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Criminal JusticeDegrees
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Criminology, M.A.

Master'sMADedicated degreeOn campus

Overview

Thirty-eight-credit Master of Arts in Criminology with a thesis, in the graduate program that also awards the Ph.D.

Official program name
Criminology, M.A.
Awarded degree
Master of Arts · major: Criminology
Source: bulletins.psu.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: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
School
Location
University Park, PA
Subjects
Criminology — core of the degree
Required credits
38 credits of course work including 6 thesis credits
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Duration
Not verified
Why this program is listed

Dedicated Master of Arts in Criminology at University Park, earned as the first step of the doctoral program or entered with a bachelor's degree.

Dedicated Master of Arts in Criminology at University Park, earned as the first step of the doctoral program or entered with a bachelor's degree.

Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

We 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, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.
Formats offered
On campus
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Internship
Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity
Not verified

Curriculum

Curriculum

  • Coursework includes methods and statistics, two criminological theory courses and a course on the organization of the criminal justice system.
    Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Thesis

Careers and licensure

An academic degree and an occupational licence are different things.

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

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.
Statement / essay
RequiredA personal statement.
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation.
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Writing sample
RequiredA sample of written work such as a term paper.
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test
RequiredVerbal, quantitative and writing scores listed among selection materials.
Source: bulletins.psu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Application deadlines: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Graduate funding guide

Program-specific scholarships: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Accreditation

Two different things: the school's institutional accreditation, and FEPAC accreditation of this exact forensic science program.

Institutional accreditation

  • Middle States Commission on Higher Education (MSCHE) — 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.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 24, 2026.
  1. bulletins.psu.edu/graduate/programs/majors/criminology/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 24, 2026
  2. DAPIP — MSCHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026

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Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

Format: Campus · Online
Location: Richmond, KYSchool location, not a residency requirement
Attendance: Online attendance requirements not verified
Duration: Duration not verified
Tuition: $600 per credit · All students — Online, per credit hour
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: SACSCOC
Subjects: Criminology · Criminal Justice
View program
Format: Campus · Fully online
Location: Pittsburgh, PASchool location, not a residency requirement
Attendance: Fully online as published (no separate campus-visit statement)
Duration: 3 semesters with a fall start; 4 semesters with a spring or summer start (campus page); as few as 12 months (online page) (conditional minimum; online page says 'In as few as 12 months') · 30 credits
Tuition: $800 per credit · All students — Online program page
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: MSCHE
Subjects: Criminal Justice · Criminology · Forensic Psychology
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Format: Campus · Online · Hybrid
Location: Honolulu, HISchool location, not a residency requirement
Attendance: Online attendance requirements not verified
Duration: finish in 12 months (as printed on the program page; accelerated 10-week terms, four terms per year) · 30 credits
Tuition: Tuition not verified
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: WSCUC
Subjects: Criminal Justice · Criminology
View program

Criminal Justice Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Penn State University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.