About the Program

Enrollment in a combined pathway allows highly qualified, current SUNY Buffalo State students to work on the Master of Science in Criminal Justice while completing the bachelor’s degree. Up to 12 credits of designated master’s courses are incorporated into the bachelor’s degree program and will count toward both the bachelor’s degree and the master’s degree.

Program Requirements

The combined pathway requires 144 credits total, of which 36 are master’s credits leading to the MS in Criminal Justice. Students must meet all college, department and relevant concentration guidelines.

The program requires careful planning that should begin by the second year of the student’s undergraduate career at SUNY Buffalo State. The student and the primary advisor (or department chair) should consult in planning the undergraduate degree program so that these requirements are met during undergraduate study and that the 12 credits of master’s courses from the MS Program in Criminal Justice are included in the degree plan. Students must meet graduate expectations for academic progress and grade point average in their master’s level courses to remain in the combined pathway.

About the Criminal Justice Department

102 Cassety Hall
1300 Elmwood Ave
Buffalo, NY 14222
Phone: (716) 878-4517
Fax: (716) 878-3240
https://criminaljustice.buffalostate.edu/

Admission Requirements

Admission into the combined pathway is highly selective. Matriculated undergraduate students may apply to the BS/MS pathway in their third year (junior year) and will complete all of the application requirements for the program. The admission application process includes a minimum GPA of 3.2, completion of 89 credit hours, of which 30 credits must include criminal justice core and prerequisite requirements (see below), and a letter of recommendation.

Program Requirements

B.S. in Criminal Justice

General Education 23 Requirements
33 credit hours

Criminal Justice Major Requirements (42 credit hours)
Core Courses (18 credit hours)

CRJ 101 INTRODUCTION TO CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3
CRJ 201 CRIMINAL LAW 3
CRJ 202 THE POLICE PROCESS 3
CRJ 204 THE CORRECTIONAL PROCESS 3
CRJ 303 CRIMINAL JUSTICE THEORY AND IDEOLOGY 3
CRJ 315 RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE 3

Statistics Core Requirements (3 credit hours) 3
Select one course from the following:
CRJ 310 STATISTICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
ECO 305 STATISTICS FOR ECONOMICS
MAT 311 INTRODUCTORY PROBABILITY AND STATISTICS
PSY 350 STATISTICS IN PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH
SOC 299 SOCIAL STATISTICS

Senior Seminar and Diversity Requirement (3 credit hours) 3
Select one course from the following:
CRJ 425 RACE, ETHNICITY, AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
CRJ 430 GENDER AND THE ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE

Undergraduate Major Electives
Supporting Courses (6 credit hours) 6

Select two courses from the following:
CRJ 250 INTRODUCTION TO INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS
CRJ 301 POLICE ORGANIZATION AND MANAGEMENT
CRJ 302 CRIMINAL JUSTICE AND THE COMMUNITY
CRJ 305 THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM
CRJ 306 PROBATION, PAROLE, AND COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS
CRJ 307 COMPARATIVE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
CRJ 308 CRIME PREVENTION
CRJ 317 CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 320 CRIMINAL COURTS
CRJ 355 CRIME ANALYSIS

Advanced Electives (6 credit hours for Intelligence Analysis, Policing, Corrections Concentrations) 6
Select two courses from the following:
CRJ 406 CORRECTIONAL INSTITUTIONS AND PROGRAMS
CRJ 409 ADVANCED ISSUES IN LAW ENFORCEMENT
CRJ 420 ADVANCED ISSUES IN PUNISHMENT AND CORRECTIONS
CRJ 440 DRUGS, CRIME, AND DRUG POLICY
CRJ 450 TERRORISM AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 455 ADVANCED INTELLIGENCE ANALYSIS

Required Graduate Major Courses (12 credit hours)
CRJ 501 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE * 3
CRJ 504 RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE * 3
CRJ 601 CORRECTIONAL STRATEGIES * 3
CRJ 606 LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES * 3
*courses used in B.S. and M.S. simultaneously
Total Credit Hours: 120

M.S. in Criminal Justice
Required Graduate Major Courses
Core Courses (18 credit hours)


All six required
CRJ 501 THEORETICAL PERSPECTIVES ON CRIME AND CRIMINAL JUSTICE * 3
CRJ 504 RESEARCH METHODS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE * 3
CRJ 601 CORRECTIONAL STRATEGIES * 3
CRJ 604 CRIMINAL COURTS * 3
CRJ 606 LAW ENFORCEMENT ISSUES * 3
CRJ 609 STATISTICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE * 3
*courses used in B.S. and M.S. simultaneously

Graduate Major Electives (15-18 credit hours) 15-18
CRJ 508 HISTORY OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 511 ADVANCED CRIME ANALYSIS
CRJ 590 INDEPENDENT STUDY (1-3)
CRJ 602 ORGANIZATIONAL BEHAVIOR AND THE MANAGEMENT PROCESS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 603 ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE
CRJ 608 SPECIAL TOPICS IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 611 DATA-DRIVEN POLICING
CRJ 620 WHITE-COLLAR CRIME
CRJ 622 JUVENILE JUSTICE
CRJ 624 COMPUTER APPLICATION
CRJ 625 RACE AND ETHNICITY IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 626 GENDER ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 630 CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE
CRJ 635 CRIMINAL JUSTICE ETHICS
CRJ 710 RESEARCH PROJECT

Mandatory Exit Requirement (0-3 credit hours) 0-3
Select one from the following:
Comprehensive Exam 0
CRJ 690 MASTER'S PROJECT 3
Total Credit Hours: 36