Master’s in Criminal Justice in Maryland: Schools and Career Payoff

Updated October 6, 2026

Seven Maryland institutions award master’s-level degrees in criminal justice, homeland security, or security science, per U.S. Department of Education data. You don’t need one to get hired as an officer. Where it pays is supervision: Maryland police supervisors earned a median $120,700 in May 2025 BLS data, more than double the state’s protective-service median.

You don’t need a master’s degree to wear a badge in Maryland. You need one when you want to run the people who do, sit on the policy side of a state that’s under court order to fix its jails, or qualify for certain federal jobs at a higher starting grade. Here’s who the degree actually serves, where to earn it in Maryland, and what it pays.

Who Actually Needs a Master’s in Criminal Justice?

Start with who doesn’t. Maryland does not require a master’s degree for entry-level police or correctional officer certification. The two run on different state systems: the Police Training and Standards Commission (PTSC) certifies police officers after requirements that include a criminal-history check, a mental-health screening and a physical-agility assessment, while the Correctional Training Commission (CTC) sets its own selection and entrance-level training rules for correctional officers. Individual hiring agencies can add qualifications on top of either. A graduate degree won’t replace years on patrol or on a housing unit.

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Where Maryland Is Pushing Its Justice System Right Now

The jobs this degree leads to aren’t abstract management roles. They’re the people who answer to federal judges and city councils on whether a program works.

Maryland’s corrections system is still operating under the Duvall settlement over medical care at Baltimore Central Booking and Intake Center. A federal court extended that 2016 consent decree for the third time in June 2026, after finding the state partially or fully out of compliance with several provisions (Maryland Matters, 2026). Administrators who can read a compliance report, fix a medical-intake process and document it for a court monitor are exactly what that situation demands.

On the enforcement side, Baltimore now runs its Safe Streets violence-interruption program at 10 sites under the Mayor’s Office of Neighborhood Safety and Engagement. Interrupters mediated more than 1,752 potentially violent conflicts in 2025. A May 2026 Johns Hopkins-led study of 11 Safe Streets sites operating from 2007 to 2023 estimated the program was associated with a 42% reduction in homicides among people ages 15 to 24, although the overall estimate wasn’t statistically significant and results varied widely by site (Baltimore City, 2026). Running, funding and honestly evaluating programs like that is graduate-level work, and it’s the kind of experience you build a capstone around.

Where to Study: Maryland Master’s Programs

Federal education data reports seven Maryland institutions with master’s-level programs classified in a criminal-justice-family field. Five are public universities, and four of the seven are in Baltimore City.

Institution	City	Type	Federal Field-of-Study Classification(s)
Coppin State University	Baltimore	Public	Criminal Justice
Johns Hopkins University	Baltimore	Private nonprofit	Homeland Security
Stevenson University	Owings Mills	Private nonprofit	Criminal Justice; Security Science and Technology
Towson University	Towson	Public	Criminal Justice; Homeland Security; Security Science and Technology
University of Baltimore	Baltimore	Public	Criminal Justice; Security Science and Technology
University of Maryland Baltimore	Baltimore	Public	Criminal Justice; Security Science and Technology
University of Maryland Global Campus	Adelphi	Public	Criminal Justice; Security Science and Technology

“Security Science and Technology” is the federal program family that includes forensic science, security management and cyber forensics. The data can’t separate them, so check what a school’s program actually covers. These are federal classifications, not degree titles, so look up each school’s actual program name. University of Maryland Baltimore is a good example: its graduate offering in this space is a specialized M.S. in Forensic Medicine with substantial science prerequisites, not a conventional criminal justice master’s.

Program lists reflect what each school reported to the Department of Education, so confirm current enrollment, format and admission requirements with the school before you apply.

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.

Admission, Length and Format

What You Need to Get In

Admission requirements vary by program, but generally include a bachelor’s degree and transcripts. Programs may also request a statement of purpose, a writing sample, recommendations or prerequisite coursework. Most don’t require a criminal justice bachelor’s, so a psychology, sociology or political science graduate can apply. Where a statement is required, be specific: which part of the system you want to work in and what you’ve already seen of it.

Expect most programs to run 30 to 36 credit hours, roughly two years part-time while working. Ask early whether the program ends in a thesis, a capstone project or a comprehensive exam. A thesis is the better route if you’re aiming at research or a doctorate later.

Concentrations and Courses You’ll See

Maryland’s offerings split along the three classifications in the table: general criminal justice, homeland security, and security science. Inside those, the courses you’ll commonly see include:

Law enforcement management: How to staff, schedule, discipline and evaluate sworn personnel, and how that differs from managing a civilian workforce.
Critical analysis of the criminal justice system: Reading crime data, program evaluations and court findings well enough to argue for or against a policy.
Correctional administration: Classification, inmate health care, use-of-force review and the kind of compliance obligations the Duvall decree imposes.
Security management: Leading private and institutional security operations, including risk assessment and incident response.

Paying for It

If you’re already working in Maryland corrections, start with the Maryland Correctional Administrators Association Legacy Scholarship. It’s open to correctional professionals and their family members pursuing higher education, and applications are announced each March. Before you enroll anywhere, ask your agency’s HR office about tuition assistance. Many agencies offer it, and many attach a service commitment you’ll owe afterward.

Maryland Salaries for the Jobs This Degree Targets

The gap between line work and supervision is the real argument for this degree. In May 2025 BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics (OEWS) for Maryland, police and detective supervisors earned a median more than twice the state median for protective-service work overall, and that’s the promotion a master’s can help you compete for. ProjectionsCentral projects supervisor jobs to grow 5% from 2024 to 2034, with about 480 openings a year statewide.

Occupation	Maryland Median Salary (May 2025)	Maryland Employment	Projected Growth (2024–34)
Protective Service Occupations (all)	$57,520	77,060	Not published
First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives	$120,700	6,700	5%
First-Line Supervisors of Correctional Officers	$79,150	2,010	Not published

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for first-line supervisors of police and detectives, first-line supervisors of correctional officers, and protective service occupations. 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you need a master’s degree to become a police officer in Maryland?

No. Maryland does not require a master’s degree for entry-level police or correctional officer certification. Police and correctional officers go through separate state training and certification systems, and individual agencies may impose additional qualifications. A master’s matters later, if you’re competing for supervisory rank or certain federal positions.

How long does a master’s in criminal justice take?

Most programs run 30 to 36 credit hours. Full-time students can finish in about a year and a half, and working officers going part-time usually take around two years. A thesis track can add a semester.

Can you earn a criminal justice master’s online in Maryland?

Several Maryland schools offer online or hybrid formats, and University of Maryland Global Campus is built around working adults. Format changes often, so confirm with each school whether a program is fully online, hybrid or campus-based before applying.

Does a master’s in criminal justice increase your salary in Maryland?

Not by itself. Pay rises with rank, and in May 2025 BLS data Maryland police supervisors earned a median $120,700, against $57,520 for protective-service work overall. The degree can help you compete for that promotion where your agency weighs education, and for some federal occupations a relevant master’s can satisfy the education-based qualification for GS-9.

Key Takeaways

Not required for entry: Maryland doesn’t require a graduate degree for police or correctional officer certification. State-required training and certification, plus each agency’s own standards, are what get you hired.
Built for promotion: The degree’s payoff is supervisory rank, where Maryland police supervisors earned a median $120,700 in May 2025.
Seven Maryland options: Federal data lists seven institutions with master’s-level programs classified in criminal justice, homeland security or security science. Confirm each school’s actual degree title and current status.
Real problems to work on: The Duvall jail decree and Baltimore’s Safe Streets program show what Maryland needs from administrators who can run and honestly evaluate programs.

Worried about paying for graduate school on an officer’s salary? The scholarships guide lists awards built for criminal justice students, with eligibility, amounts and deadlines.

Read: Scholarships for Criminal Justice Majors and Grad Students

Comparing Master’s Programs in Other States?

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