Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Public concerns about crime, and the dramatic expansion of the criminal justice system in recent decades, have spurred a proliferation of courses in this field in colleges across the country.  Jobs that did not exist at all two decades ago -- such as victim advocates or police computer mapping specialists -- continue to develop.  There is a growing demand for persons with graduate level education in all sectors of the system.  The Master of Science in Criminal Justice at UNF provides an opportunity for advanced academic work in this expanding field of study. 

As a discipline, criminal justice draws together all the social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, mathematical and computer sciences, history, law and jurisprudence to focus on the problem of crime in society.  The graduate program at UNF builds upon the unifying interdisciplinary nature of the field it seeks to address.

Furthermore, the program at UNF is vitally concerned with the interrelationship between theory, practice, and research, based on the firm conviction that none of these can stand alone.  Sound practice requires a firm theoretical and research base, while advances in theory and research arise from the realities of practice.  The program emphasizes the acquisition of professional skills that will enable students to keep abreast of research and developments in the field long after they have completed their formal studies.

Minimum requirements for admission consideration include:
•  3.0 undergraduate GPA,
•  cumulative verbal and quantitative score of 1000 on the GRE,
•  two or more letters of recommendation from responsible persons who hold graduate degrees and know the student well enough to attest to the student’s ability to succeed at the graduate level, and
•  a letter requesting admission to the program and discussing: a) Academic and relevant employment experiences, b) Career goals, c) Areas of chief interest in the field, and d) Reasons for seeking the MSCJ degree.
Submission of all materials, including GRE scores, is required for consideration. Those who fall below one of the minimum requirements may be considered for the trial program, to be determined on a case by case basis by the CCJ Graduate Committee.