Master of Science in Criminal Justice

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Mission Statement

The mission of the LMU’s Master of Criminal Justice (MSCJ) program is to provide students with a high-quality education that inspires life-long learning, supports student and faculty development, encourages scholarly exploration and debate, and provides students with an understanding of the foundational principles of American justice.

Expected Learning Outcomes

  • To understand curriculum content areas recommended by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences Masters level program
  • To understand ethical and philosophical foundations of the American criminal justice system 
  • To possess advanced analytical thinking, research, and communication skills
  • To develop skills necessary to pursue professional careers or further graduate study

Admissions Requirements

  • Bachelor’s Degree – Student must complete a bachelor’s degree from an institution with regional accreditation or equivalent verification in the case of international degrees. An international degree must follow university policies in existence for certifying international degrees and/or credit.
    • Recommended undergraduate course work: Introduction to Criminal Justice and Criminology, or other courses on policing, corrections, and juvenile justice
  • Undergraduate Grade Point Average – Students must have achieved an undergraduate GPA of 2.75 or higher on a four (4)-point scale.
  • Letters of Reference – Two letters of reference from the applicant’s undergraduate instructors or one letter from an instructor and one from a professional source are required.
  • Personal Statement – Submit an essay detailing the student’s purpose for attending the LMU MSCJ program, relevant skills, qualifications, preparation, and a statement of goals after completing the program.
  • Transfer Credit – A maximum of nine (9) graduate credit hours or the equivalent of graduate work closely related to the MSCJ degree will be allowed in transfer by approval of the program’s Admissions Committee.
  • Entrance Interview – An entrance interview may be requested if one or more requirements are not met.

Graduation Requirements

  • A minimum of thirty (30) credit hours of graduate course work and satisfactory completion of all core courses is required for graduation with the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree.
  • The student must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.00 or be placed on academic probation. Failure to meet or exceed this standard of academic progress in the subsequent semester will result in dismissal from the program.
  • All MSCJ students must complete a comprehensive examination
    • Students must complete all required classes in the program prior to taking the comprehensive examination.
    • Comprehensive examination will be administered in the semester prior to graduation. For instance, students planning to graduate in the Spring semester should complete the comprehensive examination by the end of the preceding Fall semester.
    • Students must schedule their comprehensive examination with the Program Director by the 8th week of the semester that they plan to take the examination.
    • The comprehensive assessment is graded on a pass/fail basis. e
    • Students unable to pass the comprehensive examination will be required to retake sections for which they did not receive a passing grade. Failure to successfully pass all sections of the comprehensive examination will result in a failure to meet graduation requirements. Students make up to three (3) attempts at a section to achieve a passing score. Students that do not achieve a passing score in a section must enroll in one (1) hour independent study per section failed to refocus their studies and retake the examination.
  • Completion of all program and university assessments and surveys

Curriculum & Standards

The curriculum of the MSCJ program at LMU is designed to enhance a student’s academic qualifications. All classes are preparatory coursework for post-graduate goals in programs leading to a terminal degree. Please note that the semester’s schedules and/or coursework and timeframes are subject to change based upon individual student needs or as determined by the MSCJ Admissions Committees and Program Directors.

Course Offerings

Required Courses (3 credit hours each; 18 hours):

  • CRIM 505 Theories of Crime and Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 506 Ethics and Issues in Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 510 Crime and Public Policy Analysis
  • CRIM 511 Criminal Justice Research Methods
  • CRIM 512 Justice Administration and Leadership
  • CRIM 650 Qualitative Research Methods

Elective Courses (3 credit hours each; 12 hours):

  • CRIM 605 Homeland Security and Emergency Management
  • CRIM 615 International Crime and Policy • CRIM 620 Victimology • CRIM 625 Juvenile Justice
  • CRIM 630 Community Corrections and Offender Reentry
  • CRIM 640 Race, Gender, Class, and Crime CRIM 645 Rural Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 660 Decriminalization of Mental Illness
  • CRIM 695 Special Topics Seminar
  • CRIM 696 Independent Study
  • CRIM 698 Internship

Total: 30 Credit Hours

Non-CRIM Electives:

Students may, upon consultation with their advisor, choose up to six hours of approved MPA courses.

JD-MSCJ DUAL DEGREE PROGRAM

LMU offers a dual degree program through which students may obtain both the Juris Doctor (JD) degree and the Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) degree. Students enrolled in LMU Law School’s JD program must successfully complete ninety (90) credit hours. The program of legal education includes sixty-seven (67) credit hours of required courses and twenty-three (23) hours of elective courses. Students enrolled in the LMU MSCJ program must successfully complete thirty (30) credit hours, including eighteen (18) required credit hours and twelve (12) elective credit hours. Students enrolled in the JD-MSCJ Dual Degree Program may use up to twelve (12) credit hours of coursework in approved JD elective courses to fulfill MSCJ program elective credit hours.

You must apply to and qualify for each program separately. Admission to one program does not guarantee admission to the other program.

JD Curriculum

LMU offers a traditional three-year, full-time JD program that averages fifteen (15) credit hours/semester. For information on the JD Curriculum, consult the LMU Duncan School of Law Student Handbook and Catalog, page 24.

MSCJ Curriculum

Students in the JD-MSCJ Dual Degree program must complete the following courses:

  • CRIM 505 Theories of Crime and Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 506 Ethics and Issues in Criminal Justice
  • CRIM 510 Crime and Public Policy Analysis
  • CRIM 512 Justice Administration and Leadership
  • CRIM 511 Criminal Justice Research Methods – OR – CRIM 650 Qualitative Research Methods
  • CRIM Elective

JD-MSCJ Dual Degree Program Notes

  • Required MSCJ courses will be offered in a rotation during the summer terms. Dual degree students may take up to twelve (12) hours of MSCJ coursework during a summer semester if they are NOT taking any law courses. In a summer semester, students enrolled in any law course may only take seven (7) total credit hours of coursework in any program.
  • The MSCJ portion of the JD-MSCJ Dual Degree program may be completed in any combination of Fall, Spring, and Summer semesters except for the Fall and Spring semesters of the 1L year and the semester immediately following graduation while preparing for the bar examination. Students taking more than sixteen (16) combined credit hours of coursework in a Fall or Spring semester must seek permission to do so from the Associate Dean for Academic Affairs at the LMU Duncan School of Law. In a Fall or Spring semester, no student enrolled in law courses may take more than eighteen (18) credit hours of any kind, including law courses and graduate program courses.
  • Students enrolled in LMU JD-MSCJ Dual Degree Program are encouraged to complete elective requirements in either program through an externship in a legal setting that primarily serves the public, nonprofit, and health care sectors. Students seeking elective credit through an externship for the JD-MSCJ Dual Degree program must receive written approval from both the law school’s Director of Experiential Learning and the MSCJ Program Director. See the course description for Externship I/II below for more information. 
  • Dual degree students MUST consult with their advisor prior to registering for courses. 
  • Students will pay the MSCJ tuition rate for courses in the MSCJ program and the JD tuition rate for courses in the JD program, including those used to fulfill MSCJ requirements. Any merit scholarship awarded as part of admission to the JD program will be applied only to courses in the JD program

JD-MSCJ Program Admission Requirements

  • Applicants to JD-MSCJ Dual Degree program must meet the admissions requirements for each program individually. For admissions requirements to the LMU Duncan School of Law, consult the LMU Duncan School of Law Student Handbook and Catalog.