What Are the Top Graduate Level Criminal Justice Schools?

These days, an undergraduate degree does not always mean much. Even if you attended a prestigious university to attain your bachelor’s degree, so many people are going to college now that the master’s degree has become the new bachelor’s when it comes to job qualifications. However, the selection of where you choose to get your master’s can give more credibility to your knowledge and experience, especially when it comes to the field of criminal justice. What are the best graduate level criminal justice schools? The answer will vary based on who you are.

First, you need to decide if you want to get your masters online or at a traditional university. An online program is usually pretty easy to get into, provides the convenience of being able to complete your degree at home, and allows you to finish your coursework at your own pace. However, online degrees are not always taken seriously by employers, so you need to make sure you are completing your degree from an accredited institution. A traditional program is usually more selective, but provides a very thorough education. You’ll get a chance to interact with your professors and peers on a regular basis, which is often considered an integral part of the educational process. However, these programs are usually more costly and time consuming. Both types of programs have pros and cons, but selecting which type you prefer will inform your own top graduate schools for criminal justice list.

The next thing you need to consider is whether you are going to be stopping after your master’s. A master’s degree is usually sufficient for getting you a basic instruction job at a state school, or for a managerial position in law enforcement or public administration. However, there are a number of hybrid master’s and doctoral programs that will allow you to complete both in a shortened time span. The benefit of such programs is that you save money and time in the long run, and you make yourself eligible for higher paying and more prestigious positions. There is an incredibly high demand for doctoral criminal justice scholars, especially in academia. It may be worth your while to consider this when figuring out what criminal justice graduate schools are best for you.

After considering all of this, there are a myriad of high quality school with excellent graduate level criminal justice programs. Some of the more notable ones include the University of Maryland, SUNY-Albany, University of Cincinnati, University of Missouri, Penn State, University of California-Irvine, Florida State, Michigan State, Rutgers, CUNY-John Jay College of Criminal Justice, Temple, Arizona State, Northeastern, University of Florida, and the University of Pennsylvania. These are just a starting point, and it is very important to research these schools before application. They are top tier schools, but that does not mean they are the best fit for you.