Criminology and Criminal Justice, M.A.

Student Handbook

Communities and organizations in the 21st century require professionals with interdisciplinary skills and preparation to handle many complex challenges. The Master of Arts in Criminology and Criminal Justice (MACCJ) degree prepares students to meet these challenges by providing them with a core criminological knowledge foundation and the opportunity to gain further skills and enhance their graduate education by selecting one of three diverse concentrations:

1. Administration of Justice
2. Emergency Management
3. Treatment and Rehabilitation

The MACCJ degree prepares graduates to be advanced practitioners in a variety of community and justice agency/organizational settings. The program is offered in variable formats: most classes are offered on campus in the evening but one concentration, emergency management, is currently offered online only.

Curriculum Overview

This program prepares students to take on leadership roles in a variety of community settings. Part-time and full-time degree options are available.

Students must select one of the following areas as the concentration of their graduate studies:

Administration of Justice

Students will prepare for leadership roles in justice-serving organizations through coursework designed to increase knowledge about the justice system, techniques and challenges of administration and issues in jurisprudence. Students integrate the knowledge through rigorous coursework with community-based learning opportunities to begin creating solutions to complex social and organizational challenges.

Emergency Management

Justice personnel are often among the first responders to a crisis. Students learn critical thinking, leadership and crisis management skills through seminars and challenging simulations that put their academic knowledge to the test. All courses in this concentration are offered online.

Treatment and Rehabilitation

Students gain an in-depth understanding of human behavior, issues related to the treatment of high-risk populations and evidence-based practices for improving the health of offenders and the communities in which they reside. A blend of in-class training and community-based practice experiences prepares students to become effective treatment agents.

Careers

Graduates of the administration of justice concentration are prepared for leadership roles in justice-serving organizations.

Graduates of the treatment and rehabilitation concentration are prepared to be effective treatment agents.

Graduates of the emergency management concentration are trained to be leaders in emergency response.

Graduates have accepted professional opportunities with the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office, FBI, U.S. Marshals, Secret Service and IRS.

Admission Requirements

Successful applicants possess a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university and a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00. Conditional admission may be considered for students with cumulative GPAs below 3.00.

Application Requirements

• Application form and fee $65
• Transcript(s)
• Three letters of recommendation (two academic, one professional)
  • 2 academic letters of recommendation from professors who have evaluated academic performance in the classroom
  • 1 professional letter of recommendation from a supervisor who has evaluated your work in the field or related volunteer experience
• Résumé
• Professional statement

Requirements for International Students

MACCJ requires a TOEFL of 92 or higher

All admission policies and requirements for domestic students apply to international students along with the following:

• Demonstrate English Language Proficiency
• Proof of financial support must include:
  • A letter of financial support from the person(s) or sponsoring agency funding the time at Saint Louis University
  • A letter from the sponsor's bank verifying that the funds are available and will be so for the duration of study at the University
• Academic records, in English translation, of students who have undertaken postsecondary studies outside the United States must include the courses taken and/or lectures attended, practical laboratory work, the maximum and minimum grades attainable, the grades earned or the results of all end-of-term examinations, and any honors or degrees received. WES and ECE transcripts are accepted.

Application Deadlines

All applicants who apply by the priority deadline of March 1 are reviewed for merit-based scholarships. Applications will continue to be accepted and reviewed for admissions until August 1. To be considered for a graduate assistantship, students must fill out the GA application found under the Scholarship and Financial aid tab by March 1.

Review Process

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. The admissions committee considers several factors to determine a candidate's eligibility:

• Academic achievement
• Strength of the undergraduate program
• Application information
• Professional statement
• Work experience
• Any graduate degrees earned
• Motivation
• Leadership and service 
• The undergraduate GPA is weighted with other criteria in the admissions process.

Scholarships and Financial Aid

We recognize that when choosing to continue your education, cost can be a concern. To help ease that decision, we have identified the following financial aid resources.

FASFA and Other Resources

All incoming students should complete the application for the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). A step-by-step guide to submitting your FAFSA is available online.
Saint Louis University Student Financial Services provides a Graduate Financial Aid Handbook that outlines the process of financing your graduate education.

The following links to resources in Saint Louis University Student Financial Services may also be helpful:

• Graduate Loan Options
• Confirming Your Award
• Paying Your Bill and Payment Plans

New and continuing students are eligible for merit-based scholarships. Prospective students who apply for admission by the priority deadline are automatically screened for scholarship eligibility. No additional application is required; awards are based on information provided in the admission application.

Priority Deadline - March 1 

Please note that the terms of scholarship are subject to change if the student petitions for a degree transfer or fails to remain in good academic standing.

Fellowships

The Doerr Fellowship for Equity and Inclusion is a full-tuition fellowship funded by the School of Social Work for new and continuing students. A separate application is required with a deadline of March 1. This fellowship requires that recipients serve as members of the School of Social Work's Equity and Inclusion Committee. Recipients will also be expected to actively participate in the diversity, equity, and inclusion activities sponsored throughout the year by the Doerr Center.

Newly accepted master's or doctoral students and students in the first year of a program are eligible to apply for a University-wide Diversity, Dissertation or Presidential fellowship. You must first submit the full application minus the nomination letter to the School of Social Work by January 2 to be considered for nomination. Please click here for more details on application components. Completed applications, minus the nomination letter, should be submitted as a PDF to Kristi.richter@slu.edu. 

Graduate Assistantships

By filling out a graduate assistantship application you will automatically be considered for a full or partial graduate assistantship with the School of Social Work. Assistantships are appointed for one year. Students must reapply to be considered for a second year and there are no guarantees that recipients will receive subsequent/continuing assistantships.

Full graduate assistantships, University-funded assistantships (UFA), are awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters, a duration of nine months, 20 hours per week, working with designated faculty. Most full assistantships are assigned to help faculty with research (GRA) and a small number may be assigned to assist with administrative work (GA) or faculty teaching (GTA).

The full graduate assistant works with one or two faculty, depending on faculty needs. Time is divided between both faculty mentors, if the student is assigned two. Students who receive a fully-funded UFA in one year may not receive a UFA in subsequent years, although they remain eligible for partial assistantships throughout their pursuit of a graduate degree in the School of Social Work.

Partial graduate assistantships are funded and awarded by the School of Social Work. They are assigned and funded for two semesters, a duration of nine months, 8-16 hours per week, working with assigned faculty. Partial assistantships may be assigned to assist with administrative work (GA), research (GRA), or faculty teaching (GTA). Depending on the hours assigned, tuition benefits will differ; health insurance and stipends are not awarded with partial assistantships.

Current Students

Current students may be eligible for conference/training funding, graduate assistantships and scholarships. For more information and applications, visit the School of Social Work's Google Site.

1. Graduates will be able to assess relevant criminology and criminal justice literature/scholarly contributions.
2. Graduates will be able to apply criminology and criminal justice theories, practices, policies, or research methodologies.
3. Graduates will be able to apply knowledge from criminology and criminal justice to address problems in broader contexts.
4. Graduates will be able to articulate criminology and criminal justice explanations/arguments to a disciplinary/professional audience in both written and oral formats.
5. Graduates will be able to evidence scholarly/professional integrity (ethics) in criminology and criminal justice.

Administration of Justice Concentration

Emergency Management Concentration

Treatment and Rehabilitation Concentration

Continuation Standards

Students must maintain a cumulative grade point average (GPA) of 3.00 in all graduate/professional courses.

Roadmaps are recommended semester-by-semester plans of study for programs and assume full-time enrollment unless otherwise noted.  

Courses and milestones designated as critical (marked with !) must be completed in the semester listed to ensure a timely graduation. Transfer credit may change the roadmap.

This roadmap should not be used in the place of regular academic advising appointments. All students are encouraged to meet with their advisor/mentor each semester.  Requirements, course availability and sequencing are subject to change.

Administration of Justice Concentration

Emergency Management Concentration

Treatment and Rehabilitation Concentration

Apply for Admission

For additional admission questions please contact,
Kristi Richter, M.S.W., L.C.S.W.
Director of Recruitment and Admissions
School of Social Work
314-977-2752