Masters Degree Programs
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Masters Degree in Criminal Justice (On-Campus)
The Criminal Justice Masters Program at MSU provides students with analytic skills, an interdisciplinary knowledge base, and both classroom and practical understanding of the settings where correctional, law enforcement, and security policies are implemented. The program integrates theory and application through case materials and classroom guest speakers, as well as internship opportunities.
Individuals who wish to pursue a career in criminal justice research and teaching will have a strong foundation for advanced graduate studies based on the program’s combined emphasis on research, critical issues, and interdisciplinary theory.
For further information regarding the Masters Program, contact Graduate Program Coordinator Mike Chapko.
Application InstructionsApplications for the Criminal Justice Masters program are screened for fall semester entry only. All application material must be received before February 1 for consideration. Applicants are typically notified of admission decisions within 6-8 weeks of the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Application materials that may be uploaded include:- Application for Graduate Study at Michigan State University may be submitted online here. The major code for the Criminal Justice Masters program is 4318. You will be prompted to upload the following documents and request Letters of Recommendation.
- A statement of your academic and professional goals. This should include information about your motivation to study criminal justice, a description of relevant research and/or work experience, and any other information that you would like the admissions committee to know.
- Three letters of recommendation from tenure-track faculty who can comment on your ability to perform graduate work.
Additional required materials include:- Graduate Assistantship resume. May be submitted here.
- ONE set of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. A transcript of work at MSU is not required, unless you attended MSU College of Law. Transcripts from US institutions may be sent electronically, and will be considered official if they are sent directly from the institutions attended to the Graduate Program Coordinator, Mike Chapko. If they are mailed by the institution attended, they should be sent to the address that follows.International students must submit official transcripts in both the original language and English translation of transcript and diploma. Please have transcripts mailed directly from the institutions attended to:
Criminal Justice Masters Program
Michigan State University
Baker Hall
655 Auditorium Road Room 557
East Lansing, MI 48824
- A Graduate Record Exam (GRE) score is not required for application to the on-campus Masters in Criminal Justice program.
- International students must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam scores from a test taken within the past two years. MSU's score requirement is a minimum average score of 80, with no subscores below 19 for Reading, Listening and Speaking, and no subscore below 22 for Writing. The institution code for MSU is 1465. Students from countries where the primary language is English may have the TOEFL requirement waived with the approval of the department, college, and Graduate School. Please contact the Graduate Program Coordinator, Mike Chapko, to determine whether the requirement may be waived.
Please note while a criminal justice undergraduate degree is not required for admission to the program, applicants must have a background of education and occupational experience appropriate to the successful pursuit of graduate work in the School of Criminal Justice. Applicants that aren’t sufficiently prepared for graduate studies in criminal justice may be required to complete collateral coursework or pursue individualized study.
Questions? Please contact Graduate Program Coordinator Mike Chapko.
RequirementsMasters in Criminal Justice Requirements
Courses
List of all Criminal Justice Courses
Responsible Conduct of ResearchResponsible Conduct of Research Requirements
Responsible Conduct of Research Verification FormSecurity Management Specialization
Security Management Specialization Requirements
Program Documents
Criminal Justice Masters Program HandbookStudy Abroad Opportunities
The School of Criminal Justice offers study abroad opportunities in the Caribbean, Australia, Madagascar and the Philippines.
Internship & Career Opportunities
- Application for Graduate Study at Michigan State University may be submitted online here. The major code for the Criminal Justice Masters program is 4318. You will be prompted to upload the following documents and request Letters of Recommendation.
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Masters Degree in Criminal Justice (Online)
In 1998, the School of Criminal Justice began offering its Masters in Criminal Justice program on the internet – the first online degree program offered by MSU. The program is rated as the fifth best Online Masters Program in Criminal Justice by U.S. News & World Report.
The program is designed to add new dimensions to the skills of career people in various areas of criminal justice and security. A number of online support services are available to assist students as they progress through the program.
Students enrolled in the program may choose to follow the general requirements for the Master of Arts in Criminal Justice, specialize in Security Management or follow an international focus. Learn more.
Courses are offered entirely online, and are taught by the same faculty members who are involved in the on-campus program. Many students complete the program within a year and a half to two years; however, it is also common for students to take three years to complete the program due to work and personal commitments.
Program Documents
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Masters Degree in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation (Online)
The Masters in Cybercrime and Digital Investigation program is designed to build a solid foundation investigating and responding to cybercrime in law enforcement, government and private industry from both a technical and non-technical background.
With your online master's degree in cybercrime and digital investigation, you will develop specialized skills in digital forensics to identify and curb cybercrime. You'll study contemporary cyber threats beyond the traditional economic forms of cybercrime and internpersonal online offending. Learn more.
Program Documents
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Masters Degree in Forensic Science
Michigan State University has long been recognized as a premier institution for research and education in forensic science, and is home to a number of excellent resources for the study of forensic science.
The School of Criminal Justice maintains modern laboratory facilities containing equipment and instrumentation for the analysis of virtually any type of physical evidence, from chromatography equipment for drugs, explosives, and arson evidence, to microscopy techniques for trace evidence analysis, to genetic analyzers for the analysis of DNA.
The Forensic Science Masters program at Michigan State University is designed to give students a broad theoretical and practical background in the scientific, legal, and investigative aspects of forensic science while providing the opportunity to study one of the major disciplines in depth.
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Masters in Law Enforcement Intelligence & Analysis (Online)
The Masters Program in Law Enforcement Intelligence and Analysis was designed to meet the needs of the nation’s federal, tribal, state, and local policing agencies as well as private sector security officials. The School expects this applied degree to be pursued by intelligence analysts, law enforcement and security professionals, and prospective analysts seeking scholarship and advanced training in the emerging field of intelligence analysis.
The program is taught entirely online. MSU faculty oversee the curriculum; instruction is provided by MSU faculty as well as law enforcement professionals brought in as part-time instructors. Learn more.
Program Documents