For
highly motivated and qualified students who have determined early in
their postsecondary education that they wish to pursue graduate studies
or a career in criminal justice, this five-year joint bachelor of science/master of arts (B.S./M.A.) program makes it
possible to earn a baccalaureate degree from Newark College of Arts and
Sciences (NCAS), University College-Newark (UC-N), or other
participating institutions and a master's degree from the School of
Criminal Justice (SCJ).
There are several requirements before one can be considered for admission into this program:
1. Completion of 94 undergraduate credits in liberal arts subjects (can include transfer credits)
2. Satisfactory completion of the core curriculum requirements of NCAS, UC-N or SCJ
3. Completion of an undergraduate major in criminal justice or at NCAS or UC-N
4. A cumulative grade-point average of 3.2 or better at NCAS, UC-N, or SCJ
5. A Graduate Record Examination (GRE) test score (taken in the junior year) acceptable to the School of Criminal Justice.
Careful
planning is necessary to complete the undergraduate requirements with
just 94 credits.
Students interested in this
program should contact the Office of Academic and Student Services and
the assistant dean for undergraduate studies in their first year; an
official declaration of intent must be filed during the sophomore year.
Application for early admission to the School of Criminal Justice is
then made at the beginning of the second semester of the junior year.
Applications, catalogs, and additional information are available from
the School of Criminal Justice.
If you meet at least the
minimum requirements listed above and are interested in the program,
the next step is to secure three recommendation letters from past
professors. These are forwarded to the School of Criminal Justice along
with your application for admission. Meeting the requirements listed
above does not guarantee admission into this program. In all cases, the
School of Criminal Justice reserves the right to deny admission to
applicants it deems unqualified. You must compete not only with other
Rutgers students, but also with those from other state colleges and
universities whose institutions also participate in this program. If
you do not qualify for admission to the joint B.S./M.A. graduate program at the end of your
junior year, we strongly encourage you to apply to the M.A. program
once you graduate with your B.S. degree.
Those students accepted
by the School of Criminal Justice receive their B.S. degree from
NCAS/UC-N and the School of Criminal Justice upon satisfactory
completion of 24 credits in the graduate program. Upon satisfactory
completion of the remaining requirements of the School of Criminal
Justice, the M.A. degree is awarded. Once students are admitted to the
School of Criminal Justice, they are bound by the academic regulations
and degree requirements of that school.
