FAQ
Graduate Studies FAQ
Admission Requirements
- What are the admission requirements for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice?
- What happens if my undergraduate GPA is below the minimum standards for acceptance into the MSCJ program?
Application Information
- How do I get an application?
- When do I have to apply and what materials do I need to provide with my application?
- What is the GRE and how do I register for it?
- What GRE test do I need to take?
- How long will it take to have the admission application processed?
- How will I be notified about the admission decision?
- Who do I contact to find out if my application has been approved?
Courses
- How many credit hours in each course?
- How many classes will be offered a semester?
- How many classes should I take a semester?
- What classes should I take in a given semester?
- How will I know what courses are being offered in a particular semester?
- When can I register for classes?
Degree Requirements
- What are the degree requirements for the MSCJ program?
- What are comprehensive exams?
- What time limitations are placed on completing the MSCJ degree?
- Can graduate courses from another University be transferred into the MSCJ program?
- How many hours of coursework can I take outside of Criminal Justice and apply to my degree plan?
Program Completion
- On average, how long does it take to complete the MSCJ program?
- How and when should I get a degree plan filed?
- Can I take senior level undergraduate courses and apply them to my graduate degree?
- What grade point average (GPA) do I have to maintain?
- What happens if I make a C, D, or F in a class?
- How do I apply for graduation and when do I complete this?
Admission Requirements
What are the admission requirements for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice?
Minimum requirements for admission eligibility include a 2.8 overall GPA or 3.0 on the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. In addition, students must submit verbal and analytical writing scores on the GRE General Test as well as a personal statement. Furthermore, students must have 9 hours of prior coursework in Criminal Justice as well as 3 hours of undergraduate social science research methods coursework. Substantial prior experience in the criminal justice system can substitute for the 9 hour prior coursework in Criminal Justice requirement.
All admission requirements to the Toulouse Graduate School must be fulfilled including the application process for admission to graduate studies. Once the student is admitted to graduate studies at UNT, the application will be reviewed by the Department of Criminal Justice for admission to the MSCJ program. Applicants will be admitted to the MSCJ program in the Fall and Spring semesters only. Applicants will not be admitted in the Summer semester.
In order for your application to be considered for admission, your application packet needs to be complete by August 1 for Fall admission and by December 1 for Spring admission. Application packets will not be processed unless fully completed. A completed application packet must include the following:
1) Application
2) Transcripts
3) Official GRE scores on file with the Graduate School
4) Personal Statement
The personal statement is sent directly to the departmental graduate advisor and includes an explanation of the following: career goals, why you are pursuing a Master's degree, prior experience in the criminal justice field, prior research experience in criminal justice, and anything in your personal background that you deem relevant to your admission decision.
Please send or e-mail the personal statement to:
Eric J. Fritsch
University of North Texas
Department of Criminal Justice
1155 Union Circle #305130
Denton, TX 76203-5017
Email: Eric.Fritsch@unt.edu
You may have two options. First, your admission decision may be eligible for individual department review depending on your GPA. Students subject to individual department review must submit 3 letters of recommendation to the graduate advisor in addition to their standard application materials. Second, you can complete a 15 hour Graduate Prep Program prior to enrollment in the MSCJ program.This Program must be completed under the direction of the graduate advisor. Satisfactory completion of 15 hours of undergraduate coursework is required. The courses must be at the junior or senior level, must be criminal justice courses, and the student must receive a grade of "A" or "B" in each course. If the student receives a "C" or below in a course, it will not count towards Graduate Prep Program requirements. Once the 15 hour Graduate Prep Program has been satisfactorily completed, the GPA from these 15 hours will be used in evaluating your graduate admissions application. These courses do not apply towards the MSCJ degree.
Back to Top
Application Information
Applications are available online at Apply Texas.
Back to top
When do I have to apply and what materials do I need to provide with my application?
Application deadlines are set by the Toulouse Graduate School but are typically November 15th for spring admission and July 15th for fall admission. In order for your application to be considered for admission, the graduate advisor must also receive your official GRE scores and your personal statement by August 1st for fall admission and by December 1st for sping admission. Application packets will not be processed unless fully completed. A completed application packet must include the following:
1) Application
2) Transcripts
3) Official GRE scores on file with the Graduate School
4) Personal Statement
The personal statement is sent directly to the departmental graduate advisor and includes an explanation of the following: career goals, why you are pursuing a Master's degree, prior experience in the criminal justice field, prior research experience in criminal justice, and anything in your personal background that you deem relevant to your admission decision.
Please send or e-mail the personal statement to:
Eric J. Fritsch
University of North Texas
Department of Criminal Justice
1155 Union Circle #305130
Denton, TX 76203-5017
Email: Eric.Fritsch@unt.edu
Back to top
What is the GRE and how do I register for it?
You can get information about the GRE as well as registration information by visiting their website. You can also register by phone at 1-800-GRE-CALL. You can take the GRE on the UNT campus (Testing Services, Gateway Center, Room 140). You can call 940-369-7617 for additional information.
Back to top
What GRE test do I need to take?
You need to take the General Test. We use the Verbal and Analytical Writing scores in evaluating your application.
Back to top
How long will it take to have the admission application processed?
The answer to this depends on how quickly your application packet is completed. The department cannot process your application until your application packet is complete. Once we have received your completed application packet, it takes approximately two weeks to process your application. A completed application packet must include the following:
1) Application
2) Transcripts
3) Official GRE scores on file with the Graduate School
4) Personal Statement
Back to top
How will I be notified about the admission decision?
You will be notified about the admission decision through the mail. A letter will be sent to you from the graduate school once an admission decision has been made. You can also monitor your admission status at my.unt.edu.
Back to top
Who do I contact to find out if my application has been approved?
You can contact the Toulouse Graduate School admissions office at (940) 565-2636 to check on the status of your application. You can also contact the graduate advisor in the Department of Criminal Justice. Additionally, you can monitor your admission status at my.unt.edu.
Back to top
Courses
How many credit hours in each course?
Each course is 3 credit hours. Therefore, in order to complete the 36 hours required for the MSCJ degree, you need to satisfactorily complete 12 classes.
Back to top
How many classes will be offered a semester?
The number of classes offered each semester will vary. Generally, 4 classes will be offered during the Fall and Spring semesters and 1-2 classes during the Summer semester.
Back to top
How many classes should I take a semester?
Nine hours in a semester is considered full-time at the graduate level. Therefore, you should not take more than 3 classes. However, if you work full-time, it is recommended that you take 1-2 classes a semester (3-6 hours).
Back to top
What classes should I take in a given semester?
What classes you take in a given semester is up to you. If you are going to take one class in a semester, it is recommended that you take a required course if one is being offered that you have not yet taken. If you are going to take two classes in a semester, you can take either two required courses or one required course and an elective. If you are going to take three classes in a semester, you can take a combination of required courses and electives.
Two required courses (CJUS 5000 and CJUS 5700) are offered each Fall semester. The other two required courses (CJUS 5600 and either CJUS 5200 or 5500) are offered each Spring semester.
If you have a question about what to take in a given semester please contact the graduate advisor. If you want to find out about the content of a particular course, contact the instructor.
Back to top
How will I know what courses are being offered in a particular semester?
You can find out what courses are being offered in a particular semester by accessing the Schedule of Classes.
Back to top
When can I register for classes?
There are several different periods (e.g., early registration period, regular registration period, etc.) during which you can register for classes. The periods and dates, and times for registration are specified in the Schedule of Classes.
Back to top
Degree Requirements
What are the degree requirements for the MSCJ program?
The MSCJ program requires satisfactory completion of a minimum of 36 hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. The degree includes a core curriculum of 12 hours, which must be completed by all students. Students are required to complete the core curriculum of 12 hours and 24 hours of electives. The degree requires each student to select a Thesis or Non-Thesis Option.
Back to top
Comprehensive exams are a written essay test that is given to each student pursuing the Non-thesis Option near the completion of the student’s degree. The exams cover the courses in the core curriculum. Each student must take and pass comprehensive exams if they have chosen the non-thesis option. The exams are offered three times a year.
Back to top
What time limitations are placed on completing the MSCJ degree?
All requirements for the MSCJ degree must be completed within 5 years. As individual courses exceed these time limits, they lose all value for degree purposes. Students anticipating they will exceed the time limit should apply to the graduate school for an extension before the normal time period to complete the degree expires. Holding a full-time job is not considered in and of itself sufficient grounds for granting an extension.
Back to top
Can graduate courses from another University be transferred into the MSCJ program?
A maximum of 9 hours of transfer work from another University may be applied to the MSCJ degree. All transfer work must be criminal justice related and must be completed within 5 years prior to graduating from the MSCJ program. The acceptance of transfer work is at the discretion of the graduate advisor. If you would like to transfer hours from another University into the MSCJ program, please contact the graduate advisor as other restrictions beyond those stated may apply.
Back to top
How many hours of coursework can I take outside of Criminal Justice and apply to my degree plan?
You can take up to 9 hours of coursework outside of Criminal Justice and apply it to your degree plan. These courses must be approved by the graduate advisor in the Department of Criminal Justice. If you plan on taking coursework outside of Criminal Justice, contact the graduate advisor for approval prior to enrolling in the course.
Back to top
Program Completion
On average, how long does it take to complete the MSCJ program?
On average, students complete the MSCJ program in about 3 years. The degree can be completed in about 2 years and can take as long as 5 years.
Back to top
How and when should I get a degree plan filed?
You should get a degree plan filed during your first semester of enrollment. In order to file a degree plan, you need to contact the graduate advisor in the Department of Criminal Justice.
Back to top
Can I take senior level undergraduate courses and apply them to my graduate degree?
You cannot take senior level undergraduate courses and apply them to your graduate degree. All courses applied to your degree must be at the graduate level.
Back to top
What grade point average (GPA) do I have to maintain?
To avoid being placed on probation, you must maintain a grade point average of 3.0 on your graduate level coursework.
Back to top
What happens if I make a C, D, or F in a class?
A grade of C can count towards your degree but a grade of D or F cannot. Therefore, if you receive a grade of D or F in a course, that course will not be counted towards your degree. If you receive two grades of C or below during the completion of the MSCJ program, the graduate committee in the Department of Criminal Justice will recommend your dismissal from the program.
Back to top
How do I apply for graduation and when do I complete this?
You can apply online on the Graduate School website.
A deadline is set each semester for when graduation applications must be submitted to the graduate school. The deadline can be found on the Graduate School website.