An undergraduate degree from an institution with regional accreditation is required.
Students are encouraged to complete some undergraduate course work related to criminal justice/criminology, and statistics in social sciences.
A minimum GPA of 2.75 for all undergraduate work and a 3.00 for the last two years of undergraduate work is required for admission to the program.
The Graduate Record Examination (GRE) is required for admission.
A Criminal Justice Graduate Program Application Cover Page must be completed.
A statement of purpose for pursuing the Master of Arts Degree, addressing the student's particular interests in the field of criminal justice and their future academic and/or professional goals, must be provided at the time of application.
Two letters of recommendation are required. It is preferred that both letters be from professors from whom the applicant took the classes.
If the applicant completed the undergraduate degree work within the past five years, it is required that at least one letter be from a professor, unless the applicant can document the reasons why a letter from a former professor is difficult to obtain. If the applicant completed the undergraduate degree work more than five years ago and is currently working in a criminal justice-related field, two letters may be obtained from the applicant's direct supervisor or co-workers.
References from other sources will not be reviewed.
The admissions process requires submitting all information and materials through the UNLV Graduate College Online Application. See the Criminal Justice Department website for more details.
During the application process, applicants will select a thesis or non-thesis option as their culminating experience for the program.

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