Admissions Requirements

ADMISSION REQUIREMENTS

Applicants to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice must meet the following requirements for admission.

• Application for Admission (online or print).
• Official copies of your undergraduate and/or graduate transcripts from any college(s) or universities you have attended.
• Applicants must have a bachelor’s degree in a related area with a minimum 3.0 undergraduate cumulative average. Students whose G.P.A. is 2.5 or better will be considered on an individual basis.
• If a student does not have a background in a related area, he/she may petition the department chair for consideration.
• Two professional and/or academic letters of recommendation that address the applicant’s potential in the profession and ability to complete a graduate program
• Fast Track Stipulation form
• If you hold a degree from outside the United States your official records of all post-secondary education must be translated by an approved organization such as World Education Services (WES). You may purchase this translation by contacting WES, www.wes.org or telephone at 1-800-937-3895. Request a course-by-course translation with conversion of all grades into a U.S. 4-point scale with U.S. degree equivalencies. This translation must be received by the Office of Admissions in an envelope sealed by WES.
• The Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or International English Language Testing System (IELTS) is required of all applicants whose native language is not English. The TOEFL or IELTS is generally not required of candidates who have studied for at least two years at an accredited high school or post-secondary institution where English is the only method of instruction, unless there is a need for additional evidence of proficiency in English upon review of other academic credentials. The minimum TOEFL score for admission: 79 Internet-based score (197 computer based, 527 paper-based score) or minimum IELTS score for admission: 6.0 (effective Spring 2012).

SEND APPLICATION MATERIALS TO:

Graduate Admissions
LIU Brentwood
100 Second Avenue
Brentwood, N.Y. 11717

MATRICULATION POLICY

Students are fully matriculated into the Department of Criminal Justice when they meet all of the admission requirements for the M.S. degree program in Criminal Justice. In cases where any of the supporting documents specified are missing, an applicant may be admitted as a limited matriculant. Permission to enroll as a limited matriculant will be granted by the Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice only to those applicants who appear to meet the admission standards. Such students will be required to furnish these missing documents within the first semester of enrollment.

RESIDENCE REQUIREMENTS AND TRANSFER CREDITS

A degree candidate for the Master of Science in Criminal Justice must complete at least 24 credits in residence. Residency is defined as the completion of graduate courses offered by the department or by other graduate departments. Graduate courses taken at other institutions before admission, may, if approved by the department chairperson, be applied toward the master’s degree. Transfer credit is limited to 12 semester hours of credit and granted only for grades of B or better.