The Department offers a graduate program leading to the Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Faculty research and teaching interests span a wide variety of crime- and criminal justice-related topics, including policing, courts, corrections, law and policy, macro, meso-, and micro-level criminological theory, sentencing, victimization, and program evaluation. Graduates from the program are trained to enter positions in academia or the criminal justice system that will allow them to teach, research, or influence policy and practice in the fields of criminology and criminal justice.

Learning Outcomes

1. Students will be able to synthesize and critically evaluate existing research studies in a given area, including the identification of any gaps in the literature.
2. Students will be able to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different research designs used in criminology and criminal justice. 
3. Students will be able to identify under what circumstances specific research designs are appropriate.
4. Students will be able to design their own independent research study addressing a relevant question in criminology and criminal justice.
5. Students will be able to summarize the basic premise of each major criminological theory.
6. Students will be able to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of major criminological theories.
7. Students will be able to identify linkages between criminological theories and criminal justice policies.
8. Students will be able to synthesize and critically evaluate research studies from a particular theoretical perspective, including the identification of gaps in the literature.
9. Students will understand core ideas and empirical evidence in the field concerning the development, implementation, analysis, and evaluation of law and policy related to the criminal justice system.
10. Students will be able to identify and apply appropriate methods for public policy analysis.
11. Students will complete the Ph.D. degree within a reasonable period of time and will obtain a research and/or teaching position that is appropriate for the degree. 

Admission to the Ph.D. Program

There are two possible pathways of admission into the Ph.D. program. The first pathway is for students with an undergraduate degree from an accredited college or university. Preference is for a degree in criminology, criminal justice, or a related social science. Applicants seeking admission on this pathway will be required to complete a minimum of 63 credit hours. The second pathway is for students with a Master’s or law degree from an accredited college or university, preferably with a focus on criminology, criminal justice, or a related social science. Applicants seeking admission on this pathway will be required to complete a minimum of 39 credit hours. An academic advisor will determine if more than these minimum requirements must be earned following an evaluation of previous work and professional goals.

In addition to meeting all admission requirements of the University’s Graduate School, applicants to the Ph.D. program must submit a university application through the Graduate School, including a written statement of research goals and objectives. The statement should outline the applicant’s interests in criminology and criminal justice and discuss plans for developing a research agenda during the doctoral program of study. Applicants must also submit scores obtained within the last five years on the Graduate Record Examination (GRE), three letters of academic reference, official grade transcripts from all previous institutions, and a recent sole-authored writing sample or thesis chapter written during previous degree program. Applications are accepted for fall admission only.

Pathway 1 Degree Requirements (minimum of 39 hours post-Master's or law degree)

Core Courses (18 Hours)

Must be completed with a grade of B or higher.

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
CRJU 801	Professional Development in Criminology and Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 810	Crime, Law, and Public Policy	3
CRJU 812	Advanced Quantitative Analysis for Criminology and Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 814	Research Design in Criminology and Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 816	Applied Quantitative Data Analysis	3
or CRJU 817	Qualitative Research Methods and Data Analysis
CRJU 821	Advanced Criminological Theory	3
Total Credit Hours		18

Note: No course may be repeated more than one time. With approval of the graduate director, substantially equivalent courses from outside the department may be substituted for some of these core courses. 

Electives (9 Hours)

Electives must be approved by an academic advisor and be at the 700-level or above. 

Dissertation Preparation and Defense (12 Hours)

12 hours of dissertation credit must be successfully completed to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation is an original research project that advances scientific knowledge in the student’s chosen area of interest. Both the dissertation proposal and dissertation itself must be orally defended by the student before the student’s dissertation examining committee. The oral defense before the examining committee cannot take place until after the successful completion of the comprehensive examination. 

Additional Requirements

In addition to these minimum course requirements, students are required to successfully complete a qualifying exam, a comprehensive exam, meet a foreign language requirement and a residency requirement. Additional details regarding these and other professional requirements are available in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Graduate Handbook. Students should work with their academic advisor before the end of their second year in the program to identify what if any additional hours will be required to create a program of study for this degree.

Pathway 2 Degree Requirements (minimum of 63 hours post baccalaureate degree) 

Core Courses (33 Hours)

Must be completed with a grade of B or higher 

Course List

Course	Title	Credits
CRJU 701	Survey of Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 702	Law and Justice	3
CRJU 703	Research Methods in Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 705	Quantitative Methods in Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 741	Criminology	3
CRJU 801	Professional Development in Criminology and Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 810	Crime, Law, and Public Policy	3
CRJU 812	Advanced Quantitative Analysis for Criminology and Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 814	Research Design in Criminology and Criminal Justice	3
CRJU 816	Applied Quantitative Data Analysis	3
or CRJU 817	Qualitative Research Methods and Data Analysis
CRJU 821	Advanced Criminological Theory	3
Total Credit Hours		33

Note: No course may be repeated more than one time. With approval of the graduate director, substantially equivalent courses from outside the department may be substituted for some of these core courses. 

Electives (18 hours)

Electives must be approved by an academic advisor and no more than 6 hours may be below the 700-level. 

Dissertation Preparation and Defense (12 hours)

12 hours of dissertation credit must be successfully completed to earn the Ph.D. degree. The dissertation is an original research project that advances scientific knowledge in the student’s chosen area of interest. Both the dissertation proposal and dissertation itself must be orally defended by the student before the student’s dissertation examining committee. The oral defense before the examining committee cannot take place until after the successful completion of the comprehensive examination. 

Additional Requirements

In addition to these minimum course requirements, students are required to successfully complete a qualifying exam, a comprehensive exam, meet a foreign language requirement and a residency requirement. Additional details regarding these and other professional requirements are available in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice Graduate Handbook. Students should work with their academic advisor before the end of their second year in the program to identify what if any additional hours will be required to create a program of study for this degree.