of Criminal Justice does not require any minimum scores on the verbal or quantitative sections of the GRE, the chances for admission are quite low for applicants who do not score of at least 400 on both the verbal and quantitative sections of the GRE (for a combined score of at least 800). Combined scores of 900 or higher are strongly preferred.
   • The General Test is offered year-round at computer-based test centers in the U.S., Canada, and many other countries. To see where you may take the computerized test, visit the ETS Test Center Listing web site.
     
3. Send an official transcript from each college and/or university you attended (including transcripts from community colleges) to CSULB's Enrollment Services.
   
   
   • Please Note: A minimum GPA of 2.5 overall is required for admission into CSULB's graduate programs. However, the Department of Criminal Justice typically only accepts students who earned a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher.
4. Submit three (3) letters of recommendation directly to the Department of Criminal Justice Graduate Program Coordinator.
   
   
   • Please Note: Letters from college professors who can address your research, writing, and analytical skills are strongly preferred. If, however, you are unable to get letters from former professors, then letters from work supervisors who can similarly address your research, writing, and analytical skills may be submitted. Please be sure to let your references know that their letters must be received by CSULB no later than the application deadline.
5. Send a résumé directly to the Department of Criminal Justice Graduate Program Coordinator. The résumé should describe your academic achievements (including honors and awards), extracurricular activities, as well as relevant work, internship, and volunteer experiences.
   
   
6. Write a typewritten personal statement application essay of approximately 1,000 words directly to the Department of Criminal Justice Graduate Program Coordinator. This essay should address your personal goals and objectives for earning a master's degree in criminal justice at CSULB.

• All of the items that are to be sent to the Department of Criminal Justice Graduate Program Coordinator (i.e., a hard copy of your online application, three letters of recommendation, your résumé, and your personal statement application essay) should be addressed to:

Please Note: When communicating by email, please do NOT send attachments without a brief note explaining who you are and what you are sending. Email with unexplained attachments will not be opened.

Course Prerequisites

It is important to note that some of our master's-level courses have undergraduate prerequisites that must be taken before graduate students may enroll. Some substitution for prerequisites are permissible; contact the Graduate Advisor for details.

The prerequisites are:

1. Graduate students must have taken CRJU 101: Introduction to Criminal Justice in Society, or an equivalent introductory criminology/criminal justice course during their undergraduate careers that exposed them to the primary components of the criminal justice system. Alternatively, students may take a qualifying exam demonstrating their understanding of the criminal justice system at a sufficient level to waive this requirement.
   
   
2. In order to register for CRJU 504: Advanced Criminological Theory, graduate students must have taken CRJU 304: Criminological Theory or an equivalent undergraduate course in theoretical criminology. Alternatively, students may take a qualifying exam demonstrating their understanding of basic criminological theory at a sufficient level to waive this requirement.
   
   
3. In order to register for CRJU 520: Research Methods, graduate students must have taken CRJU 320 or an equivalent undergraduate-level social scientific research methods course (in psychology, sociology, political science, or the like).
   
   
4. In order to register for CRJU 525: Advanced Statistics, graduate students must have taken CRJU 325 or equivalent undergraduate-level social scientific applied statistics course (in psychology, sociology, political science, or the like).
   
• Use ASSIST to determine which courses are transferable to CSULB.
  
  

• Although these prerequisite classes are offered at CSULB, you may take them at any college or university. If these classes are offered in departments other than criminal justice, you will need the approval of the Graduate Advisor.

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