Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence

Admission Requirements

• Graduate degree in area of social science (e.g. criminal justice, sociology, psychology, etc.) from a regionally accredited, four-year institution with at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures.
• Official Graduate Transcripts.
• Have completed with a grade of C or higher one graduate basic statistics course.
• Have completed with a grade of C or higher one graduate research methodology course.
• Official GRE (Graduate Record Examination) Scores: Students must take the GRE as a requirement for admission into the program. The Ph.D. program at UNG does not have a minimum GRE score, nor do the admission committees use a formula to determine admission eligibility. All aspects of the applicant’s file are taken into consideration for admission decisions. However, GRE scores that are well below a competitive range will greatly reduce your chances of admission. A 50th percentile score (about a 151 on Verbal and a 153 on Quant) is about average.
• One Academic Paper/Writing Sample: Single-authored writing sample that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability. Examples include a chapter from the applicant’s thesis or a paper written for course credit. The paper submitted should not be longer than 35 double-spaced pages.
• Three UNG recommendation forms
• Statement of Professional and Academic Goals: a 2-3 page statement that should include the applicant’s fields of interest and how the program will contribute to your goals.
• Current professional resume.
• Non-refundable application fee of $40. Pay with a credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) or electronic check (U.S. banks only) when completing the online application. Include a check or money order payable to UNG when submitting a paper application.
• Required supplemental documents may be uploaded with your application or emailed to grads@ung.edu

Please allow three business days after submitting your application for processing. You will receive an email from grads@ung.edu after your application has been reviewed for accuracy and updated with submitted documents. Please do not check your application status prior to receiving an email from this office as your online application checklist will not accurately reflect the required items for your program of interest.

Appeal of Admission

A candidate whose application is denied has the right to appeal the decision. A written letter of appeal must include strong evidence to support the basis for your appeal. The appeal should consist of information beyond what was previously submitted in your admissions file and detail your ability to be successful in graduate studies.

• Students whose appeals are granted will be admitted as provisional students.
• Students are not eligible for financial aid while taking courses under a provisional admission status.
• Students may not appeal for regular admission.

Appeals must be submitted to Graduate Admissions - University of North Georgia, 82 College Circle, Dahlonega, GA 30597-1001, or grads@ung.edu.

Academic Policies

Incomplete Grades

The Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice adheres to the uniform grading system in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog. No student carrying two incomplete grades may enroll in additional course work without the written consent of the graduate coordinator. Incompletes must be finished by the beginning of the second semester after which the incomplete was awarded. There are three semesters within the academic year – fall, spring, and summer. Incompletes that are not finished by the beginning of the second semester will automatically become an F grade. No degree will be conferred on a student who has an unresolved Incomplete grade.

Academic Standing Policy

Graduate students in the Department of Criminal Justice whose academic performance is unsatisfactory will be subject to the following:

• Suspension — Students will be suspended for any of the following reasons:
  • The student’s grade point average falls below 3.0 or
  • The student earns a grade of C or lower in any class.

No student may be a candidate for the degree with a grade point average below 3.0. No student may enroll in graduate courses at UNG while on suspension. Courses taken at another institution during the period of suspension will not be recognized for transfer credit.  A student may reapply to the program after a suspension period of three semesters from the date the student was removed by submitting to Graduate Admissions a letter of appeal presenting a rationale for readmission addressed to the graduate coordinator and a new application for readmission. The student will be readmitted only upon approval of the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters and the graduate coordinator.

Academic and Professional Integrity Policy

At the end of each semester, the program faculty or graduate coordinator may intervene to establish a plan of action for any student in the program whose competency is in question for reasons including unprofessional, disruptive, or unethical behavior in the classroom or applied setting. The plan will be signed by the student and the graduate coordinator with copies forwarded to the Department Chair of Criminal Justice and the Dean of the College of Arts & Letters.

Academic Integrity

The University of North Georgia recognizes honesty and integrity as being necessary to the academic functioning of the university. UNG graduate students are expected to uphold the university regulations addressed in the Student Code of Conduct, Article 3, Rule 2.

Professional Integrity

The Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence adheres to the university’s definition of professional integrity as described in the Academic Information section of the Graduate Catalog.

Degree Requirements

Graduation requirements for the Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence include:

1. Completion of 54 semester hours (30 semester hours of required core courses, 9 semester hours of electives, and 15 hours of directed reading and dissertation research).
2. Cumulative grade point average of 3.0.
3. Completion of all required courses and dissertation research in residence, with no more than nine semester hours of transfer credit.
4. Completion of all degree-related course requirements within a seven-year period.
5. Good standing in the Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence program.