Program Overview

Overview

The criminal justice graduate program at Illinois State can help you take your career to the next level. As a student in our program, you'll sharpen and further develop your skills. You'll also get a deeper perspective of the criminal justice field.

Our program is designed to give you the tools you need to advance in the field and be a stand out for competitive positions. The theories and principles we cover in the classroom can be applied to your current or future role in the field.

Overall, you'll gain a better understanding of policing, courts, and corrections. We study how each entity functions and operates. We also examine how they relate to each other, society, and the world.

Classes in our graduate program are small. This lets you work closely with other professionals and students. You'll engage in meaningful discussions on all the challenges and interesting topics in the criminal justice arena. This gives you a unique academic experience and introduces you to different perspectives.

Point of Pride

The criminal justice sciences graduate program includes a diverse student body. With a mixture of criminal justice practitioners and individuals who plan to pursue doctoral studies, everyone brings unique perspectives to the program.

Graduate Advisor

Dr. Brent Teasdale

Schroeder 415

Admission Requirements

University Admission Requirements

• Have earned a four-year bachelor's degree or its equivalent from a college or university that is accredited by the appropriate regional accrediting association, or do so by the time of program matriculation.
• Submit unofficial transcripts from each college or university other than Illinois State at which graduate, undergraduate, or non-degree credit was earned. The unofficial transcript should be easily readable and clearly indicate degree(s) awarded, courses and course grades for each term.

Additional Program Admission Requirements

GPA

• You must have a cumulative GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for either the last 60 hours of undergraduate coursework or any previous work in a master's program.

Goal Statement

• Submit a goal statement that includes the following information:
  • Your background
  • Your computer/technology skills
  • Rationale for pursuing a master’s degree in criminal justice
  • Long-term career goals
  • Your top three research interests in the field of Criminal Justice Sciences

Resume

• Upload your current resume to the online application system. Include any prior research or teaching skills.

Letters of Recommendation

• If you are not a graduate of Illinois State’s Criminal Justice Sciences undergraduate program, you must submit two letters of recommendation to the Department of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Application Deadlines

• Fall (August) Term — February 15
• Spring (January) Term — October 15
• Summer (May/June) Term — Coordinator Approval Only

Graduate Assistantships

The University provides graduate assistantships as a means of financial support. They are intended as a way to facilitate a student's progress to degree while providing important professional development.

Eligibility

• Be admitted unconditionally as a degree-seeking student into a graduate academic program, or have a minimum of 120 undergraduate hours if in an integrated degree program
• Be in good-standing
• Be enrolled full-time (typically at least 9 credit hours during the fall or spring semesters, or at least 6 hours during the summer session)

Benefits

• Monthly wages paid in the form of either a stipend or an hourly wage
• A waiver for 100% of tuition during a semester of appointment
• A waiver for up to 12 credit hours of tuition for the summer term immediately following a fall or spring appointment

Costs & Funding

See Student Accounts for information on tuition and fees. Funding for graduate students is available from several different sources. Students who have been admitted from contiguous states including Iowa, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, and Wisconsin will receive in-state tuition.