Frequently Asked Questions

120 semester hours are required and 40 semester hours must be upper division courses (3000-4000 level courses) are required for all degrees. Within the 120 semester hours minimum for all degrees most students will need a minor of at least 18 semester hours and all students must complete 33 semester hours in general studies and a 3 semester hour class from approved multicultural courses.

Students must complete Introduction to Criminal Justice (CJC 1010) as a pre-major requirement. In addition, Students must complete 45 semester hours of CJC coursework including 21 semester hours (SH) in CJC core classes, one course chosen from three area categories and two courses from a fourth area category for a total of 15 semester hours, and 9 SH of elective credit with a CJC prefix.

However, those students following the catalog years beginning fall 2007 through summer 2013 the major required 48 SH. 39 SH are required from a specified list with appropriate substitutions as needed plus nine semester hours of CJC elective credit including a minimum of six semester hours upper division (3000-4000). Students must complete a college approved minor of at least 18 semester hours as well.

Students following a catalog prior to fall 2007 and after fall 2000 must complete 63 semester hours of coursework. The 63 hours includes 33 SH of CJC required coursework, 18 SH of CJC electives and 12 SH from designated social science categories. No minor is required for these students.

A catalog contains comprehensive information about MSU Denver, the degrees and programs it offers, and the requirements a student must satisfy before receiving a degree.

Because students must use a single, MSU Denver catalog to meet all degree requirements, including major and minor requirements, each student must select a degree catalog in effect while they are enrolled at MSU Denver unless they are transferring from a regionally accredited, Colorado community college. In that circumstance students may choose any catalog in effect while continuously enrolled at the Colorado community college and at MSU Denver without a break in enrollment exceeding three semesters.

Students transferring from a regionally accredited, Colorado community college may complete degree requirements using a MSU Denver catalog in effect while enrolled at the community college, subject to the following conditions:

• The degree catalog selected does not predate the current catalog by more than three years.
• The degree catalog selected may have been in use at any time from the time the student was continually enrolled at a regionally accredited, Colorado community college to the semester for which the student is enrolling in MSU Denver. Continuous enrollment is defined as not interrupting enrollment for three or more consecutive semesters (one academic calendar-year) including the summer semester. Continuous enrollment must be maintained from the period of the designated MSU Denver catalog to degree completion at MSU Denver.
• Except for overriding college or state policy, or where specific programs require this degree catalog clause applies. Consult the pages describing your program for these requirements.

Students not enrolled in classes for three consecutive semesters or more, including summer, are governed by the catalog in effect upon their return. All degree programs must adhere to current

Yes, you can change your degree catalog year to any year that you’ve been continuously enrolled without being readmitted to the university. It is best you seek advising from a faculty advisor in your major and minor department if you are thinking about changing your degree catalog year. You cannot use different catalog years for your major and minor.

Yes, starting in 2013, the Introduction to Criminal Justice course (CJC 1010) is a pre-major requirement.  This is also a prerequisite for most of your CJC courses.

Yes, you must maintain an overall 2.0 GPA to graduate.   However, beginning in fall of 2012, you must earn a C or better in all required CJC courses.  If a grade lower than a C is earned in a required CJC course that course will not count towards meeting CJC major requirements.

120 semester hours are required and 40 semester hours must be upper division courses (3000-4000 level courses) are required for all degrees. For the fall of 2013 catalog, students must complete the Introduction to Criminal Justice course (CJC 1010) as a pre-major requirement.  Students must then complete 45 semester hours of CJC coursework including 21 CJC core classes, 15 area electives, and 9 hours of elective credit with a CJC prefix. Specific courses will vary based on catalog year. Students must complete a college approved minor of at least 18 semester hours. Students following a catalog prior to fall 2007 and after fall 2000 must complete 63 semester hours of coursework. The 63 hours includes 33 hours of CJC required coursework, 18 hours of CJC electives and 12 hours of social science. No minor is required for those following the 2006 or earlier catalog years. The catalog a student follows is based upon the time of admission, generally.  An advisor will assist you on the catalog to follow. Students absent for three consecutive semesters must follow the catalog in effect at the time of admission or readmission.

The department offers regular walk in advising hours.  We post these hours on the website.  When you come to our office (West Classroom 254), you will sign in and wait for the first available professor. You can also make an appointment with an Academic Advisor (303-615-1099).

During the semester, the academic advisor and faculty members can provide students with Degree Progress Report. Students are encouraged to seek academic advising on a regular basis especially prior to registering for their following semester courses. To get access to your Degree Progress Report, go to Student Hub and click Degree Progress Report under Web Services menu (you need your ID and password).

You must complete a total of 90 credit hours to sign up for the capstone course.  Once you have completed the 90 credit hours and the grades have been posted, you may enroll in the course.

Not entirely. However, some online classes are available.  Classes that have been taught online include:  CJC 1010 (Introduction to the Criminal Justice System), CJC 1450 (Introduction to Corrections), CJC 2050 (American Judicial System), CJC 2100 (Criminal Law), CJC 2210 (American Policing), CJC 3110 (Constitutional Issues in Criminal Procedures), CJC 3130 (Victimology), CJC 3200 (Criminal Justice Administrative Behavior), CJC 3350 (Juvenile Justice), CJC 3400 (Criminological Theories), CJC 3800 (Federal Law Enforcement and Terrorism), CJC 405K (Hate Crime), and CJC 4430 (Comparative Criminal Justice).

Students may check the class schedule on the MSU Denver website to see which classes are available online in any given semester.

You can speak with one of the advisors in the CJC office about a hold. However, if you cannot register for classes because of a hold, check your campus email. You should have an email that explains why the hold was placed. Common reasons include: financial holds, orientation holds, or failure to complete general studies requirements within a certain time frame. The email will explain what must be done to lift the hold. In some cases, the e-mail will provide a link to complete the process to lift the hold.

To transfer classes, you must first have a transcript of your courses sent to Metropolitan State University of Denver.  Once this was done, the transfer office (303-556-3774, [email protected]) will determine which courses transfer to MSU Denver and to which relevant general studies category the transfer credits will apply.  The Transfer Office is located in the Jordan Student Success Building, Counter 1.  Personnel in that office will work with you to get your classes transferred and posted onto your MSU Denver record. Transfer Services will also determine the course equivalency of transfer courses if possible.

Many times transfer credits, not within the general studies categories, will apply as general credit and each department (major or minor) will determine which, if any, of those non-categorized course credits will apply within the major or minor program. You may be asked to provide some documentation for transfer course work (syllabi, course description, and work product) in order to clarify the breadth of the transfer courses and assure appropriate placement of the course.  Transfer students who have taken criminal justice courses at other institutions may find courses with a CJC prefix on their transfer evaluation, transcript, or a CAPP report. If the class did not transfer or was not put into the appropriate MSU Denver course, then the student should speak with an advisor in the appropriate department for that credit for help or clarification. Students should be prepared with a course description or other adequate explanation for the course and suggestions with rationale for an equivalency CJC course or any other transfer course.

If you retake a class for a better grade, you need to visit the registrar’s office to ask for “course forgiveness” application in order to have the grade replaced.  If you do not, the “D” grade may keep total credit hours in your transcript with GPA consequences.  Although the replaced grade will be removed prior to graduation, failure to use this procedure will cause unnecessary confusion in the actual number of credit hours completed and when the credit is finally removed a total below 120 semester hours may result with the unfortunate consequence of delaying graduation.  The registrar’s office and the CJC faculty advisors may assist you in resolving the problem.  If you have a GPA of 2.0 or better, you can keep the D grade in a general studies course, but as noted above a D will not allow a course to be used if it is required for the CJC major or minor.  In addition, a D will lower GPA.

While there may be unique circumstances for individual students, the general response is that no substitutions are available for MSU Denver/CJC offered courses for a required course in the major.  However for transfer students, a course with comparable content from another institution may substitute for a CJC required course. This requires a CAPP adjustment form with the Chair’s signature. The process recommended requires students to speak with an advisor to obtain a favorable recommendation and to complete the form to forward to the Chair with a CAPP report and/or an explanation for seeking the substitution. For students following a pre-fall 2007 catalog, there are some required substitutions for courses no longer offered.

Students must register and comply with requirements of The Internship Program. The Internship Program is located at Administration Building, Suite 325 within the Applied Learning Center. The CJC department has an Internship Coordinator who assists students in obtaining and developing internships (see here).

The Registrar’s office allows you to go on the “wait list” for courses that are full.  If you are on the wait list, you will be absorbed into the class as students drop out.  Please understand that you must pay your tuition by the deadline in order to be absorbed into the class.  You may be charged service fees if these fees are not paid on time.  You must drop the waitlisted classes if you choose not to take the course.  Please visit the Office of the Registrar for more details. Their phone number is: 303-556-3991.

Forensics and Criminalistics questions should be directed to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, 303-615-0345. The Chemistry department is located in the Science Building, Room 3062.

You apply for graduation in the Office of the Registrar.  Specifically, you apply through the graduation services and this is located in JSSB Room 160 (phone: 303-556-3991).  You apply for graduation in the beginning of the semester you plan on graduating.  Each semester, there are specific deadlines for submitting graduation applications and those deadlines are usually within the first three or four weeks at the beginning of the semester. For more information, visit the Office of the Registrar.

The Degree Progress Report is an advising tool to be used by students in conjunction with their advisor throughout the student’s academic career at MSU Denver. This tool is available to students since 2012 catalog. This report is NOT considered an official MSU Denver transcript or record of completed coursework. It is an advisory guide and might not reflect complete information until the final graduation check.

The Degree Progress report

• Provides up-to-date advice and counsel
• Speeds time to graduation
• Provides intuitive web access to self-service capabilities
• Streamlines the graduation process
• Allows direct access to multiple related services and advice through hyperlinks to catalog information, class schedule, transcripts, and help desk services.

In-progress coursework is included in the report. Changing registration, catalog year, repeating a course, completing a course with less than minimum required grade, changing, major, minor, concentration, or any other changes to the academic record may impact the Degree Progress Report.

You can generate your report through the Student Hub –>Web Services –> Degree Progress Report.

General studies for students who already have a bachelor’s degree recognized by MSU Denver are considered complete unless deficiencies exist according to the major department. Additional information about completing a second degree can be found in the university catalog by your catalog year.

Students can view all course descriptions and prerequisites through the online university catalog.

Dropping a course means the course is deleted from your academic record and in some cases, you receive a refund. Check the Academic Calendar each semester to see the drop dates deadline.

Withdrawing (W) notation is not a grade. It may indicate withdrawal from the course or course repetition. To view the grading policy of the institution see the Academic Catalog.

Curriculum requirements established for a global diversity class as part of the general studies for the institution include the following:

• Students should exhibit knowledge of one or more regions or countries outside the U.S. including aspects such as the historical, political, social, cultural, legal, or business contexts of these regions or countries; and
• Students are able to describe the implications of global interdependence, including its impact on societies from a governmental, technological, institutional, organizational, or individual context.
  Students must select one course from an approved general studies category that meets the Student Learning Outcomes in the general studies category as well as for this category. This course will count in both categories.

View the courses approved for the global diversity category.

View the courses that meet the general studies requirements.