Master of Science in Criminology

College of Liberal and Creative Arts

Dr. Cecilia Konchar-Farr, Dean

Program Advisor: Dr. Keith Bell, Master of Science Criminology, Program Director

The Master of Science in Criminology (MSC) enables students to advance their knowledge in the field of criminal justice. The program is designed to meet the needs of students planning to enter doctoral programs in criminal justice fields or to enter the workforce.

Admission Requirements

Applicants are encouraged to submit their applications by June 1st for the fall semester and by November 1st for the spring semester. Applications submitted after the due dates will be considered. Application submission does not guarantee acceptance into the program and students are urged to apply early.

For admission to WLU’s MS in Criminology program, the following requirements must be met:

1. Completed admissions application.
2. Official transcripts for all undergraduate and graduate coursework to verify a bachelor’s degree, in any field, from a regionally accredited institution with a minimum 2.5 overall undergraduate grade point average.
3. A statement of the student’s career goals indicating how earning the MS degree in Criminology will enhance the applicant's career goals and expectations of the graduate program. This statement should be approximately two pages.
4. A professional resume.

International Student Requirements

In addition to the requirements listed above, please submit:

1. Proof of English Proficiency: Please submit one of the following test results that has been completed within the past three years: Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) Minimum acceptable scores 595 (paper test), 195 (computer based test) or 70 (internet test) for graduate study or Michigan English Language Assessment Battery (MELAB) – The minimum acceptable score is 82% for graduate study or a minimum score of 6.5 on the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) for graduate study.
2. Credit Certification: Have all your coursework and credits from institutions outside of the United States evaluated by a credential evaluation service provider [e.g., World Education Services (WES), Global Credential Evaluators (GCE), Association of International Credentials Evaluators (AICE), American Association of Collegiate Registrars and Admissions Officers (AACRAO), etc.]
3. Proof of Financial Support: Submit adequate documentation of financial support for one academic year (nine months). [e.g., official bank statement, sponsorship award letters, scholarship awards, Affidavit of Support (DHS Form I-134), etc.]
4. Copy of your ID page in your passport
5. Immunization shot records

Students should be aware that admission to the graduate program is not guaranteed and is granted on a competitive basis. Students may meet the minimum requirements but may be denied admission based on such factors as program capacity or academic discretion. Students with less than a 2.5 GPA may be considered for “provisional” admission but must provide a competitive GRE score and adhere to provisional standards in year one.

Graduation Requirements:

The 30-credit hour Master of Science in Criminology requires:

• 18 credit hours in the Criminology core
• 12 credit hours in a concentration area

Required Criminology Core Courses (18 hours):

CRIM 501	Grant Writing in Criminology	3
CRIM 502	Advanced Theoretical Criminology	3
CRIM 516	Advanced Research Methods in Criminology	3
CRIM 517	Advanced Criminological Statistical Applications	3
CRIM 536	Criminal Law & Liability	3
CRIM 580	Colloquium	3

Choose One Concentration (6 hours)

Law Enforcement:

CRIM 560	Contemporary Issues in Criminology	3
CRIM 561	Crime Prevention	3
Total Credit Hours:		6

Courts/Corrections:

CRIM 550	Criminal Justice Management	3
CRIM 551	Legal Issues in Criminology	3
Total Credit Hours:		6

Options:

The student has the option to select either:

1. A thesis option (6 credits) which includes a comprehensive research project defended orally in the last semester of the program; 24 hours of coursework plus 6 hours of thesis (CRIM 585) must be completed to meet graduation requirements.
2. A non-thesis option which includes the completion of 30 hours of coursework plus a written comprehensive exam in the areas of research, theory and policy which must be defended orally within two weeks of completion of the written exam. The student will sit for examination in their final semester in the program.

Total Credit Hours: 30

Expectations for Degree Completion

• Following the annual review, the program director will give written notification to each student of their performance.
• If any annual review for a student is less than satisfactory, a written copy will be signed by the advisor and department head and provided to the student to make a written and oral rebuttal. If no rebuttal is provided, or after meeting with the advisor and program director, the student is still unsatisfied with the decision of the faculty and administration, the review will be sent to the Dean of the College for formal review. The review shall be placed in the student’s permanent file.
• All students may earn only 2 C’s or fewer in the MSC program while enrolled. Traditional grades of D and F are considered failing and the student must retake the course. The case of certain courses, such as CRM 516, where completion is needed to move to the next course (CRM 517), the student must wait until the satisfactory grade is earned in the initial course before enrolling in the corresponding course cycle.
• The grading scale is a traditional 10-point scale, unless otherwise noted. A=90 and above, B=80-89, C=70-79, Failing = below 70.
• Once a student reaches three “unsatisfactory” grades, whether within one semester or over the attempted completion of the program, the student will be dismissed from the program. If a student is dismissed from the program, the student will have 10 days from the date of the printed letter to formulate an appeal to the program director, department chair, and the dean of the college.
• All students MUST maintain a cumulative GPA average of 3.0 to remain in the program.
• At any time a student in the MSC program has a cumulative GPA of less than 3.0, the student will be placed on academic probation unless in earning the unsatisfactory mark the student has violated any of the above policies regarding grades of “C” or below.