Return to: Departments and Degree Programs

Main Office
Chilton Hall, Room 265

Mailing address:
1155 Union Circle #305130
Denton, TX 76203-5017
940-565-2562
Fax: 940-565-2548

Web site: www.pacs.unt.edu/criminal-justice/

Peggy Tobolowsky, Chair
Eric J. Fritsch, Graduate Advisor

Faculty 

The Department of Criminal Justice offers a graduate program leading to the following degree:

• Master of Science with a major in criminal justice 

The primary objective of the degree program is to provide students with a master’s level understanding of the nature and scope of the problems posed by crime, and the operation and administration of the agencies charged with addressing this social problem. The central goal of the Master of Science with a major in criminal justice is to improve the ability of its graduates to undertake informed and thoughtful action as direct workers, administrators, or researchers in the justice system. The program prepares students for entry-level positions in the justice system for individuals beginning their professional careers, and job advancement for those already employed in the justice system. The program also prepares students who are interested in pursuing a PhD upon completion of the master’s degree. The master’s degree in criminal justice allows each student to take a number of electives, thus permitting students to tailor their degrees to their professional and personal needs. The faculty in the Department of Criminal Justice come from a diverse range of educational and professional backgrounds.

Research

Applied research projects and program evaluation studies are conducted by the Department of Criminal Justice. Some of the current research focuses on capital punishment, criminalistics, homeland security, juvenile deliquency, police operations and tactics, prison violence, victimization, and white collar crimes.

Admission Requirements

All general admission requirements to the Toulouse Graduate School, as outlined elsewhere in this bulletin, must be fulfilled. Application must first be made to the Toulouse Graduate School through the office of the graduate dean. Once the student is admitted to the graduate school, the application will be reviewed by the department for admission to the Master of Science with a major in criminal justice program. Applications are reviewed for admission in the fall or spring terms/semesters. Applications are not reviewed for summer admission.

Admission to the program leading to the Master of Science with a major in criminal justice requires satisfactory completion of at least 9 hours of undergraduate work in criminal justice. This requirement can be waived for individuals with significant experience in the criminal justice field. In addition, admission to the program leading to the Master of Science with a major in criminal justice requires satisfactory completion of at least 3 hours of upper-level course work in social science research methods.

To receive admission to the master’s degree program with a major in criminal justice, applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 on the last 60 hours of courses for the bachelor’s degree or a GPA of 2.8 on all undergraduate work. In addition, applicants must complete the verbal and analytical writing sections of the Graduate Record Exam.

In order for an application to be considered for admission, the student’s application packet needs to be completed by August 1 (for fall admission) or December 1 (for spring admission). A completed application packet includes the following:

1. application,
2. transcripts,
3. official GRE scores on file with the graduate school, and
4. personal statement.

The personal statement is sent directly to the department graduate advisor and includes an explanation of the following: career goals, why the student is pursuing a master’s degree, prior experience in the criminal justice field, prior research experience in criminal justice, and anything in the student’s personal background relevant to the admission decision.

Personal statements are sent directly to:

Eric J. Fritsch, PhD
Graduate Advisor
University of North Texas
Department of Criminal Justice
1155 Union Circle #305130
Denton, TX 76203-5017

Minimum Academic Standards for Master’s Students

The graduate committee in the Department of Criminal Justice will recommend withdrawal of a student from the master’s program if the student receives two course grades of C or below (for purposes of this rule, the first grade received in a course is used).

Program Approval

Each graduate student must receive advising from the departmental graduate advisor prior to registration each term/semester.

During the first term/semester of a master’s program, the student must submit a degree plan through the departmental graduate advisor. The degree plan must be approved by the departmental graduate advisor and the Toulouse Graduate School. Any degree plan change must have prior consent. A maximum of 9 hours of transfer work may be applied toward the master’s degree. The final decision on applicability of transfer work rests with the departmental graduate advisor.

Return to: Departments and Degree Programs