Admission Requirements

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Program Overview

The Command College of South Carolina at Anderson University offers a thirty-six hour Master’s-level training/educational program which targets command-level staff in criminal justice. The curriculum is intended to provide intensive exposure to relevant graduate level material that is specifically engineered for professionals in management positions in the criminal justice field. With an emphasis on organizational behavior as it applies to the field of criminal justice, the program is designed to assist individuals working in law enforcement and other agencies to develop policy which is grounded in research that is related to the field. At the completion of the program, graduates of the Command College will receive a certificate and those that qualify are awarded a Master of Criminal Justice degree (MCJ).

The Command College is designed to accomplish the following objectives:

• To develop a thorough understanding of the key research that influences the successful administration of justice in America.
• To acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to provide effective and pro-active leadership in the field of criminal justice.
• To attain an appropriate level of appreciation for, and understanding of, the way in which a 21st century criminal justice agency can be managed in an ethically sound and legally defensible manner.

Coursework is offered in a sequential manner, where each course is a blend of traditional classroom instruction and online interaction. All courses require one or more written research projects or papers, and the capstone requires a major project. Courses carry four (4) semester credit hours each. All participants are expected to enroll in two (2) courses each fall and spring and one (1) course during the interim summer term. Accordingly, participants should complete the program in twenty months.

As to curriculum delivery, each course is taught under the same basic design. Participants are contacted via email before the beginning of the term and informed of the reading assignments for the first class session. They attend an intensive two-day session near the beginning of the term and then work on their own for a period of several weeks, communicating with the instructor, and each other, via the online portion of the course. In the fall and spring semesters, they meet again on two consecutive days three more times, for a total of  four (4) times for each course. At each of these sessions, classes meet with the instructor for eight (8) hours, resulting in a total of thirty-two (32) in-class hours per course. The program begins in the Fall term where two courses are taught. This is followed by two courses in the Spring term and one course during the Summer session. The Summer session requires two two-day sessions of eight hours per day, combined with online instructional activities. In year two, two courses each are delivered in each term - Fall and Spring.

The program is intended for working professionals in criminal justice who are seeking advanced training in executive development. Upper management personnel from the fields of policing, courts, corrections and juvenile justice at the local, state and federal levels have been targeted. In addition, managers working in auxiliary areas as well as the private sector will be sought.

Admission Requirements

Regular Admission

• Baccalaureate degree from a regionally or nationally accredited institution of higher learning
• Cumulative college GPA of 2.75 or higher on a 4.0 scale
• Submit a written nomination by a supervising employer or senior-level executive in the organization where the applicant is working
• Provide a resume and goals statement detailing one’s professional aspirations
• Currently work in a sworn, certified, or professional position in criminal justice, preferably in an upper- or middle-management position
• Minimum of five years of experience working in the criminal justice field
• Minimum TOEFL score of 550 (paper), 220 (computer) or 75 (internet) if English is not the student’s first language, and proof of current Visa for International Students

Applications will be reviewed by the Office of Graduate and Evening Admission, and applicants will be admitted on a competitive basis. Factors considered include the applicant’s GPA, the number of years in service, management experience, and the strength of the application materials.

Provisional Admission

Promising applicants who hold a baccalaureate degree but do not meet the formal requirements listed above may be granted provisional admission. Full graduate standing is granted when these students satisfactorily complete prescribed conditions which may include taking a graduate placement test such as the GRE. They must meet any special conditions attached to their admission by the Office of Graduate and Evening Admission no later than upon the completion of eight semester hours of graduate credit. Among provisionally admitted applicants may be the following:

• Applicants with a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution who lack undergraduate work considered essential for graduate study.
• Applicants whose scholastic records are below admission standards, and who give evidence unavoidable, extenuating circumstances affected their undergraduate record, but that progressive improvement took place.