phd criminal justice florida

Florida State University

FSU | College of Criminology & Criminal Justice

College of Criminology & Criminal Justice

• Graduate Programs

Doctoral Program

Considered the best doctoral program in the country as evidenced by multiple articles in The Journal of Criminal Justice Education, the FSU College of Criminology offers you the opportunity to be part of an intellectual community and learn from the most productive scholars in the country. The Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice trains students to conduct original research that generates new insights on issues of scientific and public policy importance. This degree emphasizes comprehensive training in theory, research methods, and statistics delivered by faculty members recently ranked as having the most productive criminology program in the country.

Click on the links below to learn more about our program.

• Ph.D. Admission Requirements
• Current Ph.D. Students
• Student Research
• Doctoral Degree Requirements
• Major Professor and Doctoral Dissertation Committee
• Professional Ethics
• Comprehensive Exam Requirements
• Dissertation and Admission to Candidacy

Related Downloads

• FAQs: Campus Graduate Program
• FSU IRB Policy Memo
• FSU IRB Human Subjects Committee Approval
• Declaration of Major Professor Form
• Prospectus Defense Approval Form
• Doctoral Dissertation Committee Form
• Graduate Assistant Evaluation Form
• Exit Survey
• 2015-2016 Criminology Graduate Handbook
• 2014-2015 Criminology Graduate Handbook
• 2013-2014 Criminology Graduate Handbook
• 2012-2013 Criminology Graduate Handbook
• 2011-2012 Criminology Graduate Handbook
• 2010-2011 Criminology Graduate Handbook
• 2016-2017 Criminology Graduate Handbook
• Annual Doctoral Review
• Doctoral Info Sheet
• 2018-2019 Grad Campus Handbook
• 2019-2020 Grad Campus Handbook
• 2020-2021 Campus Grad Handbook
• 2021-2022 Campus Grad Handbook
• 2022-2023 Campus Grad Handbook

Criminal Justice, PhD

The UCF doctoral program in criminal justice is composed of a substantive core focused on criminal justice theory and institutions; a research methods core that prepares social scientists in the scientific method and social science statistics; and a selection of substantive criminal justice specializations, including policing, corrections and juvenile justice.

• 57 credit-hours
• Three areas of concentration
• The criminal justice doctoral program prepares students to examine criminal justice issues at multiple angles and levels.
• Students are prepared to pursue academic positions in universities, research positions in criminal justice agencies, and consultancies in program evaluation and needs assessment.
• Students are prepared to advance scholarship in criminal justice.
• Students become competent analysts to staff state and local criminal justice agencies.
• Students in this program are encouraged to improve safety and justice in communities through research and partnerships with neighborhood, city, county and state agencies and associations.

The criminal justice doctoral program puts substantive emphasis on core coursework in criminal justice theory and institutions as well as on in-depth concentrations in policing, corrections or juvenile justice. Students in the program complete 57 credit hours. The credit hour breakdown is as follows:

• 15 credit hours of substantive core
• 12 credit hours of methodological core
• Policing Theory and Research
• Correctional Theory and Research
• Juvenile Justice Theory and Research
• Six credit hours of elective courses
• 15 credit hours of dissertation

For additional information, including details about admission, visit the  UCF Graduate Catalog.

Admission Requirements

Applicants must submit:

• Official transcripts from each higher education institution attended.
• A master’s degree in criminal justice or related discipline from an accredited institution with at least a 3.5 GPA.
• Official, competitive GRE score taken within the last five years.
• Three letters of recommendation, with at least two being from faculty members who can assess the student’s ability to succeed in a doctoral program.
• A personal narrative of 500 to 1,000 words describing research interests, program expectations and career aspirations.
• An academic writing sample of at least 2,000 words (e.g., paper written for a master’s degree course) that demonstrates the applicant’s ability to complete graduate-level composition. This should not be published work, and the applicant must be the sole author.

Applicants may be requested to participate in a virtual interview with the department’s doctoral program committee. Students will simultaneously be considered for admission and funding. The doctoral program is a full-time, on-campus program.

Application Deadline:

Graduate Assistantships

The department offers several graduate assistantship opportunities for students to engage in teaching or research during their graduate studies. Assistantships include a tuition waiver, stipend, work experience, health insurance, and qualifies the student for in-state residency. For more information, contact us .

Student Association

The Criminal Justice Graduate Student Association (CJGSA) is a student-led organization committed to the professional development of UCF criminal justice graduate students. The association hosts workshops to help students develop in the areas of scholarship, teaching, research and service. We also facilitate communication between students, faculty, college and university partners to maintain a network of colleagues in the field. Members of the organization develop relationships with our community through volunteering and outreach opportunities.

For more information, please send us an email or visit us on Twitter.

Students and Alumni

Doctoral students.

Caitlin Brady ’20 PhD Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology Georgia Southern University

Sara Bryson ’20 PhD Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice East Carolina University

Lucas Alward ’22 PhD Assistant Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice Boise State University

Melanie Soderstrom ’22 PhD Assistant Professor in the School of Criminal Justice and Criminology Texas State University

Justin Smith ’22 PhD Research Scientist Loss Prevention Research Council

Nicholas Paul ’22 PhD Lecturer in the Department of Criminal Justice University of Central Florida

Devin Cowan ’23 PhD Data Analytics Specialist Charlotte-Meckenburg Police Department

University of Florida

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.

Degrees Offered with a Major in Criminology, Law and Society

• Doctor of Philosophy
• Master of Arts

Requirements for these degrees are given in the Graduate Degrees section of this catalog.

Sociology and Criminology & Law Departmental Courses

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

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PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in Florida

What are you passionate about in criminal justice? Are you dedicated to victims’ rights and ensuring that victims are fairly protected under the law, or do you feel strongly about the effects that juvenile sentencing can have on people throughout their lives?

What Can I Do With My PhD in Criminal Justice in Florida?

Earning a PhD in criminal justice may give you the education you need to reach your full potential as a criminal justice professional in whichever specialty interests you.

Reform is a huge priority in Florida, and it takes many shapes. One justice reform effort aims to keep incarcerated juveniles out of adult prisons, a move that may help juveniles avoid the cycle of reoffending as adults ( WLRN , 2016).

Another important Florida bill addresses the issue of mental health issues overburdening the justice system. This bill would prioritize treatment over incarceration, a move that could substantially benefit offenders and taxpayers ( WFSU , 2016).

With a criminal justice degree Florida, you may have the opportunity to try several different career paths. A PhD may qualify you for administrative law judge positions. Through 2022, job openings for administrative law judges in Florida are not expected to change significantly ( O*Net , 2016). The average salary for an administrative law judge in Florida is $90,900 per year (O*Net, 2016). In contrast, criminal justice professors in Florida bring in an average salary of $59,700 annually ( O*Net , 2016). Job openings may swell 17% between 2012 and 2022 (O*Net, 2016).

Are you ready to use your Master’s degree to take the next step in your education? Get started now by contacting criminal justice colleges in Florida below.

What Will It Take to Earn My Criminal Justice Graduate Degree in Florida?

To enroll in Florida criminal justice PhD programs, you must meet rigorous admissions requirements and standards. Most programs accept students with Bachelor’s degrees and students with Master’s degrees.

If you have a Master’s degree in criminal justice or another relevant field, your program may be approximately two years shorter than the program for a Bachelor’s degree graduate. The majority of schools expect a GPA of 3.5 in the final two years of an undergraduate degree or a 3.5 GPA for your entire Master’s degree.

Once you’ve been accepted to your program of choice, you begin tackling the learning goals of your school. This involves taking a variety of graduate-level criminal justice courses, often including those listed here:

• Seminar in Crime, Law and Justice
• Law and Society
• Research Methods in Crime, Law and Justice
• Criminal Justice Process
• Quantitative Research Methods
• Seminar in Criminological Theory

You may be required to select an area of specialization, depending on which school you choose. For example, some Florida programs require you to choose between a crime and justice track or a law and society track.

Experience is highly valued at this level of education, so get ready to complete one or more internships as required by your advisors. These internships may take you into different work settings that are relevant to your degree, allowing you to establish solid career plans.

The defining part of a PhD program is the dissertation. To complete your dissertation, anticipate spending at least one to two years on the writing process. From there, you defend your dissertation to a panel. Once it has been accepted, you can earn your doctoral degree.

Most schools offer some type of assistance to PhD candidates, whether it be partial or full assistance. However, you can also look into outside scholarships and grants. The Florida Sheriffs’ Association awards multiple scholarships during each academic year.

Your growth in the criminal justice industry can begin right now. Take a look at our comprehensive list of criminal justice degrees in Florida and contact nearby schools to learn more.

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Criminal Justice Education at UCF Online

Our online criminal justice degree programs are designed with flexibility and excellence in mind. Delivering the same high-quality instruction students receive on campus, our virtual degree programs follow rigorous standards and feature high-caliber curricula taught by an award-winning faculty. Students apply their skills to real-world challenges across a wide range of specific careers in the criminal justice field, from forensic analysis to communication and conflict. Our online format allows busy students to pursue certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs in a way that fits their lives and equips them to step forward as leaders in their field.

UCF Online is a great way for students to complete their degree while working in their field. Students don’t have to worry about missing out! The flexible hours allow me to connect with each of them at the time that works best for them.” WILLIAM MORETO, PhD – Criminal Justice Assistant Professor

Studying Law and Criminal Justice with UCF Online

No matter if you are just starting your career or are searching for a new way to leave an impact on your community, UCF Online has a law or criminal justice program for you. With online classes taught by the same dedicated faculty who teach in face-to-face classrooms, UCF Online gives you the flexibility to study when and where you want without compromising on quality education. If you are early in your educational research journey and unsure what the next steps are, just reach out to one of our dedicated UCF Online coaches who can advise on degree-choice options, admission details, the application process and options available for financing your degree. They can also provide assistance with understanding online pre-law degree options, the best majors for law school, and insight on what it’s like to study law online.

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Legal & Criminal Justice Career Options

UCF Online gives students a choice of options to help them on their path to a fulfilling legal or criminal justice career. If you’re considering a career as a legal assistant, paralegal or attorney, our online Legal Studies, BA/BS provides the foundation for understanding the history, processes and procedures of the legal system. For those advancing their career within the forensics field, UCF Online provides graduate-level programs including a Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Forensic Science , as well as a graduate certificate in Crime Analysis . Explore all of the options available for you to advance your law or criminal justice career with UCF Online.

Time is valuable for all of us, and at UCF Online we believe you shouldn’t have to alter your life in order to advance your legal career through higher education. Whether you work full time, travel often, are a parent, or don’t live close to campus, through UCF Online we bring the ability to study your law or criminal justice degree direct to you.

The best investment you can make is in your future. The impact that you will make with your online legal and criminal justice degree shouldn’t come at a great cost to you. That’s why UCF Online offers an affordable alternative to earning a high-quality university degree. Florida residents seeking an online graduate degree can save $42.33 per credit hour. Visit the tuition, fees and scholarships pages for more information.

Get Started

Advance your law or criminal justice career today with one of our highly ranked, flexible program options available at UCF Online.

Get Connected.

Contact the UCF Online Connect Center to learn more about the available online programs or for help finding an online degree that works for you.

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Why earn a degree from UCF Online?

Access. innovation. impact..

UCF Online is a community of thinkers, helpers and makers who use bold ideas to challenge the ordinary and devise solutions to solve the world’s most pressing problems. A great university can unleash the potential to change the world. Listed as one of the most innovative universities in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report ’s Best Colleges 2024 Guide, UCF specializes in providing high-quality online degree programs for those talented students and working professionals who are unable to physically attend our Orlando main campus or one of our 14 Central Florida locations .

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University of South Florida

College of Behavioral and Community Sciences

Main navigation, criminology students inducted into prestigious criminal justice honor society.

Students hold candles as they are inducted into Alpha Phi Sigma.

• April 1, 2024
• College News , Criminology

Bressia Borja speaks at the ceremony.

Thirty-six undergraduate and graduate students were inducted into the Sigma Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma , a national criminal justice honor society. This was the first induction ceremony hosted by Colby Valentine, PhD , and Amber Oderinde, MS . Valentine is an executive advisor for the national honor society.

New and current members of the chapter were invited. The goals of Alpha Phi Sigma are to honor and promote academic excellence, service, leadership, and unity.

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The Mission of the College of Behavioral and Community Sciences (CBCS) is to advance knowledge through interdisciplinary teaching, research, and service that improves the capacity of individuals, families, and diverse communities to promote productive, satisfying, healthy, and safe lives across the lifespan. CBCS envisions the college as a globally recognized leader that creates innovative solutions to complex conditions that affect the behavior and well-being of individuals, families, and diverse communities.