Frequently Asked Questions

No. Students applying to the MJA program are not required to have an undergraduate degree in criminal justice in order to qualify for acceptance to the program.

For Full Admission to be granted, an entering MJA student’s official transcript must reflect a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale. For Conditional Admission to be granted, an entering MJA student’s official transcript must reflect a cumulative undergraduate GPA of 2.6-2.99 on a 4.0 scale.

The answer is, “it varies.” Our programs are designed to accommodate working adults, and a lot depends on how quickly you choose to pursue the program. A 31 credit hour program can be completed in as little as 12 months.

The program of study for the MJA degree must be completed within four (4) years of enrolling in the first course of the program. Any request for extension of this time limit must be approved by the Program Director.

The Master of Science in Justice Administration program accepts transfer of credit from a variety of properly credentialed academic and professionally-affiliated institutions and programs, including- but not limited to-the schools and organizations identified below. Please inform your Graduate Admissions Counselor if you have coursework you would like evaluated during the admissions process. All graduate academic course work must reflect a minimum grade of "B" to be eligible for transfer. Documentation received is reviewed by the MJA Director, MJA faculty, and the UC Registrar. Upon completion of the review process the student will be notified of the decision regarding what credit has been determined to be eligible for posting as credit to the student’s graduate degree plan and/or graduate transcript.

• University of Virginia – National Criminal Justice Command College
• University of Louisville – SPI Graduate Certificate
• University of Tennessee – National Forensic Academy
• North Carolina State University – AOMP
• Northwestern University – School of Police Staff and Command
• Michigan State University
• American Public University
• Northern Kentucky University
• American Military University
• Boston University
• Fort Hays State University
• University of Louisville
• Kentucky Department of Criminal Justice Training
• Kentucky Law Enforcement Council
• North Carolina Highway Patrol
• Federal Bureau of Prisons
• California POST
• Georgia POST
• FBI
• DEA
• DHS
• DOJ
• ATF
• ICE

No, transcripts received from a student in any form are not considered official. Transcripts must be received directly from the college/university.

Below are the entrance exam requirements for our Master of Arts in Teaching (MAT) program. Links to both the Praxis and GRE websites are also included.

Praxis CASE (Core Academic Skills for Educators) or GRE

The CASE series includes three (3) exams: Math, Reading, and Writing. All three are required, and scores must meet the following requirements: Math 150, Reading 156, and Writing 162. The required GRE scores for exams taken after 08-01-2011 are Verbal 150, Quantitative 143, and Analytical Writing 4.0. The required GRE scores for exams taken prior to 08-01-2011 are Verbal 450, Quantitative 490, and Analytical Writing 4.0. Written verification of test registration can be provided for conditional admittance.

Praxis CASE Website

GRE Website

Candidates can be conditionally admitted to the University with written confirmation of test registration and can take up to 4 courses on the conditional Admittance. Keep in mind, however, that all admissions documents must be received by the end of the first 4 courses in order to continue taking coursework and that candidates cannot be admitted into Teacher Education without passing the entrance exam.  Hence, candidates are taking coursework at their own risk on a conditional admittance. Also, students are not eligible to accept a teaching position under the Alternative Certification (Option 6) program under a conditional admittance. Full admission to the University and Teacher Education is required to accept a teaching position. Full admission to Teacher Education is dependent upon receipt of all admissions materials including acceptable scores.

Applicants can review their Checklist on MyUC. Documents will be checked off as received in the Admissions Office.

To sign up for your email account, visit:
https://postoffice.ucumberlands.edu/mailaccounts/

You can contact our Financial Planning Office at 1-800-343-1609, Ext. 4220, or via e-mail at finplan@ucumberlands.edu. All applicants must complete the FAFSA. Financial Aid forms can be located at the following link: Financial Aid Forms

Books can be purchased online from our Campus Bookstore at the following link: UC Bookstore

You will register for your first classes with our Graduate Education Advising Center. You can contact the Advising Center at 1-800-343-1609, Ext. 4539, or via e-mail at gac@ucumberlands.edu. You will register yourself for all future terms using MyUC.

The answer is it varies. Our programs are designed to accommodate working adults, and a lot depends on how quickly you choose to pursue the program.  The average completion time for our MAEd program is 18 months.

We recommend that all MAT Middle School candidates choose two certification areas. Kentucky, however, only requires one area of emphasis. Keep in mind that Kentucky is the exception, and most other states require two areas.

You will log in to your classes using iLearn.

You will be required to complete a short tutorial before you will be given access.

Three criteria must be met before logging in for the first time:

1. You must have a UC email account.
2. You must have validated your account in MyUC (See My UC Tutorial).
3. You must be registered for at least one class.

After completing the above criteria, you must watch the following Introduction Video to get acquainted with the iLearn environment. After watching the video, you can begin the tutorial by following the video instructions to log into iLearn. You will log in using your standard University username and password, which are the same credentials you use to access your email account. If you have not registered for an e-mail account, please do so immediately by clicking here. If you have forgotten your username and/or password, it can be recovered at Password Recovery. If you have any questions or problems pertaining to the orientation tutorial, please contact the Department of Information Technology at 1-800-343-1609, Ext. 4197, locally at 539-4197, or via email at ilearn@ucumberlands.edu.

Yes, provided such credit meets the appropriate degree requirements for your University of the Cumberlands program. We allow the transfer of 9 hours. A Transfer Credit Evaluation Form can be completed from the following link:

Transfer Credit Form

Yes, we provide certification for the state of Kentucky through Kentucky’s Education Professional Standards Board (EPSB), and that certificate can in turn be transferred to another state through interstate reciprocity. It’s important for all out-of-state candidates to check with their respective state certification office to determine reciprocity eligibility. If a teacher candidate is pursuing the MAT Program outside of Kentucky, he/she will only be able to acquire a Kentucky Statement of Eligibility (SOE) through student-teaching. Once the candidate arrives as the student-teaching semester, seventy (70) days of clinical practice must be conducted in an accredited United States school. Out-of-State candidates are not eligible for licensure without student-teaching.

MAT students must student teach unless teaching under the Alternative Certification (Option 6) program. Students teaching under the Alt. Cert program will take our online Practicum class instead.

All courses in the program with the exception of Research Methods, Student Teaching, and Practicum courses are offered in 8 week bi-terms. Research Methods, Student Teaching, and Practicum courses are full semester courses and last 16 (sixteen) weeks. Classes consist of chat sessions between the professor and students in the class, and students are required to be logged in and at their computer during class time. Each class meets one night per week from 8:00-9:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time.

Some courses do require field experience hours, and the courses that do are listed in our Graduate Handbook.

You will be assigned an Admissions Counselor when you apply, and will be assigned an Academic Advisor by our Graduate Education Advising Center when you register for your first classes. Your Academic Advisor will also show at the bottom of your schedule on MyUC.

You can contact our Certification Office at 1-800-343-1609, Ext. 4446, or via e-mail at certification@ucumberlands.edu.

With the exception of Middle School certification which allows for two certification areas, dual certification is not an option.