Criminal Justice - Graduate Certificate

Criminal Justice

Graduate Certificate

Program Delivery

On Campus, Online, Hybrid

Total Credits

12 Credits

About the Criminal Justice Graduate Certificate Program

The field of criminology and criminal justice utilizes various viewpoints to investigate crime and violence's nature, scope, management, control, repercussions, and prevention.

The UCCS Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice presents current and future criminal justice experts with an opportunity to build and enhance their research and critical thinking abilities, problem-solving skills, and managerial and leadership skills.


Focus of Study

The Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice prepares students for roles in a range of criminal justice environments, as well as government, research, and non-profit agencies.


Program Requirements for Admission

Admission to this certificate program requires a bachelor's degree in any field from an accredited college or university with a cumulative GPA of 2.75 or better. As of fall 2018, current Master of Criminal Justice students may not pursue the Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice.


Current UCCS students wishing to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice must submit a Certificate Declaration to cps@uccs.edu. Students in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) program may count Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice courses completed with a grade of B- or better toward the degree's elective requirement, allowing students to complete the certificate in addition to the MPA as part of their degree plan. 

New students interested in pursuing a graduate certificate only must complete the online graduate application, select their intended certificate and pay the $60 application fee. An official transcript showing the undergraduate degree conferred should be sent to UCCS Admissions, 1420 Austin Bluffs Pkwy, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, or electronically to gradapp@uccs.edu.

A Certificate Completion Application is required to be submitted upon completion of the required certificate courses and grades have been posted for the final course.  This form is located in the myUCCS student portal.  It is the responsibility of the student to notify the College of Public Service when they complete their graduate certificate.

Graduate certificate students may also become interested in enrolling in the Master of Public Administration (MPA) or Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) program. Up to 12 credit hours of graduate-level School of Public Affairs coursework completed with a grade of B or better as an unclassified (non-degree) student may be applied to the MPA or MCJ upon admission, subject to degree plan requirements and program director approval.

Additional resources for Admissions:


Program Coursework

The 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 3.00 GPA once admitted to the certificate program. Please be advised that courses are typically offered alternately online and on campus, not concurrently. It is possible that pursuing a certificate fully online or fully on campus could take up to two years, depending on course availability.

  • CJ 5001 - Criminal Justice Systems, Policy, and Practice
  • CJ 5002 - Criminological Theory

Plus two of the following courses:

  • CJ 5005 - Law and Society
  • CJ 5007 - Violence
  • CJ 5008 - Gender, Race, Ethnicity, and Social Class
  • CJ 5009 - Crime and Violence Prevention and Intervention
  • CJ 5010 - Mapping and Analysis for Public Safety
  • CJ 5100 - Administration of Criminal Justice
  • CJ 5220 - American Jury System
  • CJ 5391 - Sex Offenders and Offenses
  • CJ 5410 - Victim Studies
  • CJ 5430 - Drugs, Alcohol, and Crime
  • CJ 5510 - Contemporary Issues in Policing
  • CJ 5520 - Corrections
  • CJ 5552 - Criminal Justice Ethics
  • CJ 5553 - Women and Crime
  • CJ 5573 Organized Crime
  • CJ 6200 - Wrongful Convictions

Please visit the UCCS Academic Catalog for course descriptions and detailed program requirements.