Introduction
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The dual BA/MCJ program is designed to allow students to work concurrently toward the BA in criminal justice and the master of criminal justice (MCJ). Graduate credit hours earned while enrolled in the BA/MCJ program can be counted toward both the bachelor of arts and master of criminal justice. This program offers high-achieving students the opportunity to complete their undergraduate and graduate degrees in criminal justice in five years.
Program Delivery
- Courses are offered on campus, online, and in hybrid formats.
Declaring This Major
Both current CU Denver students and new transfer students are eligible to apply to the Criminal Justice BA/MCJ Dual Degree after meeting the following:
- Currently enrolled in the School of Public Affairs as a criminal justice major
- Completed the University of Colorado Denver’s undergraduate core curriculum
- Completed 60 semester credit hours
- Completed the following 12 semester credit hours in criminal justice: CRJU 1000 - Criminal Justice: An Overview, CRJU 2041 - Crime Theory and Causes, CRJU 3100 - Criminal Justice Research Methods, and CRJU 3150 - Statistics for Criminal Justice (transfer criminal justice courses must have been approved and accepted toward the major).
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in criminal justice courses
- Completed or scheduled official GRE or LSAT exam
Interested students should contact their BA academic advisor as early as possible to ensure proper planning for the five year degree.
Students must apply no later than the semester in which they first earn 20 credits toward the BACJ degree, most likely the second semester of their junior year. For full consideration, students must submit all application materials by Oct. 15 for admission to the following spring semester and by March 15 for admission to the fall semester. The following steps should help in the application process:
- Plan ahead when scheduling courses through the junior year. All four of the required criminal justice courses listed above and all of the student’s core education requirements must be completed by the end of the student’s junior year.
- At the beginning of the semester in which the student is applying to the program, the student should approach a criminal justice faculty member about writing a letter of recommendation. The student should also begin working on a personal statement of purpose. The following guidelines should help with writing the statement.
- Length: 1 to 2 pages. The statement should describe:
- Applicant’s reasons for undertaking graduate study in criminal justice
- Applicant’s future career plans
- Planned area of concentration within criminal justice
- By Oct 15 of the fall semester or March 15 of the spring semester the student must submit the following items to the undergraduate coordinator:
- Personal statement of purpose
- One letter of recommendation from a faculty member
- School of Public Affairs’ BA/MCJ application form
- Official GRE or LSAT scores
Admission to the BA/MCJ program is competitive. Applicants will be evaluated on the following:
- Grade point average (overall and in criminal justice course work)
- Grade trend (improving, consistent, or declining)
- Total number of credit hours completed
- Likelihood of success and persistence based from the Statement of Intent and Reference Letter
- Official GRE or LSAT scores
Students who are not admitted to the BA/MCJ program are eligible to reapply after completing an additional 12 semester credit hours. Students can apply and be considered for admission to the dual BACJ/MCJ program a maximum of two times.
General Requirements
To earn a degree, students must satisfy all requirements in each of the three areas below, in addition to their individual major requirements.
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