Program Overview

Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MCJ) Program

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MCJ) program at Weber State University is designed to provide future leaders with a broad and diverse educational experience, integrating practical field experience with theoretical foundations relevant to various professions in today's modern criminal justice system.

Program Overview

The MCJ program is a fully online, 12 to 18-month master's program that can open endless career opportunities. The program is open to students with bachelor's degrees from all fields, and it is designed to meet the needs of working professionals.

Admission Criteria

Admission to the MCJ program is open to all applicants from all undergraduate degrees granted by a regionally accredited college or university. The admission criteria include:

• A minimum overall GPA of 3.0
• Personal letters of recommendation
• Overall experience in the criminal justice field or other related areas of expertise
• The GRE is not required for admission to the program

Program Requirements

The MCJ program requires the completion of 36 semester hours. The required core courses include:

• MCJ 6100: Contemporary Criminal Justice
• MCJ 6110: Research Methods in Criminal Justice
• MCJ 6210: The American Criminal Court
• MCJ 6220: Contemporary Law Enforcement
• MCJ 6230: Contemporary Corrections The remaining 21 semester hours will be selected from elective courses of interest to the student.

Curriculum Pathways

The MCJ program offers two curriculum pathways:

• Criminal Justice Practitioner Orientation Path: This pathway is designed for students who want to advance in their career. The required core courses are the same as the general program, and the suggested elective courses include:
  • Criminal Justice Policy Analysis
  • Contemporary Legal Issues
  • Legal Foundations of Criminal Justice
• Criminology Orientation Path: This pathway is designed for students who want to pursue a Ph.D. The required core courses are the same as the general program, and the suggested elective courses include:
  • Criminal Justice Statistics
  • Theories of Crime & Delinquency
  • Advanced Victimology

Academic Policies

The MCJ program has several academic policies, including:

• Program GPA Policy: Students are required to maintain a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.0.
• Course Failure Policy: Students are required to pass their courses in a timely manner. The number of times a student may attempt a course is limited to three times.
• Academic Dishonesty Policy: All forms of academic dishonesty, including cheating, plagiarism, and AI-generated material, are unacceptable and will be sanctioned appropriately.

Student Activity in the Program

Students in the MCJ program are expected to make consistent progress towards the completion of their degree. Students must finish their degree requirements within nine semesters from the semester of acceptance. A student may request a one-semester extension by submitting an official written and signed "Request for Extension" to the Graduate Director.

Graduate Readings

MCJ 6260: Graduate Readings is designed to allow tenure-track faculty opportunities to collaboratively mentor graduate students in an in-depth, academic investigation of a topic in the faculty member's area(s) of scholarly interest. To qualify for MCJ 6260, a student must have completed all the required core courses, be fully admitted to the MCJ program, and have an overall graduate GPA of 3.0 or higher.