Graduate admissions

Admission to the MS-CJC program

Transferring Courses

Up to six of your total 30 hours for the MS-CJC program may be transferred from another academic institution. To be eligible, the courses for transfer must:

  • come from an accredited school,
  • have been taken for graduate credit,
  • be acceptable to your program at UMKC,
  • have been completed at a reasonable performance level.

Transfer restrictions

Transfer credit cannot be accepted for research and thesis hours, travel experience, and work or life experience.

 

University of Missouri (UM) Traveling Scholar credits are not considered transfer credits. The sum total of credits from other UM campuses, and transfer credits from other institutions, cannot exceed 14 hours within a 30-hour total program of study.

 

Credits over seven years old by the time of graduation may not be counted toward fulfillment of the degree program unless validated to the satisfaction of the department and School of Graduate Studies.

 

Final approval for all courses constituting a student’s program of study for the MS-CJC degree is made by the student’s supervisory committee.

Admission Requirements

The minimum admission requirements for entrance into the MS-CJC program include the following:

  • Completed an undergraduate degree, from an accredited university or college, with a program major in the socio-behavioral sciences (criminal justice, sociology, psychology, political science, economics)
  • Achieved, at minimum, a 2.75 grade point average in all undergraduate work, and a 3.00 grade point average for courses within the major program of study
  • Completed undergraduate introductory courses in statistics and research methods, and a course examining theories of crime
 

The application process is competitive.  Satisfaction of the minimum criteria does not guarantee admission to the graduate program of study.  Students are admitted according to their rank in the applicant pool, and consideration of the adequacy of department resources.

Application Procedures

Applicants to the MS-CJC program must submit the following materials for review:

  • A completed UMKC Application form requesting admission to graduate study in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice and Criminology program, along with the application fee. This material should be sent directly to:

    • Office of Admissions
    University of Missouri-Kansas City
    5100 Rockhill Road,
    Kansas City, MO 64110

  • Official transcripts from the school where the bachelor's degree was obtained, and other schools where course work has been taken or degrees have been obtained after completion of the bachelor's degree. Transcripts should also be sent directly to the UMKC Admissions Office.
  • Submit a writing sample to the department Admissions Committee. This writing sample should take the form of a 2-3 page letter requesting admission to the program. Within the letter, applicants should identify how their undergraduate education, and perhaps their work or personal experience, has prepared them for graduate study in the area of criminal justice and criminology. Also, the letter should address how the applicant views study in our graduate program as fitting with his or her future career and/or educational goals. This material should be sent directly to:

    • MS-CJC Principal Graduate Advisor
    Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology
    University of Missouri-Kansas City
    5215 Rockhill Road,
    Kansas City, MO 64110

Decisions regarding admission to the program are made by a committee of graduate faculty in the program. Applications are reviewed with attention to past academic performance and substantive areas of study that would prepare students for graduate study in Criminal Justice and Criminology.

 

Applicants for the winter term (January-May) must have all materials to the Admissions Committee by November 1. For those applying for summer (May-August) or fall terms (August-December), and who also submit an application for a Graduate Teaching Assistant (GTA) position, all application materials must be in by March 1. If not submitting an application for a GTA position, materials must be in by April 1. It is strongly recommended that the application process be initiated at least five months prior to the anticipated date of initial enrollment to ensure all materials will be on hand in time for review.

 

An admissions application form for the M.S. program in CJC can be obtained upon request by contacting the department at 816-235-2751 or the Admissions Office at (816) 235-1111 or toll free (800) 775-UMKC. To apply online (to the College of Arts and Sciences), click here.

 

International students must follow procedures outlined by the General Graduate Admission Policy for International Applicants.  These materials will be sent directly from the International Student Affairs office, and further correspondence with regard to application procedures should be directed to:

Office of International Student Affairs
University of Missouri-Kansas City
5235 Rockhill Road
Kansas City, MO 64110
Phone: (816) 235-1113