Important: This degree plan is effective for those starting this degree program in fall 2025 through summer 2026. This degree plan will remain in effect for students who do not break enrollment or who do not change degree programs, concentrations, or cognates.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Program Courses
Core Courses 1
CJUS 500	Criminal Justice Integration	3
CJUS 520	Administration of Justice Organizations	3
CJUS 530	Human Resource Management in Criminal Justice Organizations	3
CJUS 550	Topics and Trends in Criminal Justice	3
CJUS 601	Criminal Justice Program Evaluation	3
CJUS 610	Leadership, Ethics and Policing	3
Thesis or Elective Courses 2,3
CJUS 688	Thesis Proposal	3
CJUS 689	Thesis Research 4	3
CJUS 690	Thesis Defense 5	0
Total Hours		24

¹

Public Safety Professionals who graduate from a National or Regional Command College and who have received graduate credit from a regionally accredited sponsoring university, and who have not previously used such credit for a degree may transfer up to 12 hours of graduate credit associated with the Command College to the Master of Science in Criminal Justice as Experiential-Learning credit.

²

Students may take two elective courses³ instead of CJUS 688, CJUS 689, & CJUS 690.

³

Choose from the following courses: Any 500-600 level course offered by the Helms School of Government. Other 500-600 level courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis.

⁴

While CJUS 689 may be taken more than once, only one enrollment in the course will be permitted to count toward degree requirements.

⁵

Any student who is not ready for enrollment in CJUS 690 after completing CJUS 689 may be required, as determined by the student’s thesis chair, to repeat CJUS 689 until deemed ready for enrollment in CJUS 690.

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Cybercrime Investigation Cognate
CJUS 540	Cybercrime Law and Public Policy	3
CJUS 542	Advanced Cybercrime Investigation	3
CSCI 501	Overview of Computer Security	3
CSCI 511	Digital Forensics	3
Total Hours		12

All applicable prerequisites must be met

Graduation Requirements

• Complete 36 hours
• A maximum of 50% of the program hours may be transferred if approved and allowable, including credit from an earned degree from Liberty University on the same academic level
• 3.0 GPA
• No more than two grades of C may be applied to the degree (includes grades of C+ & C-)
• No grade of D or below may be applied to the degree (includes grades of D+ & D-)
• Degree must be completed within 5 years
• Submission of Degree Completion Application must be completed within the last semester of a student’s anticipated graduation date

Program Offered in Online Format

Plan of Study Grid

First Year
First Semester		Hours
CJUS 500	Criminal Justice Integration	3
CJUS 520	Administration of Justice Organizations	3
CSCI 501	Overview of Computer Security	3
	Hours	9
Second Semester
CJUS 530	Human Resource Management in Criminal Justice Organizations	3
CJUS 550	Topics and Trends in Criminal Justice	3
CJUS 601	Criminal Justice Program Evaluation 1	3
	Hours	9
Second Year
Third Semester
CJUS 540	Cybercrime Law and Public Policy	3
CJUS 610	Leadership, Ethics and Policing 1	3
CSCI 511	Digital Forensics	3
	Hours	9
Fourth Semester
CJUS 542	Advanced Cybercrime Investigation	3
CJUS 688	Thesis Proposal 2	3
CJUS 689	Thesis Research 2,3	3
CJUS 690	Thesis Defense 2,3	0
	Hours	9
	Total Hours	36

¹

May register for CJUS 601 and CJUS 610 after successfully completing 12 hours of graduate level courses.

²

Students may take two elective courses⁴ instead of CJUS 688, CJUS 689, & CJUS 690.

³

Any student who is not ready for enrollment in CJUS 690 after completing CJUS 689 may be required, as determined by the student’s thesis chair, to repeat CJUS 689 until deemed ready for enrollment in CJUS 690.

⁴

Choose from the following courses: Any 500-600 level course offered by the Helms School of Government. Other 500-600 level courses will be considered on a case-by-case basis.