Doctoral Program
The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) is designed to produce graduates who can apply interdisciplinary theory and a variety of research methodologies to the study of crime causation, societal responses to crime, and the administration of justice. The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice permits students to focus on various substantive crime-related issues while simultaneously developing a strong foundation in theory and research methods. The program prepares students for careers in college and university teaching and research, as well as advanced public-policy positions in government and private sectors.
Our faculty are trained in a variety of disciplines such as criminology, criminal justice, sociology, psychology, political science, public health, and public policy. Accordingly, doctoral student training is based on a multidisciplinary approach to the study of crime, responses to criminal behavior, and justice administration. Furthermore, students complete a sequence of advanced courses in research methods and statistics that prepares them to independently design, implement, and interpret research. 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 criminal justice system. 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 their specific interests. Through their research, teaching, and practice, graduates will be prepared to contribute to the prevention and control of crime and delinquency, and improvements in the efficacy of the criminal justice system and the fairness of outcomes it delivers to the public.
For further information regarding the doctoral program, please contact Graduate Program Coordinator, Mike Chapko.
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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 15th 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.
The graduate admissions committee takes a holistic approach to reviewing application materials. Committee members take into consideration all pieces of a student’s application rather than evaluating individual components. A deficiency in one aspect of a student’s application will not necessarily lead to a denial of admission.
Required application materials include:
An 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 personal statement should address the following questions:
- Why do you want to obtain a doctoral degree in criminal justice?
- Why do you want to complete your studies at MSU (e.g., what are your research interests and what faculty do you see yourself working with)?
- What relevant research and/or work experience do you have that has prepared you for graduate study?
- Is there any other information that you would like the admissions committee to know (e.g., have you overcome difficulties in life, work, or school that demonstrate your ability to succeed in graduate school)?
- One or more of the following: a copy of your thesis; a copy of your thesis proposal outline (if your thesis is not yet defended); evidence of research preparation and capabilities (e.g., conference presentations, publications, research reports, etc.).
- Three letters of recommendation from professional references who can comment on your ability to conduct research and complete graduate-level coursework. We prioritize letters from tenure-track faculty, but will consider letters from others who have doctoral or master’s degrees of their own.
- A 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 U.S. institutions may be sent electronically, and will be considered official if they are sent directly from the institutions attended to the Graduate Program Coordinator Mike Chapko. 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 here. Please note when scheduling your exam that it may take 4-6 weeks for your scores to be forwarded to the university and our department. The institution code for MSU is 1465 and the departmental code is 2202. Admission typically 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 Program Coordinator, Mike Chapko, 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 master's degree, the screening committee looks for a strong methodological and statistical background.
Questions? Please contact Graduate Program Coordinator, Mike Chapko.
- A statement of your academic and professional goals. This personal statement should address the following questions:
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Requirements
In addition to meeting the requirements of the university and of the College of Social Science, students must complete 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 (18 credits)
- 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 (3 credits)
Admitted without a Master’s Degree
Students admitted directly from an undergraduate degree program must take CJ 811 (Design and Analysis of CJ Research) and CJ 887 (Quantitative Methods) as prerequisites to CJ 906, 907, 909, and 910. CJ 811 and CJ 887 may not be counted toward doctoral program requirements.
Elective Courses (12 credits)
Students must complete 12 credits of additional courses at the 800-level or above, as approved by the student’s guidance committee. Three of the core master’s courses in criminal justice taught at MSU may not be used toward doctoral program requirements (CJ 811, CJ 812, CJ 887).
Advanced Research Methods (6 credits)
Students must complete two 3-credit doctoral-level 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.
Qualifying Papers
Students will complete two qualifying papers (this is the program’s comprehensive exam requirement). Qualifying papers allow for the assessment of adequate student learning in criminological or criminal justice theory and research methods in criminology and criminal justice. 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 literature in ways consistent with high-quality peer-reviewed publications.
Dissertation (24 credits)
Students 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 8 years from the time of the first enrollment as a doctoral student.
Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR)
MSU’s Graduate School has developed minimum education requirements for all graduate students regarding the Responsible and Ethical Conduct of Research (RECR for short). RECR training is also a federal requirement for all graduate students and completion of the training must be tracked. The RECR requirements are outlined by The Graduate School at the following LINK.
- Documents
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Graduates
2025
Kaelyn Sanders - Arizona State University
2024
Travis Carter – University of South Florida
Noah Turner – University of Nebraska Omaha, NCITE Research Associate
Matthew Galasso – Michigan State University2023
Elizabeth Adams – Temple University
Ashleigh LaCourse – University of Cincinnati, Research Associate
Yongjae (David) Nam – University Texas San Antonio
Amanda Osuna – University of Tampa
Jennifer Paruk – Rutgers University, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Stephen Oliphant – University of Michigan, Postdoctoral Research Associate
Kayla Hoskins – Yale School of Medicine, Postdoctoral Fellow
Meagan Abel – RTI International
Rae Boratto – Monitor Conservation Research Society2022
Spencer Lawson – University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School, Research Scientist
Fiona Chan - Indiana University Bloomington
Mark Gibson - Director, Nurture Nature Campaign
Katie Darcy – University of Michigan-Dearborn
Ariel Roddy – University of Utah
Christine Kwiatkowski – Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Research Scientist2021
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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