Students seeking clear admission should hold a baccalaureate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning with a 2.5 grade point average overall. Students with an undergraduate grade point below 2.5 will be required to sit for the Graduate Record Examination (GRE) and acquire a target score in three categories: Verbal 149, Quantitative 141 and Analytical Writing 3.0. Students who have previously earned advanced degrees including, but not limited to M.S., M.A., M.B.A., J.D. or other recognized graduate degrees from an accredited university will be exempt from the GRE requirement.
Applicants without an academic and/or experiential background in a related discipline or field of study including, but not limited to: occupational safety, security, homeland security, emergency management, emergency medical, insurance, and risk management may be accepted into the program with departmental approval. When deficiencies are deemed to exist, applicants may be required to satisfy all designated deficiencies prior to admission to candidacy. Students must also meet general requirements of the EKU Graduate School.
Demonstrated English language proficiency. Before being accepted for admission to the university international students must demonstrate their English language proficiency. For standard admission students may demonstrate proficiency by one of the following means:
TOEFL score of 530 (paper based), 195 (computer based), or 71 (internet based) with no band score below a 16.
IELTS scores of 6.0 overall with 5.0 or above in EVERY subject/skill category.
Duolingo English Test with a score of 95 or higher.
Japanese students may submit the EIKEN test with a passing score of Pre-1.
ACT English 18 and ACT Reading 20
SAT Evidence Based Reading/Writing 510
Successful completion of the ELS Level 112 Intensive English program in the United States. (See below for details.)
Who Would be Interested in Police Studies?
A degree in Police Studies is an excellent choice if you are:
Exploring a career in law enforcement
Passionate about public safety and community service
Working in law enforcement and seeking opportunities for advancement
Considering the first step toward a career in law, social work, academia or another related field requiring a specialized degree
Why Police Studies?
Degree Benefits
Our program is the only four-year academic policing program in Kentucky. Our department is one of the largest in the nation. And the college has a 40-year record to preparing students for success.
Unlike training, the program focuses on engaging students in critical reading and thinking, logical and ethical thinking, allowing them to develop a deep and practical understanding of justice problems.
Associate and bachelor's degrees are available in a traditional on-campus format or in a completely online format resulting in the same accredited degree.
Learn from the Best
Our faculty have published more criminal justice & criminological textbooks than almost any group in the nation. We wrote the books the most prestigious programs in the country are using, including our own.
At EKU, you will study with leading national scholars. Areas of expertise include:
Drugs and society
Police liability
Police and society
Administration and management
Organized crime
White-collar crime
Property crime
Media and criminal justice
Gender and society
Environmental crimes
More info: Click here
Major Requirements
Core Courses (15 hours)
CRJ 101
PLS 103
PLS 326
PLS 414
PLS 415
PLS Electives (12 Hours)
Select from PLS, CRJ, or COR electives
Total Curriculum Requirements (64 Hours)
Rewarding Career Opportunities
Career Examples:
State and local law enforcement officer
School resource officer
Crime policy analyst
Attorney or judge (additional law degree required)
Victim's advocate
