M.S. in Criminology and Criminal Justice
The Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice is a 36-credit hour program. Courses are offered face-to-face in the evenings, online, or a hybrid combination of online and face-to-face approaches.
The educational objectives of the MS-CCJ are to prepare individuals to identify problems and develop solutions through applying criminological theories and policies to social issues that contribute to crime, and how to implement these solutions within justice-related agencies.
Admission Requirements
- Completed UTEP Graduate School Application
- Official transcripts from each institution attended showing a minimum of 3.0 GPA in the last 60 hours of upper-division (junior and senior level) undergraduate classes
- A B.A. or B.S. degree in criminal justice, criminology, or a related field from an accredited institution or foreign equivalency institution.
- Professional resume that includes any relevant internships and/or employment
- 3-4 page Statement of Purpose- A well-written essay that details your background and your expectations and/or goals from a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice. You may include an explanation of your transcript if needed.
- Two Professional and/or Academic Recommendation Letters from individuals who are qualified to assess applicant’s potential for academic success and are not related to the applicant. For applicants who have completed a baccalaureate degree in the last 2 years, at least one recommendation letter must come from applicant’s former academic institution.
- Applicants whose degrees are from non-English speaking institutions are required to demonstrate English proficiency. Please consult the Graduate School website for required scores.
Applicants who lack the required GPA or who lack appropriate course preparation may be considered for conditional admission.
Transfer Credits Limited to 6 hours
No more than six hours of applicable graduate transfer credit will be accepted at the Master’s degree level. Transfer hours will be accepted only within the last 7 years and only from institutions that are accredited by a regional higher education accrediting body. No academic transfer credit for criminal justice courses will be awarded for workforce credits, life experience, military courses, police academy, correctional officer academy, or other continuing education professional training. Graduate courses for which a “C” or lower was earned cannot be transferred. Graduate courses used toward the completion of another degree will not be accepted.
Degree Requirements
The MS in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree is a 36 credit program. All students in the program will be required to take 9 hours of core courses: Proseminar in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Advanced Criminological Theory, and Seminar in Criminal Justice Policy. Following the core, two tracks are available to appeal to students with different educational goals: a professional/non-thesis track and a thesis track.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Professional Non-Thesis Track Semester Credit Hours | ||
| Core Courses (required for all students in both tracks) | 9 | |
| Track Requirements | 9 | |
| Electives (at least 9 credits must be "CRIJ" designated) | 18 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Thesis Track Semester Credit Hours | ||
| Core Courses (required for all students in both track) | 9 | |
| Track Requirements | 12 | |
| Electives (at least 9 credits must be "CRIJ" designated) | 15 | |
| Total Hours | 36 | |
The Professional/non-thesis track may appeal to the student who may already be working in a criminal justice agency or the student who desires the Master’s as a terminal degree and has yet to enter the criminal justice field. In addition to the 9 hours of core courses required for all students, the professional track will require 9 credits in Criminal Justice Organization and Management, Program Evaluation and Evidence-Based Practices, and Capstone in CCJ.
Students taking the capstone course will produce a major paper. Skills acquired in previous courses in the areas of critical thinking, problem-solving, and professional writing will be demonstrated. The remaining 18 credit hours of courses will be taken as electives, of which 9 of those credits must be CRIJ-designated.
Degree Plan
Professional/Non-Thesis Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | 18 | |
| Proseminar in Criminology/CJ | ||
| Adv Criminological Theory | ||
| Sem Criminal Justice Policy | ||
| Seminar-Crim Just Administrati | ||
| Program Evaluation and EBPs | ||
| Capstone in Criminology/CJ | ||
| Elective Courses: | 18 | |
| Select 18 hours from the list below (at least 9 hours must be CRIJ) | ||
| Sem Policing Law Enforcement | ||
| Invest Interview & Interrogat | ||
| Seminar Courts and Sentencing | ||
| Correctional Policy and Mgmt | ||
| Decision Making Intel & CJ | ||
| Communities and Crime | ||
| Immigration, Crime and CJ | ||
| Transnational Criminal Orgs | ||
| Drugs, Crime and CJ Policy | ||
| Race Ethnicity in CJ System | ||
| Seminar Selected Topics | ||
| Violence and Victimization | ||
| Crime and Border Security | ||
| Independent Study Crim CJ | ||
| Grad Study Abroad in CJ | ||
| Introduction to GIST | ||
| Legal Issues/Intel & Nat Sec | ||
| Pro-Seminar Homeland Security | ||
| Pro-Seminar-Homeland Security | ||
| Admin Law and Regulation | ||
| Pol Anal & Decision Making | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |
Thesis Track
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Required Courses: | 21 | |
| Proseminar in Criminology/CJ | ||
| Adv Criminological Theory | ||
| Sem Criminal Justice Policy | ||
| Master's Thesis I | ||
| Master's Thesis II | ||
| Research Methods Intel & CJ | ||
| Statistics in Intel & CJ | ||
| Elective Courses: | 15 | |
| Select 15 hours from the list below (at least 9 must be CRIJ) | ||
| Sem Policing Law Enforcement | ||
| Invest Interview & Interrogat | ||
| Seminar Courts and Sentencing | ||
| Correctional Policy and Mgmt | ||
| Decision Making Intel & CJ | ||
| Communities and Crime | ||
| Immigration, Crime and CJ | ||
| Transnational Criminal Orgs | ||
| Drugs, Crime and CJ Policy | ||
| Race Ethnicity in CJ System | ||
| Seminar Selected Topics | ||
| Violence and Victimization | ||
| Crime and Border Security | ||
| Independent Study Crim CJ | ||
| Grad Study Abroad in CJ | ||
| Introduction to GIST | ||
| Legal Issues/Intel & Nat Sec | ||
| Political Economy of Terrorism | ||
| Pro-Seminar Homeland Security | ||
| Pro-Seminar-Homeland Security | ||
| Emergency Management | ||
| Admin Law and Regulation | ||
| Pol Anal & Decision Making | ||
| The Thesis track will prepare students who later aspire to enter a Ph.D. program by enhancing their theoretical knowledge, research, and statistical skills. In addition to the 9 hours of core courses for all students, the thesis track will require 6 credits in Research methods and Statistics, and 6 credits for the completion of the Thesis. The thesis will be supervised by a faculty committee within the Department of Criminal Justice. The remaining 12 credits must be CRIJ-designated, and the remaining 3 credits may be CRIJ electives or specific courses outside the department, designated in the list below. | ||
| Total Hours | 36 | |