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Criminal Justice Graduate Program

Application and Admission

Department Admission Standards
1. Completion of bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice, Criminology or closely related discipline from an accredited US or Canadian college or university with either an overall GPA of 2.75 or 3.0 for the last sixty hours completed on a 4.0 scale. For students meeting these criteria, the GRE requirement is waived through School Year 2012-13.

2. All other applicants who do not meet the above GPA or degree criteria or who did not earn a degree from an accredited US or Canadian College or University must take the GRE and earn a satisfactory score on the Verbal and Quantitative Sections of the GRE. Exceptions may be granted on a case by case basis. Students who earn degrees from many foreign universities must meet Graduate School TOEFL or other language requirements.

3. Apply to the MSU Graduate School. Complete all admission requirements of the Graduate School at Minot State University.

5. A student admitted under this GRE waiver must maintain a GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale during the first nine hours of coursework. Students who drop below the required 3.5 GPA will be given one more semester to bring the GPA up to 3.5 or be required to complete the GRE earning a "Acceptable Score" and may be required to take additional coursework as directed.

6. All applicants are required to submit a statement outlining the goals and objectives for graduate work in Criminal Justice, and a vita.

7. It is recommended that all applicants for the MCJ Program have completed CJ 480 or an equivalent research methods course and a statistics course, prior to enrollment in the program.

8. Complete applications to Graduate School by July 15 for fall term and November 15 for spring term.

9. Students who do not possess an undergraduate degree in Criminal Justice may be admitted on a case by case basis. However, students may be required to take specific additional coursework.

MCJ: Thesis and CJ Project Optional Tracks
A student may earn an MCJ Degree by completing one of two options: CJ Thesis or CJ Project Tracks.

Thesis Option (30 Hrs.): A student completing this option must complete 24 credit hours of CJ coursework, pass a comprehensive exam, and complete a CJ Thesis of 6 Credits. After successfully passing the comprehensive exam, a student selects a Thesis Committee Chair and then enrolls in from 1 to 3 Thesis Credit hours in CJ 599. The student must form a committee and have a thesis topic approved before enrolling in any more thesis credit hours. Check the Graduate School web page for semester due dates. The thesis option usually takes at least four semesters. Check with the Graduate Program Director or Department Chair for details.
Graduate Justice Project Option (33 Hrs.): A student completing this option will complete 30 credit hours of graduate coursework, does not have to complete a comprehensive exam, but does complete 3 credit hours of an approved CJ Project. After completed eighteen hours of graduate study, a student selects a CJ Project Committee Chair , enrolls in CJ 598, and completes a project approved by the Committee. The CJ project option can be completed in three semesters and one summer session. Check with the Graduate Program Director or Department Chair for details.