Criminology and Criminal Justice, MS

Admissions

General Application Requirements and Admission Criteria

Program-Specific Requirements

Application Deadlines (Spring 2025, Summer 2025 and Fall 2025)

Applications for this program are accepted on a rolling basis. All materials must be submitted prior to the beginning of the semester in which the student has elected to begin coursework.

Other Requirements

• English Language Proficiency: Applicants are required to have a command of oral and written English. Those who do not hold a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from the United States, OR a baccalaureate or other advanced degree from a predetermined country on the waiver list, must meet the minimum language proficiency score requirement in order to be considered for admission.
  • Internet-based TOEFL: 95 with a minimum of 21 in all four areas, IELTS: 7.5 (8.0+ preferred), PTE: 76, Duolingo: 115
    • All English as a second language students are required to take a proficiency assessment examination at UNO upon admission, which will be used to determine if further assistance is required
• Statement of Purpose: One page discussing reasons for pursuing a graduate degree, interests in the field, and career goals for the future
• Resume
• Letters of Recommendation: Two letters of recommendation are required, the recommendation requests are generated from your online application.  These recommendations should be from professional and academic sources who are directly familiar with your skills and experience. At least one reference should be from an immediate professional supervisor. If you have graduated from an academic program within the past two years, it is suggested that at least one reference should be from a faculty member who can speak directly to your academic preparation for graduate education. References from family members, family friends, personal friends, personal therapists, or other non-professional/academic sources will not be scored.
• Unconditional Admission:
  • Possession of a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution
  • Applicant has at least a 3.0 GPA (average of “B”) overall in the last two years of undergraduate work
  • At least 15 credit hours of criminal justice courses or related courses that meet the requirements of the current school undergraduate curriculum, including a basic statistics course, a research methods course, an introductory criminal justice course, a criminology course, and a criminal justice or criminology diversity course.
• Provisional Admission:
  • Applicant must have a bachelor’s degree from a regionally accredited institution (if the institution is non-accredited, 15 credit hours of graduate course work at UNO must be successfully completed before the student is eligible for unconditional admission)
  • Applicant has not completed all of the undergraduate prerequisite course requirements for unconditional admission to graduate study
  • Applicant has no less than a 2.75 overall GPA in the last two years of undergraduate work and not less than a 2.75 GPA in the undergraduate major.

Degree Requirements

Open Electives

In consultation with advisors, students will select three courses in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice or any related field such as public administration, social work, counseling or urban studies. Any course from any field at the 8000 level can count toward open elective hours. 

NOTE: Students are encouraged to take their open elective courses in the form of a graduate minor or concentrated in a single field. Graduate minor programs generally all require 9 credit hours to complete and will be noted on students final transcripts.

Exit Requirements

Capstone course is offered in the fall and spring semesters.  Once all required coursework has been completed, the student can register to take the capstone course.  The course will require students to engage in a problem-solving project involving group work, which culminates in a written report and oral presentation.