Master's Degree in Criminal Justice
The School of Criminal Justice and Criminology offers a Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) degree, with the choice of an Executive Concentration (30 credit hours, Non-Thesis Option only), a Research Concentration (30 credit hours, Thesis Option only), and the original MSCJ program (36 hours, Non-Thesis Option only). All candidates in the Executive and Research Concentrations complete an oral comprehensive exam and an oral defense of the thesis or professional paper prior to graduation. Candidates in the MSCJ Non-Thesis Option program complete a comprehensive exam including both written and oral components prior to graduation. Specific course and admissions requirements vary by program.
| 36 credit hours |
| 5 core courses and 7 electives |
| No thesis or professional paper |
| Written & oral comprehensive exam |
| 16-week courses in Fall / Spring, 10-week courses in the Summer |
| Generalist degree option for those seeking to further their knowledge and skills in CJ |
| Min. GPA 3.0, GRE not required |
| 30 credit hours |
| 5 core courses and 3 electives |
| Thesis (6 credit hours) |
| Oral comprehensive exam |
| 16-week courses in Fall / Spring, 10-week courses in Summer |
| Competitive degree option for those seeking research analyst jobs or to pursue a PhD |
| Min. GPA 3.25, GRE not required |
| 30 credit hours |
| 5 core courses and 4 electives |
| Problem-solving project (3 hours) |
| Oral comprehensive exam |
| 8-week courses in Fall / Spring, 10-week course in the Summer |
| Competitive degree option ONLY available to full-time CJ professionals |
| Min. GPA 3.0, GRE not required |
Which Option is for Me?
Who Are Our Students?
Have questions? Contact us!
MSCJ Program Coordinator & Graduate Advisor
Sean Patrick Roche, Ph.D.
sean.roche@txstate.edu
Hill House (HILL), Room 110
Administrative Assistant II
Miranda Najera, M.A.
mnn10@txstate.edu
Hines Academic Center (HINE), Room 110