Master of Science in Criminal Justice Program Columbia College

Justice-Driven Career Skills

Criminal Justice is a science. Master it at Columbia College.

A bachelor's degree can get a student part of the way on his journey. But an MSCJ will finish the journey and get him or her where he or she wants to be.

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) is designed primarily for practitioners in the field of criminal justice who are interested in developing and/or enhancing administrative skills. The program also is designed to meet the analytical and theoretical needs of students who will continue with doctoral or law studies. The degree emphasizes four foundational areas: trends in criminal justice, policy development and analysis, research design, and ethics in criminal justice. Understanding derived from these courses provides graduate students with a solid foundation for dealing with the many critical issues confronting the contemporary criminal justice administrator. Courses are structured in a hands-on format encouraging maximum student interaction while encouraging the development of useful action skills.

With an MSCJ, students can advance in such fields as security management, probation and court services, forensic psychology, homeland security, justice administration, corrections, crime analysis and prevention, crime and delinquency, human services, global issues, law, executive management, and public safety.

A Top-Notch Education

Columbia College instructors are practicing professionals who have real-world experience and at least master's degrees in their fields of study. Online instructors must be accredited through the same credentialing process as the college's full-time, on-campus faculty members. Online instructors also receive intensive training for teaching in an online environment. Areas of specialization among the criminal justice faculty include police practices and procedures, criminal investigations, organizational theory, criminal law, corrections, and more.

Columbia College prides itself on offering some of the most affordable, accredited and accommodating programs in the country. As a nonprofit college, the institution's primary stakeholders are its students. This is why Columbia College molds its graduate program to fit even the busiest of schedules thanks to the option to take classes in the evening (select campuses only) and online, start-and-stop flexibility, and convenient eight-week sessions. As a result, students will be able to juggle their jobs, their family obligations, and any other duties they might have -- all while earning their graduate degrees.

Columbia College Overview

Columbia College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. The college also participates in the Missouri Association of Colleges for Teacher Education. All online degrees at Columbia College meet the same accreditation standards as its on-campus degrees.

The "US News & World Report" ranked Columbia College in the top tier among America's Best Colleges for the 8th consecutive year, and the "Princeton Review" named Columbia College a 2012 Best Midwestern College. Columbia College has also been recognized as a leader in military-friendly education and was named among the Top Military-Friendly Colleges & Universities for the 4th year in a row. G.I. Jobs magazine also recognized Columbia College as a military-friendly school based on its Yellow Ribbon benefits, military and veteran enrollments, generous transfer credit policies, flexible learning programs and tuition benefits.

Columbia College has a history dating back to 1851 when it was founded in Columbia, Mo., as Christian Female College. The college changed its name in 1970 when it became a 4-year coeducational institution. The Columbia College network extends to more than 34 locations nationwide, with 18 campuses on military bases, plus online. Columbia College educates more than 29,000 students each year and has more than 67,000 alumni worldwide.

• Degrees Offered
• Major Degree Levels Offered
• Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ)

• Degrees Awarded
• Master's Degrees 40
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported
• * Shows the number of degrees awarded for the last academic year that data was reported.

• Earning Your Degree
• Part-time study available? No
• Evening/weekend programs available? Yes
• Distance learning programs available? Yes
• Terminal master's degree available? Not reported

• Degree Requirements
• Master's Degrees Final exams, culminating experience (intensive writing seminar)
• Doctoral Degrees Not reported
• First Professional Degrees Not reported
• Other Advanced Degrees Not reported

• Acceptance Rate
• Applied47
• Accepted34
• Acceptance Rate72%
• Enrolled28
• Applying
• Application Fee - Domestic $55
• Application Fee - International $55
• Electronic applications accepted? Yes
• Applications processed on a rolling basis? Yes
• Application Deadlines
• Type Domestic International Priority Date
• Fall deadline August 9th August 9th Yes
• Winter deadline Not Reported Not Reported Not Reported
• Spring deadline December 27th December 27th Yes
• Entrance Requirements
• Master's Degrees3 letters of recommendation, minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0, and resume, goal statement
• Doctoral's DegreesNot Reported
• First-Professional's DegreesNot Reported
• Other Advanced DegreesNot Reported
• International DegreesTOEFL required, 550 paper based, TOEFL iBT

• Tuition & Fees
• In-state tuition *Not Reported
• Out-of-state tuition *Not Reported
• International student tuitionNot Reported
• * Tuition for full-time graduate student per academic year
• Fees
• Per-academic year feesNot Reported
• Per-term feesNot Reported
• One-time feeNot Reported
• * Fees for full-time graduate students
• Financial Support
• Financial award applicants must submitFAFSA
• Application deadlines for financial awardsMarch 1
• Types of financial support availableFederal Work-Study, Scholarship and/or loans

• Gender
• Total Graduate Students116
• Female Percentage51%
• Male Percentage49%
• Participation
• Total Graduate Students116
• Part-time Percentage91%
• Full-time Percentage9%
• Ethnicity
• Hispanic / Latino9%
• Black / African American15%
• White / Caucasian70%
• American Indian / Alaskan Native1%
• Asian2%
• Native Hawaiian / Other Pacific Islander0%
• Two or more races1%
• Unknown2%

• Faculty Breakout
• Total Faculty13
• Full-time Percentage15%
• Part-time Percentage85%
• Female Percentage38%
• Male Percentage62%

• Existing Research
• Focus of faculty researchOrganized crime, policing in America
• Externally sponsored research expenditures last yearNot Reported