Criminal Justice MS

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice is a fully online (virtual) program designed to prepare graduates for advancement in justice-related professions, particularly as administrative and management-level officers in law enforcement, corrections, and juvenile justice. The program will provide graduates with an in-depth understanding of management of criminal justice agencies as it relates to the agency, the law, the courts, and the public. The curriculum consists of 33 semester credit hours in foundational criminal justice and administration of justice courses.

The MS in Criminal Justice advances the theoretical perspectives and practical applications of the BS degree in the development of advanced administrative skills that increase the effectiveness and professionalism of criminal justice personnel. As noted by numerous agency heads, a graduate degree is particularly beneficial to those seeking advancement in their current agencies as well as those seeking employment in federal law enforcement agencies and federal courts.

Specific positions for which this program will prepare students include:

Police chief
Sheriff or commanding officers of law enforcement agency
Superintendent or commanding officers of corrections agency
FBI, ATF, and other federal law enforcement agents
PhD student
Researcher in criminal justice

Department Contacts

Ladny, Roshni

Program Coordinator Criminal Justice MS/Assistant Professor, Criminal Justice

MERWIN 0168

239-745-4787

rladny@fgcu.edu

Violent Behavior, Childhood Trauma, Mental Health

Meet the Criminal Justice MS Faculty

Accreditation
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Admissions Information
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Getting Started
Applicants must submit an application online per the individual program’s instructions below. Please contact Graduate Admissions at 239-745-GRAD or graduate@fgcu.edu for additional information about the application process. Satisfaction of minimum University and program requirements does not guarantee admission to a graduate program. Applicants should check with the program for the most up to date admission requirements prior to commencing the application process.
- Submit an FGCU Graduate Admissions Application and satisfy all applicable university admissions requirements.
- Earned baccalaureate degree from an institution that maintains accreditation by a U.S. Department of Education sanctioned accrediting body (https://www.ed.gov/laws-and-policy/higher-education-laws-and-policy/college-accreditation) or equivalent foreign institution.
- A GPA of 3.0 or greater (on a 4.0 scale) for the last 60 hours of the baccalaureate degree.
- International students must demonstrate English language proficiency in accordance with University regulation.
- One official transcript from each baccalaureate and/or graduate institution attended.
- Three completed reference rating forms/letters of recommendation from persons qualified to judge the applicant's academic and professional potential.
- Personal Aspiration Statement 300-500 words.
- Interview if requested.
Program Requirements
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Program Requirements for the 2025-2026 Catalog Year
Program Progression and Additional Graduation Requirements
- Students must satisfactorily complete the minimum number of credit hours specified by the graduate degree program.
- A grade of B or higher must be earned in all Department graduate courses used as prerequisites and each core course.
- Overall GPA of 3.0 or higher in all work attempted.
- A cumulative GPA of 3.0 for all coursework in program.
- Students must complete and pass a culminating demonstration of learning and competence at the end of the program, currently a comprehensive examination.
- The Department limits the transfer of coursework into its graduate programs to a maximum of 12 credits or three courses. To be considered, courses must have been completed with a minimum grade of B and no more than seven years prior to the date of entry into the graduate program and no more than ten years prior to graduation from the graduate program.
- Apply for graduation by the semester deadline indicated in the FGCU Academic Calendar.
- Students must register for a minimum of one credit during the semester in which they apply for graduation.
- Earn more than 50% of the credits toward the degree through FGCU.
- If pursuing the thesis option, submit one electronic copy of the completed thesis to ProQuest. Refer to the Graduate Studies website for guidelines.
Program Requirements
1. Required Courses in the Major (18 credits)
  CCJ 5476 Mgmt. & Admin. of Justice (3)
  CCJ 6485 Criminal Justice Policy (3)
  CCJ 6606 Social Constructs of Crime (3)
  CJL 5320 Legal Aspects of CJ Management (3)
  PAD 6227 Public Budgeting (3)
  PAD 6417 Public Personnel Admin (3)
2. Thesis or Integrated Project (6 credits)
  Thesis Option
  CCJ 6707 Adv. Quantitative Research (3)
  CCJ 6971 Thesis in Criminal Justice (3)
  
  Integrated Project Option
  CCJ 6709 Advanced Qualitative Research (3)
  CCJ 6974 Project in Criminal Justice (3)
3. Restricted Electives in the Major* (9 credits)
  Select from additional 5000-6999 courses with any of the following prefixes: CCJ, CJC, CJE, CJJ, CJL, DSC except courses graded on an S/U scale.
  *Courses used to fulfill required courses cannot also be used to fulfill restricted electives.
Total Credits Required: 33 HRS
Course Descriptions
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Official Course Descriptions

Search for official course descriptions by using the Course Description Search utility.

Go to the Course Descriptions Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select a course prefix from one of the SUBJECT dropdowns (required)
3. Enter search words in the TEXT field (optional, but will narrow the search results)
4. Press Search
Supplemental Course Descriptions

The following course descriptions only provide information about the focus that an individual professor chooses to take for their course. These descriptions are not a replacement for the official course description. Use the Course Description Search page to find the official course description.
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Course Schedule
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Getting started with the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Getting Started With the Course Schedule Search

Search for program courses by using the Course Schedule Search utility.

Go to the Course Schedule Search Web page, then follow these steps:
1. Select an Academic Year from the TERM dropdown (required)
2. Select one or more of the search options to narrow your results (for example, CAMPUS, COLLEGE, DEPARTMENT, LEVEL, PREFIX*, COURSE ATTRIBUTE**). For virtual or web courses, select VIRTUAL in the CAMPUS field.
3. Press Search.
*A course prefix is a three-letter designator for a major division of an academic discipline (for example, ACG for Accounting , BSC for Biological Science, ENC for English Composition). See the Degree Requirements page for a list of courses (with prefix and number) that can be used to fulfill degree requirements.

**A course attribute identifies specific characteristics of courses that can be used in a Degree Evaluation to satisfy a degree requirement. (Course attribute examples are Humanities courses - GEHM and Social Science courses - GESO.)

Learning Outcomes

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Criminal Justice M.S.
Academic Learning Compact

Consistent with its mission and guiding principles, Florida Gulf Coast University is committed to academic excellence and continuous quality improvement, as supported by a sound teaching-learning process. Within this process, students and instructors share responsibility for learning that is a movement from the simple to the complex, the concrete to the abstract, and the dependent to the independent. The Academic Learning Compact (ALC) initiative supports the teaching-learning process by clearly identifying expected core student learning outcomes; aligning curricula with expectations; and using assessment to guide continuous improvement.

MSCrimJus-DIS1
Graduates of the Criminal Justice MS program will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the evolution of and the policy issues affecting the field of Criminal Justice.; and identify evidence-based “best practice” policy to address these issues.

MSCrimJus-DIS2
Graduates of the Criminal Justice MS program will be able to demonstrate an understanding of the interaction of criminal justice with the broader social, economic, and political environment.

MSCrimJus-DIS3
Graduates of the Criminal Justice MS program will be able to demonstrate effective technological, managerial, analytical, and communication .

MSCrimJus-DIS4
Graduates of the Criminal Justice MS program will be able to integrate ethical and professional behavior, diverse perspectives and interdisciplinary approaches in designing and implementing solutions to complex public and social problems.

Learning Outcomes will be assessed in the following courses:

MSCrimJus-DIS1 - Understand criminal justice evolution - Content Discipline Knowledge
CCJ 6974 - Project in Criminal Justice

MSCrimJus-DIS2 - Understand justice interactions - Content Discipline Knowledge
CCJ 6974 - Project in Criminal Justice

MSCrimJus-DIS3 - Demonstrate managerial - Content Discipline Knowledge
CCJ 6974 - Project in Criminal Justice

MSCrimJus-DIS4 - Integrate ethical behavior - Content Discipline Knowledge
CCJ 6974 - Project in Criminal Justice

Tuition, Fees, and Financial Assistance
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Tuition and Fees

Information on Tuition, Fees and estimated total Cost of Attendance is available on the Office of the Bursar web site.

Tuition Waivers

A limited number of tuition waivers, which cover only in-state matriculation fees, are available. These are awarded competitively. To access the application, visit the tuition waiver page.

Supplemental Tuition Waiver

Click here to download the supplemental tuition waiver application.