Graduate Program FAQs

PhD Domestic & International: January 15, 2024

PhD Fellowship and Priority: December 1, 2023

MA Domestic & International: February 15, 2024

For more details on the application process, visit https://clj.uic.edu/academics/graduate-studies/graduate-admissions.

We are a non-traditional department focusing on critical criminology, law and society, and the study of justice. Various philosophers, historians, linguists, and social scientists comprise our faculty, contributing to a vibrant program. In addition to our diverse faculty, we also have concentrations in and relationships with other departments and programs such as Black Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, Survey Research Methodology, and Latin American and Latino Studies.

For more information about the department at large, faculty and their research, and interdisciplinary concentrations, visit the following links:

• About: https://clj.uic.edu/about/
• Faculty: https://clj.uic.edu/people/faculty
• Concentrations: https://clj.uic.edu/academics/graduate-studies/interdisciplinary-concentrations/

MA requirements: https://catalog.uic.edu/gcat/colleges-schools/liberal-arts-sciences/clj/ma/

PhD requirements: https://catalog.uic.edu/gcat/colleges-schools/liberal-arts-sciences/clj/phd/

Currently, the CLJ Department does NOT require the GRE.

The CLJ Department is currently waiving the GRE. However, the Admissions Office may require an English proficiency test for international students. For more information on international admissions, visit https://grad.uic.edu/admissions/degree-admission/international-admission.

We recommend contacting the Admissions Office about any specific questions relating to additional requirements, as they may be better equipped to answer.

Unfortunately, the CLJ Department is unable to waive the application fee. However, UIC does offer application fee waivers for students who meet certain requirements: https://admissions.uic.edu/graduate-professional/application-process/application-fee-waivers.

Unfortunately, the CLJ Department is unable to waive the international student application fee. This policy is set by the university, and we have no control over it. If you have any questions, please contact the Graduate College at https://grad.uic.edu/ and the Office of International Services at https://ois.uic.edu/.

For more information on fee waiver qualifications, visit https://admissions.uic.edu/graduate-professional/application-process/application-fee-waivers.

Application fee waivers: https://admissions.uic.edu/graduate-professional/application-process/application-fee-waivers

International requirements: https://admissions.uic.edu/graduate-professional/requirements-deadlines/international-requirements

General inquiries (Immigration, Visas, etc.): https://ois.uic.edu/

The CLJ Department does not require applicants to reach out to specific faculty members. However, we do not discourage students from reaching out to faculty members that have the same topical interest. Applicants are also encouraged to mention any specific faculty they are interested in working with in their Statements of Purpose, though supervision and advising decisions occurs after admission. Our list of faculty members and their research interests can be found here: https://clj.uic.edu/people/faculty/.

No. PhD applicants are not automatically considered for the MA program. It will be up to the CLJ admissions committee to decide if they would like to consider an applicant for the MA instead of the PhD program.

No. The CLJ graduate program is an in-person program, on site in Chicago, IL.

While most graduate level courses start later in the day, others may start earlier. Each semester may also be different.

The statement of purpose is one of the most important documents in your application. While we cannot tell applicants exactly what to put in their personal statement, we do offer some tips here: https://clj.uic.edu/academics/graduate-studies/graduate-admissions/guidelines-for-statement-of-purpose/.

CLJ

Criminology, Law and Justice is one of the largest UG programs in LAS (College of Liberal Arts and Sciences) at UIC. This means that for most years, we are able to fund most (sometimes all) grad students (that require funding) through Teaching Assistantships. Although we prioritize PhD students for funding, and therefore do not guarantee full funding for MA students, we are often able to fund most MA students who can work as teaching assistants.

Because of this informal structure, our teaching needs, and growth, we are able to fund PhD students beyond what is usually in a formal offer letter (beyond 4-5 years). The teaching assistantship is a 9-month appointment that pays a monthly stipend (for Fall and Spring only, no Summer) plus tuition waivers. The current rate and details can be found here, and a breakdown of tuition and fees can be found here. In the application, please indicate the sources of funding most applicable to you (you will be asked to rank them by preference). We also recommend pursuing external funding if applicable (like Fulbright or AAUW, for example). See here for further resources.

If you already have employment or are not able to take up a teaching assistantship position, we do offer a few tuition waivers. Please refer to the Graduate College for more information on tuition and fee waivers. Students who apply by the priority deadline are eligible for fellowships set by the university. Fellowships are competitive and come with a tuition waiver. A list of fellowships, due dates, and requirements can be found here.

UIC

The following links include general information on funding, fellowships, graduate assistantships, and tuition and fee waivers for graduate students at UIC:

• Funding: https://grad.uic.edu/funding-awards/graduate-funding-overview/
• Fellowships: https://grad.uic.edu/funding-awards/graduate-funding-overview/
• Graduate Assistantships: https://hr.uic.edu/employees/new-employees/uic-101/graduate-assistants/
• Tuition and fee waivers: https://grad.uic.edu/graduate-college-tuition-and-fee-waivers