Criminal Justice, MA
Ranked No. 9 in the nation by U.S. News & World Report, 2025, this online program will help you understand crime and its impact on society. Enhance your understanding of the legal system by gaining experience in data-driven decision-making, enabling you to successfully apply it to challenges in the field.
Quick facts
Locations
Credits
Additional facts
STEM-OPT extension eligible: No
International students (F1), this program is not eligible for the STEM-OPT extension.
Accreditation
Accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.
Admission to this program is limited to students who do not have a master's degree in criminal justice.
Degree description
The Master of Arts program in criminal justice is designed to provide you as a criminal justice agency professional with training in research methods and statistics.
Coursework covers topics of criminology and the operation of the criminal justice system. The degree program also provides you with advanced training in program planning and management, policy analysis and program evaluation.
Curriculum
This graduate degree includes courses focused on a specialized topic, so you can advance your skills for further professional opportunities. Explore all courses below.
30 credit hours - course-based master's, or
30 credit hours including the required capstone course (CRJ 505)
COURSE-BASED OPTION Required Core (12 credit hours) Electives (18 credit hours) OPTION WITH CULMINATING EXPERIENCE Required Core (12 credit hours) Electives (15 credit hours) Culminating Experience (3 credit hours) Students interested in future graduate-level work (including a Doctor of Criminal Justice degree) or other professional degrees should consider the capstone option. Students interested in working in research-related careers or at non-profit or government organizations, where completing the capstone project would be valuable experience, should also consider taking CRJ 505. Students who would like to maximize their exposure to different criminal justice topics through coursework should pursue the course-based option. This allows for added knowledge and skills in a variety of areas relevant to policy and practice. Working justice professionals who are not considering pursuing future education or research-related roles may find the flexibility of the course-based option more appropriate for their professional goals. Students can take elective coursework in areas such as policing, corrections and management by combining required and elective coursework. Students should consult the academic unit for a list of approved elective courses.
CRJ 501 Seminar in Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ 502 Seminar in Criminology (3)
CRJ 510 Criminal Justice Planning and Program Evaluation (3)
CRJ 511 Applied Data Analysis in Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ 501 Seminar in Criminal Justice (3)
CRJ 502 Seminar in Criminology (3)
CRJ 510 Criminal Justice Planning and Program Evaluation (3)
CRJ 511 Applied Data Analysis in Criminal Justice (3)
This master's degree includes a course-based option.
What you'll learn
The following learning outcomes highlight some of the knowledge and skills you'll develop to support your future success.
- Generate research products using appropriate statistical techniques for addressing criminal justice problems.
- Critically appraise theoretical perspectives on causes of crime, policy responses to crime problems, and the operation of the criminal justice system.
- Formulate a final program evaluation research paper based on foundational knowledge of criminological theory and criminal justice policy.
Generate research products using appropriate statistical techniques for addressing criminal justice problems.Admission requirements
Here are the admission and application details
All students are required to meet general university admission requirements.
U.S. applicants (opens in new window) | International applicants (opens in new window) | English proficiency (opens in new window)
Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions. Applicants are eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a bachelor's degree in criminology, criminal justice or another closely related field from a regionally accredited institution. Applicants are encouraged to apply regardless of bachelor's degree concentration conferred. Applicants are also eligible to apply to the program if they have earned a master's degree in a related field from a regionally accredited institution. Related fields include justice administration, forensic science and public administration. Applicants must not have a master's degree in criminal justice. Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in the last 60 hours of their first bachelor's degree program, or applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program. All applicants must submit: Additional Application Information The written statement should be one to two pages in length and describe the applicant's prior education, relevant professional experience and career goals. The statement should explain how the MA program in criminal justice will help the applicant attain their career goals. The statement should explicitly explain how the applicant's plans align with the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice's role and mission. It is recommended that applicants who feel they are weak in a particular area or admission requirement address their plan to remedy any shortcomings, should they be granted provisional admission into the degree program. Students should see the academic unit website for application deadlines.
An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency.
Explore expanded study opportunities
This program allows you to obtain both a bachelor's and a master's degree in as little as five years. As a high-achieving student, accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree programs are designed for you to share undergraduate coursework with graduate coursework to accelerate completion of your master's degree. These programs feature the same high-quality curriculum taught by ASU's world-renowned faculty.
This program is offered as an accelerated bachelor's plus master's degree with:
Approval to pursue the accelerated master's is typically granted during the junior year of your bachelor's degree program. If you are interested, you can learn more about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
ASU offers formally approved and coordinated degree programs at the graduate degree level. These programs include a designated number of approved credit hours that are shared by two degrees. For most concurrent degree programs, you apply once through the ASU graduate application. However, if you want to pursue a concurrent program that includes a law degree, you must submit both the ASU graduate application and the law school application.
This degree is also offered as a concurrent program with the following:
Paying for college
Use our calculator to estimate your full-time or part-time tuition fees for this program prior to any financial aid. Keep in mind that most of our students receive financial aid, which can reduce out-of-pocket costs.
Get an estimateCareer opportunities
The MA program in criminology and criminal justice is designed to help graduates advance their career in criminal justice.
Graduates find a strong job market in the public and private sectors. Employment opportunities include supervisory and management positions in criminal justice agencies at federal, state and local levels, such as:
- city, county and state government liaison to criminal justice agencies
- communications supervisor (911 and dispatch)
- court administrator
- evidence and crime scene supervisor (CSI activities)
- intelligence analyzer
- law enforcement professional
- police crime analysis supervisor
- pretrial release specialist
- probation, parole or community supervisor
- property management and evidence retention supervisor
- risk manager
- veterans services specialist
Opportunities also include supervisory and management positions in social service agencies, such as:
- child and family services (e.g., Head Start, child support enforcement, foster care, elder care)
- Department of Economic Security
- homeless outreach
Graduates also have the opportunity to work in supervisory and management positions in the private sector, including online security, as well as in the cybersecurity sector.
Contact information
Use the contact information below to get in touch if you're a current student or have general questions.
Prospective students should fill out the Request for Information form.
School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
|
UCENT 600
idpadvising@asu.edu
602-496-0485
Frequently asked questions about degree programs
Accelerated programs allow students the opportunity to expedite the completion of their degree.
Accelerated master's
These programs allow students to accelerate their studies to earn a bachelor's plus a master's degree in as few as five years (for some programs).
Each program has requirements students must meet to be eligible for consideration. Students typically receive approval to pursue the accelerated master's during the junior year of their bachelor's degree program. Interested students can learn about eligibility requirements and how to apply.
Concurrent degrees allow students to pursue their own personal or professional interests, earn two distinct degrees and receive two diplomas. To add a concurrent degree to your existing degree, work with your academic advisor.
Joint programs, or jointly conferred degrees, are offered by more than one college and provide opportunities for students to take advantage of the academic strengths of two academic units. Upon graduation, students are awarded one degree and one diploma conferred by two colleges.
ASU adds new programs to Degree Search frequently. Come back often and look for the "New Programs" option.
ASU Online offers programs in an entirely online format with multiple enrollment sessions throughout the year. See https://asuonline.asu.edu/ for more information.
The Western Regional Graduate Program (WRGP) provides a reduced tuition rate to non-resident graduate students who qualify. Visit the WRGP/WICHE webpage for more information: https://graduate.asu.edu/wiche.
