Master of Science in Criminal Justice Online
Learn about the causes and alleviation of crime and take an active leadership role in a broad range of criminal justice pursuits with the skills you will gain in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice online program.
Program Overview
Your master’s degree in criminal justice could help create safer communities
The Master of Science in Criminal Justice online program gives you the knowledge and tools to shape public policy in response to contemporary issues in the criminal justice and juvenile justice systems. This non-thesis program enables you to pursue advanced professional roles and boost your earnings potential.
You will study criminological theory and the administration of justice with an emphasis on in-depth research into corrections, ethics and legal studies. You will learn about comparative criminal justice systems, advanced quantitative methods in criminal justice, cybercrime and more. Our compelling electives include seminars on corrections and police practices, along with a special topics course that you can shape to meet your interests and career goals.
Our dynamic core curriculum covers foundations of the criminal justice system, the relationship between law and criminal justice, and advanced methods of social research. The program incorporates advanced seminars emphasizing analysis of criminal justice policies and criminological theory. Plus, you will participate in a capstone project—graded on a pass/fail basis—in which you will analyze and develop a practical approach to a significant issue facing the American criminal justice system.
This comprehensive master's in criminal justice program delivers curricula using state-of-the-art technology. Through our online platform, you will engage in critical and reflective thinking about professional and scholarly literature. Our coursework challenges you to conceptualize, analyze and evaluate scholarly discourse and participate in informed and thoughtful discussions.
Our faculty are nationally and internationally recognized for scholarship and commitment to understanding and responding to relevant criminal justice issues. Boost your career in the public or government sector, in law enforcement or corrections, or in programs aimed at rehabilitating adult or juvenile offenders.
Benefit from flexible admission requirements, no thesis requirement and six start dates per year. Our accelerated, 7-week courses are delivered in an online format ideal for working professionals, so you can balance personal and professional obligations while earning your degree. You can complete your degree quickly.
In this online program, you will:
- Analyze crime issues in contemporary settings, given the practical constraints of the justice system
- Study current societal trends and their impact on legal systems including criminal justice agencies, criminal courts, juvenile courts, mental health courts and civil courts
- Critically examine biological, psychological, sociological and economic theories of crime
- Compare criminal justice systems in the United States and selected countries from Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East
- Discern how crime theories relate to various modalities of cybercrime and victimization
- Analyze crime issues in contemporary settings, given the practical constraints of the justice system
- Study current societal trends and their impact on legal systems including criminal justice agencies, criminal courts, juvenile courts, mental health courts and civil courts
- Critically examine biological, psychological, sociological and economic theories of crime
- Compare criminal justice systems in the United States and selected countries from Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East
- Discern how crime theories relate to various modalities of cybercrime and victimization
As a graduate of this online program, you will be well-prepared for a variety of criminal justice careers such as:
- Detective
- Homeland Security Officer
- Private Security Director
- Senior Corrections Officer
- Fraud Investigator
- Detective
- Homeland Security Officer
- Private Security Director
- Senior Corrections Officer
- Fraud Investigator
Also available:
Texas A&M International University offers multiple online criminal justice programs. Explore our criminal justice programs.
Tuition
Learn more about our affordable tuition
Tuition for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice online program is affordable, and can be paid by the course. All fees are included.
In-State Tuition:
The following tuition applies only to Texas residents.
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Course | Per Program* |
|---|---|---|---|
| M.S. in Criminal Justice | $367 | $ | $13,212 |
Out-of-State Tuition:
| Program | Per Credit Hour | Per Program* |
|---|---|---|
| M.S. in Criminal Justice | $1,030 | $37,080 |
*Tuition subject to change.
Tuition breakdown:
Calendar
Important dates for our students
The master’s degree in criminal justice program is delivered in an online format ideal for working professionals, conveniently featuring six start dates each year. Choose the start date that is best for you.
| Session | Program Start Date | Application Deadline | Document Deadline | Payment Due | Last Class Day |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Summer I | 5/19/25 | 5/5/25 | 5/12/25 | 5/16/25 | 7/5/25 |
| Summer II | 7/7/25 | 6/23/25 | 6/30/25 | 7/7/25 | 8/22/25 |
| Fall I | 8/25/25 | 8/11/25 | 8/18/25 | 8/22/25 | 10/10/25 |
| Fall II | 10/20/25 | 10/3/25 | 10/15/25 | 10/17/25 | 12/9/25 |
| Spring I | 1/20/26 | 1/2/26 | 1/15/26 | 1/16/26 | 3/7/26 |
Now enrolling:
Ready to take the next steps toward earning your next degree?
Admissions
What you need to know before applying
You must meet the following requirements for automatic admission into the online criminal justice graduate program.
Admission Requirements:
- Bachelor's degree
- Transcripts from all colleges/universities attended
- Professional resume
Automatic admission will be granted to students with a bachelor's degree (in any major or field) with an overall GPA of 2.8 or above, or an overall GPA of 2.5 with three of more years of work experience in Criminal Justice or related fields.
Applicants with an overall GPA below 2.8 with no work experience in Criminal Justice or related fields will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by program faculty.
Applicants with an overall GPA below 2.5 will also be required to submit a 200-word personal statement describing their academic and professional background characteristics that will assist them in successfully completing the online degree program, and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis by program faculty.
The admissions committee may request a personal interview.
International Transcript Evaluation:
TAMIU does their own foreign credential evaluations. Graduate School does not require third party evaluations nor are obligated to accept the results, or GPA calculations, if an evaluation is submitted. If an applicant submits an official evaluation, the evaluation does not replace official transcripts or certificates of graduation.
Official transcripts from all institutions attended can be sent to:
Texas A&M International University
Graduate School
Senator Judith Zaffirini Student Success Center, Suite 223
5201 University Boulevard
Laredo, TX 78041
OR
Electronically to GraduateSchool@tamiu.edu
Former TAMIU students DO NOT have to request TAMIU transcripts.
For documents other than transcripts, please upload to your application portal located here. If transcripts are uploaded to the portal, you will be asked to resend all official transcripts by mail or email and will delay the application process.
Have a question? Call us at 844-872-8712
Courses
Read about our online Master of Science in Criminal Justice courses
Curriculum for the online master’s criminal justice degree is comprised of 12 courses (36 credit hours), including 18 credit hours of core courses and 18 credit hours of Criminology electives.
Six courses (18 hours) are required from the 5000 course level, all courses will not be available each start. You must work with your advisor to plan accordingly.
