Where to find a cheap Master's in Criminal Justice or related field?

Discussion in 'General Distance Learning Discussions' started by DailyNews, Jul 26, 2011.

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  1. DailyNews

    DailyNews New Member

    Ladies and gentlemen of Degreeinfo, I need some help. I live in the US, in Virginia.
    I have looked at Regional and National Schools that offer distance learning Master's degrees in Criminal Justice or Homeland Security or Public Administration, or very similar field. I cant find one that is affordable at all! Where can I find such a degree for around $100/credit hour or less?????
    I work in this field and want one bad, but I am living paycheck to paycheck and my employer pays nothing!

    I am open to suggestions/schools.
    :)))
     
  2. Hotdillon

    Hotdillon New Member

    I clicked on this because I too am interested in, not necessarily cheap, but affordable Master's in Law or CJ!
    There has got to be something out there!
     
  3. emmzee

    emmzee New Member

    "$100/credit hour or less" There are not many schools, AFAIK, that offer graduate credits that cheap.

    I checked Andrew Jackson University (NA/DETC accredited) and their tuition page states: "The graduate semester-based program is $699 per three-credit-hour course or $1,116 for unlimited courses." So if you took 3 graduate courses per semester (9 credits) in their Master of Science in Criminal Justice program, that works out to $1,116 / 9 = $124/credit. Maybe someone else has other suggestions, but that's pretty cheap. Of course, if you can't fit 3 courses per semester into your schedule (if you're planning on working full time for example) this may not be an option ...
     
  4. b4cz28

    b4cz28 Active Member

    AJU is pretty darn cheap. If you have any CJ back ground they allow you to opt out of 9 credits which allows you to lower the total cost of the degree.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Jul 26, 2011
  5. Hotdillon

    Hotdillon New Member

    There has to be something cheaper out there. AJU seems decent, but you almost have to go full-time in order for the $ to benefit you, and there is no way I or most online folks can do that. I looked at Aspen, but they too have jacked up their tuition!
     
  6. Ted Heiks

    Ted Heiks Moderator and Distinguished Senior Member

    Bruce Tait, one of the Moderators, has a signature line that has links to criminal justice programs.
     
  7. eilla05

    eilla05 New Member

    I searched high and low and the cheapest per credit I have found is the one I am starting next month---University of Nevada-Reno and currently they are at 225.00 per credit hour. Great school and so far my experience with him has been awesome. I can let you know in a few weeks how the courses are set up if you would like.
     
  8. mcjon77

    mcjon77 Member

    $100 per credit hour or less? For a Masters degree? From an accredited university? Good luck. In all honesty, I seriously doubt that you will find something that cheap. Not today.

    Personally, if you are in such financial straits where you can only afford $100 per credit hour, perhaps you should apply for some need-based financial aid programs to help you pay for the program. Check with the public universities in your state to see if they have a program which fits your needs that you can get in-state tuition for.

    Also, consider getting student loans. While I am no fan of student loans for expensive programs, if you can find a program that cost $200-$300 per credit hour, and cover the amount that you cannot pay with student loans, after you graduate, your monthly payments should be reasonable. If your CJ degree gets you a good job, you should be able to pay the whole thing off fairly quickly.

    Worst case scenario, just save your money and/or take only 1 class per semester. Western New Mexico University has an MA in interdisciplinary studies for a little more than $600 per class. That is about as cheap as you will get for DL RA. The MA is in Interdisciplinary Studies, but one of your two concentrations can be Criminal Justice.

    I wish that I could tell you about a $100 per credit hour CJ masters program. Unfortunately, I do not believe such a program exists today. Either way, good luck.
     
  9. NewsDaily

    NewsDaily New Member

    What about some schools overseas, that are recognixed by US standards that are cheap and affordable in the Criminal Justice/Law field?
     
  10. major56

    major56 Active Member

    University of South Africa (?):

    UNISA MA in Criminology (via research): Unisa Online - Master of arts in Criminology

    UNISA M Tech (Magister Technologiae) in Policing: via dissertation or coursework
    Unisa Online - Courses

    UNISA MPA:
    Unisa Online - Courses

    University of Louisiana-Monroe: MA in Criminal Justice
    ULM GOLD (online) students pay the same tuition as Louisiana residents
    ULM's Gateway to Online Degrees (GOLD): The Master of Arts (MA) in Criminal Justice

    2011 Summer graduate tuition rate for a min. of 12 hours: $167.70 /hour
    http://www.ulm.edu/controller/sas/summerfees2011.pdf

    2011 Fall /Spring semester graduate tuition rate for a min. of 12 hours: $210.79 /hour
    http://www.ulm.edu/controller/sas/fallfees2011.pdf
     
  11. Hotdillon

    Hotdillon New Member

    NewsDaily, those countries listed above and are still expensive. There has to be something out there, even overseas, where some tuition is free, yet specialized for distance learining! Any thoughs folks??
     
  12. JWC

    JWC New Member

    Bruce Tait used to have this info in his sig line. Check it out.
     
  13. Hotdillon

    Hotdillon New Member

    Again, weather in the US or overseas, these schools are just too expensice for CJ Master's degrees or related field degrees!!
    Anyone else with any suggestions for affordable Master's degrees in Criminal Justice or a related field????
     
  14. major56

    major56 Active Member

  15. major56

    major56 Active Member

    In that the options presented (i.e., AJU at $124 /graduate credit hour), are in your judgment, still too pricey for a graduate-level CJ program; perhaps you might post your own findings. I’d truly be interested in learning of some less tuition cost accredited program options.
     
  16. 03310151

    03310151 Active Member

    The only option is to give up. You will not find an accredited degree that fits your price point. It will not happen for you. You need to think about something else.

    You could join the military on active duty. Not only will you get a GI Bill but you also qualify for $4,500 per year in tuition assistance. Just like that, a cheap (free) degree in CJ. But I understand the military is not for everyone. In that case...

    You're out of luck.
     

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