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Criminal JusticeDegrees
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Salem University

Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Master'sMSDedicated degreeOnline

Overview

A 30-credit online master's degree with a 21-credit criminal justice core and a 9-credit specialization in administration of justice or forensic science, ending in a capstone sequence.

Official program name
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Awarded degree
Master of Science · major: Criminal Justice
Source: salemu.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: salemu.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: salemu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
School
Location
Salem, WVFor 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 Justice Administration — formal concentration / track (“Administration of Justice specialization”)Forensic Science — formal concentration / track (“Forensic Science specialization”)
Tracks / concentrations
Administration of Justice · Forensic Science
Source: salemu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Required credits
21 core semester credits and one 9-credit specialization
Source: salemu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Duration
approximately ten months (administration of justice specialization) (average for a full-time student)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: salemu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Why this program is listed

Dedicated MS in Criminal Justice with administration of justice and forensic science specializations, offered online.

Degree title names criminal justice; 21-credit criminal justice core plus a 9-credit specialization (administration of justice or forensic science).

Source: salemu.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: salemu.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: salemu.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
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

Capstone

  • Coursework ends with a capstone sequence: a research project tailored to the specialization and a portfolio review.
    Source: salemu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Natural-science content

  • Forensic science specialization topics include analytical chemistry for body fluid analyses, pharmacology and toxicology, and biological data from crime scenes.
    Source: salemu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Academic calendar

  • The program follows a one-course-a-month schedule.
    Source: salemu.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”.
Prior degree
RequiredDomestic master's applicants must have a bachelor's degree from an accredited US college or university.
Source: salemu.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 Rolling monthly starts

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: salemu.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.
CategoryAmountBasis and year
All students — Graduate: MBA, MSCJ, MSIT, MSHHPFrom the school-wide rate table for this level$650per credit · 2026-2027Calculated tuition$19,500 = 30 credits × $650 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: salemu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

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

  • 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)

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 — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
  2. salemu.edu/degrees/ — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026
  3. salemu.edu/degrees/master-administration-of-justice/ — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026
  4. salemu.edu/degrees/master-criminal-justice-forensic-science/ — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026
  5. salemu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/2026-2027_Tuition_Rates.pdf — Official tuition and fees page, verified October 24, 2026
  6. salemu.edu/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/2025-2026-Academic-Catalog-WEST-VIRGINIA-July-2026-web.pdf — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 24, 2026

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Similar programs at other schools

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

Format: Online
Location: Charles Town, WVSchool location, not a residency requirement
Attendance: Online attendance requirements not verified
Duration: Duration not verified · 30 credits
Tuition: $470 per credit · All students — Standard rate, master's level
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: HLC
Subjects: Criminal Justice
View program
Bellevue University logo

Bellevue University

Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Master'sMSDedicated degreeMaster of Science
Format: Fully online
Location: Bellevue, NESchool location, not a residency requirement
Attendance: Fully online as published (no separate campus-visit statement)
Duration: Duration not verified · 30 credits
Tuition: $680 per credit · All students — Online master's in criminal justice, per credit hour
Next deadline: No upcoming verified deadline
Accreditation: Institution accredited: HLC
Subjects: Criminal Justice · Criminal Justice Administration
View program
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

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