Masters Degree Program
Admission RequirementsApplication
Advising
Course Descriptions
Pre-Registration
Course Loads
Course in Progress
Dropping a Course
Registration Checklist
Transferring Graduate Credit
Course Requirements
Expected Learning Outcome
Evaluation
Thesis
Non-Thesis Option
Preparation for Graduation
The department offers a Master of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice, which provides students with advanced theoretical and methodological training for research and management careers in criminal justice.
It is imperative that you read this document
thoroughly. Should you not find information you need on this page or links
on this page, please contact the Director
of the Masters Program.
Application to the M.A.
Program
Students must indicate on their application
to The Graduate School and to the Department of Criminology and Criminal
Justice that they are requesting admission to the M.A. program. Graduate
degrees are conferred by The Graduate School on the recommendation of
the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice; therefore, students
are expected to be familiar with the requirements of The Graduate School
in the latest Bulletin. Application materials are due April 1st.
Click here for general Admission Information
Click here for an Application to Graduate School
Click here to submit an Application Online
Admission Requirements
The minimum GPA for regular admission to graduate study is 3.0 on a 4-point scale and students are expected to begin their course of study in the Fall semester. Admission is competitive.
Click here for general Admission Information
Click here for an Application to Graduate School
Click here to submit an Application Online
Application
The Graduate School and the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice review the same application form. The department has a single deadline of April 1st. Interested applicants should link with the Graduate Admissions Office for application forms.
It is necessary to supply official transcripts from all undergraduate institutions attended and a brief essay explaining why an advanced degree in criminology and criminal justice is of interest and why the applicant merits serious consideration. Letters of recommendations from persons qualified to evaluate the student's recent work are not required, but are recommended. International students whose native language is not English are required to submit scores from the TOEFL examination.
Applicants to the M.A. program must apply online. Applicants should make certain that the Office of Admissions has all required materials in advance of the admission deadline (contact gradadm@umsl.edu for further details). Applicants are informed of admission decisions by mail from the Graduate School.
Click here to submit an Application Online
Admission to the M.A. Program
Following notification of admission and receipt of registration materials, new students are eligible to register for classes. Before registration, the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice will mail a set of materials to new students naming faculty advisors and stating how to register.
Click here for information on previously enrolled/admitted Graduate Students
Click here for more information pertaining to After you have been Accepted
Advisor
The Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) assigns
new students a faculty advisor. This advisor provides information on issues
such as requirements, course selection, and prerequisites. Students shall
make an appointment with their advisor before their scheduled registration
time. Prior to that meeting, students should review the recommended schedule
of required courses (described below) and the Schedule of Classes published
by the University. Students who have not had undergraduate training in
statistics (the equivalent of CCJ 2220) should consult with their advisor
before enrolling in CCJ 6410 for additional course preparation.
Course
Descriptions
The Bulletin describes undergraduate, graduate,
and professional courses offered at the University. For more detailed
information on course content, students should consult the professors
teaching the courses (as listed in the Schedule of Classes). Most graduate
courses are offered in the evenings.
Pre-Registration
for Continuing Students
Shortly after the midpoint of each semester,
students should obtain a copy of the Schedule of Classes that lists course
offerings for the following semester. Continuing students should schedule
a meeting with their faculty advisor for approval to enroll in proposed
courses. Registration is not complete until all University fees are paid.
Course Loads
The normal full-time course load for a regular
semester is between six and twelve hours. For an eight-week summer session,
the maximum course load is six hours. Students admitted on a part-time
basis should consult with the DGS for relevant conditions and requirements.
Entering
a Course in Progress
Students wishing to enter a course in progress
must have the approval of the instructor, their adviser, and the Dean
of the Graduate School. Only under exceptional circumstances may students
enter courses after the first week of the semester.
Dropping
a Course
Students may drop courses before the end
of the fourth week of a regular semester or the second week of the summer
session without receiving grades. At the end of this period and until
the end of 12 weeks (or from the third through the sixth week of the Summer
session), students may withdraw from courses with "Excused"
grades providing they are passing the course and have the approval of
the instructor, their advisor, and the Dean of the Graduate School. Otherwise,
a grade of F is given. Students who stop attending classes without officially
dropping courses also receive grades of F.
____ Review departmental course requirements
____ Make a checklist and mark the requirements you have met and the ones
you plan to meet in the
coming semester
____ Fill out registration forms
____ Review proposed schedule with advisor and give advisor a copy of
your work sheet showing which requirements have been met and which will
be met in the coming semester.
____ Submit registration forms or use on-line or phone registration systems.
Transferring
Graduate Credit
Transfer courses are evaluated for acceptance
on a case-by-case basis subject to the rules and regulations of the Graduate
School . A maximum of 11 credit hours earned at other institutions can
be credited toward the UMSL M.A. degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Master's
Degree Course Requirements
The graduate program is designed to provide
students with a command of criminological knowledge and analytical skills.
The proficiency of students and their ability to work independently are
assessed through course grades.
The M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice requires the completion of 33 credit hours, at least 21 of which are required to be in courses housed in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. 12 of these hours represent the core of the curriculum Students may choose between a thesis and nonthesis course of study. Students whose cumulative GPAs fall below 3.0 after 9 or more hours of work will be placed on probation and given one semester to raise their cumulative GPAs to at least the 3.0 threshold.
Curriculum
Required Coursework (21 hours)
6400, Proseminar: Criminology and Criminal
Justice (3; core)
6405, Methods (3; core)
6410, Statistics (3; core)
5415, Foundations of Criminological Theory (3; core)
Three additional Criminology and Criminal Justice seminars at the 6000
level (9; non-core)
Electives (12 hours)
Twelve elective hours of coursework are
required; some or all of these credits may be earned in Criminology and
Criminal Justice 6000 level seminars not counted toward the 21 hour requirement.
Students may take a maximum of two 4000-level courses in partial fulfillment
of this requirement but they must have the prior approval of the Graduate
Committee. All electives taken outside the College of Arts and Sciences
also must receive prior approval of the Graduate Committee.
Transfer Courses
Transfer courses are evaluated for acceptance
on a case-by-case basis subject to the rules and regulations of the Graduate
School. A maximum of 11 credit hours earned at other institutions can
be credited toward the UMSL M.A. degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice.
Evaluation of Good Standing and Progress
Normal Progress
Normally, students are expected to complete course work and other degree
requirements in a timely manner.
Completing Courses on Time
Students should avoid delayed grades. It is up to the discretion of the
instructor whether or not to submit a delayed grade. A history of DEL
grades indicates an inability to handle a normal workload and jeopardizes
good standing and financial aid.
Delayed grades must be removed within two semesters after the time recorded or they automatically become failing grades.
Grades
Faculty has complete discretion in assigning grades. Point assignments
for grades are as follows:
A = 4.0 points
A- = 3.7
B+ = 3.3
B = 3.0
B- = 2.7
C+ = 2.3
C = 2.0
C- = 1.7
F = 0.0
The Graduate School does not recognize a "D" grade for a graduate student enrolled in a course carrying graduate credit. According to the regulations of the Graduate School, grades lower than "C-" are recorded as an "F".
Grade Point Average (GPA)
All courses taken at UM-St. Louis for graduate credit figure into the
calculation of the overall GPA, including courses that may not be a part
of the degree program. However, only those courses included in the degree
program GPA must be at least 3.0 (B) for a student to receive a graduate
degree.
Probation
The department will place a graduate student on probation if their GPA
falls below 3.0. The student will be placed on probation for one semester,
during which time progress will be reviewed by the departmental committee.
After one semester the student will be removed from probation, continued
on probation, or dismissed from the program. Letters of probation and
letters of the subsequent outcome will be sent directly to the student.
Deadline Extensions
Students may request deadline extensions by consulting with the DGS. The
request must include a projected schedule that shows when requirements
will be met. Students must be explicit about their reasons for their request.
Family and medical leave are the most common reasons for approved extensions
of deadlines. Extensions also may be approved for special academic needs
such as study abroad.
The Graduate School requires students to complete the M.A. degree within six years of first course enrollment. Students who do not take any courses over a two-semester period are required to reapply to the program.
Expected Learning Outcome
1. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the theories, methods and substance of issues in criminology and criminal justice and demonstrate an abilitiy to synthesize knowledge in these areas.
2.Develop a comprehensive understanding of interdisciplinary underpinnings (e.g., from sociology, psychology, political science, economics) of criminology and criminal justice issues and policies.
3. Develop critical thinking and communication skills through the application of criminological theory and social science research methods.
4. Develop a comprehensive understanding of the structure and functioning of the fundamental institutions (e.g., legislatures, police, punishment, supervisory) that are part of criminal justice systems.
5. Develop comprehensive understanding of the role of research and its application for informing policies about criminal justice issues.
The Thesis
The thesis is the preferred option for receipt
of the M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice, especially for students
planning to continue graduate studies. The thesis committee assists in
selecting and developing the research problem and evaluates the student's
work on that problem.
A student selecting the thesis option must complete the core course and option course requirements. Six of the remaining 12 credit hours may be granted for thesis research. The six thesis research hours are normally taken in three hour increments over the two successive semesters, immediately preceding graduation, and after course requirements are completed.
A student selecting the thesis option should outline the thesis option early in his/her studies in consultation with members of the graduate faculty. The student also should begin to determine the graduate faculty member of the department who will be asked to serve chair of the student's thesis committee. Two additional UM-St. Louis graduate faculty members also serve on the thesis committee, at least one of whom must be a faculty member of the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
After the selected faculty has agreed to serve as the thesis committee, the student will prepare a written thesis proposal and submit it to the chairperson of the committee. The thesis committee chair will distribute copies to the other members of the committee for their comments. The chair of the committee will inform the student when the thesis proposal has been accepted.
Thesis research
It is the policy of the University of Missouri that all
research projects that involve human subjects shall be subject to review
and approval by an appropriate, officially appointed human subjects committee
prior to project initiation, and without respect to the source of funding
or sponsorship. This policy includes all faculty, staff, and student research
regardless of source of support.
Any research, therefore, which involves the use of human subjects, must be approved by the campus Institutional Research Board (IRB) before actual research begins. (The chairperson of the student's thesis committee will assist the student in obtaining the IRB approval of the research project, or the granting of an exemption, which must be granted prior to the start of actual research).
A student engaged exclusively in thesis research during a given term will enroll for one or more hours in CCJ 498--M.A. Thesis research. In the term in which the research is to be completed, the student will enroll for as many hours as necessary to complete the department requirement of 33 credit hours. In other words, the degree requirements and the thesis should be completed in the same semester.
Thesis Form
The Graduate School has established the following thesis
format.
1. Original copies of the thesis must be typed on good quality paper and must be legible and neat in order to be accepted by the Graduate School. High quality copies, but not carbon copies, are acceptable. Dot matrix printers using heads with fewer than 24 pins produce unacceptable copies. Any conventional type may be used.
2. The Graduate School title page format must be followed.
3. The left margin must be 1.5 inches; top, bottom, and right margins must be 1 inch.
4. One copy of the thesis must be submitted to the Graduate School Dean for examination at least six weeks prior to the scheduled defense date.
5. In matters of style and documentation, the custom of the discipline should be followed. Students should use the format adopted in CRIMINOLOGY, the official journal of the American Society of Criminology.
6. While the minimum number of thesis copies is two, the total number to be produced is left to the candidate and the chairperson of the candidate's thesis committee.
The Non-Thesis Option
Students who choose to pursue the M.A. degree without a thesis must complete 33 credit hours of graduate study with a GPA of at least 3.0. The credit hours include the 15 hour core course requirement, and at least six hours of option courses. The remaining 12 credit hours may be completed within the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice or in other graduate departments at UM-St. Louis. Courses taken in non-residence through a campus exchange program are not allowed during the last semester.
As many as 11 credit hours of graduate work at another institution may be accepted as transfer credits. Potential transfer courses must have been completed within an accredited graduate program and within a six-year period ending with the granting of the M.A. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. A transfer course with a grade less than a "B" cannot be accepted.
Preparation for Graduation
A graduate student enrolled in a master's degree program is required to file a degree program with the Graduate Office before completing the first half of the number of hours required in the program. The Department requires students to complete the Program for Master's Degree Form (Form M1) after the completion of approximately 21-24 hours of course work. This form should be completed in consultation with the student's advisor and given to the Director of Graduate Studies. If a change is to be made in a degree program after it is filed, the student must file a "Petition for Change in Degree Program" form with the Graduate Office. The same procedure should be followed for the petition.
Students are responsible for seeing that all appropriate forms are submitted on time to the Graduate School. This is especially important during the final semester, as there are several forms and deadlines to assure graduation eligibility.