Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (DCCJ) offers a Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice (ICJ) onsite and fully online. Considered to be the first and only doctoral program in international crime and justice in the United States, the curriculum offers a rigorous set of courses to equip students to produce original research that generates insights into criminology issues and their international nexus. The courses in the curriculum focus on providing students with an extensive education in theory, research methods, and statistics. Alumni of the program have careers in academia and research. 

The DCCJ is housed under the Steven J. Green School of International and Public Affairs. The Green School is a full member of the prestigious Association of Professional Schools of International Affairs (APSIA), making it the only university in Florida and one of just 40 universities globally to hold this distinction, along with Harvard, Yale, Stanford, and the University of Toronto. Membership in APSIA is comprised of the foremost graduate schools of international affairs, whose stated aim is to enhance global affairs education and promote international understanding. FIU's Ph.D. program in International Crime and Justice is the first of its kind and the first APSIA-affiliated doctoral program in criminology and criminal justice. 

For inquiries, contact Sr. Program Coordinator, Dylan Matthews at dmatthew@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. Admission to the ICJ Ph.D. program is a competitive process with limited available spaces. Therefore, not all the applicants who meet the minimum requirements will be admitted to the program.

    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. Grade of “B” or better in an undergraduate or graduate research methods course.
    4. International applicants whose native language is not English are required to demonstrate the English language through any of the assessments approved by the University.

    Required Documents:

    1. Online graduate application, including the non-refundable fee. We admit students in the fall semester only. Deadlines:
      • Fall (starts in August) - February 15
    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. A statement of purpose describing the following (about 500 words):
      • Your long-term research goals and how they fit with the research conducted in the ICJ Ph.D. program. 
      • Specific skills, knowledge, and abilities that qualify you to be a successful student in the ICJ Ph.D. program.
      • Your long-term plans to commit to completing coursework and independent research simultaneously. A commitment that may take up to 5 years, on average.
      • Interest in a graduate assistantship, if any.
    5. Completed research paper or thesis that demonstrates writing skills. Submit through the online graduate application portal.
  • Degree Requirements

    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 Methods & Strategies

    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.
  • Graduation Requirements

    The Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice requires a minimum of 75 credit hours total—57 credit hours of coursework beyond the bachelor’s degree, 3 credit hours of comprehensive exam, and 15 credit hours of dissertation. 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). A maximum of 27 credits are transferable from a completed master’s degree program with the approval of the graduate program director. 

    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. 

    Funded students should aim to complete the ICJ Ph.D. program within the allotted years of funding—5 years for students entering with a bachelor’s degree and 4 years for students entering with a master’s degree. 

    Award of M.S. en route to Ph.D.: Students with a bachelor’s degree 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, have on file a UGS approved Dissertation Proposal, and be currently enrolled in good academic standing.

  • Relevant Documents