Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice

The Ph.D. program in International Crime and Justice focuses on international areas of study within the criminology and criminal justice field. This program cannot be completed fully online. Ph.D. students are also strongly encouraged to spend time on campus in order to network with colleagues and professors which subsequently can provide joint publishing opportunities. It is also in the student's benefit to get to know their professors personally in order to become familiar with their research interests and subsequently request them to be on comprehensive exam and dissertation committees. Students must be on campus to defend their dissertations. The Department and the Graduate School also periodically offer workshops and speakers who make presentations on a wide variety of topics, and this enriches the student's academic experience.

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Graduate Program Director - Dr. Rosa Chang
Senior Progam Coordinator - Ms. Carli Valdes cvaldes@fiu.edu

Applying for the Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice

To be considered for the program, applicants must fulfill all of the below requirements. The ICJ Ph.D. program has a limited number of spaces, and admission is a competitive process with an average admission rate of 20%.

Minimum Requirements:

1. Bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution.
2. GPA of 3.2 or higher in upper-division coursework or a 3.2 or higher for all master's degree coursework.
3. Graduate Record Exam (GRE). Scores for all sections of the exam must be completed and reported. This requirement has been temporarily waived for Spring 2021 and Fall 2022 admissions.
4. International applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate English language through one of the following:
   • IELTS: 6.5
   • TOEFL - Paper-based: 550; Internet-based (iBT): 80
   • ENC 1101 and ENC 1102 with a B or better taken at a regionally accredited institution in the U.S. or as previously articulated by Transfer and Transition Services (Coming Soon)
   • FIU’s English Language Institute Level Six: Successful completion with passing grades for all content areas
   • Earned undergraduate or graduate degree from an accredited institution where the language of instruction is English.
     More information on the English langauge requirement.

Required Documents:

1. Online graduate application, including the non-refundable fee. Applications are accepted for the Fall and Spring semesters.
2. Official university/college transcripts from all institutions previously attended. Applicants who graduated from FIU do not need to request FIU transcripts. Information on submitting transcripts.
3. Two letters of recommendation from professors or employers familiar with your academic and professional qualifications. Submit through the online graduate application portal.
4. 300- to 500-word statement of purpose describing your interests in pursuing an advanced degree in international crime and justice, including any specific research interests, as well as your ultimate career goals. Submit through the online graduate application portal.
5. Completed research paper or thesis that demonstrates writing skills. Submit through the online graduate application portal.

Graduation Requirements

The Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice requires a minimum of 75 credits hours of graduate course work beyond the bachelor’s degree, including a comprehensive exam and dissertation based on the student’s original research. A maximum of 36 credits is transferable from a completed master’s degree program with the approval of the graduate director. A minimum of 30 credit hours must be earned in academic courses that are part of the doctoral program (excludes comprehensive exam and dissertation credits). Doctoral programs normally include courses at the 6000 level and above. Courses at the 5000 level may be included in a doctoral degree program in appropriate cases. A cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher is required for graduation. All program requirements, including the dissertation, must be approved by the University Graduate School.

Award of M.S. en route to Ph.D.: Students directly admitted into the Ph.D. program may apply to be awarded the M.S. degree in Criminal Justice. To be eligible students must have completed all degree requirements of the M.S. in Criminal Justice.

Required Core Courses (30 credits)

• CCJ 6025 Criminological Theory
• CCJ 6705 Research Methods in Criminal Justice
• CCJ 6706 Data Analysis in Criminal Justice
• CCJ 6741 Advanced Data Analysis in Criminal Justice
• CCJ 6079 Geospatial Crime Analysis
• CCJ 6485 Criminal Justice Policy Analysis (Pre-requisite: 15 credits of criminal justice graduate courses)
• CCJ 6040 Comparative Crime and Criminal Justice Systems
• CCJ 6675 Applied Research in Human Rights
• CCJ 6676 Transnational Crime and National Security
• CCJ 6926 Teaching Practicum in Criminal Justice

Research Tools Requirement (9 credits)

Classes that may satisfy the research tools requirement include quantitative analysis, legal research, grant writing, qualitative research methods, program evaluation, and performance measures, survey research and design, and secondary analysis. This listing is not intended to be exhaustive. Approval of the research tools by the graduate director is required.

International Crime and Justice Electives (9 credits)

Students must complete a minimum of nine credits from the following list:

• CCJ 6047 International Criminal Justice
• CCJ 6620 Immigration and Crime
• CCJ 6696 Human Trafficking
• CJE 6025 Comparative Policing
• DSC 6020 Terrorism and Homeland Security

Other course approved by the graduate director.

General Electives (9 credits)

Students may complete nine credits of general electives outside the department as approved by the graduate director.

Comprehensive Exam and Dissertation (18 credits). These two milestones can take 2+ years to complete.

Dissertation requirements and student forms are available online.

• CCJ 7960 Comprehensive Exam (3)
• CCJ 7980 Ph.D. Dissertation (15)

The dissertation shall be written in a form that is mechanically sound and grammatically correct. The following are recommendations made by the Department:

1. Grammarly. An online program to assist students with grammar.
2. Scribbr. An online service provider for proofreading and editing.