Criminal Justice (MS) (Master's) at Michigan State University

Programme overview

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice at MSU's School of Criminal Justice is a research-oriented degree offered under Plan A (thesis) or Plan B (policy analysis paper). The programme is in moratorium from Fall 2026 through Fall 2031.

Faculty: College of Social Science | Department: School of Criminal Justice | Duration: 30 credits | Study mode: full-time | Location: East Lansing, MI, United States

What you will study

Both plans require 15 core credits: CJ 801 Crime Causation, Prevention, and Control; CJ 810 Proseminar in Criminal Justice; CJ 811 Design and Analysis in Criminal Justice Research; CJ 812 Criminal Justice Management Seminar; and CJ 887 Quantitative Methods in Criminal Justice Research. Plan A adds 6 thesis credits (CJ 899) and an oral defence; Plan B adds CJ 896 Policy Analysis under Conditions of Change with an oral examination, plus approved electives.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

Bachelor's degree from a recognised institution with an undergraduate GPA of 3.20 or higher; at least 12 undergraduate credits in political science, economics, sociology, psychology, anthropology, history or social work (at least 6 in sociology, psychology or social work); satisfactory GRE General Test scores (waived for applicants with a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher from an accredited institution or a completed graduate degree); evidence of personal traits important for scholarly performance. Occupational experience is given weight. A limited number of applicants may be admitted provisionally and must complete at least 10 credits of graduate criminal justice coursework with a 3.20 GPA to move to regular status.

Tuition is charged per credit, so the total depends on the modules you register for each year. Current fees are listed in the official fee schedule.

Graduate applicants can start in fall (late August), spring (January) or summer (May) in the MPH programme; intake terms for other graduate programmes are set by each department or program.

The graduate application fee is $75 for domestic and international applicants, with one fee per application; applicants may submit up to two applications to different graduate majors per semester. Applications are reviewed by the department or program, which sets its own deadlines.

MPH application deadlines (SOPHAS completion): fall May 18, spring October 18, summer February 15; MSU supplemental application: fall June 1, spring November 1, summer March 1.

Apply through the official page: https://admissions.msu.edu/apply/graduate-students

Explore more study programmes

Business