Criminal Justice

MS Degree in Criminal Justice

Students will need to enter the program with a baccalaureate degree. Students will be required to have had one course in research methods, one course in statistics, and should document adequate background preparation or demonstrated potential in the field of Criminology or Criminal Justice. For admission to full-standing, students are required to achieve a minimum grade point average of 3.0 over their last 60 credit hours. Students will be required to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and submit all scores to the Graduate School.

Accelerated Master's Degree in Criminal Justice

The Accelerated Master’s program allows exceptional undergraduate criminal justice students to complete their Master’s degree in three semesters beyond the Bachelor’s degree.

ADMISSION PROCESS: Upon completion of 60 undergraduate credit hours, eligible Criminal Justice majors can apply to the Accelerated Master’s program. A minimum GPA of 3.5 for the Criminal Justice major, an overall cumulative GPA of 3.5, and successful completion of CJ 325 (Applied Research Methods) is required prior to admission to the program. Students may apply while enrolled in CJ 325, but must earn a minimum grade of “B” prior to beginning graduate coursework. Interested students may apply by completing an application on the NDSU graduate school website (www.ndsu.edu/graduateschool), requesting at least two letters of recommendation from faculty or instructors, and submitting a statement of intent explaining why the applicant wants to pursue a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. Interested students should apply early in the criminal justice program as credits from completed 400 level courses cannot be retroactively applied to the Accelerated Master’s program.

COURSES: Once admitted to the Accelerated Master’s program, students will take four 400/600 level courses (CJ 606 Crime and Delinquency; CJ 607 Deviant Behavior; CJ 660 Criminal Court System, and CJ 661 Corrections) to fulfill the requirements for their Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and also receiving credit toward a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. Students enrolling in these courses at the 600 level can expect additional reading and writing beyond expectations for students completing these courses for 400 level credit. Students are required to earn a minimum of a “B” in order for the course to count toward the Master’s degree. Failing to earn a “B” in any of the 400/600 cross-listed courses will be allowed one “re-take” of that course. Students receiving anything below a “B” in a retaking of a 400/600 level course will be removed from the program and will not be allowed to re-apply for admission into the Accelerated program or the traditional Master’s program. Transfer credits from courses completed at other universities are not accepted for the Accelerated Master’s program. Upon successful completion of the requirements for a baccalaureate degree, students will begin taking 700 level graduate courses.