Doctoral Program
The Doctoral program in Criminal Justice permits students to emphasize the problems of crime, crime control, and justice administration, while simultaneously developing a strong foundation in social science theory and research methods. It prepares students for careers in college and university teaching and research, as well as advanced public policy positions.
Each student develops in-depth knowledge in one area consisting of either a basic social science discipline (anthropology, economics, geography, political science, psychology, or sociology) or an interest area relevant to the student’s area of study. In addition, a sequence of advanced courses in research methodology and statistics prepares students for the design, implementation, and interpretation of research. The program is individualized to allow students, working with a guidance committee, to shape a program of study that is broad in scope yet consistent with specific student interests.
Doctoral level course work in the school focuses and synthesizes the interdisciplinary components and individual experiences. The program is designed to produce graduates who can apply a variety of research methodologies to the study of crime causation, social reaction, and the legal system. Throughout the program there is an emphasis on the relationship between theory and practice, as well as the interconnected activities of the many agencies and professions involved in the systems of justice and private security. Through their research, teaching, and practice, graduates can contribute to the development of improved systems for the prevention and control of crime and delinquency.
For further information regarding the doctoral program, please contact graduate secretary Melissa Christle at burrier@msu.edu or 517-353-7133.
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Apply
Applications for the Criminal Justice doctoral program at MSU are screened for fall semester entry only. All application materials must be received by December 15 for consideration for the following fall semester. Applicants are typically notified of admission decisions within 6-8 weeks of the deadline. Incomplete applications will not be reviewed.
Application materials that may be uploaded include:
- Application for Graduate Study at Michigan State University. May be submitted online here. The major code for the Criminal Justice doctoral program is 4725. After you begin your application, you will receive an email with a login and password. You will be prompted to upload the following documents and request Letters of Recommendation.
- A statement of your academic and professional goals. This should include information about your motivation to study criminal justice, a description of relevant research and/or work experience, and any other information that you would like the admissions committee to know.
- One or more of the following: a copy of your thesis if it is defended; a copy of your thesis proposal outlining research up to data collection (if data collection is not complete); evidence of research preparation and capabilities (e.g., conference presentations, publications, research report, etc.).
- Three letters of recommendation from tenure-track faculty who can comment on your ability to perform graduate work.
Additional required materials include:
- Graduate Assistantship resume. May be submitted here.
- ONE set of official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended. A transcript of work at MSU is not required, unless you attended MSU College of Law. Transcripts from US institutions may be sent electronically, and will be considered official if they are sent directly from the institutions attended to the graduate secretary at burrier@msu.edu. If they are mailed by the institution attended, they should be sent to the address that follows.
International students must submit official transcripts in both the original language and English translation of transcript and diploma. Please have transcripts mailed directly from the institutions attended to:
Criminal Justice Doctoral Program
Michigan State University
Baker Hall
655 Auditorium Road Room 557
East Lansing, MI 48824
- Graduate Record Exam (GRE) general exam scores from a test taken within the last five years. Test preparation material and information about test dates can be found at www.gre.com. Please note when scheduling your exam that it may take 4-6 weeks for your scores to be forwarded to the university and this department. The institution code for MSU is 1465 and the departmental code is 2202. Admission requires scores at or above the fiftieth percentile.
- International students must submit Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) exam scores from a test taken within the past two years. MSU's score requirement is a minimum average score of 80, with no subscores below 19 for Reading, Listening and Speaking, and no subscore below 22 for Writing. The institution code for MSU is 1465. Students from countries where the primary language is English may have the TOEFL requirement waived with the approval of the department, college, and Graduate School. Please contact the graduate secretary at burrier@msu.edu to determine whether the requirement may be waived.
Please note: Applicants must have achieved a GPA of at least 3.0 in prior undergraduate and/or graduate work. While formal admission to the program does not require completion of a masters degree, the screening committee looks for a strong methodological and statistical background.Questions? Please contact graduate secretary Melissa Christle at burrier@msu.edu or 517-353-7133.
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Requirements
The student’s program will be individually designed upon matriculation at Michigan State University under the supervision of a guidance committee. All students must complete relevant criminal justice course work, either in the doctoral program or through completion of a Masters in criminal justice or criminology at an accredited institution.
Program requirements vary for students with Masters degrees in areas other than criminal justice. With the approval of the student’s guidance committee, relevant post-baccalaureate course work may be incorporated into the cognate requirements.
The program of each student shall consist of a minimum of 36 semester credits of course work and 24 credits of dissertation research, totaling a minimum of 60 semester credits. The program must be developed in consultation with a guidance committee and approved by the College of Social Science.
Required core courses:
- CJ 801 - Crime Causation, Prevention and Control 3 Credits
- CJ 810 - Proseminar in Criminal Justice 3 Credits
- CJ 901 - Seminar in Contemporary Criminal Justice Theory 3 Credits
- CJ 906 - Advanced Quantitative Methods in Criminal Justice Research 3 Credits
- CJ 909 - Advanced Research Methods 3 Credits
- CJ 910 - Qualitative Methods
Admitted without a Masters degreeStudents admitted directly from an undergraduate program will take CJ 811 Design and Analysis of CJ Research and CJ 887 Quantitative Methods as prerequisites to CJ 906, CJ 907, and CJ 909. CJ 811 and CJ 887 may not be used toward doctoral program requirements.
Criminal Justice Courses
Students must complete twelve credits of additional criminal justice courses at the 800 level or above. Three of the core Masters courses in criminal justice taught at MSU may not be used toward doctoral program requirements (CJ 811, CJ 812, CJ 887).
Advanced Research Methods
Students must complete two 3-credit doctoral research methods courses in the College of Social Science as approved by the student’s guidance committee. CJ 907 and CJ 909 may be repeated for credit and count toward this requirement when topics have changed.
Responsible Conduct of Research Activities
Students must participate in 16 hours of RCR activities their first year, and three hours for each subsequent year. Information about applicable workshops, classes, activities, and reporting can be found at the RCR Requirements link under the Documents tab below.
Qualifying Papers
Students entering the program in Fall 2019 and thereafter will complete two qualifying papers rather than taking comprehensive exams. Qualifying papers allow for the assessment of adequate student learning in their chosen specialty area—criminological theory, criminal justice, or law and society—as well as in the areas of research methods in criminology and criminal justice and their chosen cognate. Students will be expected to address unique research questions in their areas of study using the appropriate methods of analysis, and should be able to contribute to the body of knowledge in ways consistent with high quality peer-reviewed publications.
Dissertation
Student must submit and defend a dissertation reflecting original research focusing on a significant problem or issue in criminal justice. The guidance committee is responsible for providing direction for the student’s research. All program requirements, including oral defense and submission of the dissertation, must be completed within eight years from the time of the first enrollment as a doctoral student.
Waived Credits
With approval of their guidance committee, students may waive a maximum of 6 credit hours toward CJ elective or advanced methods requirements.
- Documents
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Graduates
2022
Fiona Chan - Indiana University Bloomington
Mark Gibson - Director, Nurture Nature Campaign2021
Jin Ree Lee - George Mason University
Roberta Liggett-O'Malley - University of South Florida
Michelle Malkin - East Carolina University2020
Alaina DeBiasi Podges - University of California Davis
Brent Klein - University of South Carolina
Sung Uook Lee - University of Southern Indiana
Rebecca Malinski - Moravian College2019
Yi Ting Chua - University of Cambridge, Cambridge Cybercrime Centre
Alison Cox - University of Northern Iowa
Gregory Drake - Rochester Institute of Technology
Marva Goodson - Vanderbilt University
Ka Wai Li - Rutgers University2018
Giovanni Circo - University of New Haven
Lauren Magee - Indiana University School of Medicine
Robert Peacock - Florida International University2017
Michael Cassidy - Niagara University
Jina Lee - Grand Valley State University
Seung Paek - SUNY-Oswego
Ksenia Petlakh - SUNY-Delhi
Sarah St. George - Northern Ohio Regional Fusion Center2016
Levente Fejes - Asociatia pentru Relatii Comunitare
2015
Sadik Arin - Turkish National Police
Kimberly Bender - University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Roy Fenoff - The Citadel
Byung Hyun Lee - Central Connecticut State University
Juli Liebler - SCJ Outreach, Michigan State University
Michael Rossler - Illinois State University
Brandon Sullivan - Michigan State University/ Center for Anti-Counterfeiting and Product Protection2014
Vaughn Crichlow - Florida Atlantic University
Ryan Martz - Saginaw Valley State University
Alexis Norris - California State University, San Bernardino
Miriam Northcutt Bohmert - Indiana University
Jason Rydberg - University of Massachusetts Lowell
Charles Scheer - University of Southern Mississippi
Rebecca Stone - University of Massachusetts Lowell
Michael Suttmoeller - Missouri State University2013
Margaret Fischer - Michigan State University Department of Police and Public Safety
Melissa Garmo - Saginaw Valley State University
Manish Madan - Richard Stockton College
Raymund Narag - Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Tia Stevens - University of South Carolina
Julie Yingling - South Dakota State University2012
Mohammad Ali -Punjab University
Ismail Demirkol - Turkish National Police
Joseph Johnson - Rowan University
Wook Kang - Songpa Police Department
Dae-Hoon Kwak - Illinois State University
Juyoung Song - University of West Georgia
Serkan Tasgin - Turkish National Police2011
Jeremy Carter - Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Suyeon Park - SUNY Plattsburgh2010
Nebi Cetinkaya - Turkish National Police
Eric Grommon - Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
Mustafa Halicioglu - Turkish National Police
Jason Ingram - Illinois State University -
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Traineeship
The School of Criminal Justice is also soliciting applications for the following traineeships. These traineeships are semi-structured PhD programs in which students focus on specific issues within criminal justice and criminology. Interested students should contact the traineeship point-of-contact to discuss their interest and the application process.
Click HERE for more information on traineeships