Application Requirements: Completed application forms, including a personal statement describing how your background and academic experiences have influenced your decision to pursue a graduate degree and led you to apply to Penn. Your essay should detail your specific research interests and intellectual goals within your chosen field. Please provide information about your educational trajectory, intellectual curiosity and academic ambitions. If you have experienced limited access to resources or opportunites in your field of study or had other challenges with respect to your education, please feel free to share those and how they have affected the course of your education.
- Your preparation for graduate-level studies, your motivation to study criminology at Penn and your future plans.
- Unofficial transcripts from all undergraduate and graduate institutions attended.
- Three letters of reference, with at least two from former professors or individuals who can evaluate academic performance.
- GRE scores are required. Results must be from a Graduate Record Examination (GRE) taken in the last five years. LSAT scores may be accepted in lieu of GRE scores if the test was taken in the last five years. Use school code 2926 to have your official scores sent directly to Penn.
- Writing sample 20 pages maximum
- Foreign Nationals: Results from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) for those who do not have transcripts with one year of study at an English-speaking university
Application Window:
- October 1st, 2025 - December 31st, 2025