Wednesday 28 March 2012

The Prerequisites for a Masters in Criminal Justice Program

By Rachelle Carlton


Those who end up going after a Masters in Criminal Justice can look forward to a satisfying future. Students in the course receive ample training and instruction intended to help them grow into fine members of the industry. Before you get too eager, however, take a look first at the requests of the program when it comes to admitting students into its fold.

You cannot expect different institutions to request the same things of those applying. Investigate the sort of degree being offered, because it often tells you what admissions shall ask for. The required materials and papers for an application to a distance learning course might not be the same as those for a traditional one.

In generaly, applicants must be able to produce a diploma for their undergraduate studies. You wouldn't be able to apply for a Masters degree without first completing your undergraduate degree. It is unnecessary to produce a bachelor's diploma in criminal justice specifically, but it would be ideal if you had taken up that topic too for your undegraduate studies.

You would also need to take the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and obtain a satisfactory score. The minimum grade requirement on your GRE would vary depending on your preferred school and program. It is a basic rule of the GRE that a person's results are only usable records for half a decade following the exam, so check that yours has not expired yet.

For international students, you would be expected to submit your scores on TOEFL or the Test of English as a Foreign Language. This would evaluate your competency on the English language in an academic setting. Scores for this exam can also expire, so make sure yours are still valid.

Following that, one must look for recommendation letters. From old professors to your supervisors at work, you can pick those who know you best to do the LOR. The number of recommendation letters would also vary depending on the school and program but you would be required to submit at least one.

Undergraduate program records are also requested of people who are applying for a master's. This might take a while, especially if your school is in another state or country so it would be wise to get this accomplished at the earliest possible time. Remember that there are some schools that ask for copies of diplomas too, so take a look at that.

A crucial submission would be the application form itself, which must have been completed carefully. You'd also be asked to pay an application fee, which is sometimes waived if the application is sent online. Be assiduous in checking that every field has been filled out: this is a crucial step to the process.

Some universities ask applicants to include an essay in their application that describes why they want to be in the course. Most universities interview potential students to see if they can handle the course. Previous experience is valued highly, generally speaking, so having it may give you an edge.

Future career in this line are satisfying but difficult. When applying for the course, keep in mind that this is only the beginning of your journey. While looking over the requirements, give some though to the question of the rightness of the masters in criminal justice program for you.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment