Criminal Justice

ufv.ca/criminology/programs/master-of-arts-degree-in-criminal-justice

Master of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree

This 32-credit program is designed especially for individuals looking to combine their academic and professional experience in the areas of criminal justice, social justice, and/or community justice in a way that suits their career plans. These individuals already have the skills needed to study and lead, and have proven themselves in their chosen fields. This program provides students with the knowledge and skills to understand and assess organizations and evidence-based policies for the purpose of contributing to the development of a more effective, efficient, and innovative criminal justice system. The program also provides students with applied learning, the ability to pursue further education at the doctoral level, and an excellent opportunity for networking with other criminal justice professionals.

Students will complete the program over 20 months, taking two courses per semester for five consecutive semesters.

Entrance requirements

Applicants to the program must have a baccalaureate degree from a recognized institution with a minimum GPA of 3.0, have work or volunteer experience in criminal justice or a related field, and pass an interview with a panel of faculty members from the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Once accepted, you will be expected to attend an orientation prior to the first semester of classes.

As part of the application process, applicants will be required to:

• Submit a resume.
• Submit a one to two page statement of interest, which includes a description of your research interest, how your professional practice contributes to your ability to complete a Master of Arts (Criminal Justice) degree, how your professional experience demonstrates your ability for critical and innovative thinking, and why you want to undertake a MA in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice.
• Provide three letters of references — at least one of which must be from an academic, and at least one of which must be from someone who can speak to your work experience
• Provide evidence of work experience in criminal justice, social justice, community justice, or another related field.
• Provide a 5-10 page academic writing sample or equivalent.
• Meet the Degree/diploma level English language proficiency requirement. For details on how this requirement may be met, see the English language proficiency requirement section of the calendar.

Note: Admission is on a competitive basis. Achieving the minimum standard does not guarantee admission (see General Regulations for Graduate Studies in the UFV calendar). In exceptional circumstances, a student may be admitted with lower formal qualifications when there is a significant professional experience relevant to the proposed area of scholarship.

The program accepts a maximum of 22 students per year.

When to apply

Applications are accepted on a continuous basis throughout the year. Qualified applicants are considered for the next intake in which there is space. See Continuous application process for more information.

How to apply

1. Apply online at ufv.ca/admissions/admissions/apply. You will be required to pay a $75 application fee.

Additional documents required for a complete Graduate application:

• A resume and a one-page Letter of Intent (statement of interest).
• Official transcripts (or interim transcripts) from every post-secondary institution you have attended showing grade/course achievement as per entrance requirements. To be considered official, transcripts must be sent directly to UFV from the originating institution; see Official Transcript Guidelines for details.
• Three letters of references. Please use the forms provided in the application package. Have the letters completed, sealed, and signed, and returned with your application package.

2. You will be advised of an admission decision and provided with registration information. A deposit is required prior to registration (see Fees and additional costs below). This money will be applied toward your tuition fees. Final payment of all course fees is due the end of the second week of classes.

3. In cases where interim transcripts are submitted, an admission decision may be made conditional upon completion of academic requirements. Proof of completion of entrance requirements is due the end of the first week in August.

Fees and additional costs

See the Fees and Other Costs section. There will be additional costs for textbooks and, for those planning to do an internship, there may be associated travel and living expenses.

Dates and location

Courses are scheduled so that students attend one morning and one afternoon class, typically on the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday of each month.

The program is located at the Abbotsford campus.

Program requirements and continuance in program

To maintain status as a Master of Arts (Criminal Justice) program student and to continue in the program, students must maintain a minimum program grade point average of 3.0 or higher.

Re-taking courses

Students can re-take a course if they wish to improve the grade earned in the course. Permission of the Graduate Program committee is required (please see General Regulations for Graduate Studies).

Auditing courses

Students wishing to audit a course in Criminology/Criminal Justice must request permission from the instructor no later than the end of the fourth week of classes. No changes from regular to audit status will be permitted after this date.

Course withdrawal deadlines

Course withdrawal deadlines follow UFV's Course Withdrawal policy (81). Please see General Regulations for Graduate Studies.

Graduation

Candidates who qualify to receive a UFV graduate degree must be approved by the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice and the Senate. Students must submit a Request for Graduation form to the UFV Office of the Registrar by April 1.

Note: Please be familiar with the General Regulations for Graduate Studies.

Program outline

Semester I (Fall)

Course	Title	Credits
CRIM 700	Crime, Criminals, Victims, and the Criminal Justice System	3
CRIM 705	Policy Analysis and Social Justice	3

Semester II (Winter)

Course	Title	Credits
CRIM 745	Human Resource Administration	3
CRIM 785	Methods of Research and Evaluation	3

Semester III (Summer)

Course	Title	Credits
CRIM 710	Change Management in the Criminal Justice System	3
CRIM 765	Crime and Intelligence Analysis for Crime Reduction	3

Semester IV (Fall)

Course	Title	Credits
CRIM 730	Ethical and Legal Issues in Criminal Justice	3
CRIM 755	Selected topics in Criminal Justice (see Note)	3

Note: Selected topics will be chosen by the Graduate Program Committee.

Semester V (Winter)

Course	Title	Credits
CRIM 799	Thesis	8
or CRIM 775	Contemporary Initiatives in the Criminal Justice System	3
and CRIM 790	MA Major Paper	5
Total		32

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