MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE

Gerald Fisher, Coordinator
E-mail: gerald.fisher@gcsu.edu

MISSION

The purpose of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice degree program at Georgia College & State University is to educate in-service and pre-service Criminal Justice students in critical thinking and communications skills and in knowledge of the discipline. The program will allow students to master the concepts, theories, and facts that underlie an understanding of the Criminal Justice System and to be able to apply their knowledge to Criminal Justice policy and practice. The Master of Science in Criminal Justice program offers advanced education in the knowledge, skills, competencies, and perspectives required for effective, efficient, responsible, and humane Criminal Justice agency management. This program is offered at the residential campus in Milledgeville and in Macon.

REGULAR ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Prospective students seeking admission to the MSCJ program must hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution and show promise of high quality work at the graduate level. There is no specific undergraduate course of study for admission. However, students demonstrating marginal achievement may be advised to take preparatory course work. Students may begin their programs during any academic term. All applications must be filed with the Graduate Admissions Office. These materials consist of the following: (1) the application forms; (2) official copies of all undergraduate and graduate transcripts; (3) three letters of recommendation; and (4) official scores from the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Miller Analogies Test (MAT). Applicants need only submit scores from the GRE general test, or the Miller's Analogies test (MAT), not from a subject test. To be granted regular admission status, the applicant who has taken the GRE must have a score of at least 1200 on the MSCJ admissions formula. The formula is: GRE verbal + GRE quantitative + (100 X undergraduate grade point average). For example, if an applicant had 450 on the GRE verbal, 450 on the GRE quantitative, and a 3.00 undergraduate GPA, the score would be 450 + 450 + (100 X 3.00) = 1200. To be granted regular admission status, the applicant who has taken the MAT must have a score of at least 670 on the MSCJ admissions formula. The score is calculated by taking the MAT score + (100 X the undergraduate GPA. For example, an MAT score of 370 and an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 would generate a score of 370 + (100 X 3.0) - 670. Prospective students seeking additional information on the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program may view the Handbook on line at: /gov/criminaljustice.htm.

PROVISIONAL ADMISSION

Applicants who score under 1200 on the GRE admissions formula or 670 on the MAT admissions formula may be granted provisional status, which would allow them to take some courses on a trial basis. If one's score on the GRE formula is less than 1000, or 620 on the MAT formula, the coordinator may require the applicant to re-take the GRE, or may deny admission. While holding provisional status, students may take no more than 12 semester hours and earn no final course grades below B to qualify for regular status. Provisional students who prefer to take lighter course loads will need two or more semesters of satisfactory work (not to exceed a total of 12 semester hours) to become eligible for regular status. Courses taken under provisional status with satisfactory grades will be counted as part of the regular MSCJ degree program. Earning a final course grade of less than B while in provisional status will cause the student to be dismissed from the MSCJ program. The MSCJ coordinator must approve all courses taken in provisional status.

CONDITIONAL ADMISSION

Applicants who apply too late for full consideration for admission and/or have not submitted all required documents for evaluation may be assigned conditional admission status. While in this status a student may register for one semester only by completing a GCSU Conditional Registration Agreement for Graduate Students; this form requires the signatures of both the student and the graduate coordinator. Any student who registers under this agreement must be admitted to either regular or provisional status by the end of the first semester of enrollment to continue taking courses in the degree program. Earning a final course grade of less than B while in conditional status will cause the student to be ineligible for provisional or regular status in the MSCJ program. The MSCJ coordinator must approve all courses taken in conditional status. Students may take no more than 12 semester hours of course work in conditional and provisional status combined.

Applicants should understand that the MSCJ program does not encourage students to enter under the conditional status. The Graduate Record Examination or Miller Analogies Test and undergraduate transcripts are indicators of the ability to do graduate work, and it is helpful to both the MCJ coordinator and the applicant to know something of that ability before registering for courses.

CAREER INFORMATION

Most students in the MSCJ program are already employed in the public sector and are interested in the MSCJ program for reasons of career development and mobility. In-service students come from practically every possible public sector setting and every level of government. Pre-service students will have available to them the information and assistance of the GCSU Career Services Office. Faculty will work with students in exploring career options. Many students have found their classmates to be valuable sources of networking information. Students should understand, however, that the purpose of graduate education in criminal justice is to prepare one to be a better manager of a criminal justice agency. No graduate degree is a guarantee of employment.

PROGRAM OF STUDY

Students categorized as in-service will have a 36 credit hour program, composed of regular courses and a capstone project. Students categorized as pre-service (i.e., not having held a full-time position in the public sector) will have a 36 credit hour program, composed of regular courses and an internship. Students in either category can choose, with the approval of the graduate coordinator, the thesis option. If you are contemplating doctoral level work, the thesis option would be very good preparation and is strongly recommended.

We have divided the curriculum into basic, advanced, and elective courses. Students are strongly encouraged to take CRJU 6100 in their first or second terms in the MSCJ program. That course serves as the introduction to criminal justice and to this particular MSCJ program. While it is not required, some students have found it helpful to have most of the basic courses completed prior to taking PUAD 6605, Quantitative Techniques.

Required of all students:

Required of all students:

Selected to fit the interest of the student. Consists of two graduate-level Criminal Justice courses and one graduate-level course in Public Administration, Political Science, Sociology, Psychology, or Management.

Note: Students taking the thesis option would have 3 hours of electives and no Career Assessment Project or internship

Career Assessment Project. This project is required of all in-service students not taking the thesis option during the final semester of coursework. Under the supervision of the instructional faculty each student demonstrates, both orally and in writing, the relationship among the course work taken present job performance, and future career plans. Guidelines are available from the MSCJ coordinator and are summarized in the MSCJ Handbook.

Internship. This is an individually structured course involving one semester of full-time supervised work with a public sector agency. The internship is intended for pre-service students who have had little or no exposure to work in the public sector.

Thesis Option. CRJU 6971 is Thesis Research & Design (3 hours); CRJU 6972 is Thesis Writing & Development (3 hours); and CRJU 6973 is Thesis Defense. Guidelines for the thesis option are available from the MSCJ coordinator and are summarized in the MSCJ Handbook.

FURTHER INFORMATION

Prospective students desiring further information may contact the Graduate Coordinator, Department of Government and Sociology, Georgia College & State University, Campus Box 18, Milledgeville, GA 31061. The department's telephone number is (478) 445-4562. The coordinator's e-mail address is gerald.fisher@gcsu.edu. The coordinator's phone number is (478) 445-0940.