Admission Requirements

• A minimum undergraduate GPA of 3.0 based upon four years of course work
• GRE scores required for applicants with a GPA below 3.5
• Three appropriate letters of recommendation, with preference given to academic letters of reference
• Official transcripts of all undergraduate and graduate course work
• Statement of Purpose – a 750-word statement of purpose that describes the experiences that have influenced your decision to study or work within the discipline of criminal justice or criminology. Also, include academic topics of interest, your commitment to social justice and how you see these issues reflected in the areas of criminal justice.

Bridgewater State University offers students enrolled in the BS in Criminal Justice program the opportunity for early acceptance into the MS program. Click here  for more information about the early acceptance program.

For more information, contact the program coordinator.

Early Admissions Program Requirements

The Early Admissions Program is for academically advanced juniors and seniors majoring in criminal justice at Bridgewater State University who wish to take up to two graduate courses for undergraduate credit, and thereby accelerate the completion of their MS in Criminal Justice. The Bachelor of Science/Master of Science in Criminal Justice provides academically advanced students an opportunity to challenge themselves by beginning graduate work while finishing the BS degree. It is possible, through this program, for exceptional students to complete both degrees in five years. Additional benefits include a waiver of the application fee and reduced tuition costs (equivalent to saving six to nine credits at the graduate rate). Students interested in this opportunity should contact the DGCE Graduate Criminal Justice Coordinator early in their junior year.

If accepted, students will be granted special status to enroll in two graduate criminal justice courses for undergraduate credit. One of those courses will be CRJU 500 - Foundations of Scholarship  and the other will be determined with advising from the DGCE Graduate Criminal Justice Coordinator. Tuition for these courses will be at the undergraduate rate.

• Applicants must be criminal justice majors at Bridgewater State who have a 3.5 minimum overall GPA
• Applicants may apply anytime after completing 75 credit hours and successful completion of CRJU 320 - Research Methods in Criminal Justice ,  CRJU 330 - Analyzing Criminal Justice Data , CRJU 406 - Ethics and the Criminal Justice System  and CRJU 410 - Applied Theory and Crime Policy  
• Undergraduate students’ financial aid package will apply to graduate courses taken for undergraduate credit, and there will be no additional charge for taking a graduate course in the evening.
• Once the student has competed their BS, the two graduate courses that they have completed (with a minimum grade of “B”) will be applied to their MS course requirements, reducing post grad course work.

The following are required to be accepted into the Early Acceptance program:

• Online Application – A completed online application for which the application fee will be waived
• Resumé – A resumé which demonstrates the applicant’s potential for leadership and academic achievement as evidenced by activities during his or her professional career or undergraduate studies
• GPA – Students must have achieved an overall minimum Bridgewater State University GPA of 3.5 at the time their application is accepted
• Letters of Recommendation – Three appropriate letters of recommendation, two of which must come from full-time BSU criminal justice faculty. (Applicants who do not believe they have worked with or taken classes from a full-time faculty member, should contact the Program Coordinator for guidance on this requirement)
• Statement of Purpose – a 750-word statement of purpose that describes the experiences that have influenced your decision to study or work within the discipline of criminal justice or criminology. Also, include academic topics of interest, your commitment to social justice and how you see these issues reflected in the areas of criminal justice.

Program of Study