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Sacred Heart University · College of Arts & Sciences

Master of Arts in Criminology & Criminal Justice (MCCJ)

Master'sMADedicated degreeOnline

Overview

A 30-credit online Master of Arts combining criminology and criminal justice, with a thesis or comprehensive exam option.

Official program name
Master of Arts in Criminology & Criminal Justice (MCCJ)
Awarded degree
Master of Arts · major: Criminology and Criminal Justice
Source: sacredheart.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: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
School
Sacred Heart University — College of Arts & Sciences
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Location
Fairfield, CTFor 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
Criminology — core of the degreeCriminal Justice — core of the degree
Required credits
30
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Duration
10-12 months (full time) (full time)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Why this program is listed

Dedicated MA in Criminology & Criminal Justice delivered fully online.

Degree title names criminology and criminal justice; courses cover crime causation theory, law and ethics, research methods and victimology.

Source: sacredheart.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
Online
Source: sacredheart.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: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Campus visits (online option)
Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule (online option)
Mixed (live + self-paced)
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Internship
Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity
Not verified

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

  • Required courses include CJ 501, CJ 503, CJ 519, CJ 520 and CJ 581, with elective courses (select five).
    Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Thesis and non-thesis options

  • Students complete either a thesis or a comprehensive exam at the end of the program.
    Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Accelerated options

  • A 4+1 dual degree program lets Sacred Heart undergraduates earn a bachelor's and master's degree in five years.
    Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026

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”.

Technical preparation

Work experience
Not requiredProfessional experience in criminal justice or related fields is not required.
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Prior degree
RequiredBachelor's degree from a regionally accredited institution in criminal justice, criminology, sociology, psychology or a related field; other disciplines may be considered.
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Minimum GPA
RequiredMinimum 3 — Minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale for full admission; conditional admission may be considered below 3.0.
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Statement / essay
RequiredStatement of interest (1-2 pages).
Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required2 letters — Two letters of recommendation for students external to Sacred Heart.
Source: sacredheart.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

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

    Rolling admission · for Current

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: sacredheart.edu · verified October 24, 2026
    Rolling

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

Accreditation

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

Institutional accreditation

  • New England Commission of Higher Education (NECHE) — 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 Connecticut.

International applicants

Not verified for the online option.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 24, 2026.
  1. DAPIP — NECHE institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  2. sacredheart.edu/majors--programs/criminology-and-criminal-justice---ma/ — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026
  3. sacredheart.edu/majors--programs/criminology-and-criminal-justice---ma/admission-requirements/ — Official admissions page, verified October 24, 2026
  4. sacredheart.edu/majors--programs/criminology-and-criminal-justice---ma/curriculum/ — 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.

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
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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
View program
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 Sacred Heart University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.