Admission Requirements
Admission to graduate study is competitive and is based on evaluation
of the total record of the applicant. Applicants generally have an
undergraduate major in Criminology or related discipline. We generally
expect a grade point average of at least 3.0 (i.e., B). The Graduate
Record Examination General Test is required, and students must achieve
acceptable scores on both the verbal and quantitative parts. The
Graduate School requires a minimum GRE score of 1000 (verbal +
quantitative), and the average GRE score of entering Criminology
graduate students is over 1100. While Graduate School regulations
address only verbal and quantitative scores, the Department also
considers the GRE analytical score. Admission decisions are based on
the entire application file; GRE scores are only one component, albeit
an important one. Students are occasionally admitted with scores below
the minimum if other aspects of their application show considerable
achievement and promise. Conversely, average or above-average scores do
not guarantee admission.
Applicants whose highest earned degree is a bachelor's degree are
admitted into the master's program, with the expectation that they will
pursue a Ph.D. degree. They may be admitted into the doctoral program
upon
completion of the M.A. degree in Criminology and Law and approval of
the department.
Applicants who already have an earned master's degree in Criminology or
closely related field from another accredited U.S. university may be
admitted directly into the Ph.D. program. Direct admission to the Ph.D.
program is highly selective. A maximum of 30 semester hours of transfer
credit toward the Ph.D. requirement of 90 hours will be allowed for
students with an accredited master's degree in Criminology received
within seven years of University of Florida entry. Applicants with
master's degrees in other fields or whose master's degree is more than
seven years old should inquire whether any transfer credit will be
allowed; no evaluation can be given until after the applicant has been
accepted.
Required Materials
The full admission file includes:
- An admission application. The procedure
for obtaining application forms is described below.
- The graduate fellowship and assistantship
application is required to apply for these types of financial aid.
- Three letters of recommendation: The most
useful letters are from college instructors who can address the
applicant's readiness to do graduate work in criminology.
- A statement of purpose (two to four
pages): The statement of purpose should describe the applicant's
reasons for undertaking graduate study in criminology, including both
educational and personal experiences that have influenced the decision
to attend graduate school. It should also describe the applicant's
future career plans. The statement should describe the planned area of
concentration within criminology if it has already been chosen.
- Transcripts of all college work. An
official, sealed copy of each transcript must be sent to the Admissions
Office. The department copy may be an unofficial transcript or a
photocopy.
- Test Scores:
- All applicants: An official report of
scores on the Graduate Record Examination General Test is required for
all applicants. The GRE test is a computer-based exam in the U.S.
Information on testing options, registration dates, and exam dates is
available from college placement offices, directly from the GRE
Program, Educational Testing Service, P.O. Box 6000, Princeton, NJ
08541-6000, or from the GRE website.
Allow adequate time after you take the test for results to be reported
to the University of Florida. For applications received after June 30,
1999, the test must have been taken within the previous five years.
- International applicants: All
international applicants must submit a score on the TOEFL examination.
International applicants for a teaching assistantship must also submit
a Test of Spoken English (TSE) score. Teaching assistantships
constitute the majority of the department's financial aid funds.
Students from certain
countries where English is the official language are exempt from
the TOEFL requirement, but they may be required to submit a TSE score.
Applicants who are exempt from the TOEFL requirement should inquire
whether the TSE is required. Information on the TOEFL and TSE tests is
available from the Educational Testing Service website.
These materials are submitted in different ways, as described below.
Materials to be returned to the University
Office of Admissions:
The following materials must be sent to the university admissions
office at the address listed at the top of page one of the application.
Each of these items is described above:
- The Graduate School admission application
- Official copies of all college
transcripts. The admissions copy must be an official sealed transcript
sent in its original, sealed envelope.
- The University of Florida must receive an
official report of GRE scores (plus TOEFL and TSE scores for
international applicants) directly from the Educational Testing Service.
Materials to be returned to the Criminology
and Law Department
The following materials must be sent to the department (Graduate
Admissions Committee, Department of Criminology and Law, University of
Florida, Box 115950, Gainesville, Fl. 32611-5950). Each of these items
is described above:
- The department copy of the application
(online applicants need not submit the department copy of the
application).
- The statement of purpose described above.
- Three letters of recommendation.
Recommendation letters should be returned directly by the person
completing the recommendation.
- Copies of all college transcripts
(unofficial copies or legible photocopies are acceptable).
- A photocopy of GRE scores (plus TOEFL and
TSE scores for international applicants).
- Applicants for financial aid must submit
the graduate fellowship and assistantship application (on paper)
directly to the department.
Deadline
The deadline for submission of all application materials for fall
semester fellowship and assistantship consideration is February 1.
We strongly urge all applicants to complete their files by February
1st. Applications for admission alone may be accepted until
approximately
March 1, depending upon the availablility of openings. This
latter date changes from year to year, so it is
important to consult the Graduate Coordinator for this year's date.
The University of Florida permits students to enter graduate study at
the beginning of any term. However, spring term admissions are unusual
and entry in the fall term is very
strongly preferred because it enhances students' ability to take
courses in the proper sequence.
The Department Admission
Procedure
The department admissions committee usually meets weekly during the
admissions season and considers applications as soon as they are
complete. The committee decides to admit, deny, or defer consideration
until later in the admissions season. We notify applicants of the
admission decision as soon as we can offer definite word. We do not
ordinarily notify students whose applications are incomplete or for
whom consideration has been deferred. Applicants are welcome to inquire
at any time concerning the status of their application.
Consideration for admission, assistantship, and fellowship begins
February 1.
Applicants are admitted, given an award, put on a wait list, or
notified that we
will not be able to offer them funding. We notify applicants of our
decision as soon as possible after February 1, but do not ordinarily
notify wait list applicants of their status until we can offer definite
word on funding. Applicants who have not heard about their funding
status by March 15 are welcome to make an enquiry. Normally, all
decisions related to admissions are made by April 15, and all
applicants not previously notified will be notified on or shortly after
that date.
If you have questions on the status of your application, please contact
us. E-mail contact is encouraged, rather than telephone, because we
must consult your file before we can provide status information.
To Apply Online or Obtain a
Paper Application
There are two ways to apply. You may apply online or use your web
browser to print paper copies of application forms. For more detail or
to choose among these options,
please proceed to our application page. |
