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The Master of Criminal Justice program is designed for students interested in comprehensive professional graduate education in criminology and criminal justice. It is intended to provide in-depth understanding of existing structures, practices and challenges within this field of study.
Part of an academic and professional field of study, the MCJ program prepares students to administer, analyze, evaluate and facilitate improvements in the rationality and responsiveness of the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Research design capability is emphasized alongside skills required for analyzing empirical data and innovating in crime control and prevention. Students who advance through the program acquire strategies and skills necessary for promoting individual, organizational and social change.
General requirements
Review CU Denver's Graduate Academic Policies.
Program requirements
Required courses
Students must complete the five required courses below, for a total of 15 credit hours. All course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Academic Catalog.
All students must also complete a capstone or thesis course.
Elective courses
In addition to the required courses, students must complete 18 credit hours of elective courses. All course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Academic Catalog.
Internship
Students who have not had one year of criminal justice experience following the awarding of their bachelor's degree are required to complete a three-credit internship: CRJU 6910 (field study). A minimum of 240 hours of supervised work is required to earn 3 hours of credit. Students must have completed 18 credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 prior to enrolling in the internship course.
Capstone option
With the exception of those pursuing the thesis option, all MCJ students must complete the capstone course during the last semester of their degree program. All core classes must be completed before taking the capstone. The capstone cannot be taken during the summer semester.
Thesis option
With the exception of those pursuing the capstone option, all MCJ students must complete a thesis. Students must receive the approval of both a faculty advisor and the director of the criminal justice program to complete a thesis for 3-6 semester hours in lieu of CRJU 5361 - Capstone Seminar. Also, students must complete all core courses and at least 30 credit hours before becoming eligible to register for the thesis.
Part of an academic and professional field of study, the MCJ program prepares students to administer, analyze, evaluate and facilitate improvements in the rationality and responsiveness of the criminal and juvenile justice systems. Research design capability is emphasized alongside skills required for analyzing empirical data and innovating in crime control and prevention. Students who advance through the program acquire strategies and skills necessary for promoting individual, organizational and social change.
General requirements
Review CU Denver's Graduate Academic Policies.
Program requirements
Required courses
Students must complete the five required courses below, for a total of 15 credit hours. All course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Academic Catalog.
All students must also complete a capstone or thesis course.
Elective courses
In addition to the required courses, students must complete 18 credit hours of elective courses. All course descriptions can be found in the Graduate Academic Catalog.
Internship
Students who have not had one year of criminal justice experience following the awarding of their bachelor's degree are required to complete a three-credit internship: CRJU 6910 (field study). A minimum of 240 hours of supervised work is required to earn 3 hours of credit. Students must have completed 18 credit hours with a GPA of 3.0 prior to enrolling in the internship course.
Capstone option
With the exception of those pursuing the thesis option, all MCJ students must complete the capstone course during the last semester of their degree program. All core classes must be completed before taking the capstone. The capstone cannot be taken during the summer semester.
Thesis option
With the exception of those pursuing the capstone option, all MCJ students must complete a thesis. Students must receive the approval of both a faculty advisor and the director of the criminal justice program to complete a thesis for 3-6 semester hours in lieu of CRJU 5361 - Capstone Seminar. Also, students must complete all core courses and at least 30 credit hours before becoming eligible to register for the thesis.