SJSU Catalog

Justice Studies Department

MS - Justice Studies

Graduate Coordinator: Dr. Ann Lucas 408-924-2914

Admission

To be considered for admission to the Justice Studies Department, applicants must have a minimum grade point average of 2.5 in the last 60 units of university coursework. Applicants with a GPA lower than 3.2 must also submit GRE scores. Admission decisions will be based on a weighted assessment of the applicants' grade point average, GRE scores if required, coursework and preparation, two letters of recommendation, and personal statement of purpose.

Admission to the graduate program may be through classified standing or conditionally classified standing.

1. Classified Standing

In addition to the admission requirements of the university, the Justice Studies Department has requirements for being admitted to classified standing:

Completed undergraduate prerequisites required by the department, including a research methods course (e.g., JS 105), and a statistics course (e.g., STAT 95). If a student's baccalaureate degree is not in criminal justice, criminology, or justice studies, additional departmental courses are usually required to enhance the student's knowledge in these areas (JS 10, JS 118, and JS 159; or their equivalent).

2. Conditionally Classified Standing

Applicants meeting the university's requirements for the Graduate Division but lacking either of the above requirements for classified standing may, at the department's discretion, be considered for admission to conditionally classified standing. Applicants who have not met the above departmental prerequisites (1.b) must satisfactorily complete the requirements in their first year.

International (Foreign) Students

Documentation of the applicant's TOEFL score should accompany other admission material. For TOEFL Requirements see Policies and Procedures section, Graduate and Post baccalaureate information.

Candidacy

To be admitted to candidacy for the Master of Science degree in Justice Studies, students must meet the general university requirements for admission to candidacy outlined in the Academic Regulations section of this catalog. The University requires that all graduate students demonstrate competency in written English as a condition for advancement to candidacy. Please refer to the SJSU catalog section titled “Competency in Written English” for details. For graduate courses that meet the competency in written English requirement, please refer to the Graduate Studies and Research website at www.sjsu.edu/gradstudies. In addition, the following departmental requirements apply:

1. Completion of all course requirements with a grade point average of 3.0 ("B") or better, and

2. Obtain an approved Master's Degree Program from the Associate Vice President for Graduate Studies and Research done in consultation with the department's graduate coordinator.

As soon as admitted to classified standing, and having completed 9 units of graduate study the student should meet with the department's graduate coordinator to draft an approved program. This program must identify thirty (30) units of coursework as outlined in the following list of course requirements.

Completing Requirements for the MS - Justice Studies

Plan A (with Thesis)

Plan A provides an advanced program of study for those who are primarily interested in conducting research, and pursuing advanced study toward the doctorate.

Plan B (without Thesis)

Plan B provides an advanced program of study for professionals and those who want to pursue careers in the justice studies field.

Course Requirements

Each student must take a core curriculum of 15 units (JS 201, 202, 203, 204, and 216). The thesis option requires six thesis units, plus 9 elective units; the non-thesis option requires completion of 15 units of core curriculum, plus 15 elective units. Elective courses must be 200-level courses in the department. Subject to graduate coordinator approval, two graduate courses in other departments on campus may be taken as electives, if the student demonstrates their relevance to the student's program of study and/or career goals in Justice Studies. Undergraduate courses may not count toward the 30 units of required graduate coursework.

Course Requirements
All Students			12
JS 201, JS 202, JS 203 and JS 204
Complete Plan A or Plan B			18
With Thesis (Plan A)		18
JS 201, JS 202, JS 203, JS 204, JS 216 and JS 299 (6 units) (21); Three elective courses (9)
Without Thesis (Plan B)		18
JS 201, JS 202, JS 203, JS 204 and JS 216 (15); Five elective courses (15)
Total Units:			30