Program Description

Application Requirements

Program-Specific Instructions

Additional Information

The submitted goals statement should be 200-300 words in length describing what you intend to do with your MS degree in Criminal Justice.

The writing sample is an essay of 500-750 words that identifies a current problem or issue in criminal justice and examines promising approaches to mitigating or resolving it. The essay should be original work and not have been written prior to this application. It should be persuasive to a criminal justice policy maker or practitioner. The essay can include references (not counted toward the word limit), but these are not required.

Two letters of recommendation should come from faculty members or individuals with first-hand knowledge of your academic or professional capabilities.

The Office of Graduate Admissions, in coordination with the MS in Criminal Justice review committee, will consider requests from admitted students to defer their enrollment to a future term if they choose not to enroll in the semester for which they were accepted. Offers of funding are not guaranteed for deferrals and are at the discretion of the program of admission. All requests for deferral must be submitted using the directions in the Self-Service Center by the enrollment deadline listed in the student’s offer of admission. Deferrals are only granted for a period up to one full academic year (Ex. Fall to Fall).

Academically strong Mason undergraduates with a commitment to research or graduate or professional studies can apply for an accelerated Master’s program and earn a Bachelor’s and a Master’s in as little as five years.

Accelerated Master’s Application Requirements

Accelerated Master’s Program-Specific Instructions

Application Process

Preparing to Apply

• As early as possible, notify your undergraduate major advisor of your interest in pursuing a Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s (BAM) pathway. Students will work with their advisor to determine how and when graduate-level courses can be completed during the undergraduate degree and review policies for accelerated master’s programs.
• We encourage students to meet with the BAM coordinator to confirm that the pathway you intend to pursue will help you achieve your academic and/or career goals.

When to Apply

Mason undergraduate students who have met the following department and university criteria are invited to apply to participate in the BAM pathway with the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program:

• 60 earned credits towards the bachelor’s degree
• Minimum cumulative GPA of 3.50
• 15 upper-level (300/400 level) earned undergraduate credits at Mason

Once ready to apply, you will complete the following steps: 

Step 1: Complete the pre-acceptance advising form with your undergraduate advisor and the Criminology, Law & Society (CLS) graduate program coordinator. To ensure your application is submitted by the priority deadlines below, we advise you to meet with both advisors no later than one month before the application deadline. During these appointments, you will map out your remaining undergraduate- and graduate-level coursework, review BAM policies, and discuss the application process and timeline.

• Students pursuing a CLS undergraduate major should note that they will be completing the "pre-acceptance advising form" in the comments field of the appointment request. 
• Students pursuing a non-CLS undergraduate major should contact clsgrad@gmu.edu to request a copy of the pre-acceptance advising form to be completed with their undergraduate major advisor.

Important Forms:

• Instructions for Completing the Pre-Acceptance Advising form
• Bachelor’s/Accelerated Master’s in Criminal Justice Pre-Acceptance Advising Form

Step 2: Submit the online application and upload requested documents. 

• Resume
• Goals statement
• Writing sample
• Contact information for two references

Guidelines for these materials can be found under the Additional Information section below.

Note: There are two terms listed on the application. The first indicates the semester in which students begin taking graduate-level courses. The second is the semester in which the student intends to matriculate to graduate status. Students follow the application timelines for the semester they intend to begin taking graduate-level courses. The graduate program coordinator will clarify how to fill out these prompts on the application. 

Post Application

The application is processed by the Office of Graduate Admissions. If approved, students will receive a notification from the Office of Graduate Admissions. During the final semester of the undergraduate program, students must submit their completed Transition Form to their undergraduate advisor, graduate advisor, and the CHSS Graduate Admissions Office. Upon undergraduate degree conferral and successful transition from the accelerated master’s program, students will receive an official decision letter from the Office of Graduate Admissions for the term they officially begin the master’s program.

The official date for the start of your master’s degree is the semester immediately following your undergraduate graduation. Upon transition to your master’s degree you will be subject to all graduate academic policies.

Accelerated master’s students must graduate from their undergraduate program in the semester specified on their application to the accelerated degree program. Changes to the timeline for conferral of the undergraduate degree should be approved by the graduate program director. Students must meet the University’s accelerated master’s program policies.

Failure to meet the terms of admission will result in termination from the accelerated master’s program.

Additional Information

The submitted goals statement should be 200-300 words in length describing what you intend to do with your MS degree in Criminal Justice.

The writing sample is an essay of 500-750 words that identifies a current problem or issue in criminal justice and examines promising approaches to mitigating or resolving it. The essay should be original work and not have been written previous to this application. It should be persuasive to a criminal justice policy maker or practitioner. The essay can include references (not counted toward the word limit), but these are not required.

Two letters of recommendation should come from faculty members or individuals with first-hand knowledge of your academic or professional capabilities.

English Proficiency Requirements

All Mason students must have a full command of academic English to be successful in their studies. For this reason, Mason requires applicants to demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration, regardless of citizenship. Click here to view the requirements.

International Transcript Requirements

All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Mason Office of Admissions. Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts, however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Because of volume, more time may be needed to process applications requiring a Mason evaluation. You should submit your application 6 weeks prior to the deadline if you plan to utilize Mason’s free evaluation service. For expedited service, students may submit their documents to any NACES member organization at their own expense. If you decide to use an external evaluation service or if your program requires an outside evaluation, GPA and Degree equivalences must be included with your course-by-course evaluation. Mason evaluations are used for internal purposes and are not released to applicants. For information on international transcript requirements, go here.