Mobile button
Navigation
Links.
Title (title extra extra large)

Dual Degree – MSN in Forensics and MS in Criminal Justice

Column Title
Cost Per Credit
Column Content (strip 0 decimals)
marketedCostPerCreditHour
Column Title
Duration
Column Content
duration
Column Title
Modality
Column Content
modality
Button (primary, tracking enroll)
Apply Now
Button Label
Open apply now modal window
Button (secondary, tracking rfi)
Request Info
Style
bg-color-gray-2
Title (title large)

Overview

Column
Ref:column (content1)
Column
Ref:column (content2)
Title (title medium)

Unlock advanced career opportunities with Xavier University's unique dual degree – MSN in Forensics and MS in Criminal Justice program.

Content
This interdisciplinary program, which is the only program of its type offered in the United States, caters to professionals seeking to bridge the gap between healthcare and criminal justice, offering specialized knowledge in areas like forensic nursing, victim advocacy and mental health within the justice system. No GRE required.
Title (title large)

Calendar

Content
Application Deadline
Fall 2026
7/1/2026
Title (title large)

Rankings

Title (title medium)

See How Xavier University’s Online MSN Program Has Been Recognized

Icon
Content
#53
Best Online Graduate Nursing Programs
(U.S. News & World Report)
Icon
Content
#9
Best College in Ohio for Nursing
(Niche)
Icon
Content
1 of 17
Programs in the Nation Endorsed by American Holistic Nurses Certification Corporation
Style
bg-color-gray-2
Title (title large)

Why Choose Xavier’s Dual Degree – MSN in Forensics and MS in Criminal Justice Program?

Title (title medium)

You’ll get more from your online education, from the personal attention of faculty to rigorous courses taught in the Jesuit Catholic tradition.

Icon
[width::100]
Content
Flexible, 100% Online Program
Our online programs offer a flexible learning format, so you can receive an Xavier education wherever you are. Additionally, our program utilizes mostly asynchronous courses, so you don’t have set weekly classes to attend.
Icon
[width::100]
Content
Earn Two Master’s Degrees at Once
By pursuing the MSN and MS with a major in Criminal Justice simultaneously, you don't just save time; you gain a competitive edge. You’ll develop a unique lens to view public health through the framework of criminal law and vice versa.
Icon
[width::100]
Content
Personal Attention From Expert Faculty
At Xavier, you'll get the personal attention and flexibility needed to reach your goals at your pace. Our invested professors and small class sizes will set you up for success.
Icon
[width::100]
Content
CCNE-Accredited Online MSN Program
The baccalaureate degree program in nursing, master’s degree program in nursing, post-graduate APRN certificate program, and Doctor of Nursing Practice at Xavier University are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education.
Button (primary)
What Makes Xavier Different
Button Label
What Makes Xavier Different
Style
bg-color-gray-2
Title (title large)

Curriculum

Content
Our 47-credit hour dual degree program is structured to provide a robust foundation in both advanced nursing practice and the mechanics of the legal system.
Title (title medium)

Online MSN Core Courses (25 credits)

Content
The program’s core classes revolve around three major themes: critical systematic inquiry, professional and personal development, and management of information and resources in a rapidly changing healthcare environment. In these courses, you develop a stronger understanding of the policies, ethics and theoretical foundation of the nursing practice while also diving into more technical aspects like nursing research, health care informatics and epidemiological methodologies.
Summary
NURS 500: Healthcare Ethics for Nursing Leaders (3 credits)
Main Content
This course examines ethical frameworks, such as theories of justice, rights-based ethics and virtue ethics and their significance to the delivery of health care. Analysis of ethical dilemmas focuses on differentiating what is called traditional and modern ethical frameworks for decision-making. Application will be made within the parameters of nursing metaparadigm (person, nursing, caring, healing, health, environment) using personal and professional processes of valuing, unconditional acceptance and deciding in the preservation of wholeness and dignity.
Summary
NURS 501: Theoretical Bases for Nursing Practice (3 credits)
Main Content
Introduction to the role of theory in knowledge development and its relationship to nursing research, practice, and administration. Critical analysis of selected theoretical models within the discipline of nursing and of theories and concepts from other disciplines as used in nursing. Concepts related to the application of the theoretical concepts in providing holistic care are explored. Examination of the application models, theories and concepts in nursing practice, administration, and research.
Summary
NURS 502: Nursing Research (3 credits)
Main Content
Exploration of modes of inquiry for systematic study of the application, use and evaluation of nursing innovations in clinical practice. Emphasis is placed on the identification and solution of clinical problems through scientific inquiry. Research is examined for evidence-based practices which include a critical review of research studies, nurses expertise and patient/family preferences. Discussion entails the importance of dissemination of research findings.
Summary
NURS 505: Healthcare Informatics (3 credits)
Main Content
Exploration of modes of inquiry for systematic study of the application, use and evaluation of nursing innovations in clinical practice. Emphasis is placed on the identification and solution of clinical problems through scientific inquiry. Research is examined for evidence-based practices which include a critical review of research studies, nurse expertise and patient/family preferences. Discussion entails the importance of dissemination of research findings.
Summary
NURS 642: Psychosocial and Legal Aspects of Forensics (3 credits)
Main Content
This course provides a comprehensive review of the behaviors, emotional responses and cognitive decision-making of both perpetrators and victims, during and after a crime. The course examines the nature of the relationship between victims and perpetrators and the forensic nurse. Emphasis will be placed on the elements related to victimology and the psychosocial and legal implications of violence and criminal acts on individuals and families. The course will address the expanded and collaborative roles of the forensic nurse in working with the medical and criminal justice systems in addressing issues that affect victims and perpetrators. Issues of competence and treatment of mentally ill offenders as they move through the criminal justice system and psychiatric hospitalization will be reviewed.
Summary
NURS 648: Foundations of Forensic Nursing (4 credits)
Main Content
This course provides an evidence-based practice (EBP) framework for nursing care of the forensic population, their families as well as communities impacted by acts of violence and/or traumatic events. The EBP framework incorporates empirical and theoretical aspects from a multidisciplinary perspective in the planning and delivering nursing care. This course is intended to prepare nursing graduate students for further studies in various clinical roles such as Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Forensic Psychiatric Nurse, Legal Nurse Consultant, Forensic Nursing Death Investigator and/or Nurse Coroner.
Summary
NURS 754: Leadership & Management (3 credits)
Main Content
This course focuses on leadership and management concepts that are essential for holistic nurse leaders at various levels throughout the healthcare organization. The focus is to prepare holistic nurse leaders for collaborative practice in complex healthcare organizations through examination and application of effective leader behaviors.
Summary
NURS 864: Epidemiologic Methods in Health Care (3 credits)
Main Content
Principles and biostatistical methods used in the study of the distribution and determinants of injury and disease through the interaction of environment and genetics in human populations (HP2020) are presented for use in the holistic development, implementation and evaluation of primary, secondary and tertiary preventive and acute health care services in a variety of settings. Resources for epidemiological investigations within organizations and communities are introduced. Opportunities are provided to use the epidemiological and biostatistical methods of reasoning for determining causal inferences about the distribution and determinants of injury and disease (HP2020). Evidence-based innovative and evaluative health care delivery plans for clinical prevention and population health are developed using epidemiological and biostatistical data.

Prerequisites: NURS502
Title (title medium)

Criminal Justice Courses (15 credits)

Summary
CJUS 601: Seminar in Criminal Justice (3 credits)
Main Content
This graduate-level course is designed to introduce nursing students in the dual-degree program to the criminal justice system and its component parts. The structure of and issues pertaining to policing, courts, and corrections, respectively, will be critically explored. Beyond examining issues that cut across all facets of the criminal justice system (e.g., the measurement of crime, discretion, criminal justice policymaking), the class also will explore current issues in policing, courts, and corrections. Topics will include: types and styles of policing and recent police reforms, prosecutorial decision-making and the use of specialty courts, and the role of correctional officers in the rehabilitation of incarcerated people and the reentry and reintegration of individuals released from prison. By the end of the course, students should be familiar with and able to critically assess the role of the criminal justice system in responding to criminal behavior in the United States.
Summary
CJUS 609: Forensic Aspects in Population Health (3 credits)
Main Content
This course provides a review of forensic nursing science, forensic science/criminalistics, forensic anthropology and the criminal justice system through the lens of interprofessional collaboration and population health. Forensic nursing concepts addressed in the course will include a review of the expanded and collaborative roles in working with forensic scientists, criminalists and the criminal justice system. The specific areas for this course related to forensic science/criminalistics include the crime scene, death investigation, physical evidence, drugs and DNA. The introduction of population-health concepts will allow graduate MSN/MSCJ students to identify a population of interest (aggregate) related to forensic nursing while using evidence-based practices to develop effective approaches to care for victims of trauma, violence and crime. This course is intended to prepare graduate MSN/MSCJ dual degree nurses the opportunity to “apply the nursing process to public or legal proceedings, and apply forensic health care in the scientific investigation of trauma and/or death to abuse, violence, criminal activity, liability and accidents.”
Summary
CJUS 611: Law & Justice in America (3 credits)
Main Content
Presents legal issues in all 3 segments of the American criminal justice system. Constitutional and statutory rights and obligations are considered, along with policy considerations. The major emphasis in the course is placed on student initiative in learning. Therefore, it is strongly recommended that CJUS 610, Basic Constitutional Law & American Justice or its equivalent be completed before enrolling in this course.
Summary
CJUS 620: Sociology of Crime & Delinquency (3 credits)
Main Content
Social foundations of the criminal justice system are examined, along with the social causation of crime and societal response. The understanding of crime within the social context is presented along with an in-depth exploration of cross-cultural, subcultural and other demographic expositions.
Summary
CJUS 643: Correctional Counseling (3 credits)
Main Content
Social foundations of the criminal justice system are examined, along with the social causation of crime and societal response. The understanding of crime within the social context is presented along with an in-depth exploration of cross-cultural, subcultural and other demographic expositions.
Style
bg-color-gray-2
Title (title medium)

Synthesis Courses (7 credits)

Summary
NURS 705: Graduate Nursing Practicum II (2 credits)
Main Content
This course is designed for application of theory and principles from all previous courses, with particular emphasis in the area of concentration (administration, forensics, informatics, education, school nursing, etc.). Individually modified course objectives, supervised experiences, periodic seminar discussions and written practicum logs are methods used to facilitate the learning experience. (6 contact hours)
Summary
CJUS 792: Internship (3 credits)
Main Content
Non-classroom program of 150 clock hours placement in correctional, law enforcement, or court setting under academic supervision gives student opportunity to actually apply criminal justice theory, knowledge and intervention skills in the “real world” of law enforcement, court or correctional practice. Opportunity is presented to acquire an understanding of the criminal justice complex and the service delivery system in the community. This “hands-on” experience enables students to begin to appreciate the need for functional professional relationships, differing organizational needs within the institutional or non-institutional setting and especially to evaluate their own response to the demands and challenges of actual work in a correctional setting. This is an essential part of the student’s program and is absolutely required and can never be waived for graduation from the program.
Summary
NURS 797: Scholarly Project (2 credits)
Main Content
This course incorporates the design and development of a scholarly project that demonstrates synthesis of pedagogical strategies and concepts attained throughout courses within the MSN curriculum. The project shall be aimed at addressing an identified issue in the field of nursing, the scope of which may be varied. Elements integrated into the course/project include but are not limited to: nursing theory, change theory, critical thinking, microsystem assessment, communication, EBP, research, ethical and cultural considerations, informatics strategies, health practices and care management, improvement of patient outcomes, holistic care, awareness of healthcare related issues, intrinsic and extrinsic forces, organizational frameworks and considerations, and resource utilization. Project topics must be approved by the track chair/coordinator.
Title (title large)

Admission

Content

Xavier makes the admissions process easy so that you can apply for the nursing and criminal justice dual master’s degree program from anywhere in just a few simple steps.

Application Deadline: July 1, 2026
Start: Fall 2026

Column
Ref:column (accord)
Column
Ref:column (image)
Summary
Admission Requirements
Main Content

To receive acceptance into the online MSN/MS Dual Degree program, you must meet the following requirements:

  • Be a registered nurse with an unencumbered United States RN license in the state where practicum experiences are to be completed. A minimum of 1 year of nursing experience is required, a strong candidate will have a minimum of 2 years of nursing experience.
  • Hold a BSN and be a graduate of an accredited college or university’s nursing program (the College of Nursing will verify accreditation to ensure it meets requirements). Transfer credits are accepted only from regionally accredited institutions.
  • An undergraduate statistics course with a grade of C or better is required for admission.
  • Applicants who do not have a BSN (BS in Nursing) cannot be accepted into the online MSN programs but should consider the MSN direct entry as a second degree – MIDAS Program.
  • A strong applicant will have a 3.0 GPA.

The admission committee considers all information contained in the admission application, including prior grades, test scores and evidence for potential for success in graduate study.

No admission tests (i.e. GRE) are required for applying to this graduate nursing program.

Summary
Application Materials
Main Content
  • Free Online Application
  • Official Transcript
    • One official transcript directly from all colleges or universities that you have attended for any undergraduate and graduate course work. Applicants must have a degree from a regionally accredited university. Send transcripts to:
      • Xavier University
        ATTN: Admission Processing Center
        3800 Victory Parkway
        Cincinnati, OH 45207-5131
      • For electronic transcripts, send to:
        xuadmit@xavier.edu
  • Current Resume and Personal Essay
    • Current résumé or curriculum vitae outlining all professional nursing experience, including facility/organization name & location, position and employment dates.
    • A 3-page goal statement that addresses the following points:
      • Why are you applying to Xavier University?
      • What MSN track are you applying for and why? How do you plan to use the degree and specialty?
      • What experiences have prepared you for graduate study? (or have influenced your desire to pursue graduate studies)
      • Graduate school is challenging and a large time commitment, especially with working, family, other responsibilities. What are your plans and strategies for being successful in your graduate program?
      • We also consider the writing quality of this essay. If writing is a challenge for you, also address strategies to help you in this area.
  • Professional References
    • Three professional recommendations (Please provide contact information for recommenders in the online application. An electronic form will be sent via email). A strong candidate will provide:
      • At least one reference from a direct manager or supervisor who evaluates their clinical work.
      • Two references will be from someone with a master’s or doctoral degree.
  • Personal Interview
    • A personal or phone interview may be required for the MSN/MS Dual Degree program.
Summary
State Authorization
Main Content
Due to state regulations regarding the delivery of distance education, as well as requirements of each individual state board of nursing, Xavier is not currently able to accept applications from all states into all of its online programs.

View the complete list of approved states on the State Authorization page.
Summary
International Admission
Main Content

Xavier welcomes students from outside the United States to enroll in its online programs. However, some countries do not formally recognize foreign online degrees. This may have implications for enrolling in subsequent degree programs or for securing employment requiring these credentials. It is students’ responsibility to determine whether the online degree will be recognized in their country of residence or in any country in which they plan to work.

Additionally, students should inquire in their country of residence how the collection of student data may be used and whether they will be subject to additional withholding taxes in addition to the cost of tuition.

  • All international students are strongly encouraged to submit an official third-party course-by-course evaluation of their high school and/or college transcripts from an international credential evaluation service accredited by the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services.
  • International students must pass either the TOEFL or IELTS exam if English is your second language.
  • International students may have additional application requirements. Find more information on the International Admission page.

Note: International students in the U.S. cannot enroll in an online degree program to fulfill the legal requirement for an F-1 or J-1 visa.

Image
Title (title large)

Tuition and Fees

Column
Ref:column (content1)
Column
Ref:column (content2)
Title (title medium)

Get More from Your Graduate Education with Xavier

Content
At Xavier, we understand that no two graduate programs and no two students are alike. Therefore, we structure every online degree and certificate program to address the unique needs of individual students and have created unique fee structures for each program as well.
Button
VIEW FINANCIAL AID OPTIONS
Title (title large)

Tuition

Content
MSN: $739
Column
Ref:column (image)
Column
Ref:column (content)
Image
Title (title medium)

Fees

Content
  • Liability Insurance (per semester with practicum): $18
  • Student ID Fee: $15
  • Graduate Student Association Fee, degree-seeking full-time: $15 (per semester)
  • Graduate Student Association Fee, degree-seeking part-time: $10 (per semester)

Full-time students can complete the program in as few as 8 semesters.

Content (copy small)
The amounts listed are for the 2026-2027 academic year and include classes from Fall 2026 through Summer 2027. Tuition cost is per credit hour unless otherwise stated. For the full, official listing, please visit xavier.edu/costs.
Xavier University reserves the right to correct any computational or clerical errors.
Style
bg-color-gray-12
Title (title large)

Faculty

Content
Students enrolled in Xavier’s online Dual Degree – MSN in Forensics and MS in Criminal Justice program take classes with the same world-class faculty as our traditional students.
Summary
Dr. Angie Collins, DHA, MSN, RN, APFN, SMQT - Assistant Professor and Coordinator, Forensic Nursing Program
Main Content

Dr. Angie Collins is currently the Coordinator and a Teaching Professor in the graduate forensic tracks at Xavier University College of Nursing. She is a life-long resident of the Cincinnati area and graduated from Bethesda Hospital School of Nursing in 1985. Dr. Collins graduated from the College of Mt. St. Joseph with her BSN in 2006. She was awarded her MSN in 2010 from Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and received a certificate in Forensic Nursing from the Cyril Wecht Law School. Dr. Collins received her Doctorate in Health Administration with a focus on Health Policy and Advocacy from Capella University in 2017.

Dr. Collins’ capstone project at Duquesne was a training program, “Forensic Nursing in Trauma,” for ER staff. Her dissertation was titled, “Prevalence of Substance Abuse Screening in Adolescents by Pediatricians.” The methodology for this study was a qualitative survey, utilizing a modified Determinants of Implementation Behavior Questionnaire (DIBQ) survey tool and was based on the Theoretical Domains Framework (TDF).

With over 40 years of nursing experience, Dr. Collins has worked in many clinical settings, both in rural and urban hospitals, mainly in the surgical and emergency room arenas. Her roles have included Med/Surg charge nurse, Director of Surgical Services, Perioperative Care Manager, Materials/Inventory Systems Manager, and Project Coordinator for corporate nursing. She was employed by the state, surveying health care facilities and investigating complaints and claims of harm. She was the Compliance Officer focusing on Title IX and other regulatory issues at a local college of nursing.

Dr. Collins was a member of her previous county’s first rape/violence task force. She was also a member of the Cincinnati City Council Task Force for the Prevention of Campus Gender-Based Violence. She was a member and a previous chairperson for her community’s Board of Mental Health and Recovery and also that board’s Finance Advisory Committee. She has volunteered with a battered woman’s program and is a volunteer in her community’s Smallpox Response program and with a Disaster Medical Assistance Team.

Her journey in forensic nursing started prior to any formalized specialty. Dr. Collins trained nurses regarding domestic violence (DV) in the late 1980’s. The physicians where she worked would call on her to consult with patients who were victims of DV, now known as interpersonal violence (IPV). While working in the ER, she became certified in trauma nursing and as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

Summary
Cheryl Lero Jonson, Ph.D. - Chair and Professor, Department of Criminal Justice
Main Content
Dr. Cheryl Lero Jonson is the Chair and a Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice at Xavier University, where she brings vast academic expertise and a deep passion for student-centered teaching. With nearly 100 published works, Dr. Jonson is a leading voice in the study of corrections, public opinion, and school safety. She is co-author of Correctional Theory: Context and Consequences (2017, 2nd edition, Sage Publications) and co-editor of The American Prison: Imaging a Different Future (2014, Sage Publications) and Downsizing Prisons (Special Issue, Victims & Offenders – vol. 10, issue 4). Her research also appears in the top journals in the field, and she is frequently invited to contribute to national conversations about how to improve our criminal justice system and keep children and the public safe from mass shooting events.

Her current research on correctional officer recruitment, training, and retention directly informs national policy conversations. In 2023, she was invited to Washington, DC to advise correctional leaders from across the country. And beyond the classroom, her work is featured in both scholarly journals and practical outlets like Corrections Today and The Dallas Morning News, bridging the gap between research and real-world change.

At Xavier, she gives students rare, hands-on opportunities to explore the real-world impact of criminal justice policies and practices. As an Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program instructor, Dr. Jonson has led more than 15 innovative courses that bring Xavier students and incarcerated individuals together to learn side-by-side inside correctional facilities. These transformative experiences challenge assumptions, build empathy, and prepare students for careers where they can truly make a difference.

Dr. Jonson also mentors students interested in research, guiding them in exploring big questions about justice, rehabilitation, and public safety. Her leadership in the field includes serving as Executive Counselor for the American Society of Criminology’s Division on Corrections and Sentencing and Chair of the American Society of Criminology’s Division of Public Opinion & Policy.

Outside of Xavier, Dr. Jonson enjoys exploring all that Cincinnati has to offer and traveling overseas.
Content
Title (title large)

Frequently Asked Questions

Summary
Is Xavier’s online Dual Degree – MSN in Forensics and MS in Criminal Justice program accredited?
Main Content

To ensure we provide the highest-quality nursing education, our online MSN program is accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education, the premier accrediting agency for baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs. The Ohio Board of Nursing (OBN) has also approved the online MSN program.

At Xavier, we take your education seriously and strive to offer the most comprehensive, up-to-date instruction and curriculum we can. Not only does this create a vibrant, skill-focused learning experience, but it also positions you to excel in the workforce upon graduation and make a meaningful contribution to the larger health care community.

Summary
Will my degree say “online?”
Main Content
No, the degree is from Xavier University and is awarded on meeting coursework standards that are independent of course delivery.
Summary
Will students be expected to participate at a specific time during this course?
Main Content
Participation expectations vary by professor. Courses will be asynchronous with no set meeting times; however, practicum and scholarly project courses may include an online synchronous session (at the discretion of the instructor) at the end of the semester for student sharing/collaboration purposes. Nursing administration and faculty in this program are very sensitive to the need for flexibility of working professionals.
Summary
Does this MSN program offer state nursing licensure?
Main Content
None of the graduate nursing programs offered here include nursing licensure. RN licensure is a prerequisite for admission to these programs.
Summary
What are the career opportunities for forensic nurses?
Main Content

The role of the forensic nurse emerges at the crossroads of the healthcare field and the justice system and is essential in caring for those who have endured violent and/or traumatic crimes and in legal proceedings.

While they commonly work in hospitals, forensic nurses can work with non-profit organizations, roles within law enforcement or work in correctional facilities. With their unique skill set, they may also work in coroner’s offices as death investigators, responding to accidents and suspicious deaths, collaborating with detectives, examining bodies, and taking tissue and blood samples.

Additionally, nurses with advanced forensic science and criminal justice training may serve as legal nurse consultants. They can be independent contractors or employed by law firms, corporate legal departments, government agencies and health care facilities, working on civil and criminal cases and using their criminal justice degrees and clinical experience to review medical records, legal documents and medical literature.

Lastly, forensic nurses can work as educators. They can partner with law enforcement and human services to speak to community groups about sexual assault, domestic violence, community resources, law enforcement and victim assistance services.

Content (copy small)

Dual Degree – MSN in Forensics and MS in Criminal Justice Program at Xavier University

Earn two graduate degrees in one groundbreaking program with Xavier University’s 100% online Dual Degree – MSN in Forensics and MS in Criminal Justice. As one of only 17 forensic nursing programs in the nation, we provide the specialized expertise needed to excel as a legal nurse consultant, forensic psychiatric nurse, or nurse coroner. Gain a world-class education at the crossroads of nursing science and U.S. law—entirely on your schedule.

Xavier University’s College of Nursing prepares undergraduate and graduate students as professional nurses to meet the needs of diverse populations in an ever-changing, highly technical health-care environment. Graduates have the skills to practice nursing today and to be nurse leaders tomorrow in holistic health-care delivery with an educational foundation grounded in Jesuit values. Our graduates are well-respected in the health-care community as knowledgeable, professional, and ethical and prepared to excel in meeting challenges in health-care delivery. Xavier’s Nursing programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education and endorsed by the American Holistic Nurses Credentialing Corporation.

Xavier University is a private university located in Cincinnati, Ohio, providing a liberal arts education in the Jesuit Catholic tradition. Founded in 1831, the University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation. It has been ranked among the top 10 master's-level universities in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report for the past two decades. The Princeton Review names it one of the "Best 385 Colleges in America."

Connect
{xf::fragments/connect}
Image