Criminal Justice

Overview

Students completing the MS Criminal Justice program will be well versed in law enforcement, courts, corrections, ethics, research methodology, homeland security, current social issues, theoretical underpinnings, and complex challenges facing the criminal justice system and national defense. The curriculum and skillset competitively position graduates for careers in national security and the criminal justice system, as well as creating an avenue for advancement in military careers.

APSU’s MS Criminal Justice program leverages the knowledge, research proficiency, and professional experiences of APSU faculty and military officials from Ft. Campbell. Our faculty possess expertise in the traditional scholarly fields of criminology, political science, sociology, and psychology. These disciplines contribute to the intellectual basis for criminal justice as an academic field.

Currently, APSU is the only public institution offering an M.S. in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Homeland Security in Tennessee.

For students interested in the MS in Criminal Justice with the optional Homeland Security Concentration please see this page: https://www.apsu.edu/programs/graduate/criminal-justice-homeland-security-ms.php

Admissions Requirements

For information related to admission requirements or to view the courses within each program, please visit the graduate bulletin. To apply for admission, click here.

The College of Graduate Studies requires a conferred undergraduate degree from a regional accredited university, a minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.5 and English proficiency due to country of origin, education at an English speaking and learning institution or a satisfactory score on the TOEFL or IELTS exam.

The Department of Criminal Justice has defined additional admissions requirements as listed below:

A minimum GPA of 2.7 is required. Students with a GPA of at least 2.5 may be considered for admission on provisional status. Provisional status can be lifted with GPA of 3.0 after 6 semester hours. Other expectations of graduate students will follow the APSU College of Graduate Studies standards. The department will reevaluate these standards should experience show that the number of qualified applicants begins to significantly exceed the number of available seats in any incoming cohort of students. 

Sample Course Plan

Criminal Justice, MS 1 year plan

Criminal Justice, MS 2 year plan