Funding Opportunities

Scholarships

• Scholarship Eligibility

  Students must take six credit hours of MCJ courses during the semester the scholarship is awarded.

  If a selected student has their schooling costs covered through other scholarships, they are ineligible.

  If the student decides not to attend the semester they’re awarded the scholarship, they forfeit the awards.

  Students can apply for an Incoming Scholarship and an Existing Scholarship; however, they can receive a maximum of two departmental scholarships during their time in the program.

• Current Student Scholarship

  Two Current Student Scholarships are available during the fall and spring semesters (no summer funding is currently available). Students are eligible for funding if it is their second or later semester in the Master of Criminal Justice program.

  Students interested in funding for the spring 2025 semester should submit a scholarship application letter to our administrator by March 1. Your essay should be, at most, two pages, double-spaced, and in size 12 font. The department’s Scholarship Committee will only review essays that are two pages or less.

  In your letter, please address the following prompts:

  • Describe your personal goals and accomplishments and your success in the Master of Criminal Justice program up until this point
  • Share your plans for the future after earning an MCJ degree
  • Explain how this scholarship will make a difference for you
  • At the bottom of the letter, please share your current GPA

  The department’s Scholarship Committee (consisting of three faculty members) will evaluate scholarship materials using a scoring rubric. Funding decisions are made by August and communicated to scholarship recipients shortly after that.

• Incoming Student Scholarship

  There is only one Incoming Student Scholarship during the fall and spring semesters (no summer funding is currently available). Students are eligible for funding their first semester in the Master of Criminal Justice program.

  Incoming Student Scholarships for each semester will be determined based on information from the student program application packet (i.e., GPA, personal statement, letters of recommendation, and resume/CV).

  The department’s Scholarship Committee (consisting of three faculty members) will evaluate scholarship materials using a scoring rubric. The Scholarship Committee will make funding decisions and contact scholarship recipients.

  If you have questions, please contact the MCJ program director.

• Travel Scholarships

  Graduate students can collaborate with faculty on research projects and other High Impact Educational Experiences. If/when travel is warranted to attend regional or national conferences (or other academic endeavors), the department will work to offset costs. Please contact the program director if you fall under this category and want to travel.