Public Administration/Criminal Justice, BA/MCJ
Introduction
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The Pathways Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration (BAPA)/Master of Criminal Justice (MCJ) degree allows high-performing students to earn both degrees in an accelerated time frame, saving students both time and money. Students graduating with the Pathways BAPA/MCJ degree receive a solid grounding in the context and management of public service organizations and the knowledge and skills needed to design, advocate for, and analyze public policies relevant to those organizations and the larger democratic society. Both the BAPA and the MCJ degrees are offered fully online, providing students with the flexibility to schedule courses around the reality of family and work demands while also engaging both local and fully online students in public service opportunities in their own communities.
The BAPA/MCJ degree program offered by the School of Public Affairs allows high-performing students to count 12 credit hours towards both the BAPA and the MCJ degrees. Eligible students are those who have completed at least 75 credits with a minimum 3.5 GPA in the BAPA major and a 3.0 overall GPA, completed the undergraduate Core Curriculum, and who meet the other requirements listed below.
Students are eligible to receive the BAPA degree once they have successfully completed 120 semester hours and all CU Denver undergraduate degree requirements. The MCJ will be conferred once the student has completed all requirements of the MCJ degree.
Pathways Application
Both current CU Denver BAPA majors and new transfer students are eligible to apply to the Pathways BAPA/MCJ program after meeting the following criteria:
- Currently enrolled in the School of Public Affairs as an undergraduate Public Administration major
- Completed the University of Colorado Denver’s undergraduate core curriculum
- Completed at least 75 undergraduate credit hours
- Completed the following 15 credit hours in Public Administration or have a plan on when they will take each class:
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PUAD 1001 | Why We Care About Government, Nonprofits, and the Public Good | 3 |
| PUAD 2002 | Policy and Advocacy | 3 |
| PUAD 3001 | Project Management and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PUAD 3002 | Organizational and Strategic Management | 3 |
| PUAD 4002 | Leading and Engaging for the Public Good | 3 |
- All transfer courses must have been approved and accepted towards the major and degree at the time of application
- Minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA
- Minimum 3.5 cumulative GPA in the Public Administration major
Students do not apply for the pathway program at the time of application to CU Denver. Students will work with their assigned undergraduate academic advisor to apply for the pathway program after they have already matriculated to the university and have met the stated criteria.
BAPA/MCJ Program Matriculation
After a student is admitted to the Pathways BAPA/MCJ program, they will work with their assigned undergraduate academic advisor to enroll in MCJ-level courses each semester. Students can complete up to 6 credit hours of MCJ coursework each semester as an undergraduate and a maximum of 12 graduate semester credits can be completed as an undergraduate BAPA/MCJ student overall. Students will continue to take undergraduate coursework while also completing graduate-level coursework.
Students in the Pathways BAPA/MCJ program may be eligible to complete the MCJ-level internship only after successfully passing two MCJ-level courses. The MCJ-level internship may fulfill both the BAPA and MCJ internship requirement. The BAPA-level internship will not fulfill the MCJ-level internship. Students must maintain a minimum 3.0 cumulative grade point average for all course work and a 3.5 grade point average for the BAPA major.
Program Requirements
- Students must complete all CU Denver, School of Public Affairs, and Public Administration degree requirements to earn their Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration degree. The Bachelor of Arts in Public Administration is conferred once students meet all degree requirements.
- Students seek full admission to the Master of Criminal Justice and Criminology program during their final semester as an undergraduate student. This application is different than the one used to apply for the Pathways program. Students must receive a minimum of a B- grade in each required core MCJC course, whether taken as an undergraduate or a graduate student.
- Students must maintain a 3.0 GPA overall in all graduate-level courses.
- Students in the MCJC program must successfully complete the MCJC capstone or thesis.
- Students must fulfill all college/school and major/program requirements.
- The MCJC will be conferred once the student has completed all requirements of the Master of Criminal Justice and Criminology degree.
- The School of Public Affairs reserves the right to rescind a BAPA/MCJC student’s admittance to the Pathways program if at any point the student’s GPA falls below the requirements listed above.
| Code | Title | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| PUAD 1001 | Why We Care About Government, Nonprofits, and the Public Good | 3 |
| PUAD 2002 | Policy and Advocacy | 3 |
| PUAD 3001 | Project Management and Program Evaluation | 3 |
| PUAD 3002 | Organizational and Strategic Management | 3 |
| PUAD 4002 | Leading and Engaging for the Public Good | 3 |
| Total Hours | 15 | |