Skip to content
Criminal JusticeDegrees
University of Louisville logo

University of Louisville · Department of Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Sciences

Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Master'sMSDedicated degreeOn campusOnline

Overview

A 36-credit-hour Master of Science in Criminal Justice offered in evening on-campus and 100% online formats, with a thesis or professional paper option.

Official program name
Master of Science in Criminal Justice
Awarded degree
Master of Science · major: Criminal Justice
Source: catalog.louisville.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: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
School
University of Louisville — Department of Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Sciences
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Location
Louisville, KYFor 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 — core of the degree (“Criminal justice leadership”)
Required credits
36 graduate credit hours
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Duration
3 intensive semesters (online) (Online program page wording.)A minimum under the stated conditions, not a typical length.
Source: louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Why this program is listed

Dedicated MS in Criminal Justice offered on campus and online.

Degree title names criminal justice; 15 credit hours of core courses plus electives; thesis or professional paper.

Source: catalog.louisville.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 · Online
Source: catalog.louisville.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: louisville.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

Curriculum

Thesis and non-thesis options

  • Thesis option: 30 credit hours plus thesis (36 total); non-thesis option: 33 credit hours plus a professional paper (36 total).
    Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Other

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
RequiredA bachelor's degree or its equivalent.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Minimum GPA
RequiredMinimum 2.75 — Minimum undergraduate GPA of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale (online program page).
Source: louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Statement / essay
RequiredOriginal essay of 300-500 words.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Recommendation letters
Required2 letters — Two letters of recommendation.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Application fee
Required$65 — $65 non-refundable application fee.
Source: louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Tests

GRE General Test
Not required
Source: louisville.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.
  • Priority deadline

    Rolling admission · for Fall I

    The school does not print a year with this date.

    Source: louisville.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 — Online master's, academic year tuition per credit hour$863per creditCalculated tuition$31,068 = 36 credits × $863 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: louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Other published fees

Additional fee for all online courses
$10 per creditMandatory
Source: louisville.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

  • Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — 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 Kentucky.

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. catalog.louisville.edu/graduate/programs-study/master-science-criminal-justice/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 24, 2026
  2. catalog.louisville.edu/undergraduate/majors/criminal-justice-bs/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 24, 2026
  3. louisville.edu/online/programs/masters/master-of-science-in-criminal-justice — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026
  4. DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026

Something out of date? Request a correction · Represent this school? Claim the profile

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 University of Louisville. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.