The field of criminology and criminal justice draws on diverse perspectives to explore the nature, extent, management, control, consequences, and prevention of crime and violence. The Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice offers current and aspiring professionals the opportunity to develop and enhance research and critical thinking skills, problem solving, and managerial and leadership skills to pursue positions in a variety of criminal justice settings, as well as government, research, and private nonprofit agencies.
Students currently admitted to the Master of Criminal Justice program or the Dual Master of Public Administration / Master of Criminal Justice program are ineligible for the Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice.
Current Master of Public Administration (MPA) students may count Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice coursework completed with a grade of B- or better toward their degree’s elective requirement, per program specific guidance.
Graduate certificate students may also become interested in enrolling in the MPA or MCJ program. Please see transfer credit information under the School of Public Affairs General Information section .
Graduate Certificate Admission
Graduate certificates may be earned independent of or concurrent with a degree program. All graduate certificates offered by the School of Public Affairs meet Department of Education regulations for certificate programs; students are eligible to apply for financial aid.
Prospective students who are applying to a certificate program only (i.e., are not currently in a graduate degree program) should have earned a bachelor’s degree in any field from an accredited institution with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better and follow these steps:
- Complete online Graduate School Application. Submit the required $60 application fee.
- Submit official transcript showing an undergraduate degree was conferred to UCCS Admissions, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, or electronically to gradapp@uccs.edu.
Current degree-seeking students who intend to concurrently earn a graduate certificate should complete the Certificate Declaration form and submit it to spa@uccs.edu.
Upon completion of the required certificate coursework (and grades have been posted), degree-seeking students will complete the Certificate Completion Application in their student portal. Please see the SPA website for details.
Policies and Procedures
Refer to the School of Public Affairs General Information section of this academic catalog for detailed eligibility criteria, policies, and procedures relevant to this program.
General Requirements
This certificate consists of four courses totaling 12 credit hours of graduate coursework. A grade of B- or better is required in each course counting toward the certificate. Certificate students must maintain a 3.0 GPA; students falling below a 3.0 GPA will be placed on probation and are subject to those requirements.
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