A: The Ph.D. Program is open to full-time and part-time students, with most courses offered in the late afternoon or evening.

A: No, you may only begin attending courses in the Fall semester after you are accepted.

A: Non-matriculated students can take up to two courses upon special permission of the Executive Officer.

A: No, you do not have to have a Master’s degree. However, you may earn your Master’s degree while pursuing your doctoral work.

A: Some background in criminology, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, or other related fields is strongly preferred, but not required.

A: Yes, all applicants are required to submit their GRE scores with the application packet. This is true even for students who have taken other standardized exams such as the LSATs. The GRE Code for the Graduate Center is 2113. GRE exams can be arranged by calling 1-800-GRE-CALL. Applicants can submit a copy of the personal score card that they personally receive directly to John Jay College as part of the duplicate application (there is no need to pay to have ETS send scores directly to both John Jay College and the Graduate Center—scores must be sent by ETS to the Graduate Center at the code above).

A: You may call 212-817-7470 to request the application or e-mail your request to: admission@gc.cuny.edu. The CUNY Graduate Center application process is self-managed. Responsibility for gathering required documents such as official transcripts and letters of recommendation rest with the applicant. Completed application forms, transcripts, test scores, and all other supporting material must be submitted to the Admissions Office. To be considered for admission and/or financial assistance your complete, duplicate application must be received by the Criminal Justice Doctoral Program Office. Detailed instructions on applying to the program can be found here.

A: The amount of time required to complete the doctorate can vary widely — depending on a student's level of preparation at the time of enrollment, the nature of the dissertation project, work commitments, and other demands on students' time. Full time students with a higher degree (e.g., MA, MS, MPA, JD) generally complete the coursework and “qualifying” exams within two years. Most students generally take another 2-3 years to complete the dissertation and oral exams. Students are required to complete the degree within 8 years, but not do so in less time.

A: No. The Admissions Committee considers all candidates, domestically and internationally, equally regardless of academic affiliation.

A: No. The doctoral program does not offer a degree on line, nor do we offer online courses. In order to pursue the Criminal Justice Doctorate you must be in residence for your coursework.

A: The overall orientation of the program is to develop academics with a strong understanding of theory, methods and the criminal justice system. The program provides students with a strong foundation in the understanding of how to conduct independent research in the field, to serve as research and teaching faculty in universities, colleges, and research institutes, and to function as practitioners in a broad range of settings.

A: Consideration for admission into the Ph.D. program is based on the applicant's completion of a bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, with a cumulative overall GPA of at least 3.00 (B) on a scale of 4.00. Applicants with a Master's degree should have a 3.50 GPA in their graduate work. However, competitive applicants often have substantially higher GPAs, particularly in graduate work. Special consideration is given to masters level work in research methods and statistics.

A: Though the program does not have a “cut off” GRE score, we rarely consider any applicants with GREs under 1000. The average GRE score for full time funded students is generally between 1100 and 1200 combined. Students scoring in less than the 50th percentile in the quantitative exam must have an exceptional record to be accepted.

A: Except for students in the forensic science concentration, students must complete one year of core course in criminological theory, criminal justice process and policy, research methods and statistics. Students may then choose electives from a broad range of topics, including international and comparative criminal justice, theory, policy, forensic psychology, and advanced methods and statistics.

A: The deadline for submitting an application is January 15th.

A: Our faculty represent a variety of disciplines and interests related to criminal justice, broadly defined. For a complete list of faculty and their interests, please visit the faculty webpage: http://web.gc.cuny.edu/criminaljustice/pages/faculty/alpha.html