Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Policy Studies (CJPS) Application Requirements:

1. Evidence of an awarded Baccalaureate Degree from an accredited college or university.
2. Quality of the applicant’s academic record, as evidenced by cumulative grade point average.
   At least a 3.0 or equivalent grade point average on the last 60 hours of undergraduate
   coursework or at least a 3.0 or equivalent grade point average on master’s coursework is
   required.
3. Submission of Graduate Record Examination (GRE) score is optional. There are no
   minimum GRE scores required. Applicants interested in having their GRE scores considered
   for admission must have their GRE scores submitted directly to The University of
   Mississippi. The GRE score must have been taken within five (5) years of application for
   admission to the Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Policy Studies program. The Ph.D. in Criminal
   Justice Policy Studies program does not accept Law School Admission Test (LSAT) or
   Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT) scores as substitutes for a GRE score.
4. Three (3) letters of recommendation, preferably from professors familiar with your academic
   qualifications and/or skills who are able to comment on your potential to be successful in a
   doctoral program.
5. Statement of Interest. A 400-500 word statement of interest that describes your interest in
   pursuing the Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Policy Studies, your future career goals, and why you
   believe you will be successful in the doctoral program.
6. Writing Sample. Submit a sample of your recent written work that best showcases your skills
   as a writer and critical thinker. Writing samples should be in English and be no less than 10
   double-spaced pages and no more than 35 pages double-spaced pages in length. There are no
   specific formatting requirements. This could be a term paper from a previous course, a thesis,
   a lead author academic publication (i.e., peer-reviewed journal article, encyclopedia/book
   chapter), professional report, policy brief, or any other document that demonstrates your
   writing and analytic skills.
7. Curriculum vitae or resume.
8. International students must demonstrate compliance with the University of Mississippi’s
   English Language Proficiency Score Requirements and Exemptions policy.