Criminal Justice

Program Progression, Retention, Dismissal, and Readmission Policies

    1. A 3.00 cumulative grade point average (GPA) is required for graduation. No grade below “C” will be credited toward the M.S. degree with a major in Criminal Justice.
    2. Students must receive a grade of “B” or better in all core courses.
    3. Students will be dismissed from the MSCJ program if they accumulate three or more academic deficiency points. Students who receive their first "Unsatisfactory" grade on their thesis or area paper will receive one deficiency point. Students who receive a second "Unsatisfactory" grade on their thesis or area paper will receive two additional deficiency points. A grade of “C” in any core course will not be counted toward the MSCJ degree and equals one deficiency point. A grade of “C” in any non-core course will be credited toward the MSCJ degree but also equals one deficiency point. A grade of “D” or “U” will not be credited toward the MSCJ degree and equals two deficiency points. A grade of “F” or “WF” (neither of which will be credited toward the MSCJ degree) equals three deficiency points.
    4. If a student is dismissed, they may, after a minimum of three semesters, apply for readmission. Readmission is not guaranteed. The student must also retake only those courses with deficiencies until the number of deficiency points is fewer than or equal to two. The student cannot take a class more than three times or apply for readmission more than twice.
    5. No more than 6 semester hours of academic work may be transferred from another institution into a master’s-level graduate program. Transfer credit will be evaluated after admission, by the academic department. To be eligible, credit must be no more than seven years old prior to completion of the degree.
    6. The maximum time allowed for completion of the master’s degree is seven calendar years.  No work completed more than seven years prior to degree completion will be accepted toward the degree, except with special permission from the student’s major professor and the Head of the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminal Justice and approval from the Dean of the Graduate School.