phd in criminal justice and criminology

Criminology and Criminal Justice, PhD

• Program description
• At a glance
• Degree requirements
• Admission requirements
• Tuition information
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Advocacy, Corrections, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Justice, Police, Policing, Social Justice, Violence, law, sociology

Ranked No. 2 in the nation by U.S News & World Report, this doctoral program prepares you for success in numerous and varied professions. You can work with professors on innovative research projects exploring a range of important topics and study with world-renowned faculty.

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University offers an on-campus program of coursework and research leading to the PhD in criminology and criminal justice.

This program emphasizes criminal justice theory, research and policy, and is designed to produce highly skilled criminology and criminal justice faculty and agency researchers and administrators.

The doctoral program is organized around a core of required courses in research methods, analytic techniques, criminological theory, and policies and practices in the criminal justice system. The program offers distinctive elective courses in criminology, criminal justice and related fields. To complete the program, students complete both a comprehensive examination and a doctoral dissertation.

• College/school: Watts College of Public Service & Community Solut
• Location: Downtown Phoenix

84 credit hours, a written comprehensive exam, a prospectus and a dissertation

Required Core (12 credit hours) CRJ 601 Seminar on Criminological Theory (3) CRJ 602 Seminar on Criminal Justice Policies and Practices (3) CRJ 604 Regression Models (3) CRJ 605 Topics in Quantitative Methods (3)

Theory Coursework (6 credit hours) CRJ 521 Topics in Psychological Criminology (3) CRJ 523 Seminar in Network Criminology (3) CRJ 524 Theories of Punishment (3) CRJ 525 Seminar on Life-course Criminology (3)

Criminal Justice Systems Coursework (9 credit hours) CRJ 512 Seminar in Policing (3) CRJ 513 Seminar in Courts and Sentencing (3) CRJ 514 Seminar in Corrections (3) CRJ 517 Seminar on Juvenile Delinquency and Juvenile Justice (3)

Criminal Procedures Coursework (3 credit hours) CRJ 537 Criminal Procedure of Investigations for Social and Forensic Scientists (3) CRJ 538 Criminal Law and Social Control (3) CRJ 539 Topics in Law, Crime and Justice (3)

Research Methods (6 credit hours) CRJ 510 Criminal Justice Planning and Program Evaluation (3) CRJ 531 Crime Mapping (3) CRJ 540 Qualitative Methods (3) CRJ 560 Topics in Research Methods (3)

Electives (36 credit hours)

Culminating Experience (12 credit hours) CRJ 799 Dissertation (12)

Additional Curriculum Information A maximum of 30 credit hours of coursework from a previously awarded master's degree or JD may, with approval of the supervisory committee and the Graduate College, be applied toward the doctoral plan of study.

For the theory, criminal justice systems, criminal procedures and research methods courses, students select the number of required credit hours from the list provided. Other courses may be substituted with approval of the academic unit.

The following professional development workshop courses are recommended but not required: CRJ 614 Professional Development Workshop I: Professionalization CRJ 615 Professional Development Workshop II: Preparing to Teach Effectively CRJ 616 Professional Development Workshop III: Navigating the Academic Job Market in CCJ

All students must demonstrate proficiency in research design as well as quantitative and qualitative methods.

Applicants must fulfill the requirements of both the Graduate College and the Watts College of Public Service and Community Solutions.

Applicants will often hold a master's degree from an accredited institution; it may be in criminal justice, criminology or another field (e.g., sociology, political science, history, social work, public administration, psychology or philosophy). Our program also allows for direct admission into our doctoral program for highly qualified students with only a bachelor's degree; these students will earn their master's degree along the way to completing their doctoral degree.

Applicants must have a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.00 (scale is 4.00 = "A") in an applicable master's degree program.

All applicants must submit:

• graduate admission application and application fee
• official transcripts
• two letters of recommendation
• current curriculum vitae or resume
• personal statement
• sample of the applicant's written work
• proof of English proficiency.

Additional Application Information An applicant whose native language is not English must provide proof of English proficiency regardless of their current residency. Requirements can be found on the admission services website .

Official transcripts must be submitted from every university or institution from which a degree was awarded.

The letters of recommendation must be from faculty members or others qualified to evaluate the applicant's academic potential for doctoral study.

The personal statement should not exceed five pages, and it should describe the applicant's prior education, relevant professional experience and career goals. The statement must explain how the doctorate in criminology and criminal justice will help the applicant attain their goals. The statement should explicitly explain how the student's plans are consistent with the role and mission of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at ASU.

The applicant's sample of written work should be submitted electronically. The writing sample may be an article (published or unpublished), a research paper or any other extended sample of expository skill, and the sample must be no longer than 35 pages. Longer writing samples should not be submitted without first consulting the graduate director. Documents should not be password protected. Acceptable file types are .rtf, .pdf, and .doc.

Students should see the unit website for application deadlines.

Program learning outcomes identify what a student will learn or be able to do upon completion of their program. This program has the following program outcomes:

• Apply appropriate theoretical principles and procedures to issues and problems at the frontiers of criminology and the criminal justice system.
• Select appropriate data collection and data analysis techniques for conducting criminology and criminal justice research.
• Able to conduct dissertation research resulting in an original contribution to knowledge in criminology and criminal justice.

Graduates of the criminology and criminal justice doctorate program find a strong job market in the public and private sectors. Employment opportunities include supervisory and management positions in criminal justice agencies (federal, state and local), policymaking, and teaching and research, such as:

• city, county and state government liaison to criminal justice agencies
• court administrator
• detective or investigator
• evidence and crime scene supervisor (CSI activities)
• forensic scientist
• intelligence analyst
• law enforcement or police crime analysis supervisor
• policy analyst
• probation, parole or community supervisor
• professor of criminal justice

Opportunities also include supervisory and management positions in social service agencies, such as:

• child and family services (e.g., Head Start, child support enforcement, foster care, elder care)
• Department of Economic Security
• homeless outreach
• victim advocacy

Graduates also have the opportunity to work in supervisory and management positions in the private sector, including online security, as well as in the cybersecurity sector.

School of Criminology and Criminal Justice | UCENT 600 [email protected] 602-496-2356

Criminology and Criminal Justice, Ph.D.

College of Arts and Sciences

The coursework and research of the Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice emphasizes criminological theory, criminal justice system operations, research and policy.

The program is designed to provide rigorous advanced training that educates and prepares highly competent criminology and criminal justice faculty members, agency researchers and administrators.

Program Highlights

A notable faculty.

Learn from some of the nation’s leading criminology and criminal justice researchers and instructors.

Conduct research that is vital to designing effective policy interventions and criminal justice system practices.

Experiential Learning

Enhance your knowledge through internships with local criminal justice-related agencies or organizations.

Competitive Assistantships

Keep your focus on your studies and research with financial support from graduate assistantships.

What You’ll Study

Faculty interests span many crime- and criminal justice-related topics, including policing, courts, corrections, law and policy, criminological theory, sentencing, victimization and program evaluation. Graduates are trained for academia or criminal justice system roles where they can teach, research or influence policy and practice.

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

Data Analysis

Examining and interpreting information to uncover insights and inform decision making

Inspiring and guiding others to achieve common goals and reach their full potential

Public Speaking

Delivering a message or presentation to an audience effectively and persuasively

Gathering and analyzing information to increase knowledge or solve problems

Foster learning by conveying knowledge, skills and concepts to students

Creating professional written content for inclusion in scholarly journal articles, books and reports

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Learn how alumni use degrees with outcome data from Gamecock GradStats , a service of the University of South Carolina Career Center.

Potential Careers

Workplace settings.

• Research Organizations
• Social Science Research Institute
• U.S. Department of Justice
• University of South Carolina
• Notre Dame of Maryland University
• University of Nevada-Las Vegas
• University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
• University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

The faculty guided me to actively engage in research with criminal justice agencies, which brought me real-world knowledge and experience. Thanks to them, I’m able to provide my students with effective teaching while conducting research independently and collaboratively.

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PhD Justice, Law & Criminology

You are here: american university school of public affairs phd programs phd justice, law & criminology.

PhD Justice, Law & Criminology (On-Campus)

Prepare for university teaching and research, and a career as an authority and leader in fields related to justice, law, criminology, and homeland security.

(202) 885-6230

[email protected]

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At the Epicenter of Effectiveness

The PhD in Justice, Law & Criminology in the School of Public Affairs draws from the breadth and depth of resources across American University. Our program is rooted in contemporary theory, principles, practices, and research methods in criminology, criminal justice, terrorism and homeland security studies, and legal studies. Students come here not only for the academics, but for the chance to work firsthand with experts in our nation's capital.

Our students organize their programs around two fields of study. Our department offers options in three fields: Justice, Law & Society, and Terrorism & Political Violence. PhD students select one of these as their primary field. Their secondary field may be one of the other two, or they can take courses in Political Methodology or Public Policy from other departments in the School of Public Affairs. Students also have the flexibility to select relevant coursework from other schools at AU, or to take courses in another PhD-granting department at AU or through the Consortium of Universities of the Washington Metropolitan Area, which includes George Washington University, Georgetown University, George Mason University, University of Maryland, and others.

Connection & Impact

SPA's PhD in Justice, Law & Criminology puts our students in the middle of one the best places to influence change in crime and policing, terrorism and homeland security, and the criminal justice system. They dive into research that addresses today's most pressing challenges and produce scholarship with real-world connection and immediate impact.

Each of our doctoral programs reflects values that guide the School of Public Affairs. We encourage engagement and discourse to influence policy makers; formulate critical thinking skills that are crucial to advancing lines of inquiry; cultivate strong leadership skills; prioritize evidence-based reasoning and analytics when addressing societal issues; and challenge the guideposts on equity, fairness, and inclusion to ground students in the institutions of justice and the rule of law. Along the way, we champion truth and self-awareness, as students undertake personal and professional journeys.

The PhD degree in Justice, Law & Criminology requires 36 credit hours of coursework.

All students must complete 12 credits of research design and methodology courses, 12 credits in their primary field of study, and 12 credits in their secondary field of study.

As work on the dissertation project progresses, students register for dissertation credit in order to maintain enrollment. They take Doctoral Continuing Enrollment (JLC-898) and Doctoral Dissertation (JLC-899) after their dissertation proposals are approved.

A minimum grade point average of 3.20 in all coursework is required to remain in good standing and to earn the degree. Full-time status is considered to be nine credit hours per semester.

Students advance to PhD candidacy by successfully completing all required courses, passing the oral qualifier and two written comprehensive exams (one in each of their fields of study), and defending their dissertation proposals. To earn the degree, students must pass a final oral defense of the dissertation.

More information about course requirements can be found here .

For more information, please contact the SPA Graduate Admissions Office at 202-885-6230 or [email protected] .

Applicants are considered and students admitted for the fall semester only. Please refer to the application deadlines page for the deadline to apply. 

While previous academic or professional work in justice, law, or criminology is not required, applicants need to demonstrate a serious commitment to a career in this field. The personal statement on reasons for pursuing graduate study in the program is essential, along with the other required application materials .

We accept PhD applicants for full-time study only. Students must be funded either by the School of Public Affairs or by an external sponsoring organization (self-funding is not permitted for newly-admitted doctoral students).

The PhD in Justice, Law & Criminology is a 36-credit-hour program for students who already have a related master’s degree. To estimate the cost of tuition, please see the current cost per credit hour for graduate students.

Unless applicants expect to be funded through a reliable external source, they must request consideration for funding on their application. Upon acceptance into the program, students selected for AU funding are granted a fellowship with full funding for four years of study, contingent on maintaining satisfactory progress each year, with opportunities for further funding available.

As a requirement for the fellowship, students work 20 hours a week with a faculty member. If at all possible, our graduate office will assign students to faculty members with expertise in their areas of research interest.

Students must advance to candidacy by the end of their third year of study to continue receiving funding and to maintain their enrollment.

• Justice, Law, & Criminology Department
• Curriculum & Requirements
• Program Handbook

90 percent of SPA graduates are employed or in graduate school, or both within six months of graduation

Academic Catalog 2023-2024

Criminology and justice policy, phd.

The doctoral program in criminology and justice policy at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University seeks to prepare students for professional and research careers in criminal justice, criminology, and related fields by applying multidisciplinary and comparative social science to understand, predict, and explain crime and contribute to the development of public policy within urban communities. Using an active-learning approach, the school seeks to develop its students intellectually and ethically, while providing them with a keen appreciation for the complexities of crime and public and private efforts to make communities safer and to ensure justice. 

The program is full time and is small and student centered. Students may enter the program with either a bachelor's degree or a master's degree. It is expected that students will be able to complete the program in four to five years, and students entering with a master's degree will be able to complete the program in three to five years.

Year one in the doctoral program offers students an opportunity to obtain a broad foundational knowledge in the discipline: one semester on theories of criminal justice process, two semesters of criminological theory, two semesters of statistics, and one semester of advanced research methods. To ensure that all students have mastered the foundational material emphasized across the required courses for the PhD program and can successfully integrate theory, research, and policy, all PhD students take a “foundations” qualifying examination at the end of their first year in the doctoral program.  

After demonstrating mastery of the foundational knowledge in year one, students devote themselves to a more specific area of research in years two and three. Students demonstrate this commitment through the second and third qualifying examinations: an area exam and a publishable paper.

Following successful completion of the three qualifying examinations, and required and elective course work, the students proceed to a formal dissertation proposal defense.

Doctoral Degree Candidacy

A student achieves candidacy when they have successfully completed all course work (54 semester hours for students entering with a bachelor's degree or 42 semester hours for students entering with advanced standing), passed all three qualifying examinations, and deposited the final version of their dissertation proposal (approved by their full committee) with the school’s graduate program office. Candidacy is certified, in writing, by the college.

Bachelor's Degree Entrance

Complete all courses and requirements listed below unless otherwise indicated.

Annual review Three qualifying examinations—foundations exam, area exam, and publishable paper Dissertation committee Dissertation proposal PhD candidacy Dissertation defense

Core Requirements

Dissertation

Program Credit/GPA Requirements

54 total semester hours required Minimum 3.500 GPA required

Advanced Degree Entrance

Annual review Three qualifying examinations—foundations exam, area exam, and publishable paper Dissertation committee Dissertation proposal Candidacy achieved Dissertation defense

42 total semester hours required Minimum 3.500 GPA required

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Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology

Program description.

The PhD in Criminology degree program is an interdisciplinary, research-oriented degree offered in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at UT Dallas. The objective of the PhD program is to provide students a coherent, yet intellectually challenging degree that adequately prepares them to conduct research among the many aspects of criminology and criminal justice, varying with individual interests and areas of specialty. Graduates of the PhD program will be qualified to teach at the university level as professors. Graduates will also be competent to enter into analytic and administrative posts within the vast array of research and policy institutions, criminal justice organizations, and in the private sector.

Career Opportunities

Graduates of the program seek positions such as: academics and teaching; criminologist, policy advisor or research officer in state and federal justice agencies; analytical and administrative positions in international and domestic research and policy institutions; and positions in legal and corrections systems and non-profits and private consulting.

Marketable Skills

Review the marketable skills for this academic program.

Application Requirements

Degree requirements: The PhD in Criminology seeks applicants from a baccalaureate in criminology, sociology or a relevant discipline.

GPA: A score of 3.5 is preferred.

Test score required: Yes

A combined verbal and quantitative score of 300 on the GRE is preferred.

Letters of recommendation: 3

Applicants must submit three letters of recommendation from individuals who can judge the candidate’s probability of success in graduate school. Use the electronic request form in the graduate application to submit the letters. Contact the graduate academic program department if you have any questions.

Admissions essay required: Yes

A one-page essay outlining personal background, education, and professional objectives.

Deadlines: To be considered for funding opportunities, applications must be submitted in full by January 15. Students can apply as late as May 1, per University policy, but they will likely not be considered for funding opportunities. Students should note their desire to be considered for graduate funding in their letter of intent at the time of application.

About the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences

Every new generation inherits a world more complex than that of its predecessors, which prompts a need for new thinking about public policies that impact people’s daily lives. In the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences (EPPS), we examine the implications of innovation and change for individuals and communities. The social sciences are where the world turns to for answers to the important issues of today and the future such as education and health policy, financial crises, globalization, policing, political polarization, public management, terrorism, and the application of geographical information sciences to study social, economic and environmental issues.

As an undergraduate in EPPS, you will have the opportunity to work with professors who are probing issues that will affect your future. You will develop the vital skills you need to thrive in a rapidly evolving, highly competitive job market. EPPS will prepare you for careers in government, non-profits and the private sector that enable you to make a real difference in the world of today and tomorrow. EPPS is at the forefront of leadership, ethics and innovation in the public and nonprofit sectors. Our students and faculty look forward to new opportunities to study and address the complex and evolving issues of the future. Research informs much of the instruction. The school has four centers of excellence:

• Center for Global Collective Action
• Texas Schools Project
• Institute for Urban Policy Research
• The Negotiations Center

Degrees Offered

Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts : Criminology , economics , geospatial information sciences , international political economy , political science , public affairs , public health , public policy , sociology

Master of Science : Applied sociology , criminology , economics , geospatial information sciences , international political economy , social data analytics and research

Master of Arts : Political science

Master of Public Affairs : Public affairs

Master of Public Policy : Public policy

Doctor of Philosophy : Criminology , economics , geospatial information sciences , political science , public affairs , public policy and political economy

Certificates

EPPS offers the following 15-hour graduate certificates, which generally can be completed in one year of part-time evening classes:

• Economic and Demographic Data Analysis : focusing on the understanding and application of quantitative analysis of demographic and economic data.
• Geographic Information Systems (GIS) : focusing on the application of GIS in government, private sector and scientific areas.
• Geospatial Intelligence : focusing on the application of geospatial ideas and techniques to national security and other intelligence activity.
• Local Government Management : designed to broaden knowledge of important issues and approaches employed by professional local public administrators.
• Nonprofit Management : designed to provide an overview of the nature and context of nonprofit organizations and develop competencies needed by nonprofit managers.
• Program Evaluation : designed to provide students the opportunity to gain competencies in the design and implementation of program evaluations in fields such as education, health care, human services, criminal justice and economic development.
• Remote Sensing : focusing on remote sensing and digital image processing.

Contact Information

Patricia Pacheco Graduate Program Administrator Email: [email protected] Phone: 972-883-3548 Office: GR 2.402C

Degree Information Dr. John Worrall PhD Advisor Email: [email protected] Phone: 972-883-6901 Office: GR 2.126

EPPS Advising The University of Texas at Dallas 800 W. Campbell Road, GR 31 Richardson, TX 75080-3021 [email protected]

epps.utdallas.edu/

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Criminology, PhD

Penn's highly interdisciplinary Ph.D. in criminology combines the traditional concerns of criminologists with concepts, theories, and empirical research from a wide variety of academic disciplines. The program seeks to produce scholars of unusual breadth who can work creatively in academic or policy settings.

Working closely with faculty, students are encouraged to design their own curriculum and begin research very early in their graduate education. That curriculum will include several core courses taken in the first and second year. These include two courses in criminological theory, two courses in criminal justice policy, and two semesters of graduate level statistics.

For more information: http://crim.sas.upenn.edu/graduate

View the University’s Academic Rules for PhD Programs .

A minimum of 9 course units are required. Additional courses may be selected in consultation with student faculty advisor and graduate group chair.

The degree and major requirements displayed are intended as a guide for students entering in the Fall of 2024 and later. Students should consult with their academic program regarding final certifications and requirements for graduation.

A student who enters the Ph.D. program with a Bachelors degree will usually take 3 course units in each semester in their first two years and must complete all course requirements by the end of their third year.  All students must take 3 CUs in each semester to remain registered as full-time students.

After having completed the substantive, class-based course requirements, they normally fulfill remaining CUs by registering for CRIM 9999 Independent Study and Research .  They will also have passed the Candidacy Examination by the end of their second year. Students who enter with a Master's degree or other transfer credit may satisfy the formal course requirements more quickly. However, the Graduate Group Chair in conjunction with the student’s research supervisor has the flexibility to establish the optimal requirements for students. 

The customary maximum load for a Ph.D. student is four course units each semester; exceptions for a fifth course unit may be made in extraordinary cases upon approval of the Graduate Dean. The Graduate Group may establish examination requirements in addition to the University’s standards.

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PhD Criminology & Justice Policy

A research-oriented and practice-oriented doctoral program..

The doctoral program in Criminology and Justice Policy is student-centered with the goal of preparing students for academic careers as well as careers in research and policy development. Students of this full-time, fully-funded Ph.D. program complete the degree in five years on average. Through our curriculum, students learn the process of research from the ground-up. Our courses teach students to construct viable research questions through qualitative and quantitative analysis, write scholarly research articles, and create technical reports appropriate for policy consumption.

Additionally, Ph.D. students are offered several benefits throughout their studies, including:

• Possibilities for generous, full-year funding packages
• Extensive summer research opportunities
• Flex fellowship: one semester off from graduate assistantship responsibilities
• Experiential and dissertation completion fellowships

Doctoral students secure prestigious positions after graduation, including tenure-track professorships at Tier 1 research universities, post-doctoral fellowships, and research-and-policy-relevant agency employment.

Recent career outcomes:

• Florida State University, Assistant Professor
• Massachusetts Appeals Court, Staff Attorney
• New York University, Postdoctoral Fellow
• University of Chicago, Postdoctoral Fellow
• University of Montana, Assistant Professor
• University of Nebraska Omaha, Assistant Professor
• Apply acquired foundational knowledge in the field of criminology and justice policy to answer questions in the realm of criminology and justice policy.
• Identify and describe the role of systemic racism and intersecting dimensions of oppression in the development of policies and practices across the criminal justice system, as well as in crime and justice theory and research.
• Critique the knowledge base in a specific domain within the field of criminology and justice policy to demonstrate advanced mastery of theoretical explanations for crime, its causes and consequences.
• Design and carry out original research using methodological tools acquired to develop new theoretical or empirical insights and expand the knowledge base in the field of criminology and justice policy.

For additional information, contact:

Kevin Drakulich

Phd program director.

617.373.7427 [email protected]

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More programs, bs in criminal justice, bs/jd in law, criminology & criminal justice, ms in criminology & criminal justice, ms/jd law, criminology & criminal justice, phd/jd in law, criminology and justice policy.

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Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology

The Ph.D. in criminology is designed to prepare students to produce theoretically informed empirical scholarship related to issues of crime and justice policy. After completing graduate courses in criminological theory, criminal justice policy, and empirical methods, Ph.D. students take advanced graduate coursework consistent with their research focus. The program trains students to produce scholarly research that is disseminated to researchers and policymakers through refereed publications.

Advanced coursework typically involves courses in data science, econometrics, law, and sociology. The dissertation is completed under the supervision of faculty in the Department of Criminology. Normally Ph.D. students complete the degree within four academic years. Details on individual faculty research interests can be found here . Details on recent Ph.D. graduates of the program can be found below.

PROGRAM FEATURES

• Students are admitted directly into the Ph.D. program.
• Each student is assigned two faculty mentors and works with the graduate chair to design a hand-tailored curriculum. Typically Ph.D. students take several “core” criminology courses in the first and second year. These include two courses in criminological theory, two courses in criminal justice policy, and two semesters of graduate level statistics or data science.
• The “comprehensive exam” for the program consists of a working paper that may be part of a future dissertation proposal.
• The Ph.D. dissertation typically includes three publishable papers.

DOCTORAL ADMISSIONS

Who is eligible to apply.

We expect a successful applicant to have earned a Bachelor’s degree by the time she/he begins the doctoral program. A strong background in research is highly recommended. Admission is very competitive.

Should I apply to the master’s program or doctoral program in criminology at Penn?

The master’s program is designed for individuals interested in furthering their knowledge of criminology and criminal justice policy in preparation for a range of professional opportunities in government, research, and academia. The doctoral program is designed for individuals with demonstrated excellence in academic research interested in generating scientific research on the causes of crime and the consequences of criminal justice policy.

How should I decide if the Penn doctoral program is a good fit for me?

Visit Penn criminology faculty member web pages to find out what projects faculty are currently working on. Read their published studies. If you are excited by the research questions and/or methods being used, then Penn could be a good choice for you. You should be able to identify one or more faculty research areas that align with your own interests. 

Who makes admissions decisions?

Doctoral admissions decisions are made by the graduate admissions committee, which is composed of criminology faculty members.

How does funding normally work?

Admitted students will be given four years of fellowship funding. This includes tuition and stipend support during term time. Summer stipend support for three years is also included in the fellowship. 

Recent Doctoral Program Alumni

Colleen Berryessa (Rutgers University)

David Mitre Becerril (University of Connecticut)

Mary Cavanaugh (Hunter College, CUNY)

Ruiyun (Frances) Chen (Georgia State University)

Olivia Choy (Nanyang Technological University)

Reagan Daly (CUNY, Institute for State and Local Governance)

Ellen Donnelly (Delaware University)

Charlotte Gill (George Mason University)

Ben Grunwald (Duke University)

Seunghoon Han (Chung-Ang University)

Jordan Hyatt (Drexel University)

Jacob Kaplan (Princeton University)

Alex Knorre (Boston College)

Carla Lewandowski (Rowan University)

Shichun (Asminet) Ling (CSU Los Angeles)

Wendy McClanahan (McClanahan Associates)

Caroline Meyer Angel (University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing)

Ruth Moyer (University of Pennsylvania)

Ben Nordstrom (Behavioral Health Group)

Viet Nguyen (Center for Justice Innovation))

Evelyn Patterson (Georgetown University)

Jill Portnoy Donaghy (RAND Corporation)

Meredith Rossner (Australia National University)

Jane A. Siegel (Rutgers University)

Rebecca Umbach (Google)

Daniel Woods (U.S. Department of Homeland Security)

Yuhao Wu (Peking University)

Criminal Justice

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Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice

The program will prepare students for research, teaching and professional employment at universities, research institutes, and criminal justice related agencies, including, governmental agencies, related non-profit agencies, public policy institutes, or the private sector.

The Criminology and Criminal Justice Ph.D. provides an interdisciplinary, research oriented perspective for advanced understanding of the nature and causes of crime, consequences of crime and crime control, society's reaction to these phenomena, as well as the organizations that are designed to deter, apprehend, prosecute, and punish criminal offenders.

Unique Features

The UNLV Criminology and Criminal Justice Ph.D. program capitalizes upon the strengths of our faculty, and unique opportunities that exist as a function of our location in one of the most dynamic regions in the country, to allow us to offer a variety of exciting educational opportunities.

The Ph.D. program provides training in unique areas including: crowd management, surveillance studies, human trafficking, forensic testimony, and comparative criminal justice. These areas allow the department to produce graduates who are nationally and internationally recognized scholars and experts in innovative and entrepreneurial areas of growth. In addition, we offer training in more traditional areas of criminology and criminal justice, including policing, corrections, juvenile delinquency, gender and crime, and white collar/corporate crime.

In addition to traditional course work, students in the program will complete both a research and teaching practicum. These practicums are designed to provide a more well-rounded education for our students than other Ph.D. programs typically offer.

Research Practicum

The Research Practicum is designed to supplement students’ ability to present data in not only a traditional academic format, but for other audiences including professional organizations and media outlets. In addition students will prepare a research brief for publication through the Center for Crime and Justice Policy .

Teaching Practicum

The Teaching Practicum is designed to prepare students to develop professional presentations and teach independent courses and the university level. Students who complete the practicum will be educated in the best practices in teaching, enabling them to be better prepared to ultimately assume academic positions and/or deliver dynamic presentations in professional settings.

Additional Opportunities for Criminology and Criminal Justice Ph.D. students

Students will have the opportunity to work in a variety of research settings including, the Center for Crime and Justice Policy, the Crowd Management Research Council, the Forensic Testimony Laboratory, and Victimization Laboratory.

Admissions Requirements

Students may seek admissions after completing either a Bachelor’s degree in (Post-Bachelor’s Track) or after completing a Master’s degree (Post-Master’s Track) in Criminal Justice or related area.

The application deadline is January 1st.

Post-Bachelor's Track Admissions Requirements

• A bachelor's degree from an accredited institution with at least 18 hours of criminal justice-related courses
• A final minimum cumulative undergraduate GPA of 3.0 on a 4.0 scale - competitive GPAs are expected to be 3.5 or higher
• Submission of Verbal, Quantitative, and Writing Graduate Record Exam (GRE) scores - competitive minimum GRE scores are 153 for Quantitative Reasoning, 155 for Verbal Reasoning, and 4.5 for Analytical Writing
• Three letters of recommendation that address the applicant's character, work ethic, and potential to successfully complete a doctoral program - letters from faculty or academic supervisors are preferred
• One academic writing sample
• A personal statement of approximately 500 to 1,000 words describing personal and academic background, research interests, professional goals, a primary faculty member with whom the applicant wishes to work, and any other factors that suggest the applicant will perform well in the program
• A personal interview with program faculty members if selected as a finalist

Post-Master's Track Requirements:

• A master's degree in criminal justice from an accredited institution - exceptions may be made in exceptional cases if the candidate holds a master's degree in a criminal justice-related discipline
• A final minimum cumulative graduate GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale - competitive GPAs are expected to be 3.7 or higher
• A master's thesis and/or at least two original research papers written solely by the applicant - all submissions must be in English

Contact Information

Dr. seong park.

Email: [email protected]

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Criminology and Criminal Justice, PhD

School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, College of Public Affairs & Community Service

Vision Statement

The vision of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice is to be a program that is recognized nationally for its quality and impact on research and instruction. In terms of doctoral education, the aim is to foster a learning environment in which graduate students may gain the necessary knowledge, skills, and competencies to prepare them for careers in academia or in the public or private sectors. The curriculum emphasizes written and verbal communication skills, methodological competency, a strong statistical foundation, and hands-on research experience. Doctoral students will actively engage in research under the supervision of faculty, the Director of the School’s Nebraska Center for Justice Research, and/or the Director of the Juvenile Justice Institute.

Program Contact Information

Todd Armstrong, PhD, Doctoral Graduate Program Chair (GPC) 218 College of Public Affairs and Community Service Building (CPACS)  402.554.2326 [email protected]

Program Website

General Application Requirements and Admission Criteria

Program-Specific Requirements

Application deadline  (fall 2024).

• The PhD program only admits students for the fall semester. The application deadline for fall admission with graduate assistantship funding consideration is January 20th. 
• Application deadline for admission with no graduate assistantship funding is June 1.

Other Requirements

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice uses a holistic approach when evaluating application materials including the extent to which the applicant's interests align with faculty research areas and an interest in attracting a diverse student body with varying lived experiences. Admissions decisions are competitive with a limited number of qualified students admitted each fall semester. Applicants are typically notified of decision by mid-spring. 

• A Master of Arts or Master of Science degree in criminology or criminal justice from an accredited institution is required for unconditional admission into the program.
• Applicants holding a master’s degree in a related social science field (e.g., psychology, sociology, political science, public administration, etc.), but lacking substantive coursework in criminology and criminal justice may be granted provisional admission. Unconditional admission status will be granted upon successful completion of 18 hours of criminology and criminal justice core curriculum coursework.
• NOTE : All English as second language students will be required to complete a proficiency assessment examination upon admission. This assessment will be used to determine if further assistance is required.

Entrance Exam: Graduate Record Examination (GRE) scores are required.

A GRE score above 300 (combined verbal and quantitative portions) and writing score at or above 4.0 and above is preferred. Students not meeting this threshold but demonstrate their exceptional academic potential through other aspects of their application materials may also be considered.

• A statement of purpose should describe the applicant’s prior education experience, research interests, any relevant professional experience, and long term career goals. Applicants may note their interests in working with specific faculty members with whom their research interests align.
• Writing Sample:  This may be a chapter from a master’s thesis, a published article, or a term paper or manuscript written in a scholarly style.
• Letters of Recommendation: Three letters are required with at least two of the three letters must be submitted by professors who can attest to the applicant's academic strengths through experiences such as having the applicant as a student in their class and/or working under their direct supervision on research projects.

Degree Requirements

 This course may be substituted with a course from another department. Permission for course substitution must be granted by a student's supervisory committee and doctoral program chair. 

Both 8000- and 9000-level elective courses are available to doctoral students.   A maximum of six (6) hours of dual-level courses (8—6 course number) can be included in the program of study.

A maximum of six hours of directed readings ( CRCJ 9980 ) may be included in the program of study. These six hours can be used in preparation for the comprehensive examination. Directed readings intended for comprehensive exam prep may be taken in the semester before the administration of the comprehensive exam. All coursework, excluding coursework in the form of directed readings related to the comprehensive examination, must be completed within two and half (2.5) years from the time a student’s program of study is approved by the dean for graduate studies. All students will be required to complete all courses listed as required courses. Students also must take elective courses in criminal justice or related fields.

Students are expected to complete 36 hours of coursework within two years except in extraordinary circumstances. Some of these hours may be taken during summer semesters.

Comprehensive Examination and Admission to Candidacy

After completion of 36 hours of coursework, doctoral students will be required to pass a comprehensive examination. The examination has two parts-criminological theory and criminal justice systems. Students are expected to take both  comprehensive examinations during the fall and spring semesters of their third year in the program. 

Dissertation

Students may register for dissertation credits after successful completion of one comprehensive examination. The dissertation must reflect original scholarship and contribute to the body of knowledge on criminology and criminal justice. The dissertation topic must be approved by the student’s dissertation committee, which consists of a chair and three other members. One committee member must be a faculty member from outside the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice. The dissertation topic, prospectus, and the dissertation all require the approval of the dissertation committee. A doctoral student will be required to take at least one hour of CRCJ 9990 each fall and spring semester while working toward the completion of the dissertation. A minimum of 20 credit hours of CRCJ 9990 is required for all doctoral students.

Total Credit Hours

A minimum of 92 graduate hours beyond the baccalaureate degree. This includes up to 30 hours earned in a master’s degree. Satisfactory completion of a teaching practicum is also required.

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Criminology, Law and Society Ph.D. program

​​ The Ph.D. program in Criminology, Law and Society is ranked #2 in the US News and World Reports rankings. The program focuses on the causes, manifestations, and consequences of crime; the impacts of crime on society; social regulation; the civil justice system; the social and cultural contexts of law; and the interactive effects of law and society. With high-caliber faculty and an interdisciplinary perspective, the program aims to develop students’ theoretical and methodological sophistication to prepare them for faculty positions at major universities and colleges or for research, training, and administrative work in the justice system.   

Program Overview

In this doctoral program, students must pass nine (9) required courses and four (4) electives, all with a grade of B or higher. For a description of the following courses and others, please visit the UCI Course Catalogue .

Students are also required to complete a Second Year Project, pass comprehensive examinations (comps), prepare & defend a dissertation proposal, and prepare & defend a dissertation.

Second Year Project/Master's Thesis

Beginning in their first year, students initiate independent research projects under faculty supervision. Approaches to research vary widely and may include questionnaire and survey analysis, systematic field observation, computer simulation, archival searches, ethnographies, oral histories, and legal analysis. This project is further expanded on and completed during the second year. This Second Year Project is designed to introduce students to developing their own research projects and writing for an academic audience. The report of the Second Year Project should be comparable in scope and format to articles that appear in leading journals within the field of criminology, law and society. Each project is evaluated and approved by the advisor and one other faculty member.

Students may submit the written report of their Second Year Project as a Master's Thesis for an M.A. in Social Ecology. For the Ph.D. degree, however, an M.A. is not required, and most students move directly to the completion of the doctoral requirements.

Comprehensive Exams

The comprehensive examination (comps) is an untimed take-home written exam consisting of two essays, to be completed in the third year of graduate study. The goal of comps is to allow graduate students to demonstrate mastery of major theoretical, substantive, and methodological issues in both criminology and law & society. The examination consists of two sections – criminology, and law & society. Beginning in 2021, students must complete the exam by the first day of classes in the Winter Quarter of their third year (adjusted for any Leaves of Absence), and must pass all sections of the exam by the last day of classes in Winter Quarter of their third year (adjusted for any Leaves of Absence). Students who do not pass one or both sections on the first attempt will retake the failed section(s) in the subsequent quarter. Students are allowed to take the exam twice, but must pass all sections according to this timeline.

Dissertation

During the fourth year of study, students draft and defend a proposal for dissertation research. The proposal is developed under the guidance of a faculty advisor, and clearly presents the research questions, theories, and methods which will inform the doctoral dissertation project. Once students complete the proposal, they must defend the proposal to a committee comprised of the faculty advisor and four other faculty members. Upon approval of the defense, the student will advance to candidacy for the Ph.D. Students generally complete the proposal defense by the end of the fourth year.

Once students have advanced to candidacy, they spend their remaining time at UCI completing data collection and analysis for their dissertation. Following the completion of the written dissertation, students must orally defend their project to a committee comprised of the faculty advisor and two other faculty members. The dissertation defense usually occurs in the fifth or sixth year. Upon passage of the oral defense and approval of the committee, the student has completed all of the requirements of the Ph.D. program.

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Program Learning Outcomes

Graduate Student Emphases

UCI offers graduate students the opportunity to earn emphases in several substantive areas. Many of our students earn one or more of these emphases, and several of our faculty are associated with the emphases-granting departments.

Asian American Studies

This graduate emphasis is a formal component of graduate studies at the University of California, Irvine, in addition to the fulfillment of requirements towards the Ph.D. or M.F.A. degree in an array of fields in the Schools of Humanities, Social Sciences, Social Ecology, and the Arts. Designed to complement existing graduate degree-granting programs by providing interdisciplinary training in Asian American Studies, this particular specialty is comprised of four courses: two foundation courses introducing theories, methods, and historical and contemporary special topics in Asian American Studies; one elective course in Asian American Studies; and one related elective course in a student’s specific discipline or area of study. Learn more...

Critical Theory Emphasis

The Critical Theory Emphasis (CTE) graduate specialty is the curricular arm of UCI's Critical Theory Institute (CTI). Scholars of Critical Theory explore and develop theoretical models to analyze and critique cultural forms from literature and art to more general systems of information, social relations, and symbolic categories of race, gender and ethnic identity. The goal of the CTE is to promote the study of shared assumptions, problems and commitments of the various discourses in the arts, humanities and social sciences. Learn more...

Graduate Feminist Emphasis

The Department of Gender and Sexuality Studies at UCI offers a graduate emphasis in Feminist Studies for students pursuing Ph.D. or Master's programs across the campus. Participating in the GFE provides students with advanced interdisciplinary training in Feminist Studies, and offers them an opportunity to become part a network of feminist scholars at UCI and beyond. GFE students are subscribed in our email listserv , which features current job openings, fellowship information, and important news about our upcoming events. Learn more...

Law, Society and Culture Emphasis

The Center for Law, Society and Culture sponsors the LSC Emphasis. This concentration is designed a) to instill an intellectual ethic on inter -disciplinarity among participating students early in their training and b) to create trans -disciplinary communities of emerging socio-legal scholars whose intellectual development is enhanced by formal and informal exchange across diverse fields. In the spring of each year, students in their first through third years of graduate study are invited to apply to the Emphasis, which is composed of 4 inter-connected components: 1) a year-long theory and research seminar, with each quarter taught by one faculty member from a different school at UCI; (2) cross-disciplinary mentorship and advising; (3) ongoing professionalization opportunities and responsibilities; and (4) a culminating intellectual project.  Each student is assigned a faculty mentor outside of his or her home department and will meet with that mentor on a monthly basis to discuss the student's ongoing research. Learn more...

Race and Justice Studies Emphasis

Students from any UCI state-supported graduate or professional program, including J.D., Master’s and M.F.A. students, are eligible to apply to the Emphasis in Race and Justice Studies (RJS), housed in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society (CLS). The Race and Justice Studies Emphasis is comprised of four requirements that promote inclusive excellence in graduate training at UCI: (1) A first-year mentorship proseminar offered over three quarters by faculty from across campus whose research and teaching foster inclusive excellence; (2) one RJS-approved course offered under the supervision of the Emphasis; (3) a writing seminar in which a paper developed through the Emphasis will be workshopped and revised toward publication; and (4) a public presentation which translates the student’s RJS-influenced research for an interdisciplinary audience. Learn more...

Visual Studies

The Emphasis in Visual Studies offers a focus on Visual Studies available to Ph.D. and M.F.A. students in all departments at UCI. Satisfactory completion of this concentration is certified by the Graduate Advisor in Visual Studies and is noted in the student's dossier. Learn more...

Research Centers

Students in the Ph.D. program often work with various Research Centers, including the Center for Evidence-Based Corrections , the Center in Law, Society and Culture , the Center for Psychology and Law , the Newkirk Center , the Irvine Lab for the Study of Space and Crime , and the Metropolitan Futures Initiative .

Financial Support

Students in the Ph.D. program have a variety of financial support options. The most common sources of support are Teaching Assistantships and Research Assistantships.

Research Assistantship. Many students work with faculty on research projects funded by external grants or university monies. As with Teaching Assistants, RAs generally work for up to 20 hours per week and are involved in a wide variety of research activities (e.g., data collection and analysis, article preparation, etc.). Compensation for RAs is roughly equivalent to that for a Teaching Assistant, and covers fees and tuition.

Teaching Assistantship. Ph.D. students in CLS are eligible for 12 quarters of support as a Teaching Assistant (TA), making this the most common means of financial support. TAs work up to 20 hours a week, are responsible for assisting the professor with many common classroom tasks (e.g., creating exams, grading papers, etc.), assist students understand course material and meet course requirements, and experience the opportunity to practice the art of teaching (usually through discussion sections and/or guest lecturing). To maintain their eligibility, students must be in good academic standing and must have a satisfactory record as a Teaching Assistant . Some students may even receive a TAship after this 12-quarter period (subject to CLS and Graduate Divivsion approval). A Teaching Assistantship is not only an important means of financial support (a monthly salary plus fees and tuition coverage), but the work also serves a vital role in training Ph.D. candidates, particularly those who intend to pursue academic careers.

Additional funding is available through student loans, departmental and university fellowships, and outside funding sources. In addition to support during the academic year, students are often able to secure research grants from the Department for the summer. These grants are allotted on the basis of academic standing and financial need.

Award Opportunities

Listed below are the CLS Department awards current students have the opportunitiy to be nominated or apply for.

• Arnold Binder Award
• Dickman Award
• Gil Geis Award
• Kitty Calavita Award
• Michelle Smith-Pontell Award
• Peer Mentoring Award

Graduate Student Housing

A number of housing alternatives are available for graduate students at UCI. Two apartment complexes and a residence hall are available exclusively for graduate students and those with families who wish to live on campus. In addition, there are many off-campus options, including apartments/houses at the beach or apartment complexes just across the street from the university. Due to their affordability and convenience, more than half of our graduate students choose to live on campus.

Among the on-campus options are Verano Place Apartments, Palo Verde Apartments, and Vista del Campo/VdC Norte. Verano Place includes 862 units which are one-, two-, or three-bedroom unfurnished apartments. Palo Verde is designed solely for graduate students and post-doctoral students, and consists of 204 apartments that range from studio to three-bedroom apartments. Vista del Campo is a privately owned and managed apartment community located on the UCI campus, offering furnished apartments to single students who are sophomores, juniors, seniors, or graduate students. For information on all of these housing options, please visit the UCI Housing website .

For more information, please contact:

Irice Castro Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services [email protected] 949-824-1874

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Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice  Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA) Department: Criminal Justice Program Webpage   Academic Plan Code(s): JA_ _PHD

Program Information

The Department of Criminal Justice offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice. The PhD in Criminal Justice prepares graduates for academic careers (e.g., teaching and research) as well as public sector (e.g., research, policy analysis and development, planning, program development and evaluation) organizations.

The program consists of a core curriculum and electives that students may use to develop their particular areas of specialization. The core provides a broad orientation and the electives enable students to develop expertise in a particular field. The curriculum requires 54 credit hours: 18 credit hours of core courses, 18 credit hours of specialization courses, six (6) credit hours of qualifying project, and twelve (12) credit hours of dissertation research. Students qualify for official candidacy to the PhD by satisfactorily completing all course work and the qualifying project.    

Admission Requirements 

• Completed graduate application  
• Official transcripts showing all degrees awarded and all undergraduate and graduate work (all courses) completed from each accredited college/university previously attended
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Writing sample 
• Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume

Additionally, applicants must show evidence, on their transcript, of the completion of both graduate-level statistics and research methods courses.  The Department of Criminal Justice has adopted the Council of Graduate Schools recommendation for a holistic approach to our admission criteria.  Successful applicants will typically have strong scores on the standardized test, a strong undergraduate and master's degree record, and excellent letters of recommendation that speak to the nominee's scholarly ability and potential to succeed in a doctoral program.  However, candidates may have other documented strengths that speak to the potential for success as evidenced by: prior research experience; exceptional community engagement or service; leadership experience; evidence of creativity or resilience; unique experiences or background that will contribute to our program. The holistic review of applications allows our faculty to select the students who best fit the research areas offered within the department. 

Those applicants whose native language is not English and who do not hold a degree from a university where the language of instruction is English must also submit scores from the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL), with a minimum score of 80 on the Internet-based test (iBT); IELTS scores of at least 6.5 overall band score from the academic module exam; or Duolingo overall score of 105.

Both full and part-time study is permitted. Part-time students are required to meet residency requirements consisting of four continuous semesters of enrollment and participation in departmental activities offered to meet the need for scholarly integration and academic immersion in the program.

Degree Requirements

Electives outside the department must be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies

Criminal Justice Electives

The University of Louisville is committed to and will provide equality of educational and employment opportunity for all persons regardless of race, sex, age, color, national origin, ethnicity, creed, religion, disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity and expression, marital status, pregnancy or veteran status.

Every effort has been made to make the catalog accurate as of the date of publication. However, the University of Louisville reserves the right to change programs of study, academic policies, academic requirements, fees, course information, procedures for the confirmation of degrees, or the announced academic calendar and related deadlines without prior notice. Copyright © 2024-2025, University of Louisville. All rights reserved.

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The Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice and Criminology is available on the Pullman campus. A student aspiring to earn a Ph.D. degree should expect to spend three to four years, depending on the individual, in study and research beyond the M.A. degree, of which at least two years must be enrolled at Washington State University, and at least two consecutive semesters must be spent in residence as a graduate student in criminal justice. This degree program is designed for the student entering the graduate program with a M.A. and/or M.S. degree. Students currently enrolled in the M.A. program at WSU must inquire with the Graduate Director and Coordinator for directions on how to apply.

72 credits total – 39 graded credits (credits earned for your M.A. count towards this total; if you enter our program with an M.A. from another university, some of your credits may transfer), and 33 dissertation research credits.

Teaching/Research

In addition to the course requirements, each student in the Ph.D. program is required to have formal teaching and/or research experience in an institution of higher learning before receiving the Ph.D. degree. Serving as a teaching assistant in the Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology satisfies this teaching requirement. Collecting original data also fulfills this requirement.

Preliminary Examination

• Component 1: Reading and Question List Development Students will produce a personalized reading list which will be comprised of significant literature in the students defined area of specialization. In addition, students will submit a proposed list of five question focused on the substantive area of their specialization, and five questions focused on the methodological/statistics aspect of the area of specialization.
• Component 2: Take-Home Paper Submission Students will write a take-home paper over the period of 57 hours over a three day period. The paper will answer two synthesis questions developed by the students committee, one substantive in nature and the other methodological/statistics in nature.
• Component 3: Oral Defense Students must orally defend their take-home paper before their doctoral committee.

Dissertation Prospectus (Preliminary) Examination

The Ph.D. aspirant becomes eligible to attempt preliminary (i.e. prospectus)  examinations after completion of qualifying exams and is in the process of completing the final courses included in his or her Ph.D. program. Only after a student has successfully passed “prelims” does he or she become formally a “candidate for the Ph.D.” (or ABD, “All But Dissertation”). The next requirement for the Ph.D. candidate is preparation, under the guidance of a dissertation committee, of a dissertation presenting the results of a thorough and systematic investigation of a significant problem in one of the specialty areas in criminal justice and criminology the candidate wished to research.

Thesis/Dissertation Final Examination Defense 

After the prospectus is successfully defended, students need to review and summarize the relevant literature’s, prepare the necessary and agreed methodological tools, collect the information which will be used to answer the dissertation question and write up the first draft of chapters. Upon completion of the dissertation and final defense, a final copy of the dissertation (and related required forms) must be submitted in digital format to the Graduate School within 5 working days for final acceptance.

Graduate Director Dr. Dale Willits

Graduate Program Coordinator Danielle M. Makin

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Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Major in Criminal Justice

Program overview.

The School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Texas State offers a doctoral program for:

• criminal justice professionals who seek advanced education and
• students who will pursue academic appointments at colleges and universities in Texas and around the nation.

Texas State is located in the heart of the central Texas corridor, near 16 state criminal justice offices and 13 Texas counties, including Travis (Austin) and Bexar (San Antonio). The university's geographic proximity to state criminal justice agency headquarters for law enforcement, criminal courts, and corrections, and to managers and executives in these agencies, makes it an ideal location for offering a doctoral-degree program.

The doctoral program is part of a vibrant school, with approximately 1000 bachelor's students and 30 master's students. Twenty-three full-time faculty members are involved in a wide range of research. A list of faculty and their research interests is available at http://www.cj.txstate.edu/people/faculty . The School of Criminal Justice and Criminology also administers a number of institutes and centers, including the Center for Geospatial Intelligence and Investigation and the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training Center (ALERRT).

Courses are offered in the evenings for the convenience of working professionals. Students are classified as either full-time (nine hours per term) or part-time. All students will be given the opportunity to initiate, complete, present, and publish original research. Each student develops an appropriate degree plan to meet their career and academic goals. The degree plan will include a mix of theoretical, analytical, and elective courses that will prepare students to work independently and in multidisciplinary teams.

It is expected that students will pursue their courses and research activities in an efficient and timely manner. If it is determined that a student is not making adequate progress toward completion of the doctoral degree requirements, consultations will be undertaken between the student, the student's dissertation chair (when applicable), the program director, and the School's doctoral executive council to develop a remediation plan, which may include revising a student's program of study or research. Failure to successfully remedy documented deviancies will result in termination of the student's enrollment in the doctoral program at the discretion of the doctoral executive council. Students removed from the doctoral program in this manner may appeal to the dean of The Graduate College for reinstatement in the program.

Educational Goal

The central educational goal of the Ph.D. program in criminal justice at Texas State is to prepare doctoral students to assume leadership roles in academic, public policy, and administrative positions within a rapidly changing criminal justice system. The Ph.D. program produces outstanding researchers who are qualified for academic positions and prepares practitioners to conduct research in criminal justice agencies. The school has developed a programmatic perspective that is sensitive to the importance of research skills, balanced with theoretically informed policy analysis, so that students can more effectively address the challenges in criminal justice in Texas and across the nation. Students gain expertise to apply statistically advanced research methodologies to conduct empirical studies in crime, law, public policy, and administration of the criminal justice system.

Other educational goals and objectives are to:

• Identify the theoretical perspectives and foundations of current research in the study of crime, law, and public policy decision-making undertaken by criminal justice agencies to assist law enforcement, court personnel, and corrections staff to plan, develop, and implement timely, efficient, and sound responses to crime.
• Apply precise, empirically validated, and tested research methods to investigate, analyze, and improve theory and policy to provide policy makers with the most current research and applicable technology to address emergent public safety growth areas.
• Communicate effectively to educate and inform professional managers and administrators of criminal justice agencies, their service personnel (e.g., police) and the community at-large about the ‘best practices’ for addressing the control of crime at the neighborhood, community, state, and national levels.
• Recognize ethical dilemmas and make ethically sound decisions to ensure that recommended criminal justice policy becomes a useful guide, if not benchmark procedure, for executives and heads of criminal justice agencies as they develop their strategic plans to address crime and public safety at the local, state, and national levels.

Apply a broad understanding of the legal and empirical elements of criminal justice administration in leadership positions to encourage current and future working professionals and executives in criminal justice agencies to incorporate more comprehensive training using the ‘best practices’ in leadership and management theory when developing, planning, and implementing policies that effect their own agencies and the surrounding communities they serve.

Financial Assistance

Assistantships and scholarships are available to qualified applicants. The School of Criminal Justice and Criminology offers doctoral instructional assistantships and teaching assistantships on a competitive basis to full-time students enrolled in the criminal justice Ph.D. program. An offer of financial support will normally be made at the time that a student is accepted into the program. The Graduate College can provide further information regarding scholarships.

Application Requirements

The items listed below are required for admission consideration for applicable semesters of entry during the current academic year. Submission instructions, additional details, and changes to admission requirements for semesters other than the current academic year can be found on The Graduate College's website . International students should review the International Admission Documents page for additional requirements.

• completed online application
• $55 nonrefundable application fee

          or

• $90 nonrefundable application fee for applications with international credentials
• baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited university (Non-U.S. degrees must be equivalent to a four-year U.S. Bachelor’s degree. In most cases, three-year degrees are not considered. Visit our  International FAQs  for more information.)
• master's degree in criminal justice or a related field from a regionally accredited university
• official transcripts from  each institution  where course credit was granted
• minimum 3.5 GPA in all completed graduate course work
• official GRE (general test only) with competitive scores in the verbal reasoning and quantitative reasoning sections
• statement of purpose describing the student’s personal history and life goals that are relevant to obtaining a doctoral degree
• three letters of recommendation indicating the student’s skills and capacity to be successful in the Ph.D. program

Approved English Proficiency Exam Scores

Applicants are required to submit an approved English proficiency exam score that meets the minimum program requirements below unless they have earned a bachelor’s degree or higher from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or the equivalent from a country on our  exempt countries list .

• official TOEFL iBT scores required with a 78 overall
• official PTE scores required with a 52
• official IELTS (academic) scores required with a 6.5 overall and minimum individual module scores of 6.0
• official Duolingo scores required with a 110 overall
• official TOEFL Essentials scores required with an 8.5 overall

This program does  not  offer admission if the scores above are not met.

Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) degree with a major in Criminal Justice requires 51 semester credit hours. No grade earned below “B” on any course work may apply toward a Ph.D. degree in criminal justice at Texas State.

All doctoral students are required to enroll in  CJ 7309  Proseminar during their second or third year to learn about the criminal justice discipline, teaching, publishing, grants and fellowships, writing dissertations, and post-doctoral employment. Doctoral students selected for teaching assistantships will be required to enroll in  CJ 7301  Instructional Assistant Supervision during the first semester they teach.  

Course Requirements

Qualifying Examination 

All students take a qualifying examination one to two weeks after completion of their first year in the program. The qualifying examination integrates criminological theory, quantitative methods, and regression. The examination is graded by those professors who taught the first-year required courses or those in a pool who have previously taught the courses. One re-examination is offered at midsummer for those who fail. Students who fail the re-examination will be dismissed from the program.

Comprehensive Examination Requirements

All candidates for graduate degrees must pass one or more comprehensive examinations.

Advancement to Candidacy

Application for advancement to candidacy.

Students can download the “Application for Advancement to Candidacy form” from The Graduate College website. The student should complete and sign the upper portion of the form and return it to the program director. When all requirements for admission to candidacy have been met (completion of course-work, a passing grade on the comprehensive examination, approval of dissertation chair and committee, and submission of an approved dissertation proposal), the program director will forward the Application for Advancement to Candidacy form to the dean of The Graduate College for review and approval.

The dean of The Graduate College approves advancement to candidacy once all requirements are met and at the recommendation of the program director.

In addition, before advancement to candidacy, students are required to complete the following:

• Completion of all courses toward the doctoral degree with a GPA of 3.0 or higher on a 4.0 scale.
• Passing grade on the comprehensive examination. "Pass" is the only satisfactory grade.

The student must select a dissertation chair, and that chair must be approved by the doctoral executive council. The student also must select a dissertation committee comprised of three additional members of the doctoral faculty, one of whom must be an external member from outside the School of Criminal Justice of Texas State University.

• The student must choose a topic with the approval of the student’s dissertation advisor and committee.
• The student will submit a title and a written proposal for the dissertation to the student’s dissertation committee and successfully defend the proposal in an oral presentation with the dissertation committee. The proposal will include a statement of the problem to be studied, a discussion of the relevant literature, and the research method of the proposed dissertation topic.
• The program director will make a recommendation to the graduate dean who makes the final decision on the student’s advancement to candidacy. The Graduate College will notify the student once the decision has been made.

Advancement to Candidacy Time Limit

Full-time, traditional students should be advanced to candidacy within five years of initiating Ph.D. course-work applied toward the degree. Non-traditional, part-time students may request extensions from the Doctoral Executive Council as long as they maintain a GPA of 3.0 and are making consistent progress toward fulfilling their degree requirements. The Doctoral Executive Council will review part-time students’ requests for extensions on an individual, case-by-case basis.

No credit will be applied toward a student’s doctoral degree for course-work completed more than five years before the date on which the student is admitted to candidacy. This time limit applies to course credit earned at Texas State, as well as course credit transferred to Texas State from other accredited institutions.

Grade-Point Requirements for Advancement to Candidacy

A minimum GPA of 3.0 on all course work undertaken as a doctoral student in the criminal justice program is required for admission to candidacy. No grade earned below “B” on any course work may apply toward a Ph.D. degree in criminal justice at Texas State.

Incomplete grades must be cleared through The Graduate College at least ten days before approval for advancement to candidacy will be granted.

Dissertation Proposal

A dissertation proposal prepared by the student and approved by the student’s dissertation chair and a majority of the other members of the dissertation committee is a requirement for Advancement to Candidacy status. The proposal must outline the substance and scope of the dissertation research, present the methodology to be used, and survey the relevant literature. The student’s dissertation chair and other dissertation committee members must indicate approval of the dissertation proposal on the “Dissertation Proposal and Proposal Defense” form. This form can be downloaded from The Graduate College website. A final copy of the dissertation proposal, accompanied by the signed approval form, must be turned in to the program director, who will forward it to the dean of The Graduate College for review and final approval.

Advancement to Candidacy Comprehensive Examination

The comprehensive exam involves completion of an empirical research project (with data analysis) and a single-authored article about it (not to exceed 6,000 words, excluding references) that, in the examination committee's view, is suitable for publication in a refereed journal. The purpose of the comprehensive exam is to assess a student's ability to critically assess previous research on a topic, develop a research question on it, and complete independent research to address the question. Students need to disclose to the examining committee if the article originated in a class or if there are other potential conflicts with it.

The examining committee is comprised of a chair and two other members. All must be members of the doctoral faculty, and the chair must be a member of the Core Doctoral Faculty. The chair is chosen by the student, and the other two committee members are chosen at random by the Doctoral Program Director from a list of doctoral faculty members. A form with the committee's composition must be filed with Doctoral Program Director when the committee is constituted. The committee must be constituted no later than when a student has completed 27 hours of doctoral coursework. The committee must approve the topic for a student's article, and a written description of the topic will be distributed to all members of the doctoral faculty. The examining committee's assessment of the student's article will be based on: (1) the quality of the research question, (2) the appropriateness of the methods and data analysis, (3) the adequacy of the articles connection to previous research, (4) the appropriateness of the interpretations of the data analysis, and (5) the quality of writing. A simple majority vote (2 of 3) is sufficient for deciding a grade. After completing 27 hours of coursework, a student can submit an article to their committee for grading. A student has until the semester after, they have completed 39 hours of doctoral coursework to receive a passing grade on an article. If a passing grade is not achieved by this point, the student will be dismissed from the program. Articles can be submitted for grading to the examining committees during the first three weeks of the fall semester or the first three weeks of spring semester.

The examining committee will have graded a submitted article within three weeks of receiving it. The grade options are "pass", "fail", and "revise and resubmit." If a student's article is assigned a "revise and resubmit," the student will have one semester to submit a revised version in order to receive a passing grade. The chair of the student's committee will summarize in writing what changes need to be considered in the revision for a "pass." If a student's article is assigned a "fail," the student will have one semester to submit an article on a new topic and receive a passing grade for it. The chair of the student's committee will explain in writing reasons for the failure. The same three graders will be used for an article that is assigned a "revise and resubmit." A student can select a new committee chair for a "failed" article, and two new committee members will be assigned by the Doctoral Program Director. In the event that a student's second resubmission of an article is assigned a "fail," the student will be dismissed from the program.

Full-time, traditional students are expected to pass their comprehensive examination by the end of their third year. For non-traditional, part-time students, the three years can be extended on an individual, case-by-case basis. However, extensions will require the approval of the doctoral council.

Recommendation for Advancement to Candidacy

The program director recommends the applicant for Advancement to Candidacy. Students must submit an official "Application for Advancement to Candidacy" form when all requirements are met (completion of coursework, a passing grade on the comprehensive examination, approval of dissertation chair/committee, and submission of an approved dissertation proposal). This form can be downloaded from the Graduate College website. The results of the comprehensive examination and the completed Application for Advancement to Candidacy form must be filed in the Graduate College before the dean of The Graduate College gives final approval to candidacy. The Program director is responsible for submitting these forms to The Graduate College.

Dissertation Research and Writing

All doctoral students are required to complete a dissertation. The dissertation must present a systematic inquiry into a relevant research question, be informed by prior research, and add to the body of knowledge in the field. In most cases, the research will be quantitative in nature, although qualitative or legal research may be utilized in some cases. It is expected that the dissertation will provide the content for one or more publishable articles in academic journals.

Students are required to complete the following dissertation requirements:

• The student will complete the dissertation, which must be an original contribution to scholarship and the result of independent research in a significant area of criminal justice. The student is expected to write the dissertation and orally defend it in an announced public presentation within three years of the official date of being advanced to candidacy. Questions posed to the student are initially limited to the dissertation committee membership. However, at the discretion of the presiding chair and when time permits, questions will also be solicited from the attending public audience. The approval of the dissertation requires the approval of the dissertation chair and the approval of a majority of the other members of the committee. A written notice of the dissertation committee’s approval will be forwarded to the program director and then to the graduate dean.
• If the dissertation committee decides not to approve the candidate’s dissertation, the dissertation chair will prepare a written response to the doctoral executive council, accounting for the decision and outlining the steps required for approval. These steps will also be communicated to the candidate.
• The student will submit the final, approved dissertation to The Graduate College in the prescribed format.
• The program director will conduct a final review of the coursework and recommendation from the student’s dissertation committee before making a recommendation to the graduate dean that the student be awarded the Ph.D. degree with a major in criminal justice. The graduate dean will certify that the student has met all of the requirements and can be awarded the degree.

Dissertation Enrollment Requirements

After being admitted to candidacy, students must be continuously enrolled for dissertation hours each term until the defense of their dissertation. If a student is receiving supervision on the dissertation during the summer or the student is graduating during the summer, the student must be enrolled in dissertation hours for the summer. All candidates for graduation must be enrolled in dissertation hours during the semester in which the degree is to be conferred. Students must complete a minimum of 12 semester hours of dissertation credit.

Dissertation Time Limit

It is expected that the dissertation will, in most cases, be completed in two terms of concentrated effort and in no more than six terms. Students must appeal to the doctoral executive council for an extension beyond six terms. The student must pass an oral defense of their dissertation before final completion of the doctoral program.

Dissertation Committee

The dissertation committee will oversee the research progress of a doctoral student and the writing of the student's dissertation. The committee will consist of at least four members, including the student's dissertation chair and three additional members of the doctoral faculty, one of whom must be an external member from outside the School of Criminal Justice of Texas State University. The student's dissertation chair will be a member of the core doctoral faculty in the School of Criminal Justice. The student, program director, school director, and the dean of The Graduate College will approve the composition of dissertation committee. The student is responsible for obtaining committee members' signatures on the "Dissertation/Research Advisor Assignment form: and the "Dissertation Committee Request form" which can be downloaded from the Graduate College website.

Dissertation Defense

The dissertation defense may not be scheduled until all other academic and program requirements have been fulfilled. A complete draft of the dissertation must be given to the members of the dissertation committee at least 65 days before the date of commencement during the term in which the student intends to graduate. After committee members have reviewed the draft with the student and provided comments, the student, in consultation with the dissertation chair, will incorporate the recommended changes into a second draft of the dissertation. When each committee member is satisfied that the draft dissertation is defendable, the dissertation defense may be scheduled.

The student is expected to orally defend the dissertation in an announced public presentation within three years of the official date of being advanced to candidacy. Questions posed to the student are initially limited to the dissertation committee. However, at the discretion of the dissertation chair and when time permits, questions will also be solicited from the attending public audience. The approval of the dissertation requires the approval of the dissertation chair and the approval of a majority of the other members of the committee. A written notice of the dissertation committee’s approval will be forwarded to the program director, and then to the dean of The Graduate College. Specific information on the examination procedure can be found in the School of Criminal Justice Ph.D. Handbook or obtained from the doctoral director.

Approval and Submission of the Dissertation

Following approval of the dissertation by the members of the dissertation committee, the student must submit one copy of the dissertation and a signed "Thesis/Dissertation Committee Approval form" to the office of The Graduate College for final approval. Specific guidelines for approval and submission of the dissertation can be obtained from The Graduate College. 

Doctoral level courses in Criminal Justice: CJ

Courses Offered

Criminal justice (cj).

CJ 7199. Dissertation.

Original research and writing in criminal justice to be accomplished under direct supervision of the dissertation advisor. While conducting dissertation research and writing, students must be continuously enrolled each long semester for at least three dissertation hours.

CJ 7299. Dissertation.

CJ 7301. Instructional Assistant Supervision.

This course prepares doctoral students employed as research or teaching assistants to perform effectively in diverse instructional settings. The course provides for regular and planned opportunities for continuing evaluation of students. This course does not earn graduate degree credit.

CJ 7309. Proseminar.

This course introduces students to information that is useful to their success as Ph.D. students and after graduation. Topics include the criminal justice discipline, teaching, publishing, grants and fellowships, writing dissertations, and post-doctoral employment. Emphasis is placed on identifying and coordinating opportunities for research and scholarship among faculty and students. Must have completed 12 hours of doctoral credit in Criminal Justice to enroll in this course.

CJ 7310. Philosophy of Law, Justice, and Social Control.

A current, thorough, and comprehensive review of the criminal justice system focused on how the system functions, and its current needs and future trends. Students submit extensive critiques and participate in panel discussions.

CJ 7311. Advanced Criminological Theory.

An overview of the major criminological paradigms is presented focusing on the causes of crime and deviant behavior. The course includes a discussion of criminological theories from a philosophy of science perspective focusing on such issues as theory construction, theoretical integration, and the formal evaluation of theory and policy.

CJ 7313. Race and Ethnicity in Crime and Criminal Justice.

An exploration of how issues related to racial and ethnic minorities and criminal behaviors impact criminal justice reactions. Topics include racial disparities related to law enforcement and sentencing, and policy implications related to policing, probation, pre-sentencing and post-release issues. (MULT).

CJ 7314. Policing.

This course examines current problems in American policing and the role of research in their examination and solution. Official crime and victimization statistics and measure of police performance are explained, with a focus on their collection, development, limitations, and utility. Methods and issues in policing research are explored.

CJ 7315. Corrections.

This course examines the history, forms, and functions of correctional institutions, their programs and policies, as well as theories of punishment. Topics include the structure and functions of prisons and jails, community corrections, intermediate sanctions, reentry, supermax prisons, and the death penalty.

CJ 7320. Quantitative Research Methods.

A course that demonstrates the practical aspects of conducting criminal justice research that uses quantitative methodologies and design. Topics include the philosophy of science; research ethics; methodological designs in establishing causation; nonexperimental/descriptive research; sampling techniques; secondary data sources and data gathering techniques.

CJ 7321. Linear Regression for Criminal Justice Research.

Instruction on the use of advanced linear modeling techniques in criminal justice research is addressed. After completing this course, students should be able to evaluate quantitative research articles in the major criminal justice journals and be prepared to complete a major quantitative research project of their own.

CJ 7322. Advanced Research for Planning and Evaluation.

An introduction to evaluation and research design methodologies, assessment techniques including modeling and case studies, agency management issues, and on-going policy implications. Course gives students an understanding of the principles and techniques commonly used to evaluate the effectiveness and efficiency of criminal justice interventions.

CJ 7323. Applied Statistics and Quantitative Data Analysis.

This is a course in statistics and data analysis for the purposes of original quantitative research. Topics include descriptive statistics, statistical inference for single and multivariable analysis, and principles underlying the techniques. This course makes extensive use of statistics software and data preparation techniques.

CJ 7330. Qualitative Research Methods.

A discussion of the methods and techniques used for achieving interpretable qualitative results in social research. Topics covered include ethnography, focus groups, in-depth interviewing and case studies. Students will be trained in inductive reasoning and coordinating qualitative with quantitative methods.

CJ 7331. Law and Behavioral Science.

A review of the issues addressed in the application of the behavioral sciences to the criminal law system. Topics include criminal sanctions and diminished responsibility, civil commitment, victimology, psychology in the courtroom, the role of media, drugs, and alcohol to violence, and how the justice system reacts to violent offenders.

CJ 7336. Survey Research Methods for Criminal Justice.

This course addresses the procedures and techniques used to create social surveys including question formulation, metrics, and question scaling. Students learn how to prepare face-to-face, telephone, and mail surveys, and are trained in sampling procedures related to survey administration.

CJ 7350A. Forecasting, Trend Analysis, and Data Interpretation.

A review of quantitative approaches to public policy analysis, the diverse conceptions of the goals and objectives that should be served by policy, and the appropriate role of the policy analyst. Policy consequences are traced to indirect and subtle incentives and disincentives.

CJ 7350B. Academic Scholarship and Communication.

A course on conducting academic research, interpreting results and how to prepare manuscripts for publication in refereed journals. Included is a survey of the audiences, topical focus, and submission requirements of the major criminal justice, criminology, and law publications, along with specialized knowledge on achieving success in the scholarship environment.

CJ 7350C. Qualitative Data Collection, Coding and Analysis.

This course takes a structured approach to understanding and implementing the various information collection methods used in qualitative research, including formatting the information for coding, coding schemes, and information interpretation.

CJ 7350E. Discrete Multivariate Models.

This course focuses on regression models for discrete outcome variables, sometimes called limited or categorical dependent variables. Topics include maximum likelihood estimation, binary and multinomial logistic models and negative binomial models. Prerequisite: CJ 7321 with a grade of "B" or better or instructor approval.

CJ 7350F. Environmental Criminology.

Crime distributes unevenly in space/time. As such, the course examines such questions as (1) What places are dangerous? (2) Why do we study specific crime types? (3) Where do crime types concentrate? (4) Where do offenders go in their normal activities? (5) What are the temporal patterns for crime? Prerequisite: CJ 7311 with a grade of "B" or better or instructor approval.

CJ 7350G. Seminar in Macro Criminology.

This course has a macro focus, examining criminological theory and research that takes cities, geographical regions, states, and nations as the units of comparison. The importance and relevance of macro criminology for understanding the causes of crime and key criminal justice issues, such as police resources, are explored in depth. Prerequisite: CJ 7311 with a grade of "B" or better or instructor approval.

CJ 7350I. Introduction to Structural Equation Modeling.

The course provides an introduction to structural equation modeling, which is sometimes called mean and covariance structure analysis or latent variable analysis. Topics include recursive and non-recursive models, path analysis, measurement models, and factor analysis. Prerequisite: CJ 7321 with a grade of "B" or better or instructor approval.

CJ 7350K. Criminal Justice Forecasting and Policy Analysis.

This course examines the inputs and outputs of criminal justice programs. It covers forecasting methods using statistical bootstrapping techniques including line fitting methods, moving averages, cohort propagation matrixes, and systems simulations.

CJ 7350L. Sex Offenders: Theory, Research & Policy.

This course will focus on application of theory to explain sexual offenses, research design issues related to researching this salient population of offenders (e.g., ethical issues, gaining IRB approval, research design limitations, social desirability problems in self-report data, and examining available data sources), and examining policy related issues.

CJ 7360. Independent Study.

Students will work closely with a particular doctoral faculty member and develop in-depth knowledge in a specific topic area of criminal justice. Topics vary according to a student's program needs. Repeatable once for credit with different emphasis. Prerequisite: Instructor approval.

CJ 7399. Dissertation.

CJ 7599. Dissertation.

CJ 7699. Dissertation.

CJ 7999. Dissertation.

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FSU | College of Criminology & Criminal Justice

College of Criminology & Criminal Justice

• Graduate Programs
• Doctoral Program

Doctoral Degree Requirements

The Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology and Criminal Justice is only granted to students who have demonstrated the following:

• Mastery of the body of knowledge in criminology and criminal justice
• The capacity to do original and independent thinking in the fields of criminology and criminal justice
• The ability to do significant independent research in criminology and criminal justice

This knowledge and its application to scientific research is reached by completing the following requirements:

• Doctoral credit hours. The actual number of credit hours will vary depending on students’ prior educational experience; mastery of materials in the areas of research methods, statistics and theory, and a substantive area in the discipline; and level of preparation for the comprehensive examinations.Completion of CCJ 5285, CCJ 5109, CCJ 5606, CCJ 5705, CCJ 5706, CCJ 5740, CCJ 6065, and CCJ 5981r or their equivalent, as well as 2 of the following 3 courses: CCJ 5707, CCJ 5709, and CCJ 6741r, and 24 dissertation hours. Additional courses may be necessary as determined by the student and his / her doctoral committee.  
• University residency . The University requires that all doctoral students establish residency before earning the degree. Residency is defined as the completion of a minimum of 24 graduate credit hours within any consecutive 12-month period. The residency requirement is intended to ensure that doctoral students contribute to and benefit from the complete spectrum of educational, professional, and enrichment opportunities provided on the campus of this major research university.  

Comprehensive (or preliminary) exams . Doctoral students must receive passing grades for each of two exams: (1) theory in criminology and criminal justice and (2) research methods and statistics. These exams are each developed, administered, and graded by a College committee. These are 8-hour exams administered over two days during the fall and spring semesters. Once the examinations have been passed, the student will be advanced to candidacy. 

A doctoral student must be registered for the preliminary exam during the semester in which they complete the attempt (up to two attempts possible for each exam).  Each exam attempt will be graded and noted on the student’s transcript as a Pass (P) or Fail (F).

If a student fails the preliminary examination before being admitted to candidacy, a re-examination may be offered by the student’s supervisory committee or other relevant decision making body within each department or unit, per that department or unit’s doctoral student handbook. The Academic Dean’s office should be notified of the outcome of any preliminary exam attempt.

Students can take the preliminary examination for admission to candidacy only two times. A second failure on the preliminary exam makes the student ineligible to continue in the degree program. The second attempt at the preliminary exam shall occur no sooner than six full class weeks after the results of the first attempt are shared with the student. For the purpose of this policy, a “full class week” is defined as a week with five days during which classes are held at FSU. Students must be registered separately for their first and second attempt, if necessary within the same semester, and must receive either a “pass” or a “fail” grade for each attempt.

An exception request regarding the timing of the re-examination can be submitted for consideration to the Academic Dean’s Office by either the student or the supervisory committee. Students who allege that academic regulations and/or procedures were improperly applied for the re-examination of their preliminary exam may have their grievances addressed through the general academic appeals process.

• Admission to candidacy . Following the completion of comprehensive exams, an Admission to Candidacy form is sent to the Registrar’s office and the student becomes a candidate for the doctoral degree. At this stage, the student is eligible to register for dissertation credit hours (at least 24 dissertation credit hours are required). The University requires a minimum period of six months between the admission to candidacy and the granting of the degree. Most students take a year or longer to complete their dissertation.  
• Prospectus defense . Once the student has been admitted to candidacy, the dissertation becomes the focal point of their studies. The major professor and supervisory committee assume major roles in helping the student define a project and complete it. The prospectus defense is a special 1-2 hour meeting held by the doctoral student and the doctoral committee members to reach consensus regarding the proposal and research methods.  
• Institutional Review Board (IRB) Approval Policy. Students are reminded to seek IRB approval prior to commencing any research involving human subjects. The student’s name must appear on the approval form as a PI or co-PI for the period of time when the student’s research was conducted. Failure to obtain the required approvals may result in the dissertation being permanently embargoed and unpublishable in any form.  
• Dissertation and dissertation defense . During the preparation of the dissertation, the doctoral student is required by the University to complete at least 24 dissertation credits. Until the dissertation is completed, students must register for at least 2 dissertation credits each semester, even after they have completed the University minimum of 24 credits. All doctoral students are required to register for at least 1 hour of dissertation credit during the semester in which they graduate. The formal dissertation defense is open to anyone in the University, and the doctoral thesis must be presented in an acceptable form before a student will receive clearance from the University to graduate.  
• University time limits for degree completion . The University has established that the requirements for the doctoral degree be completed within five calendar years of the date of the student’s achieving admission to candidacy (this occurs after the successful completion of the comprehensive exams). If the dissertation is not completed within this 5-year period, the student will be required to retake the comprehensive examinations.

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Criminal Justice Education at UCF Online

Our online criminal justice degree programs are designed with flexibility and excellence in mind. Delivering the same high-quality instruction students receive on campus, our virtual degree programs follow rigorous standards and feature high-caliber curricula taught by an award-winning faculty. Students apply their skills to real-world challenges across a wide range of specific careers in the criminal justice field, from forensic analysis to communication and conflict. Our online format allows busy students to pursue certificate, undergraduate and graduate programs in a way that fits their lives and equips them to step forward as leaders in their field.

UCF Online is a great way for students to complete their degree while working in their field. Students don’t have to worry about missing out! The flexible hours allow me to connect with each of them at the time that works best for them.” WILLIAM MORETO, PhD – Criminal Justice Assistant Professor

Studying Law and Criminal Justice with UCF Online

No matter if you are just starting your career or are searching for a new way to leave an impact on your community, UCF Online has a law or criminal justice program for you. With online classes taught by the same dedicated faculty who teach in face-to-face classrooms, UCF Online gives you the flexibility to study when and where you want without compromising on quality education. If you are early in your educational research journey and unsure what the next steps are, just reach out to one of our dedicated UCF Online coaches who can advise on degree-choice options, admission details, the application process and options available for financing your degree. They can also provide assistance with understanding online pre-law degree options, the best majors for law school, and insight on what it’s like to study law online.

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UCF Online gives students a choice of options to help them on their path to a fulfilling legal or criminal justice career. If you’re considering a career as a legal assistant, paralegal or attorney, our online Legal Studies, BA/BS provides the foundation for understanding the history, processes and procedures of the legal system. For those advancing their career within the forensics field, UCF Online provides graduate-level programs including a Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Forensic Science , as well as a graduate certificate in Crime Analysis . Explore all of the options available for you to advance your law or criminal justice career with UCF Online.

Time is valuable for all of us, and at UCF Online we believe you shouldn’t have to alter your life in order to advance your legal career through higher education. Whether you work full time, travel often, are a parent, or don’t live close to campus, through UCF Online we bring the ability to study your law or criminal justice degree direct to you.

The best investment you can make is in your future. The impact that you will make with your online legal and criminal justice degree shouldn’t come at a great cost to you. That’s why UCF Online offers an affordable alternative to earning a high-quality university degree. Florida residents seeking an online graduate degree can save $42.33 per credit hour. Visit the tuition, fees and scholarships pages for more information.

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UCF Online is a community of thinkers, helpers and makers who use bold ideas to challenge the ordinary and devise solutions to solve the world’s most pressing problems. A great university can unleash the potential to change the world. Listed as one of the most innovative universities in the nation by the U.S. News & World Report ’s Best Colleges 2024 Guide, UCF specializes in providing high-quality online degree programs for those talented students and working professionals who are unable to physically attend our Orlando main campus or one of our 14 Central Florida locations .

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Ma in criminal justice, is the online master’s in criminal justice program offered from the sarasota-manatee campus right for you.

The Master’s in Criminal Justice (MACJ) program is designed for individuals interested in pursuing a career in a criminal justice field or already working in a criminal justice or related agency. Students in the MACJ program are motivated to make a difference in the field and become leaders in their chosen profession. The program provides an opportunity for students to explore and gain a deeper understanding of current issues facing the criminal justice system and the impact they have on the larger society. In addition, students gain critical thinking and decision-making skills that enable them to make significant contributions to solving vital social problems.

The MACJ program offered from the Sarasota-Manatee campus focuses on contemporary issues in criminal justice management and the current challenges facing the field. As a graduate degree, it allows students to apply principles, theories and research in the field of criminal justice to “real world” issues affecting the criminal justice system. Students also have opportunities to work with faculty members on research projects and other professional activities that assist with networking and building career-related connections. The MACJ degree is offered entirely online to afford convenience and flexibility, which is a good option for working adults. 

Criminology is a fascinating field leading to a variety of career paths, and the MACJ degree enables students to explore the reality behind media headlines and develop work-related skills that offer more opportunities for advancement in their respective careers. 

Criminal Justice Administration Concentration 

This concentration is tailored to empower professionals with advanced knowledge and expertise in managing and leading within the criminal justice system. In the realm of criminal justice administration, effective leadership, strategic decision-making, and adept management are paramount for ensuring the efficient and ethical operation of agencies and organizations. Our comprehensive curriculum is meticulously designed to address the multifaceted challenges faced by criminal justice administrators and to equip them with the skills necessary to navigate complex organizational dynamics and drive positive change.  

Please refer to the catalog  for admissions requirements and specific program information. 

Jessica Grosholz, Ph.D. MACJ Program Director University of South Florida Sarasota-Manatee Department of Criminology, C250 8350 N. Tamiami Trail Sarasota, FL 34243 Send Email

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Victor St. John, Ph.D., Named New Professor for Criminology and Criminal Justice Department

The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice announces Victor J. St. John, Ph.D., has joined the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program as an assistant professor in the School of Social Work.

Prior to joining SLU, Dr. St. John held a wide range of professional research positions in the government and nonprofit sectors during his studies and brings a skill set suited for a large research-focused university such as Saint Louis University. He has taught eight unique courses across two institutions, John Jay College and Rutgers University, including teaching in a correctional setting.

Dr. St. John’s research is focused on reducing the racial harms associated with mass criminalization, particularly for youth and adults in the United States.

His scholarly publications can be found in Journal of Correctional Health Care, Race and Justice, Race and Social Problems, Critical Criminology, The Prison Journal, Journal of Criminal Justice, Advancing Corrections, and Harvard Journal of African American Public Policy.

St. John recently completed his doctoral degree at the City of New York Graduate Center housed at John Jay College of Criminal Justice.

In 2017, he received the Best Journal Article Award from the American Society of Criminology Division of Critical Criminology and Social Justice for his research published in Race and Justice. Additionally, he received the Time-sharing Experiments for Social Sciences Young Scholar Grant Award in 2019.

College for Public Health and Social Justice

The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice is the only academic unit of its kind, studying social, environmental and physical influences that together determine the health and well-being of people and communities. It also is the only accredited school or college of public health among nearly 250 Catholic institutions of higher education in the United States.

Guided by a mission of social justice and focus on finding innovative and collaborative solutions for complex health problems, the College offers nationally recognized programs in public health, social work, health administration, applied behavior analysis, and criminology and criminal justice.

	University of Delaware
	Jun 15, 2024   2024-2025 Graduate Catalog     2024-2025 Graduate Catalog SOCI 837 - Criminology and Systems of Criminal Justice Student Organizations Our students have many options to make connnections outside of the classroom. College of Arts & Sciences Academic Departments Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Forensics Students are encouraged to get involved within the Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Forensics as well as the larger Seattle University community. ConnectSU is the hub for all student activities, events and clubs. Criminal Justice Club Our club is group of students interested in and dedicated to the criminal justice process, system, workings, and issues. Through engaging with faculty and the community and each other, students can learn about the system nationwide, and especially here in Seattle. The club offers multiple avenues into the professional world through tours, meet and greets, brown bag lunches, speakers, networking events and more. The club also offers social events to get to know your other club members. These include study break movie nights (often with crime drama movies) around finals each quarter and our annual silent auction.  The Criminal Justice Club is also dedicated to being an active member of the SU community and the greater Seattle community. The club enters in charitable and awareness events such as Dance Marathon and Relay for Life. The club often partners with the Criminal Justice Honors Society (APS) for events and service like the Juvenile Detention Christmas Drive each winter. The club provides opportunities for leadership and service in the community and allows us reserved spaces in campus safety events like the Night Walk or helping Public Safety with officer tests. We strive to make the club a worthwhile and meaningful avenue to like-minded individuals, the faculty and the professional world. Learn more here. Pi  Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma, Criminal Justice Honor Society Students in the criminal justice field, we find it important to integrate our academic experience with real life experiences. We accomplish this by offering a range of volunteer opportunities to our student body, which will assist them in getting the experience that they need to become competitive in their field. We also offer guest speakers in a wide range of fields that will help guide our students in achieving their career goals.  The Pi Delta Chapter of Alpha Phi Sigma is aimed at serving the students and helping make their academic experience a positive one. We do this by holding activities outside of school, so that we can get to know each other better. Current Students: Learn about membership requirements and meet the current chapter officers on our chapter site.  151 IMAGES Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Criminal Justice Ph.D. in Criminal Justice PhD in Ethical Leadership: Criminal Justice Criminal Justice Ph.D. Application Process PhD in Criminal Justice, Doctorate in Criminal Justice Criminology and Criminal Justice Degree, B.S. VIDEO How Can I Understand the Basics of Criminology and Criminal Justice? True Crime: Stephen Griffiths (The Crossbow Cannibal) #truecrime #shorts Criminal Law Book 1 Part 4 QUT Justice Degree COMMENTS Criminology and Criminal Justice, PhD Program description. The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University offers an on-campus program of coursework and research leading to the PhD in criminology and criminal justice. This program emphasizes criminal justice theory, research and policy, and is designed to produce highly skilled criminology and criminal ... Criminology and Criminal Justice, Ph.D. The coursework and research of the Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice emphasizes criminological theory, criminal justice system operations, research and policy. The program is designed to provide rigorous advanced training that educates and prepares highly competent criminology and criminal justice faculty members, agency researchers and ... Criminal Justice & Criminology, Ph.D. The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice and Criminology program is designed to train researchers and teacher-scholars in criminal justice and criminology. The program provides intensive one-on-one mentorship, a flexible curriculum, and core teaching and research skills that enable graduates to excel in university settings as well as research think tanks. PhD Justice, Law & Criminology SPA's PhD in Justice, Law & Criminology puts our students in the middle of one the best places to influence change in crime and policing, terrorism and homeland security, and the criminal justice system. They dive into research that addresses today's most pressing challenges and produce scholarship with real-world connection and immediate impact. Criminology and Justice Policy, PhD The doctoral program in criminology and justice policy at the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Northeastern University seeks to prepare students for professional and research careers in criminal justice, criminology, and related fields by applying multidisciplinary and comparative social science to understand, predict, and explain crime and contribute to the development of public ... Doctoral Program 2022-2023 Campus Grad Handbook. Considered the best doctoral program in the country as evidenced by multiple articles in The Journal of Criminal Justice Education, the FSU College of Criminology offers you the opportunity to be part of an intellectual community and learn from the most productive scholars in the country. Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology The PhD in Criminology degree program is an interdisciplinary, research-oriented degree offered in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at UT Dallas. ... yet intellectually challenging degree that adequately prepares them to conduct research among the many aspects of criminology and criminal justice, varying with individual ... Criminology, PhD < University of Pennsylvania Criminology, PhD. Penn's highly interdisciplinary Ph.D. in criminology combines the traditional concerns of criminologists with concepts, theories, and empirical research from a wide variety of academic disciplines. The program seeks to produce scholars of unusual breadth who can work creatively in academic or policy settings. PhD in Criminology & Justice Policy A research-oriented and practice-oriented doctoral program. The doctoral program in Criminology and Justice Policy is student-centered with the goal of preparing students for academic careers as well as careers in research and policy development. Students of this full-time, fully-funded Ph.D. program complete the degree in five years on average. Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology The Ph.D. in criminology is designed to prepare students to produce theoretically informed empirical scholarship related to issues of crime and justice policy. After completing graduate courses in criminological theory, criminal justice policy, and empirical methods, Ph.D. students take advanced graduate coursework consistent with their ... Doctor of Philosophy The UNLV Criminology and Criminal Justice Ph.D. provides an interdisciplinary, research-oriented perspective for advanced understanding of the nature and causes of crime, consequences of crime and crime control, society's reaction to these phenomena, as well as the organizations that are designed to deter, apprehend, prosecute, punish, or reform criminal offenders. Criminology and Criminal Justice, PhD The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University offers an on-campus program of coursework and research leading to the PhD in criminology and criminal justice. This program emphasizes criminal justice theory, research and policy, and is designed to produce highly skilled criminology and criminal justice faculty and ... Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice The Criminology and Criminal Justice Ph.D. provides an interdisciplinary, research oriented perspective for advanced understanding of the nature and causes of crime, consequences of crime and crime control, society's reaction to these phenomena, as well as the organizations that are designed to deter, apprehend, prosecute, and punish criminal offenders. 15 PhD programmes in Criminology in United States 20,179 EUR / year. 4 years. The doctoral Criminology and Criminal Justice program from University of Missouri-St. Louis is designed to provide students with a command of criminological knowledge and analytical skills. Ph.D. / Full-time / On Campus. University of Missouri-St. Louis Saint Louis, Missouri, United States. Criminology and Criminal Justice, PhD School of Criminology & Criminal Justice, College of Public Affairs & Community Service. Vision Statement. The vision of the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice is to be a program that is recognized nationally for its quality and impact on research and instruction. In terms of doctoral education, the aim is to foster a learning environment in which graduate students may gain the ... Criminology, Law and Society Ph.D. program Assistant Director of Graduate Student Services. [email protected]. 949-824-1874. . The Ph.D. program in Criminology, Law and Society is ranked #2 in the US News and World Reports rankings. The program focuses on the causes, manifestations, and consequences of crime; the impacts of crime on society; social regulation; the civil justice ... Criminology, Law and Society The PhD program accepts students with or without a previous graduate degree. Students who enter the doctoral program with a bachelor's degree will earn the MA in criminology, law and society as an integral part of the doctorate. The department offers multi-year assistantships to doctoral applicants on a competitive basis. Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice and Criminology Upon completion of their graduate program, graduate students in criminal justice will be able to read and evaluate data and social science research, analyze and develop criminal justice policy, conduct independent research related to criminology and criminal justice, and communicate original research findings and analyses of secondary research ... Criminal Justice (PhD) < University of Louisville The PhD in Criminal Justice prepares graduates for academic careers (e.g., teaching and research) as well as public sector (e.g., research, policy analysis and development, planning, program development and evaluation) organizations. ... Special Topics in Justice and Criminology: 3: CJ 670: Directed Studies/Readings: 3: CJ 690: Practicum: 3: CJ ... Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice and Criminology The Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice and Criminology is available on the Pullman campus. A student aspiring to earn a Ph.D. degree should expect to spend three to four years, depending on the individual, in study and research beyond the M.A. degree, of which at least two years must be enrolled at Washington State University, and at least two consecutive semesters must be spent in ... Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) Major in Criminal Justice Program Overview. The School of Criminal Justice and Criminology at Texas State offers a doctoral program for: criminal justice professionals who seek advanced education and. students who will pursue academic appointments at colleges and universities in Texas and around the nation. Texas State is located in the heart of the central Texas ... Doctoral Degree Requirements Doctoral students must receive passing grades for each of two exams: (1) theory in criminology and criminal justice and (2) research methods and statistics. These exams are each developed, administered, and graded by a College committee. These are 8-hour exams administered over two days during the fall and spring semesters. Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Forensics Our graduate and undergraduate curricula include criminal justice and criminology, organizational theory and criminal justice ethics, and research methods and statistics with focused coursework in a particular specialization area. ... judges, psychologists, sociologists, and others involved in the study of crime and the administration of ... Criminal Justice and Criminology 404-413-1020. EMAIL. [email protected]. Graduate Director. [email protected]. Undergraduate Director. [email protected]. The department of Criminal Justice and Criminology is a vibrant center of teaching and research located in the nationally-ranked Andrew Young School. Online Criminal Justice Degrees The impact that you will make with your online legal and criminal justice degree shouldn't come at a great cost to you. That's why UCF Online offers an affordable alternative to earning a high-quality university degree. Florida residents seeking an online graduate degree can save $42.33 per credit hour. MA in Criminal Justice As a graduate degree, it allows students to apply principles, theories and research in the field of criminal justice to "real world" issues affecting the criminal justice system. Students also have opportunities to work with faculty members on research projects and other professional activities that assist with networking and building ... More About Our Degrees Criminal Justice, BA & BS. More About Our Degrees. Department of Criminal Justice Criminology and Forensics. The degree and specialization options are designed to meet your individual interests and to provide necessary preparation for particular careers and courses of graduate study. The BA with the specialization in Administration of Justice ... Victor St. John, Ph.D., Named New Professor for Criminology and The Saint Louis University College for Public Health and Social Justice announces Victor J. St. John, Ph.D., has joined the Criminology and Criminal Justice Program as an assistant professor in the School of Social Work. Prior to joining SLU, Dr. St. John held a wide range of professional research positions in the government and nonprofit ... SOCI 837 Credit (s): 3 CRIMINOLOGY & SYSTEMS OF CJ Component: Lecture Focuses on basic policy issues in the administration of the criminal justice system, whose key elements are law enforcement, courts, and corrections. Prepares students for continued study of these organizations. Repeatable for Credit: N Allowed Units: 3 Multiple Term Enrollment: N ... Student Organizations Students are encouraged to get involved within the Department of Criminal Justice, Criminology and Forensics as well as the larger Seattle University community. ConnectSU is the hub for all student activities, events and clubs. Our club is group of students interested in and dedicated to the ... essay homework paper phd project resume review speech study thesis