Master’s in Criminal Justice in Alaska: Programs and Pay

Updated October 8, 2026

Alaska has one in-state option for a criminal justice master’s: the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ online M.A. in Justice Administration, a 30-credit program built for working justice professionals. A related UAF program, the Master of Security and Disaster Management, covers homeland security and emergency management instead. Requirements for police or corrections promotion vary by agency, so check with the specific employer before assuming a master’s changes your standing there.

Thinking about a criminal justice master’s in Alaska comes down to one practical question: is it worth it if there’s only one school offering it? The answer depends entirely on what you want from the degree and what your specific agency actually requires, which is the part most guides skip.

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Related Occupations and Pay in Alaska

A master’s in this field doesn’t lead to one job. It’s built for people already working in corrections, probation, or justice administration who want graduate-level training in managing agencies, programs, and policy. Here’s what two closely related occupations pay in Alaska, as occupational context, not as a promise of what a master’s holder specifically earns.

First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers earn a median of $98,420 a year in Alaska, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (May 2025). Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists earn a median of $77,000 a year (BLS, May 2025), and the state’s long-term projections show that the role will hold roughly flat through 2034, down slightly from 460 positions to 450, with about 40 average annual openings statewide (Alaska Department of Labor projections via ProjectionsCentral, 2024-34). These are occupational figures across everyone in the role, not a measure of what this specific degree adds to anyone’s paycheck.

Neither figure is evidence that a master’s causes a raise or a promotion. Whether a graduate degree affects your pay or rank depends entirely on your agency’s own policies.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Correctional Officers and Bailiffs and Probation Officers and Correctional Treatment Specialists. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

On the state’s broader picture: Alaska’s prison population had fallen 22.7% from its 2014 peak as of the most recent nationwide count (Bureau of Justice Statistics, 2023 data, the latest available as of this writing). The Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority also runs a Disability Justice program with the Alaska Criminal Justice Commission focused on keeping people with behavioral health conditions out of the system. Both are real and worth knowing about if you’re going into this field, but neither one establishes that a criminal justice master’s is what qualifies someone to run that kind of program.

What This Degree Does, and Doesn’t, Change

A master’s in criminal justice doesn’t certify you for anything. If you’re pursuing a sworn law enforcement position in Alaska, certification runs through the Alaska Police Standards Council (APSC), separate from any degree you hold. A master’s doesn’t substitute for academy training, background investigation, physical testing, or the experience requirements your specific agency sets. Corrections hiring and promotion follow their own track through the Alaska Department of Corrections, which you should confirm directly rather than assume mirrors police requirements. Federal agencies set their own qualification standards per position, and a graduate degree’s weight varies by agency and role, not by any fixed rule.

What a master’s does is give people already in the field, or aiming for a non-sworn justice role, training in running an agency: budgets, policy, personnel, and the legal boundaries managers operate inside. Whether that specific training matters for a specific promotion or application is a question for that agency, not for this page.

Where to Earn Your Master’s in Criminal Justice in Alaska

Per current federal education data, the University of Alaska Fairbanks is the only Alaska institution reporting a master’s-level program in the criminal justice family in the cited dataset. That program is UAF’s M.A. in Justice Administration, an online, 30-credit degree designed for working justice professionals who can’t relocate to Fairbanks or take an extended leave from their job. Current core coursework includes Administration and Management of Criminal Justice Organizations, Ethics in Criminal Justice Management, Justice Program Planning, Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice Management, and Community/Restorative Justice, plus electives and a final project or thesis. Coursework has included scenarios like managing an agency budget shortfall, weighing the case for and against prison privatization, and writing a grant proposal.

A separate UAF program, the online Master of Security and Disaster Management (MSDM), covers homeland security and emergency management instead of corrections or courts administration, through UAF’s School of Management rather than its Justice Department. Admission to both requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution. Applicants with an undergraduate GPA below 2.75 must also submit a standardized test score.

Confirm current admission deadlines, tuition, and whether a program is accepting new students directly with UAF before you apply. This page reflects federal Scorecard data (institution file May 2025, field-of-study file April 2025) and current UAF catalog information, not a substitute for the university’s own admissions office.

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed October 2026.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a bachelor’s in criminal justice to apply for UAF’s master’s program?

No. UAF requires a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, not a degree in any specific field. If your undergraduate GPA is below 2.75, you’ll need to submit a standardized test score as part of your application.

Will a master’s in criminal justice get me promoted in an Alaska police or corrections job?

There’s no universal answer. Police certification and promotion in Alaska run through the Alaska Police Standards Council and each agency’s own policies. Corrections follows its own track through the Alaska Department of Corrections. A master’s can be relevant to some positions, but it isn’t a substitute for academy training, testing, experience, or background requirements, and whether it factors into a promotion decision depends on the specific agency. Check directly with the agency or position you’re targeting.

What’s the difference between UAF’s criminal justice master’s and its homeland security master’s?

They’re two separate degrees run by two different UAF departments. The M.A. in Justice Administration, through the Justice Department, focuses on managing criminal justice agencies, programs, and personnel. The Master of Security and Disaster Management, through the School of Management, focuses on homeland security and emergency management instead. Which one fits depends on which field you’re actually working in or aiming for.

Is UAF’s program offered online, or do I need to move to Fairbanks?

Both UAF graduate programs covered here are delivered online and were built for working professionals who can’t relocate or take extended leave.

Is there financial aid specifically for criminal justice graduate students in Alaska?

The Doyon Foundation offers scholarships, including funding toward a master’s degree, but eligibility is restricted to Doyon, Limited shareholders and the children of original enrollees, not to criminal justice or law enforcement students generally. If you don’t fall into that group, check directly with UAF’s financial aid office about grants and assistantships specific to the Justice Administration or Security and Disaster Management programs.

Key Takeaways

One confirmed in-state option – UAF’s M.A. in Justice Administration is the only Alaska master’s reporting into this federal dataset for the criminal justice family.
A second, separate UAF program exists for homeland security – the Master of Security and Disaster Management, run through a different department entirely.
Wages shown here are occupational, not degree-specific – Alaska’s corrections supervisors and probation officers earn $98,420 and $77,000, respectively (BLS, May 2025), but neither figure says what a master’s holder specifically earns.
Certification and promotion are agency-specific – APSC governs police certification, corrections follows its own Department of Corrections track, and a master’s doesn’t replace either one.
Scholarship money is restricted – the Doyon Foundation funds Doyon shareholders and their children, not criminal justice students generally.

If you’re a Doyon, Limited shareholder or the child of an original enrollee, the Doyon Foundation funds graduate study, including a master’s. If that doesn’t apply to you, UAF’s own financial aid office is the right next call before you commit to tuition.

Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Master’s Degree in Criminal Justice.