Important: This degree plan is effective for those starting this degree program in fall 2024 through summer 2025. 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
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
Total Hours		18

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

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Homeland Security Cognate
HLSC 500	Foundations of Homeland Security	3
HLSC 510	Homeland Security Organization & Administration	3
HLSC 520	Legal Issues in Homeland Security	3
HLSC 530	Homeland Security Capstone	3
Total Hours		12

Course List

Code	Title	Hours
Thesis or Elective Courses 1,2
CJUS 688	Thesis Proposal	3
CJUS 689	Thesis Research 3	3
CJUS 690	Thesis Defense 4	0
Total Hours		6

¹

Students may take two elective courses² instead of CJUS 688 Thesis Proposal (3 c.h.), CJUS 689 Thesis Research (3 c.h.), and CJUS 690 Thesis Defense (3 c.h.)

²

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

³

While CJUS 689 Thesis Research (3 c.h.) may be taken more than once, only one enrollment in the course will be permitted to count toward degree requirements

⁴

Any thesis student who is not ready for enrollment in CJUS 690 Thesis Defense (3 c.h.) after completing CJUS 689 Thesis Research (3 c.h.) may be required, as determined by the student's thesis chair, to repeat CJUS 689 Thesis Research (3 c.h.) until deemed ready for enrollment in CJUS 690 Thesis Defense (3 c.h.)

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 Semester		Hours
CJUS 500	Criminal Justice Integration	3
CJUS 520	Administration of Justice Organizations	3
HLSC 500	Foundations of Homeland 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
Third Semester
CJUS 610	Leadership, Ethics and Policing 1	3
HLSC 510	Homeland Security Organization & Administration	3
HLSC 530	Homeland Security Capstone	3
	Hours	9
Fourth Semester
CJUS 688	Thesis Proposal	3
CJUS 689	Thesis Research 2,3,4	3
CJUS 690	Thesis Defense 3,4	0
HLSC 520	Legal Issues in Homeland Security	3
	Hours	9
	Total Hours	36

¹

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

²

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

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

Students may take two elective courses⁵ instead of CJUS 688, CJUS 689, and CJUS 690. 

⁵

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.