Criminal Justice Ph.D.

Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence (Ph.D.)

The Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence (Ph.D.) at ��ϲʿ�� is designed to meet the intelligence and research needs of military, federal, state, and local governmental agencies, private corporations engaged in intelligence fields, and others who are interested in developing greater knowledge about the field of intelligence and research studies.

The objective of this degree is to prepare students for analytic, operational, research, and investigative intelligence positions within the federal government, the military, local law enforcement, and the private sector and to produce well-trained criminologists, researchers, teachers, and criminal justice practitioners

The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice program at ��ϲʿ�� will require the completion of a minimum of 54 credit hours, contingent upon an earned master’s degree. The program will consist of 30 hours of core course, 9 hours of electives, and 15 hours will be dissertation credits. All students will be required to complete and defend a dissertation.

Criminal Justice (Ph.D.) Program Quick Facts

Online program, no campus visit required
Asynchronous online classes
Program length 54 credit hours (minimum)

Full-time or part-time enrollment
Cohort begins in fall semester

Application Deadlines

All application materials are to be received prior to the deadline. Completing your application earlier is better.

If program capacity is met prior to established admission deadlines, we will stop accepting applications for admission and cancel remaining incomplete applicants.

Fall Deadline

April 1

How to Apply to the Criminal Justice (Ph.D.) Program

Degree Seeking Regular
Requirements

Hold a graduate degree in an area of social science (criminal justice, criminology, sociology, psychology, etc. from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the  section of the ) with a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures. The applicant’s graduate degree should include a background in theory and research methodology relevant to the discipline.

Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Score: Applicants must submit official GRE scores as a requirement for admission into the Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. program at ��ϲʿ�� does not have a minimum GRE score, nor does the admissions committee use a formula to determine admission eligibility. All aspects of the applicant’s file are taken into consideration for admission decisions. Please note, only test scores less than five years old will be considered.

Required Supplemental Documents

Three ��ϲʿ�� recommendation forms.

Statement of Professional and Academic Goals: a 2-3 page statement that should include the applicant’s research interests in the field of criminal justice, teaching philosophy if applicable, and professional goals. Applicants should highlight how their Ph.D. studies will contribute to their professional goals.

Current professional resume or curriculum vita.

One Academic Paper/Writing Sample: Single-authored writing sample, such as a paper written for an academic course, that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability. The paper submitted should not be longer than 25 double-spaced pages.

Applying to ��ϲʿ��

Step 1Application and Application Fee

Step 2Official Transcripts

Step 3Official Entrance Test Score

Step 4Verification of Lawful Presence in the U.S.

Step 5Graduate Assistants

Step 6Persons Aged 62 or Over

Submit the for Graduate Admissions.

Please allow three business days after submitting your application for processing. You will receive an email from grads@ung.edu after your application has been reviewed for accuracy and updated with submitted documents. Please do not check your application status prior to receiving an email from this office as your online application checklist will not accurately reflect the required items for your program of interest.

Non-refundable application fee of $40.

Pay with a credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) or electronic check (U.S. banks only) when completing the online application.

Include a check or money order payable to ��ϲʿ�� when submitting a paper application.

Required supplemental documents may be uploaded with your application or emailed to grads@ung.edu.

Submit one set of official transcripts from each institution attended for all course work at the graduate level.

Transfer credit posted on records of other institutions is not accepted in lieu of transcripts from original institutions. Please request a transcript from each institution attended.

Transcripts that have been opened, scanned or forwarded by email are not official and will not be accepted.

Official paper transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution and mailed to University of North Georgia Admissions Imaging Center, P.O. Box 1358, Gainesville, GA 30503-1358. Student paper transcripts are accepted only when issued to the student in a sealed envelope and submitted to Graduate Admissions unopened.

Official electronic transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution to grads@ung.edu. Depending on the transcript service you are using, grads@ung.edu may not be an available option. You may then select any admissions or undergraduate admissions @ung.edu address. Electronic transcripts forwarded via email from the student are not accepted.

International transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. () or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (). Evaluations must be sent directly from the agency to the Admissions office. Refer to the evaluator website for a full list of  or  members. Official evaluations must include certification that the applicant's course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the ) and include a cumulative grade point average. Evaluations should be submitted from the evaluation service to Graduate Admissions. Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the ) with a minimum grade point average of 2.75.

Graduate Admissions will retrieve transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at ��ϲʿ��. You do not need to order official transcripts from ��ϲʿ��.

University of North Georgia’s institutional code is 5497 for submitting official GRE General Test scores. Only test scores less than five years old will be considered.

Board of Regents’ policy requires all applicants accepted for admission or readmission to ��ϲʿ�� seeking in-state for tuition classification provide validation of residency and lawful presence in both the state of Georgia and the United States.

Learn More

Interested in applying for a graduate assistant position at ��ϲʿ��?

Visit  and select Grad Assistant to view available positions.

When prompted on the , select "Yes" to be added to our email communications about upcoming positions.

Graduate assistants are required to have health insurance. For additional information, visit

Submit a birth certificate or Georgia driver’s license to enable ��ϲʿ�� to determine eligibility.

Must be a resident of Georgia and 62 years of age or older at the time of registration.

May enroll as a regular or auditing student in courses on a “space available” basis without payment of fees, except for supplies, laboratory or shop fees.

Learn More

Degree Seeking Provisional
Applicants who have a related graduate degree outside of the social sciences or who do not have the necessary course content in theory and methodology may qualify for provisional admission. To qualify for provisional admission, an individual must:

Requirements

Graduate degree from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the ) with at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures.

Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Score: Applicants must submit official GRE scores as a requirement for admission into the Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. program at ��ϲʿ�� does not have a minimum GRE score, nor does the admissions committee use a formula to determine admission eligibility. All aspects of the applicant’s file are taken into consideration for admission decisions. Please note, only test scores less than five years old will be considered.

Required Supplemental Documents

Three ��ϲʿ�� recommendation forms.

Statement of Professional and Academic Goals: Two to three pages that include the applicant’s fields of interest and how the Ph.D. program will contribute to the goals.

Current professional resume.

One Academic Paper/Writing Sample: Single-authored writing sample that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability. Examples include a chapter from the applicant’s thesis or a paper written for course credit. The paper submitted should not be longer than 25 double-spaced pages.

Provisional degree-seeking students

may register for a maximum of nine semester hours of graduate credit.

will be reviewed to determine eligibility for regular admission following completion of the first semester.

are not eligible for federal financial aid while enrolled in courses as a provisional student.

will not be allowed to continue in the program if a grade of C or lower is earned in any graduate course.

may apply for readmission after three semesters from the date removed from the program because of a deficient grade by submitting a new application to Graduate Admissions with a letter addressed to the program coordinator requesting readmission.

Step 1Application and Application Fee

Step 2Official Transcripts

Step 3Official Entrance Test Score

Step 4Verification of Lawful Presence in the U.S.

Step 5Graduate Assistants

Step 6Persons Aged 62 or Over

Submit the for Graduate Admissions.

Please allow three business days after submitting your application for processing. You will receive an email from grads@ung.edu after your application has been reviewed for accuracy and updated with submitted documents. Please do not check your application status prior to receiving an email from this office as your online application checklist will not accurately reflect the required items for your program of interest.

Non-refundable application fee of $40.

Pay with a credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) or electronic check (U.S. banks only) when completing the online application.

Include a check or money order payable to ��ϲʿ�� when submitting a paper application.

Required supplemental documents may be uploaded with your application or emailed to grads@ung.edu.

Submit one set of official transcripts from each institution attended for all course work at the graduate level.

Transfer credit posted on records of other institutions is not accepted in lieu of transcripts from original institutions. Please request a transcript from each institution attended.

Transcripts that have been opened, scanned or forwarded by email are not official and will not be accepted.

Official paper transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution and mailed to University of North Georgia Admissions Imaging Center, P.O. Box 1358, Gainesville, GA 30503-1358. Student paper transcripts are accepted only when issued to the student in a sealed envelope and submitted to Graduate Admissions unopened.

Official electronic transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution to grads@ung.edu. Depending on the transcript service you are using, grads@ung.edu may not be an available option. You may then select any admissions or undergraduate admissions @ung.edu address. Electronic transcripts forwarded via email from the student are not accepted.

International transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. () or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. (). Evaluations must be sent directly from the agency to the Admissions office. Refer to the evaluator website for a full list of or members. Official evaluations must include certification that the applicant's course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the ) and include a cumulative grade point average. Evaluations should be submitted from the evaluation service to Graduate Admissions. Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the ) with a minimum grade point average of 2.75.

Graduate Admissions will retrieve transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at ��ϲʿ��. You do not need to order official transcripts from ��ϲʿ��.

University of North Georgia’s institutional code is 5497 for submitting official GRE General Test scores. Only test scores less than five years old will be considered.

Board of Regents’ policy requires all applicants accepted for admission or readmission to ��ϲʿ�� seeking in-state for tuition classification provide validation of residency and lawful presence in both the state of Georgia and the United States.

Learn More

Interested in applying for a graduate assistant position at ��ϲʿ��?

Visit and select Grad Assistant to view available positions.

When prompted on the , select "Yes" to be added to our email communications about upcoming positions.

Graduate assistants are required to have health insurance. For additional information, visit

Submit a birth certificate or Georgia driver’s license to enable ��ϲʿ�� to determine eligibility.

Must be a resident of Georgia and 62 years of age or older at the time of registration.

May enroll as a regular or auditing student in courses on a “space available” basis without payment of fees, except for supplies, laboratory or shop fees.

Learn More

Non-Degree

The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice program does not permit non-degree students.

Transient

The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice program does not permit transient students.

All International

International applicants who must be issued an F-1 visa by ��ϲʿ�� to enter the United States to attend school may not apply for completely part-time (less than nine hours) or online programs. This program is only offered as an online program and therefore does not permit F-1 visa student admission.

Appeal of Graduate Admission
A candidate whose application is denied has the right to appeal the decision. A written letter of appeal must include strong evidence to support the basis for your appeal. The appeal should consist of information beyond what was previously submitted in your admissions file and detail your ability to be successful in graduate studies.

Students whose appeals are granted will be admitted as provisional students.

Students are not eligible for financial aid while taking courses under a provisional admission status.

Students may not appeal for regular admission.

Email your letter of appeal as a pdf attachment to grads@ung.edu.

Graduate Admissions Tuition Estimator

Criminal Justice (Ph.D.) Curriculum

Required Courses (30 credit hours)

Electives (9 credit hours)

Dissertation Research (15 credit hours)

CRJU 8801 - Directed Reading in Criminal Justice

This course is designed as an independent study of major written works in the field of criminal justice, especially those highlighted in the PhD curriculum. This course is also considered a qualifying examination of theory, methodology, and research interests. Completion is required prior to the beginning of the dissertation.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: Permission of the Graduate Coordinator

Hours:
3
CRJU 8901 - Dissertation Research I

Students enrolled in this course will work on their dissertation supervised by a committee of the faculty. This course may be repeated for up to 6 hours of total course credit.

Prerequisite/Corequisite:
Prerequisite: Permission of the Graduate Coordinator

Hours:
3

Questions?

For questions about the program, contact:

Timothy Hayes, CJ Graduate Coordinator
crju_grad@ung.edu

For questions about the application process, contact:
Graduate Admissions
grads@ung.edu
706-864-1543

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