Online Master of Science in Criminal Justice
The online Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) degree is designed for professionals within the legal system who want to advance their career or strengthen their knowledge.
Offered by the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Louisville, the criminal justice online master’s degree delivers a forward-thinking curriculum that emphasizes ethics, responsibility and social dynamics in addition to the theory and practice of criminal justice procedures and research methods helping you move yourself, and our society, forward. You will learn from award-winning faculty with extensive expertise in the criminal justice system, justice administration, theories of crime and delinquency, legal issues in criminal justice, and advanced statistics and research methods.
How Much Will I Pay?
Tuition rate does not include costs associated with a specific course or program, such as textbooks
Highlights
- Advance your leadership career and expand your expertise with courses in ethics, history, personnel management, corrections, cybercrime, juvenile justice, international terorrism, and with electives addressing capital punishment, violent crime, domestic violence, criminal justice in media, substance abuse and more!
- Transfer up to 6 credit hours of graduate courses from accredited universities.
- Skip the GRE – not required for admission.
- Take classes 100% online and access learning tools from anywhere.
- Complete your degree in just three intensive semesters with year-round courses and 8-week terms.
START YOUR APPLICATION REQUEST INFORMATION
Complete your degree on your own time through fully online and accelerated classes
Learn MoreEarn your degree in 12 courses: 5 core, 6 electives and 1 professional research paper.
Learn MoreAccelerated 8-week courses, help you balance your education, career and personal life.
"Getting a master’s degree in criminal justice helps you elevate yourself in whatever trajectory that you’re in. Learning the leadership skills, and the legal parameters and ethical parameters within criminal justice, certainly will put you ahead of those who don’t have that."
CHERIE DAWSON-EDWARDS, PH.D.
DEPARTMENT CHAIR, ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Outcomes
Careers in criminology and criminal justice are rewarding and jobs in this field are poised for growth—more than 11% between 2012 and 2022—with specialized occupations like Information Security Analyst and Political Scientist growing 36.5% and 21.3%, respectively (bls.gov).
- Criminal investigator
- Criminal records manager
- Crime prevention specialist
- Correctional treatment specialist
- Corrections officer supervisor
- Court case manager
- Emergency management director
- Juvenile justice supervisor
- Police chief; Police commissioner
- Probation and parole officer; supervisor
- Security planning manager
- Special agent (DEA; FBI)
- U.S. Marshal
- Victim advocate
| Priority Deadline* | Term | Start Date |
|---|---|---|
| July 1 | Fall I | August |
| September 1 | Fall II | October |
| December 1 | Spring I | January |
| February 1 | Spring II | March |
| April 1 | Summer | May/June |
Note: We admit students on a rolling basis. The preferred deadlines help you complete the application process on time, be notified of acceptance and enroll before the term begins. We review applications as they become complete, and admit students for a specific term up to the day classes start. We recommend you work on and submit your complete application well in advance of the preferred deadline, as obtaining transcripts and other materials may take more time.
Admission
With 8-week terms and multiple starts per year, admission to the UofL online criminal justice master’s program is granted on a rolling basis. We encourage applicants to submit all required credentials 6 weeks prior to the beginning of a term (January, March, May, August, October).
Use the MSCJ Application Checklist [PDF] to review the requirement and steps you must take to complete your application.
For more information on the admission and application process, please contact our Online Learning Enrollment Counselor at 800.871.8635 or by email at online@louisville.edu.
Steps to Apply
- Complete application for admission
- Submit $65 non-refundable application fee
- Submit official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate work from accredited institutions*
- Check for Scholarships
START YOUR APPLICATION REQUEST INFORMATION
Admission Requirements
- Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution*
- Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0
- Two recommendation forms from individuals who can speak to the applicant’s academic or professional capabilities
- Original essay identifying the applicant's background, professional interest and goals, and the applicant's motivation and potential for successful completion of graduate work
Send all materials to:
Graduate Admissions
University of Louisville
2211 S. Brook Street
Louisville, KY 40292
gradadm@louisville.edu
Credit Transfer
You may transfer up to six credit hours of coursework from an accredited college or university.*
*See the Graduate School Transfer of Credit Policy for more information.
The online Master of Science in Criminal Justice is a 36-credit hour program that requires 15 credit hours in core criminal justice courses, 18 credit hours in electives and one professional research paper (worth 3 credit hours).
Core Courses
| Course | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| CJ 621 The Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CJ 625 Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice Management | 3 |
| CJ 643 Theories of Crime and Delinquency | 3 |
| CJ 649 Applied Statistics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 650 Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| Total Core Credits Required | 15 |
| CJ 698 Professional Research Paper | 3 |
Core CJ Courses
| Course [choose 6] | Credit Hours |
|---|---|
| CJ 500 Crime and Criminal Justice in the Cinema | 3 |
| CJ 505 International Terrorism | 3 |
| CJ 507 Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design | 3 |
| CJ 509 Crime Analysis | 3 |
| CJ 516 Juvenile Justice Issues | 3 |
| CJ 519 Domestic & Family Violence | 3 |
| CJ 520 Capital Punishment | 3 |
| CJ 521 White Collar Crime | 3 |
| CJ 522 Serial Murder | 3 |
| CJ 523 Race and Gender Issues in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 530 Introduction to Homeland Security | 3 |
| CJ 531 Covert Operations in Policing | 3 |
| CJ 576 Managing Organization Performance | 3 |
| CJ 578 Criminal Justice Leadership | 3 |
| CJ 580 International Service Learning: CJ Seminar | 3 |
| CJ 596 Seminar in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 597 Ethics in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 602 Criminal Justice History | 3 |
| CJ 605 Police and Society | 3 |
| CJ 606 Personnel Management in Criminal Justice System | 3 |
| CJ 607 Seminar in Law and Justice | 3 |
| CJ 609 Economic Analysis of Crime | 3 |
| CJ 610 Theoretical Foundation of Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 611 Critical Issues in Corrections | 3 |
| CJ 612 Criminal Justice Administration: Police | 3 |
| CJ 613 Advanced Comparative Criminal Justice Systems | 3 |
| CJ 614 Seminar in Policing | 3 |
| CJ 626 Emergency Management | 3 |
| CJ 627 Computer & Cyber Crime | 3 |
| CJ 630 Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience | 3 |
| CJ 644 Seminar in Juvenile Justice | 3 |
| CJ 652 Constitutional Issues in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 653 Communities and Crime | 3 |
| CJ 655 International Perspectives on Violence | 3 |
| CJ 656 Crime Mapping | 3 |
| CJ 665 Special Topics in Justice and Criminology | 3 |
| CJ 670 Directed Studies/Readings | 3 |
START YOUR APPLICATION REQUEST INFORMATION
Sample Course Descriptions
Community Service
Department of Criminal Justice faculty are involved in our community through service. This includes but is not limited to participation in the following organizations:
- Metro Louisville Government
- Metro Police Department
- Education Committee Intervention Resource Center, Inc.
- Kentucky Derby
- Jefferson Count Medical Foundation
- Family & Children First
- Youth Alive
- Kentucky Learning Disabilities Association
- Louisville Metro Crime Commission
- International Cultural Center
- Kentucky State Police Trooper Island
- Oldham County Police
- Presbyterian Community Center
- ProTecht, Secret Service Electronic Crimes Initiative
- InfraGard, Public Private Partnership Security
Coalition with FBI - Goodwill Industries
Department Grants
Our faculty has been awarded research grants totaling more than 4.5 million dollars. Granting agencies include:
- U.S. Department of Justice
- U.S. State Department
- Kentucky Department of Corrections
- National Institute of Justice
- Louisville Metro Police Department
- National Institute of Health (NIH)
- Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections
- National Institute of Corrections
Professional Organizations
The faculty are active members in the following professional organizations:
- Southern Criminal Justice Association
- American Society of Criminology
- Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
- American Correctional Association (ACA)
- International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)
- National State Law Enforcement Accreditation Network
- The Northeastern Association of Criminal Justice Education
- American Society for Industrial Security
- National White Collar Crime Center
- National Association of State Judicial Educators
- International Federation for Information Processing (IFIP)
- Kentucky Bar Association
- Louisville Bar Association
- Alpha Phi Sigma
- National Hispanic Science Network
- Society for Study of Social Problems
- Business and Professional Women/USA
- Kentucky Council on Crime and Delinquency
- Kentucky Women's Law Enforcement
- Military Police Regimented Association
- Southern States Corrections Association
- American Bar Association
- Kentucky Association of Chiefs of Police
- National Consortium for White Collar Crime Research
- American Criminal Justice Association’s Lambda Alpha Epsilon