FAQs for MS
We’ve compiled answers to some of the most frequently asked questions about our MS program and admissions process. Whether you're just beginning your research or ready to apply, the information below addresses key topics related to admission requirements, cost of attendance, funding, and the structure of our programs. If you don’t find the answer you’re looking for, we encourage you to contact us at clsgrad@gmu.edu for further assistance.
Admission Requirements
The general university graduate admission eligibility requirements are as follows:
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An earned baccalaureate from an institution of higher education accredited by a George Mason-recognized U.S. institutional accrediting agency, or international equivalent, verified from official transcripts.
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A minimum 3.00 GPA on a 4.00 scale in baccalaureate study.
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All George Mason graduate applicants must meet the University's English proficiency standard.
We do not offer conditional or provisional admission for any of our graduate programs.
Applicants to our graduate programs pay a non-refundable $75 application fee. We do offer a limited number of application fee waivers per application cycle. Applicants should email clsgrad@gmu.edu for more information about the fee waiver process.
Yes, applicants can defer their admission to the MS in Criminal Justice program for up to one academic year. Admitted applicants can submit their deferral decision through the self-service portal linked in their original offer letter.
International Admission Requirements
All George Mason students must have full command of academic English to be successful in their studies. For this reason, George Mason requires that applicants demonstrate English proficiency for admission consideration, regardless of citizenship. English proficiency may be demonstrated by an exam or a waiver. Full details are available here.
All transcripts from colleges or universities outside the United States must be translated into English, if applicable, and submitted for evaluation to the Office of Admissions. George Mason will provide evaluation service free of charge for all international transcripts; however, some programs may request an outside evaluation be completed. Complete information about international transcript requirements, to include translation and equivalency evaluation criteria, can be found here.
Cost and Funding
Current graduate tuition and fees can be found here under the most recent academic year “Per Credit Rate Hour.” Please review the tuition and fees under the College of Humanities and Social Sciences section of the table. To calculate the total cost of the program, you should add the amounts in the tuition (In State or Out of State) and mandatory student fee columns then multiply by the total number of credits in the program.
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MS tuition: use “MS, Criminal Justice” figures.
NOTE: International students are assessed at the Out of State rate unless they have a qualifying graduate assistantship that provides an in-state tuition waiver.
Unfortunately, our department doesn’t offer funding at the master's level. However, there are internal and external scholarships available to students, as well as loan options for financing your education. Note: Students enrolled at the master’s level may not qualify for all types of funding listed on these webpages.
We encourage applicants to also review our on-campus funding resources for graduate students and frequently asked funding questions webpages for more information. While we don’t offer assistantships in our department, students can apply for on-campus assistantships in other offices.
Program Structure
The MA is a research-focused degree geared toward students who want to pursue a PhD and go on to research/academic careers. MA students learn to conduct research and complete a thesis as their culminating requirement. The MS degree is more policy/practice-oriented and is suitable for students who want to learn how to apply research in practice and who are interested in pursuing more ‘frontline’ or leadership careers in the criminal justice field.
Completing the MS program does not prevent you from pursuing a PhD in the future. However, if you already know that you would like to continue to a PhD—particularly our PhD program—the MA in Criminology, Law and Society is the more appropriate pathway as its curriculum is designed to prepare you for doctoral study and independent research.
The CRIM 517 Research Practicum, a required class, is the culminating experience in the MS program and is taken during the student’s final semester in the program. Overall, the research practicum is a student-initiated research project supervised by the class instructor. Students identify a client criminal justice organization or stakeholder group and conduct useful research on an issue of interest to that organization or group, producing a policy-oriented white paper suitable for delivery to the organization or group. This differs from a more traditional practicum or internship experience in that there is no corresponding hours requirement (e.g., 100 hours over the semester) that must be completed.
There is not a credit-affiliated requirement for internship/field placement in the program; however, students are encouraged to pursue co-curricular experiences that contribute to their development as a graduate student and prepare them for future career paths. Additionally, we do not offer course credit for employment or internship experiences. All 30 credits required for this program are taken as classes.
Students can enroll on a part-time or full-time basis. Full-time at the graduate level is 9 credits (3 classes).
Applicants wishing to pursue the program part-time should carefully consider the university’s time limits (AP.6.9.2 for master’s degrees). If admitted and you choose to enroll, we schedule a detailed advising appointment to develop your personalized program of study and timeline.
The MS program admits in the fall and spring and offers classes year-round (including summer). Most students take classes in four consecutive semesters, including a summer term, to complete the program in 1.5 calendar years.
All graduate-level classes offered by our department meet once per week and are typically scheduled in-person on the Fairfax, Virginia campus. The MS program has occasional online or hybrid classes whose offerings vary by class and semester. We do not offer any fully online programs in our department; they are very much traditional, campus-based programs.
MS classes are scheduled between 4:30pm and 10:00pm as many of our students in this program work full-time. We do not typically schedule classes on Fridays or weekends.
Most of our graduate classes are taught by graduate faculty in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society. We also have adjunct instructors who are criminal justice leaders across varies organizations teach classes in the MS program.