Criminology, Law and Society

Program Information

Requirements for the M.A. and Ph.D. degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog. The graduate program in criminology and law has two areas of special emphasis: crime and justice, and law and society. The degree programs are research-based and prepare students to conduct original exploration into relevant problems, issues, and policies.

M.A. degree program: Admission to the master's degree program requires a bachelor's degree from a criminology/criminal justice or relevant social science or humanities program (political science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy, history, women's studies, etc.). Qualified students may enter the master's program as undergraduates through the combination B.A./M.A. program. Both M.A. options (thesis and non-thesis) require satisfactory completion of at least 36 credit hours.

Ph.D. degree program: The Doctor of Philosophy program includes a minimum of 90 semester hours of credit beyond the B.A. Students with a criminology or closely related M.A. received in the last 7 years from an accredited U.S. university may request that up to 30 hours credit from their M.A. work be counted toward this total. Those with an M.A. from this department may apply 36 hours. The Department requires Ph.D. students to complete at least 66 hours of course work (excluding research credits), including the M.A. hours. Qualifying examinations take place at the end of a student's course work.

Criminology, Law and Society/Law joint degree programs: The Department of Sociology and Criminology& Law (CLS) and the College of Law offer a joint degree program leading to an M.A. or a Ph.D. in Criminology, Law and Society and a J.D. in law. The joint degree programs enable students to earn both the degrees (the J.D. and the M.A. or the J.D. and the Ph.D.) in less time than would be required to earn both degrees consecutively. Students wishing to pursue the joint program must be admitted to both the Graduate School and the College of Law. These requirements include both the LSAT and GRE. Admission to one may precede the other. Students are encouraged to announce their intent to seek a joint degree as soon as possible. CLS allows 12 hours of appropriate law school courses to be credited toward the CLS degree. The 12 credits selected from the law curriculum must be approved by the graduate coordinator on the recommendation of the student's supervisory committee. The College of Law will permit 12 hours of credit earned in graduate courses to be credited toward the J.D.

Prospective students should examine the research interests of the Criminology Graduate Faculty to obtain a more detailed sense of faculty expertise and research areas, see the department website: http://soccrim.clas.ufl.edu/graduate/. Applications for admission and fellowship support are due January 15 of each year. Students planning to apply for admission should take the Graduate Record Examination at the earliest possible date.

Criminology, law & Society (PHD)

SLO 1     Knowledge        
Identify, define and describe criminological and law and society theories and criminological and law and society research methods.

SLO 2     Knowledge        
Identify, define and describe their primary track of interest (either Crime & Justice or Law & Society)

SLO 3     Professional Behavior   
Prepare and produce documents professionally and ethically.

SLO 4     Professional Behavior   
Practice the role of the professional criminologist.

SLO 5     Skills     
Conduct independent empirical research with scientific integrity.

SLO 6     Skills     
Apply substantive criminological and law and society knowledge in critical thinking, analysis, and communication.

Criminology, Law, & Society (MA)            

SLO 1     Knowledge        
Identify, define and describe criminological and law and society theories  and  criminological and law and society research methods. 

SLO 2     Skills     
Identify, define and describe their primary track of interest (either Crime & Justice or Law & Society)  

SLO 3     Skills     
Conduct independent empirical research with scientific integrity  

SLO 4     Professional Behavior   
Prepare and produce documents professionally and ethically

SLO 5     Professional Behavior   
Practice role of professional criminologist

Applicants who should complete the SSAR:

• Attended a high school regionally accredited in the United States for at least three years.
• Attended a DODEA (Department of Defense Education Activity) school.

Applicants who should not complete the SSAR:

• Attended a secondary school located outside the United States for more than one semester.
• Studied a curriculum that did not follow the standard U.S. system.

Required: At least three full years of your most recent secondary school transcripts, including courses in progress (grades 9, 10 and 11 + senior schedule) in both the native language of instruction and a word for word certified English translation (if applicable). Unofficial transcripts are accepted electronically via the status Check Status page for the review process, while official transcripts and translations are required upon enrollment.

All applicants, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate English proficiency. English proficiency examination results, such as TOEFL, IELTS or Duolingo English Test, are encouraged for non-native English speakers, but are not required for freshman admission. SAT or ACT results are required for all freshman applicants.

Start by exploring our more than 250 degree programs to determine the application requirements and if additional items, such as transcripts, portfolios or recommendation letters, are needed in your application. Application deadlines also vary by department, so be sure to apply before the deadline.

Pursuant to Florida Statute, your application requires inclusion of all post-high school education and employment, as well as information about ongoing international affiliations and research funding. Ensure this information is included on your curriculum vitae (CV) or résumé that is uploaded within your graduate application.

If the program of interest requires recommendation letters, these should be submitted electronically through the admissions application. You must request these recommendations prior to submitting your application. You cannot add or delete recommendations once your application has been submitted. If your recommendation is supplied by paper or PDF, check with your academic program to inquire if this will be accepted.

You can check the receipt of materials by the Office of Admissions on the Check Status page. This page will only reflect information concerning materials forwarded directly to the Office of Admissions and does not include materials that are required to be sent directly to your academic unit.

Approximately 24-48 hours after submitting your online application, your 8-digit UF Identification Number (UFID) will be available on the status of your application. Use the same username and password used to submit your CollegeNET application.

Your UFID is unique to you and should be used in all email communication and any subsequent applications submitted. If you do not use your UFID in communications and submissions, it is difficult for us to match your test scores, transcripts, and financial aid information to your academic record.