American Public University System

Bowling Green State University
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Overview
Master of Science in Criminal Justice offered on campus and as a part-time online program. On-campus students may choose a Forensic Investigation or Victims and Offenders specialization; these are not available online.
- Official program name
- Master of Science in Criminal Justice
- Awarded degree
- Master of Science · major: Criminal JusticeSource: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Degree level
- Master's
- Subject focus
- Dedicated degreeThe degree itself is in criminal justice, criminology, forensic science or a closely related justice subject.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Forensic type
- Criminal justice with a forensic focusA criminal justice degree with forensic courses, a track or a concentration. It is not equivalent to a laboratory-intensive forensic science degree.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- School
- Location
- Bowling Green, OHFor the online option this is where the school is located — not a residency requirement, and not a guarantee that you may enroll from your state.
- Subjects
- Criminal Justice — core of the degreeCriminal Investigation — formal concentration / track (“Forensic Investigation specialization (on campus)”)
- Tracks / concentrations
- Forensic Investigation · Victims and OffendersSource: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Required credits
- Not verified
- Duration
- 18 months (online) (online program, five semesters)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Why this program is listed
Dedicated MS in Criminal Justice offered on campus and online (part-time).
Degree title names criminal justice; on-campus specializations in Forensic Investigation and Victims and Offenders.
Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026We list associate, bachelor's, master's and research-doctorate programs in criminal justice, criminology, forensic science and related subjects at institutionally accredited US schools — degrees in the subject and formal concentrations, never certificates or one-elective degrees. Eligibility rules
Format and attendance
- Formats offered
- On campus · OnlineSource: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Online delivery
- Fully onlineAll coursework is online and the institution states no required campus attendance for the online option.All coursework is online and the institution states no required campus attendance for the online option.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Campus visits (online option)
- Campus visits: not verified
- Class schedule (online option)
- Not verified
- Internship
- Internship requirement: not verified
- Study intensity
- Part-timeSource: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
The program page does not say whether the online option requires campus visits. Ask the school before you apply — missing information is not “no requirement”.
Curriculum
Curriculum details: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.
Careers and licensure
Career and licensure statements for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.
A degree does not guarantee police academy admission, sworn officer certification, federal employment, a security clearance, a position with a named agency, a forensic laboratory job or eligibility to practice as a psychologist. Those have separate training, scientific prerequisites, examinations or hiring requirements set by the agency, state or licensing board. Academic degrees vs police academy training
Admissions
- Minimum GPA
- RequiredMinimum 2.75 — Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75, or 3.0 in at least nine graduate credit hours.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Statement / essay
- RequiredPersonal statement of 250 to 750 words.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Recommendation letters
- Required2 letters — Two letters of recommendation.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
- Résumé / CV
- RequiredResume.Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Tests
Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.
We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.
Start dates and deadlines
Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.
Tuition and fees
Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.
Scholarships and funding
Stipends and tuition scholarships (on-campus students) Assistantship
Eligibility: On-campus students who qualify; minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 required for consideration.
Source: bgsu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Accreditation
Institutional accreditation
- Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026
FEPAC program accreditation
This program does not appear in FEPAC's accredited-program list. FEPAC accredits forensic science programs only and is optional; its absence is not a sign that a program is illegitimate, and the school's other programs or institutional accreditation do not imply it.
State authorization (online students)
Not verified — check the school's state authorization page before applying from outside Ohio.
International applicants
Not verified for the online option.
Sources and verification
- DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
- bgsu.edu/ecampus/masters-degrees/criminal-justice.html — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026
- bgsu.edu/health-and-human-services/programs/department-of-human-services/criminal-justice/masters-of — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026
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Similar programs at other schools
Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.
Master of Science in Criminology & Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Bowling Green State University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.