2024-2025 Graduate Catalog Criminal Justice Sciences

The Department offers both thesis and culminating research options for completion of the master's degree.

All master's degree programs require a minimum of 50 percent of the non-thesis credit hours applied to the degree to be 400-level courses or above.

Accelerated Master's Degree in Criminal Justice Sciences: High achieving students who graduated with a degree in ISU's Accelerated CJS undergraduate program are allowed to apply up to 12 hours of approved graduate courses to both the undergraduate and graduate degrees.

Option I — Thesis

This 33-hour option requires: 

• 15 hours: CJS 401, CJS 440, CJS 497, CJS 499 (6 hours) 
• 18 hours of electives selected with the cooperation of the student's mentor and the approval of the graduate advisor. The electives will be selected from appropriate graduate course offerings in Criminal Justice Sciences, Sociology, Politics and Government, and other departments. Courses at the 300 level may be taken only with the approval of the graduate advisor.

Option II - Non-Thesis

This 36-hour option requires:

• 12 hours: CJS 400, CJS 401, CJS 440, CJS 497 
• 24 hours of electives from appropriate graduate course offerings in Criminal Justice Sciences, Sociology, Politics and Government, and other departments. Courses at the 300 level may be taken only with the approval of the graduate advisor.