Criminal Justice and Criminology is one of the University of Central Missouri's most established and distinctive departments, run through the Harmon College of Business and Professional Studies, and it is a program UCM has offered for decades rather than a recent addition. Like the rest of UCM, its admissions model is built around documented, published criteria rather than a comparative, capped-seat review.
This article covers the acceptance picture, cost, admission requirements, English-test rules, and career outcomes for Criminal Justice specifically.
Acceptance Rate
UCM does not publish a Criminal Justice-specific undergraduate acceptance rate; undergraduate admission follows UCM's general criteria, a minimum high school GPA of 2.0 (Class 12 equivalent) for international applicants, with the university's own undergraduate acceptance rate for the 2024 cycle estimated by third-party aggregators at around 63.8%.
For the Master's degree in Criminal Justice and Criminology, UCM publishes a clearer, two-tier bar:
- Applicants with a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.00 or higher (and 3.00 on all graduate coursework, if applicable) submit a complete graduate application, two letters of recommendation, and a personal statement.
- Applicants with a GPA between 2.75 and below 3.00 can still be considered by the Criminal Justice & Criminology Graduate Committee, through an extended application process.
Applicants also need an earned 120-credit-hour undergraduate degree in criminal justice or a related field; those with fewer credit hours may need to complete up to 21 hours of additional coursework identified by the graduate coordinator.
Fees and Cost of Attendance
Criminal Justice students pay UCM's standard per-credit-hour international tuition; the university does not publish a separate, higher rate for this program specifically.
| Cost item | Undergraduate (International) | Graduate (International) |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition per credit hour | ~$570-594 | ~$733 |
| Estimated annual tuition & fees (full-time pace) | ~$18,000-20,278/year | Varies by credit load |
| Housing, meals, books (UCM's own published estimate) | ~$12,556/year | Comparable or higher |
| Total estimated cost of attendance | ~$32,690-32,834/year | Budget conservatively in the $30,000-35,000/year range |
For the full university-wide cost picture, see the UCM guide.
Admission Requirements
Undergraduate
- Completed international undergraduate application
- Official secondary school transcripts (Class 12 or equivalent), with certified English translations if not originally in English
- Minimum GPA of 2.0 (UCM's stated baseline for international applicants)
- Evidence of English proficiency (see below)
- Financial documentation sufficient to support I-20 issuance and visa processing
Graduate (Master's in Criminal Justice and Criminology)
- A GPA of 3.00 or higher for the standard application pathway, or 2.75 to below 3.00 for the extended application pathway (reviewed by the Graduate Committee)
- An earned 120-credit-hour undergraduate degree in criminal justice or a closely related field (or completion of up to 21 hours of additional coursework if short of 120 credits)
- Two letters of recommendation and a personal statement
- Official transcripts from all post-secondary institutions attended
- Evidence of English proficiency (unless exempt)
How to Get Into UCM's Criminal Justice Program
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Target the 3.00 GPA pathway for graduate admission if you can. It avoids the extended application process that applicants in the 2.75-to-below-3.00 band must go through, which adds a Graduate Committee review step.
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If your undergraduate degree isn't in criminal justice, check your credit-hour standing early. UCM's own stated policy allows up to 21 hours of additional coursework for applicants short of the 120-credit-hour criminal-justice-or-related-field requirement, so confirm what you'll need to complete before you apply.
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Use the extended application pathway honestly if your GPA falls in the 2.75-2.99 range. This is a real, published route, not a rejection; prepare a strong personal statement and recommendation letters to support your case to the Graduate Committee.
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Budget realistically for the per-credit tuition model. Because UCM charges per credit hour, use UCM's own international student cost calculator to get a program-specific estimate before applying.
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Apply through UCM's International Admissions office directly, since international application requirements, deadlines, and fees are managed separately from domestic admissions.
English Proficiency Requirement (IELTS/TOEFL)
Criminal Justice follows UCM's university-wide English proficiency minimums; there is no separately published Criminal-Justice-specific override in the sources reviewed.
| Test | Undergraduate minimum | Graduate minimum |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS Academic | 5.5 | 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 61 | 79 |
| Duolingo English Test | 95 | 120 |
For the full set of waivers and the Oxford ELLT alternative, see the UCM guide.
Career Outcomes
UCM's own Career and Life Design Center reports strong first-destination outcomes university-wide, with a first-destination employment/continuing-education rate around 95.4% in some reporting cycles. A single, confirmed Criminal-Justice-specific employment rate or starting salary from a primary UCM source was not found during this research; criminal justice graduates typically pursue roles in law enforcement, corrections, federal agencies, and private security, and outcomes depend heavily on specific career path and, for some federal and law-enforcement roles, US citizenship requirements that do not apply to private-sector security and analysis roles.
Criminal Justice degrees are generally not STEM-designated, so graduates typically rely on the standard 12-month OPT period rather than the 24-month STEM OPT extension.
FAQ
Does UCM publish an acceptance rate for Criminal Justice specifically? No. Undergraduate admission follows UCM's general 2.0 GPA baseline. The graduate program publishes a clearer bar: 3.00 GPA for standard admission, or 2.75-2.99 for the extended application pathway.
What if my undergraduate degree isn't in criminal justice? UCM's graduate program allows applicants short of its 120-credit-hour criminal-justice-or-related-field requirement to complete up to 21 hours of additional coursework identified by the graduate coordinator.
How much does UCM's Criminal Justice program cost? Undergraduate costs run roughly $32,690-32,834/year all-in, based on UCM's per-credit-hour international rate. Graduate costs vary by credit load.
What IELTS or TOEFL score do I need? Undergraduate: IELTS 5.5 or TOEFL iBT 61. Graduate: IELTS 6.0 or TOEFL iBT 79.
Does a Criminal Justice degree qualify for STEM OPT? Generally not. Most Criminal Justice degrees use the standard 12-month OPT period.