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J. Frank Barefield, Jr. Department of Criminal Justice College of Arts and Sciences

MSCJ Online Program

The online Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) degree is designed to mirror the in-person Non-Thesis Plan II degree. Students enrolled in the online degree are required to take the same courses as the Plan II degree — but the courses are taken 100% online. The degree is structured so that students can graduate in 4 semesters (fall, spring, summer, fall) by taking 9 hours each semester.

The recommended course sequence for the online MSCJ degree is:

  • Semester 1 (Fall): JS 600, JS 601, JS 606
  • Semester 2 (Spring): JS 583, JS 605, Elective 1
  • Semester 3 (Summer): JS 603, JS 604, Elective 2
  • Semester 4 (Fall): JS 697/698, Elective 3, Elective 4

Course descriptions are available in the UAB Graduate Catalog.

The Demonstration Project

Online classes

Students are required to complete a Demonstration Project to display their mastery over the core courses. Specifically, students will complete a research paper that shows they can synthesize a body of literature, create a research question, use appropriate research methods to evaluate the question, and discuss implications (both theoretical and policy) of the findings. Students are required to work with a faculty member who oversees the project.

In their second semester, students will be required to write a brief research proposal discussing their topic and potential sources of data. After completing this proposal they will send it to the program director, who will then assign a faculty chair based on best fit with the topic. Students can request to work with a particular faculty member, but this does not guarantee they will be assigned to him or her. Once a chair is identified he or she will work with the student until the chair deems the project acceptable. Under special circumstances and with permission from the program director, students may be allowed to complete a thesis. In such cases, the student will take 6 hours of thesis in place of the Demonstration Project (JS 697).

Learn More

For more information about the MSCJ online program, contact Director of Graduate Studies Tara D. Warner.