Chair: Barbara Zsembik
Graduate Coordinator: Monika Ardelt

The Department of Sociology and Criminology & Law offers several programs of graduate study leading to the Ph.D. in Sociology, the Ph.D. in Criminology, Law and Society, the MA in Sociology, the MA in Criminology, Law and Society, and a Joint MA in Criminology/JD degree. The department also partners with the School of Natural Resources and Environment Department to offer the Ph.D. or MA in Interdisciplinary Ecology. Advanced undergraduate majors may complete a combined BA/MA degree in Sociology or a combined BA/MA degree in Criminology, Law and Society.

Combined BA/MA Degree Program in Criminology & Law

Requirements and Recommendations

What is the Combined BA/MA Degree Program?

The BA/MA program provides academically talented students an opportunity to complete a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in a shorter period of time. The program allows students to explore graduate work in criminology before entering a graduate program. If the student then applies and is accepted into the graduate program (see application procedures for the graduate program), 12 hours of graduate coursework will double-count toward both the B.A. and the M.A., thus reducing the time it would normally take to complete both degrees. Please note, however, if a student is not serious about pursuing an M.A. in criminology, the program is not recommended.

Minimum Requirements for Competitive Admission

• at least a 3.5 overall UF GPA
• completion of CCJ 3024 Advanced Principles of Criminal Justice (3 cr.), CCJ 3701 Research Methods in Criminology (4 cr.), CCJ 4014 Criminological Theory (3 cr.), and CJL 3038 Law and Society (3 cr.) with an overall GPA of 3.5 and no grade lower than a B in any criminology course
• one letter of recommendation from a criminology faculty member
• a personal statement of purpose

Note: meeting these minimum requirements does not guarantee admission into the combined degree program.

How to Apply

Students may apply for the combined BAMA program anytime from their second year forward, but students will most likely apply during the second semester of their junior year. We require undergraduate students to submit all application materials by October 15 for admission to the spring semester and by March 15 for admission to the fall semester for full consideration. Undergraduate students in the BA/MA program must apply for admission into the graduate program just like any other graduate applicant to continue their graduate work.

The following steps should help in the application process:

1. Plan ahead when scheduling courses through the junior year (see sample schedule below). All four of the criminology required courses and all of the student’s general education requirements should be completed by the end of the student’s junior year.
2. At the beginning of the semester in which the student is applying to the program, the student should approach a criminology faculty member about writing a letter of recommendation. The student should also begin working on a personal statement of purpose. The following guidelines should help with writing the statement.
   1. Length-2 to 4 pages
   2. The statement should describe:
      1. Applicant’s reasons for undertaking graduate study in criminology
      2. Applicant’s future career plans
      3. Planned area of concentration within criminology
3. By October 15th of the fall semester or March 15th of the spring semester the student must submit the following items to the Undergraduate Coordinator:
   1. Personal statement of purpose
   2.  Letter of recommendation
   3.  UF’s combined BA/MA application form

Requirements Once Admitted into the Combined BA/MA Program

Once admitted into the BA/MA program, students complete 12 graduate credit hours for the combined degree before graduation. Six of the 12 credits must be the required CLS courses of Seminar in Criminological Theory (CCJ 6920 Seminar in Criminological Theory (3 cr.)) and Introduction to Quantitative Methods (CCJ 5934 Contemporary Issues in Criminology and Law (3 cr.)). The remaining 6 graduate credits are based on the student’s interests. See a listing of graduate courses on our web site. Again, keep in mind that acceptance into the combined BA/MA program does not mean automatic admittance into the Master’s program upon graduation. The student must still take the GRE and submit an admission application for graduate study in Criminology and Law.

Model Plan of Study for BA/MA Program

(assuming fall entry in senior year)

Contact Us

If you have questions about this combined degree program, contact the undergraduate coordinator.