Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Policy Studies

1. A first-year written exam that is taken at the end of the first year of doctoral coursework 
2. A “publishable paper” which represents a single-authored, independent research project that resembles a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. 
3. A written and oral defense of a dissertation prospectus 
4. A written and oral defense of a dissertation.

Course Requirements

All students must take the following four classes:

• CJ 701: Proseminar in Criminal Justice Policy Studies (3 hours)
• CJ 702: Advanced Criminal Justice Statistics (3 hours)
• CJ 703: Advanced Criminological Theory & Policy (3 hours)
• CJ 704: Advanced Criminal Justice Policy Studies (3 hours)

Core Area Electives (9 – 15 credits)
Students must take a minimum of one course in each core area for a minimum of 9 hours.

Core Area 1: Criminal Justice System & Issues

• CJ 621: Seminar in Law Enforcement (3 hours)
• CJ 622: Seminar in Courts and Sentencing (3 hours)
• CJ 623: Seminar in Corrections (3 hours)
• CJ 630: Seminar in Homeland Security Operations (3 hours)
• CJ 641: Transnational Crime (3 hours)
• CJ 642: Cyber Crime & Cybersecurity (3 hours)
• CJ 643: Legal Issues in Criminal Justice* (3 hours)
• CJ 646: Special Topics in Criminal Justice* (3 hours)

Core Area 2: Methods, Data, & Analysis

• CJ 661: Criminal Justice Policy Analysis (3 hours)
• CJ 664: GIS and Crime Mapping Analysis (3 hours)
• CJ 659: Data Management & Data Science (3 hours)
• CJ 666: Big Data Analytics (3 hours)
• CJ 667: Qualitative Research Design & Analysis (3 hours)
• CJ 668: Analytic Writing (3 hours)
• CJ 669: Grant Writing (3 hours)
• CJ 663: Special topics in Methods, Data, & Analysis* (3 hours)

Core Area 3: Policy Studies

• CJ 620: Criminal Justice in American Society: Policy & Practice (3 hours)
• CJ 681: Law & Public Policy (3 hours)
• CJ 682: Comparative Criminal Justice Systems & Policy (3 hours)
• CJ 683: Policy, Politics, and Leadership in Criminal Justice (3 hours)
• CJ 684: Policy Issues in Criminal Justice* (3 hours)
• CJ 687: Policy Development & Implementation (3 hours)
• CJ 686: Ethics & Criminal Justice Policy (3 hours)
• CJ 648: Special Topics in Policy Studies* (3 hours)

*May be taken 2 times with a different topic.

Other Electives (0 – 6 credits)

• CJ 749: Advanced Independent Study** (3 hours)

Dissertation (18 credits)

Students are required to take a minimum of 18 credits of dissertation work. 

• CJ 797: Dissertation (18 hours)

OTHER ACADEMIC REQUIREMENTS

The student also must complete:

• A first-year qualifying written (take-home) exam that is taken at the end of the first year of doctoral coursework, and is based on material from the first-year required core classes (i.e., CJ 702, CJ 703, and CJ 704). Successfully passing the first-year qualifying exam is required to continue on in the doctoral program;
• A “publishable paper” which represents a single-authored, independent research project that resembles a manuscript suitable for submission to a peer-reviewed journal. This is equivalent to the comprehensive exam, and must be passed successfully in order to continue on into the dissertation phase of the program;
• A written and oral defense of a dissertation prospectus; and
• A written and oral defense of a dissertation.

Below is an example timeline for program completion for a student entering the PhD program with a master’s degree. Our program is designed to be completed in four years. Some aspects of this timeline will vary depending on the student’s progress, research and dissertation plans, etc.  

YEAR 1 

Fall 

• CJ 701: Proseminar in CJ Policy Studies 
• CJ 703: Advanced Criminological Theory & Policy 
• CJ 705: Advanced Criminal Justice Research Methods 

Spring 

• CJ 702: Advanced Criminal Justice Statistics 
• CJ 704: Advanced Criminal Justice Policy Studies 
• Core Area 1 (Criminal Justice Systems & Issues) elective course 

*Take First-Year Core written exam in August prior to start of second year 

YEAR 2 

Fall  

• Core Area 2 (Methods, Data & Analysis) elective course 
• Core Area 3 (Policy Studies) elective course 
• Othe elective course or independent study 
• Identify publishable paper chair and topic. Notify Graduate Program Director 

Spring  

• CJ elective course 

• CJ 749: Independent study 
• Start publishable paper research, complete proposal meeting with committee 

YEAR 3  

Fall 

• Complete Publishable paper & advance to candidacy 

Spring 

• Complete Dissertation prospectus by end of year 3  

YEAR 4 

• Complete Dissertation 

No. The GRE isn't required for the PhD--it is optional. 

If you'd like to take the GRE and submit it as part of your application, feel free. But it is in no way required. 

We only consider applications for the PhD in Criminal Justice for the fall semester. 

We don't offer spring or summer admission. 

Applications to the PhD program are reviewed after the January 15th deadline. 

We expect most decisions to be made in February and March. As soon as we've finalized our incoming class, we'll notify applicants through email. 

A writing sample is any example of written work that best exemplifies your writing and critical thinking skills. 

The writing sample should be at least 10 pages and shouldn't be longer than 35. 

You can choose writing samples from term papers from past courses, a thesis, a lead author academic publication (e.g., peer-reviewed journal article or an book/encyclopedia chapter), professional report, policy brief, or any other document that demonstrates your writing and critical thinking skills. 

Yes. Our PhD program is interdisciplinary and we encourage students from a wide range of backgrounds to apply. 

Most of our students have undergraduate degrees in related disciplines, such as sociology, psychology, or political science. 

Pro tip: If you're applying with a non-criminal justice degree, you can discuss how your prior education relates to the skills and knowledge needed for the PhD program in your statement of interest. 

It isn't common, but it does happen. Highly competitive students are occasionally accepted directly into the PhD program from undergrad. 

However, the more common pathway into our PhD program is for students to apply to our Master of Science in Criminal Justice or have obtained a master's elsewhere first. 

This is typically a better option for most students as it allows them to gain more experience with research and advanced study before committing to a lengthy and rigorous PhD program. 

Our master's program is designed as a stepping stone/bridge to the PhD program. If your an undergraduate students with their eyes set on a PhD, check out our MS in Criminal Justice. 

The university accepts several forms of English Language Proficiency Tests.

Information on English Language requirements for the university can be found on the International Students and Scholars Office website. 

The following are the minimum scores accepted by the Graduate School:

• TOEFL IBT - 79 minimum score
• IELTS - 6.0 minimum band score
• PTE-A - 53 minimum score

You are encouraged to identify specific areas of research interest. 

If you have specific faculty you'd like to work with, please make a note in your statement of interest. Keep in mind, that this isn't a requirement. 

You can also reach out to faculty you're interested in working with to make sure you share areas of interest. 

No, we currently don't offer an online PhD program. 

The PhD in Criminal Justice is entirely in-person program with traditional face-to-face classes. 

There are many challenges to offering a high-quality PhD experience in an online format. The PhD in Criminal Justice functions more as an apprenticeship program that requires a lot of hands-on research, close mentorship, and high levels of engagement with faculty. 

These things can be challenging to reproduce successfully in an online format. 

Students enrolled in the PhD program are expected to attend in-person classes, professional development workshops, and other events that require students to be present in the office throughout the week. 

Students are encouraged to reside in Oxford and the surrounding area so that they can easily fulfill their duties in and out of the classroom. 

We allow PhD students to transfer up to 6 credits into the PhD program from recognized institutions upon approval from the Graduate Program Director. 

Only courses for which the student received the grade of B or higher may be transferred. Transfer credits from another institution will not be accepted for workshops, internships, and other courses of a similar nature, and for courses in which regular letter grades aren't awarded. 

Grades from other institutions may not substitute for unsatisfactory grades earned at the university; nor may the grade of a or B earned at another institution be used to offset a lower grade earned at the university. Transfer work from another institution that constitutes an overload while enrolled as a full-time student at the University of Mississippi will not be accepted. 

All transfer credit is subject to the following conditions:

The residence or degree credit requirement is not reduced. 

The other graduate school must offer a graduate degree in the field in which the work has been completed. 

The credit must be recommended by the student's department in the university as specifically applicable to the student's degree program. 

Applicants must pay a non-refundable $50 application processing fee for each program to which they apply. 

• You are responsible for paying this fee whether or not you are offered admission or choose to enroll. 
• The application fee is paid online. 

Your application fee will not be processed until you pay the application fee and the payment is authorized.

The University of Mississippi Graduate School waives application fee for eligible students (not available to international applicants). 

• To inquire about application fee waivers, please reach out to the Graduate School. 

Yes, we offer funding for PhD students on a competitive basis. 

• The primary source of funding for our PhD students are Graduate Assistantships.
• Graduate Assistantships for PhD students are half-time positions (20 hours per week) that offer a competitive stipend and a 100% tuition scholarship. 

The majority of our admitted students are offered Graduate Assistantships funding, depending on availability of department resources and the competitiveness of the applicant pool. 

• Students admitted without funding will be reconsidered for funding opportunities annually. 

Some students may also receive various competitive recruitment scholarships as outlined on the Graduate School website. 

Yes. Students in the PhD program will be given several opportunities to teach in online and traditional face-to-face formats during the fall and/or spring semesters. 

Typically, students will also be provided opportunities to teach online classes in the summer.