School of Justice Studies & Social Work
MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Matthew S. Crow
Office Administrator: Ms. Laurie Cihota

The University of West Florida offers a program of study leading to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice. This program, taught by a dynamic faculty committed to high-quality graduate-level education, is designed to provide students with the knowledge and skills in theory, administration, research, and data analysis necessary for careers in the practice and administration of criminal justice, research, education, policy analysis, or to pursue doctoral-level studies.
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice at UWF is designed to fit the demands of contemporary students’ diverse schedules. Classes are offered evenings, some weekends, and in online and blended delivery formats. Full time students can complete the degree in four semesters (one and a half years).  Students can also complete the program entirely on line over an extended period of time.

Curriculum
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice requires 33 credit hours for graduation, including 15 credit hours of the following required core courses:

Students have the option of choosing between two tracks for their course of study. The first option is a coursework-only degree plan; the second option is the area paper degree plan, which requires 30 hours of coursework and a 3 credit criminal justice area paper completed under the supervision of a criminal justice faculty member.

Master of Science in Criminal Justice Students can also earn an optional specialization certificate in social work, public administration, or education by completing at least 9 credit hours of graduate coursework in one of those fields. The specialization certificates are designed to allow students to tailor their criminal justice graduate degree to their desired academic and career goals.

Admission Requirements
Applicants should have a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, criminology, or a related field from an accredited institution. In addition to the graduate application http://uwf.edu/admissions/gap.cfm, the following materials are required:

• Official college transcripts.
• Official scores on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or Millers Analogies Test (MAT).
• Three (3) letters of reference, including one from an employer and one from a former college professor.
• Letter of intent highlighting your academic and professional career and your reasons for pursuing a graduate degree at UWF. 

The university's graduate admissions requirements can be found at http://uwf.edu/catalog/adm.cfm#admgraduate. Students may enter the program in the Fall, Spring, or Summer semester. Applicants may apply at any time; however, priority will be given to completed applications received by the application deadlines below. Priority for funding decisions will also be given to applicants meeting the following deadlines:

Funding
Funding is available to qualified students on a competitive basis. Graduate Assistantships provide a matriculation fee waiver of $110 per credit hour and ten hours per week of paid employment under the supervision of a faculty member. Several scholarships are also available. If you are interested in being considered for a graduate assistantship please complete and submit with your application materials the graduate assistantship application.

Career Opportunities
The career opportunities for graduates of the Master of Science in Criminal Justice are diverse, abundant, and exciting. Careers in federal law enforcement (FBI, DEA, ATF, Homeland Security, Secret Service), state, county, and local law enforcement agencies, corrections, probation and parole, juvenile justice agencies, research in federal, state, and local criminal justice agencies, and teaching positions in state and community colleges abound.