Program Overview
College of Humanities and Social Sciences
General Master's Degree Admission Requirements
View delivery options, start terms and admission requirements.
Location: Candelaria Hall 2249
Email: HSS@unco.edu
Website: unco.edu/hss/criminology-criminal-justice
The master's program in Criminology and Criminal Justice is designed to be completed in two years by working professionals. It emphasizes the importance of furthering society's ideals of a fair-minded and unbiased system of justice as embraced by the rule of law. The concept of "best practices" is an overarching theme in all core classes. Students will be informed of current research regarding effective practices in all aspects of criminal justice, will develop the ability to make informed decisions regarding practices for their particular areas within the system, and will acquire the knowledge and skills to be more capable supervisors in criminal justice organizations and agencies by making use of research findings that support effective policy planning and programming.
Students receiving the M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice will be competent in research methodology and writing skills and will possess an increased understanding of the theoretical foundations for crime causation. The M.A. may be the foundation for further advanced graduate work or may serve as a terminal degree.
Degree Requirements — 30 Credits
Required Major Core Credits — 21 hours
| CRJ 510 | Administration of Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ 550 | Leadership and Management in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ 560 | Seminar in Criminological Theory | 3 |
| CRJ 570 | Seminar in Diversity in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ 580 | Advanced Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ 582 | Advanced Statistics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRJ 610 | Planning and Evaluation in Criminal Justice | 3 |
Elective Credits — 9 hours
Select one of the elective options from the list below:
Thesis Option: Complete 6 hours of CRJ 699, and 3 hours of 500-level or above CRJ-prefix courses or advisor-approved courses from other departments. Students must have at least a 3.5 GPA in their graduate program in order to be approved for this option.
Comprehensive Examination Option: Complete 9 hours of 500-level or above CRJ-prefix courses or advisor-approved courses from other departments. At least 3 hours must be CRJ-prefix credits. Students who choose this option must take the written comprehensive examination in the semester in which they graduate and must be registered for UNC credit that semester.
Program Note
All coursework for the program must be completed with a grade of "B-" or better.