Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Designed for current law enforcement or criminal justice professionals who want to progress to careers in the FBI, CIA or other federal security agencies, the M.S. in Criminal Justice program focuses on both practical skills and theoretical knowledge.
Course work is focused on the U.S. criminal justice system and policies, as well as theoretical foundations of crime control.
You will gain an understanding of:
- analytical tools
- planning and evaluation
- correctional issues
- homeland security
- police and constitutional law
- ethics and criminal justice leadership
Delivery Options
This online M.S. degree program gives you the depth and breadth of knowledge in law enforcement you need to pursue upper-level positions in criminal justice.
Admission Requirements
- Complete online application and pay a one-time application fee of $25
- A Bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited college or university in criminal justice, criminology, sociology or the equivalent. Students with undergraduate degrees in other field but with substantial work experience in criminal/juvenile justice may be admitted with special approval. Those without substantial work experience and with undergraduate degrees in other field may be admitted after taking specified undergraduate courses.
- GPA Requirements:
- Those with a GPA of 3.00 or higher on their last 60 Undergraduate hours will be admitted unconditionally
- Those with a GPA of 2.50-2.99 on their last 60 Undergraduate hours will be admitted provisionally and must maintain minimum grades of "B" in 9 hours of CRIJ courses
- Those with a GPA of 2.49 or below on their last 60 Undergraduate hours must meet Lamar University's Graduate admissions formula with the GRE and GPA:
- Undergraduate GPA (or last 60 hours, whichever is higher) x 50 + GRE Verbal + GRE quantitative =/or greater than 428
Applicants who do not meet all admission requirements may enter as pre-graduate, pending full admission to the program. Under pre-graduate status, the student must make up all deficiencies and earn at least a "B" average. No more than 6 hours of graduate credit may be earned prior to full admission.
Students may transfer in up to 6 hours of approved courses for this degree.
Send all required documents to:
Lamar University Online Admissions
PO Box 10017
Beaumont, TX 77710
OR
Submit electronically to luadmtran@lamar.edu
*All applicants must submit official, sealed transcripts from each institution attended to the Admissions Office. All degrees must be from a regionally accredited institution. Lamar University Office of Admissions will no longer require or college community college transcripts for graduate applicants. Official transcripts from all other institutions will be required. However, if a department or program wishes to review a community college transcript for decision purposes, the department or program may directly request the applicant to submit the official community college transcript(s) to the Office of Admissions for processing.