Master in Criminal Justice

The Department of Criminal Justice offers the Bachelor of Science degree and the Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice . The program provides students with a broad foundation in the social sciences while emphasizing restorative justice, social and economic justice, fairness, community involvement, and public safety. Students in the undergraduate program must complete twelve credit hours of core courses including Introduction to Law, Survey of the Criminal Justice System, and Introduction to Criminology. Students must complete twelve credit hours of required cognates including Essentials of English Grammar, Writing and Editing Nonfiction, Critical Strategies for Writing and Research, Business Writing or Writing Research Papers, and Basic Speech Communication. And students must complete twenty-seven credit hours of electives through which one can focus on law enforcement, law, corrections, probation and parole, counseling and casework, juvenile justice, or criminal justice research.

The program culminates with students completing an internship in criminal justice or a service learning practicum in criminal justice. Students who have six months or more work experience in the criminal justice field may elect to write a bachelor paper on some topic in criminal justice. Upon graduation, students are specially prepared for careers across the range of criminal justice including criminalists, penologist, FBI agent, Air Marshall, corrections officer, juvenile probation officer, more. Graduates are well prepared for law school as well as to continue their study of criminal justice in graduate school programs leading to the master’s degree or Ph.D.

The faculty is multidisciplinary and consists of seven full-time members and twenty adjuncts, many of whom have active careers in the criminal justice field and bring a wealth of practical experience to the program.

The faculty is engaged in community outreach projects or involved in commissions in the following areas:

• Ex-Offender Re-Entry& Public Safety
• Ending Disproportionate Minority Confinement
• Ending Mass Incarceration
• Restorative Justice
• Victimology
• Juvenile Justice
• Incarcerated Females
• Child Abuse & Neglect
• Child Protection
• Family Reunification

Admissions Application Deadlines

The Graduate School accepts applications on a continuous basis for most graduate programs; students interested in obtaining admission to a specific term should complete the admission process by these deadlines:

Fall Term - March 15th (March 1st for all Counseling applicants). Spring Term - October 15th (one month earlier for international applicants).

Total Tuition and Fees

$3,926.00 - $6,248.00

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Chicago State University will be recognized for innovations in teaching and research, community development, and civic engagement. We will promote excellence, ethical leadership, entrepreneurship, and social and environmental justice. We will embrace, engage, educate, propel and elevate our students and community to transform lives locally and globally.