J.D. Criminal Justice Studies at University of North Dakota

Programme overview

Four years, two degrees, countless career options. UND’s Criminal Justice Studies M.S./J.D. joint degree opens doors. This program will provide you with advanced knowledge in the law and criminal justice at an accelerated pace. The JD courses are offered on campus only, while the Criminal Justice Studies courses are offered online and on-campus.

What you will study

Thesis students choose 9 credits from the following electives. Non-thesis students choose 12 credits from the following electives. CJ 540 and CJ 545 are repeatable to 9 credits when the course is differently subtitled. Required courses include CJ 501 Foundations in Crime and Criminal Justice; CJ 502 Theories of Crime; CJ 503 Research Methods in Criminal Justice; CJ 504 Visualization and Interpretation of Criminal Justice Data; CJ 505 Administrative Decision Making in Criminal Justice; CJ 507 Program Evaluation in Criminal Justice.

Career pathways

Government agencies and organizations often have legal counsel. A combined law and criminal justice studies degree may have career advantages for prosecutors and defense attorneys and will make you a prime candidate for government, political or non-profit jobs that rely on a thorough understanding of the law. You'll find career options in fields including: Criminal justice reform, Human rights, Intervention and prevention, Legal aid, Victim advocacy.

Official programme page

Application information

Entry requirements

In addition to the admission requirements of the School of Graduate Studies, the following requirements must be met by all applicants: A bachelor’s degree in criminal justice or allied field from an accredited college or university. A cumulative GPA of at least 3.0 in all undergraduate coursework. Submit a resume. Submit a personal statement for evaluation describing academic and professional accomplishments; reasons for pursuing a graduate degree in Criminal Justice Studies; and any additional information the applicant would like the admissions committee to know. Satisfy the School of Graduate Studies’ English Language Proficiency requirements as published in the graduate catalog. Outstanding applicants are evaluated on an individual basis and those with limited backgrounds in fields related to criminal justice but a distinguished record in another discipline, or a lower cumulative GPA but an otherwise strong application, may be accepted in a qualified or provisional 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.

Terms run Fall (August-December), Spring (January-May) and Summer (May-August).

Graduate applications go through the UND admissions application with a $35 non-refundable fee (no waivers); each graduate program sets its own deadline, listed in the Program Finder.

International graduate applicants: Fall May 1, Spring Sept. 1, Summer Feb. 1, unless the program sets a specific deadline. Application fee $35.

Apply through the official page: https://und.edu/admissions/graduate/apply.html

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