phd degree in criminal justice

Where To Earn A Ph.D. In Criminal Justice Online In 2024

Updated: Nov 27, 2023, 9:42am

If you want an advanced career in criminal justice influencing the future of the field through research, teaching and scholarship, a Ph.D. in criminal justice might be the right fit for you. You can explore several current hot-button issues in the field to become a professional who can think critically and help law enforcement evolve in positive ways.

Ph.D. programs typically include plenty of theory-based coursework and culminate in a dissertation, which usually requires students to contribute to the larger academic conversation in the field. If you pursue your criminal justice degree online, you can complete these requirements from the comfort of your home.

As of October 2023, there is only one school offering a Ph.D. in criminal justice online. Read on to learn more about that program and the degree in general.

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Nova Southeastern University

Headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Nova Southeastern University reaches students around the nation with its online programs, including its online Ph.D. in criminal justice. The program’s 60-credit curriculum offers three concentration options in organizational leadership, behavioral science and juvenile justice.

Learners can earn this Ph.D. from NSU without completing any in-person requirements. Most full-time students take two courses at a time.

The program typically admits 20 students per year. Incoming learners can begin their coursework each August. Tuition costs $1,277 per credit.

At a Glance

• School Type: Private
• Application Fee: $50
• Degree Credit Requirements: 60 credits
• Program Enrollment Options: Full time, part time
• Notable Major-Specific Courses: Theories of crime, the police and society
• Concentrations Available: Organizational leadership, behavioral science, juvenile justice
• In-Person Requirements: No

How To Find the Right Online Ph.D. in Criminal Justice for You

Consider your future goals.

An online Ph.D in criminal justice requires a significant investment of time and money, so it’s important to make sure it’s the right choice for you before enrolling.

A Ph.D. in criminal justice typically leads to careers in policy and academia. Ph.D. degree holders can find jobs as professors, educating the next generation of criminal justice professionals and performing research and scholarship that advances the field.

If you plan to work in law enforcement or a similar field, holding a Ph.D. isn’t necessary, and this degree type does not focus on boots-on-the-ground law enforcement work. Most professorships, on the other hand, do require a terminal degree in the field, such as a Ph.D.

Understand Your Expenses and Financing Options

Nova Southeastern University’s online Ph.D. program in criminal justice—the only qualifying degree in our ranking—charged $1,277 per credit as of October 2023. Over the course of 60 credits, this translates to approximately $77,000 in total tuition.

Make sure to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSAⓇ) to access financial aid opportunities like loans, grants, scholarships and work-study programs. You may also have access to graduate assistantships and other teaching or research opportunities through your school to help offset the cost of your education. These opportunities generally require teaching or serving as a teacher assistant for undergraduate courses.

Should You Earn a Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Online?

Before committing to an online doctoral program in criminal justice, ask yourself a few key questions to make sure it’s the right fit for you:

• What’s your budget? Some Ph.D. programs actually provide students with a stipend in exchange for research or teaching. Regardless, online Ph.D. students can avoid in-person costs like housing and transportation. Some public universities also allow out-of-state students who exclusively enroll in online courses to pay in-state or otherwise discounted tuition rates.
• How do you learn best? Online learning is a good fit for disciplined, organized students who already have advanced time-management skills. If you crave additional structure and guardrails or need the support of a cohort, in-person learning might provide a better fit.
• What are your other commitments? Doctoral students are often older learners who work full time or have children. Online learning is often a good fit for these types of learners, as it provides additional flexibility. For example, asynchronous online courses allow parents and working professionals to complete coursework around their other obligations and responsibilities.

Accreditation for Criminal Justice Doctorates Online

There are two important types of accreditation: institutional and programmatic.

Institutional accreditation is the more important of the two. The U.S. Department of Education and the Council for Higher Education Accreditation oversee the accrediting agencies that administer this process. These organizations vet schools for the quality of their faculty, student outcomes and finances, among other categories.

You should enroll only at schools with institutional accreditation. Otherwise, you cannot receive federal financial aid, and future employers may not recognize your degree.

Programmatic accreditation, which provides quality assurance in specific fields, is not prevalent at the graduate level among criminal justice degrees . However, some programs hold accreditation through the Academy of Criminal Justice Science.

Our Methodology

We scored one accredited, nonprofit college offering online Ph.D. in criminal justice programs in the U.S. using 15 data points in the categories of credibility, affordability, student outcomes and student experience. We pulled data for these categories from reliable resources such as the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System ; private, third-party data sources; and individual school and program websites. Data is accurate as of June 2023.

We scored schools based on the following categories:

Student Outcomes:

• Overall graduation rate
• Median earnings 10 years after graduation

Affordability:

• In-state graduate student tuition
• In-state graduate student fees
• Alternative tuition plans offered
• Median federal student loan debt
• Percentage of students in federal student loan deferment

Student Experience:

• Student-to-faculty ratio
• Socioeconomic diversity
• Availability of online coursework
• Total number of graduate assistants
• More than 50% of graduate students enrolled in at least some distance education

Credibility:

• Fully accredited
• Programmatic accreditation status
• Nonprofit status

We listed the only school in the U.S. that met our ranking criteria.

Find our full list of methodologies here .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Ph.D. in Criminal Justice Online Programs

How many years is a ph.d. in criminal justice.

Completion timelines depend on your enrollment status and your program’s dissertation and capstone requirements. For example, NSU’s program requires 60 credits, and most students take two three-credit courses at a time to graduate in 10 terms. This might take anywhere from four to six years.

Can I do my Ph.D. online?

Yes, you can earn a Ph.D. in criminal justice online, though very few U.S. universities offer this degree in a fully online format.

What is the fastest Ph.D. in criminal justice?

Given coursework and dissertation requirements, you can expect to spend at least four years completing a Ph.D. in criminal justice. You may finish faster if you find an accelerated program or take a heavy course load.

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Mikeie Reiland is a writer who has written features for Oxford American, Bitter Southerner, Gravy, and SB Nation, among other publications. He received a James Beard nomination for a feature he wrote in 2023.

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100% Online Learning 

Complete your Doctor of Criminal Justice online

National and Northcentral have merged, and this program is now offered by NU.  Learn more .

Online Doctor of Criminal Justice

Enhanced leadership skills for criminal justice professionals.

The criminal justice system is a complex network that combines the efforts of law enforcement, the courts, and corrections. Criminal justice professionals work together with the larger goal of protecting and serving the public interest by creating a safer society. Those seeking graduate-level education within this field must be prepared to leverage their knowledge and experience to impact change from the top down. This is a tremendous responsibility that requires strong leadership skills and an ongoing dedication to education.

Enhance Your Impact Through Higher Education

National University’s Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) program can help criminal justice professionals gain the advanced knowledge they need to become leaders in their field. This program was designed to help students gain management and leadership skills while developing a pragmatic approach to solving the problems facing the industry today. Upon graduation, students will have a deep understanding of criminal justice theory, as well as research and analysis skills to evaluate criminal justice issues and provide practical solutions.

This program offers specializations in Homeland Security, Policing, and Organizational Leadership and Public Administration. It is ideally suited for those that hold a master’s degree and are currently working in the criminal justice field. Students will enhance their understanding of critical topics in criminal justice and gain the additional skills they need to contribute in leadership roles. This includes the ability to research, budget, organize, and manage operations within criminal justice and community organizations.

The Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) accredits public and private schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S.

Course Details

Online doctorate in criminal justice course listings.

This program can be completed with a minimum of 54 credit hours, but may require additional credit hours, depending on the time required to complete the dissertation research. If needed, additional courses will be added to the student degree program in alignment with the SAP and Academic Maximum Time to Completion policies. Students who do not complete their program in accordance with these policies may be dismissed.

Course Name

This course examines current management issues within the criminal justice field. You will explore concepts and skills needed to address issues and problems confronting the criminal justice system. Issues such as the societal and cultural changes affecting criminal justice agencies will be examined. In addition, you will gain in-depth exposure to the application of theoretical and administrative principles.

In this course, students will analyze the internal organizational structure, roles and functions in criminal justice agencies. Students will examine the theoretical and research issues related to nature and causes of crime. Students will apply administrative and managerial concepts, and theories to demonstrate competencies in this area. Students will also learn to formulate policies for coordination and control procedures. Students will integrate theory and practice to evaluate best methods to improve overall performance of the agency.

This course provides a comprehensive review of ethics and moral behavior in criminal justice. The theoretical foundations of ethics will be introduced and applied to criminal justice practice. You will evaluate the ethical challenges faced by criminal justice professionals and the policies and practices in place to prevent unethical behavior. The ethical obligations in crime scene investigation, evidence handling, and testimony in court will also be addressed in this course.

In this course you will explore budget formulation, implementation, and execution within the context of public organizations and nonprofit or non-governmental entities. By the end of this course, you will be able to explain the craft of public budgeting, assess the tools used in the budgeting process, and depict the budget process for various levels of government. Finally, you will learn to evaluate capital public budgeting and asset management within the context of the public sector.

People who choose to work for the public good are often motivated by different incentives than employees in private organizations. There are specific challenges you will learn to navigate throughout this course including the assessment of external environmental changes related to politics and policy that influence public personnel administration. Additionally, you will learn to evaluate the legal and policy framework associated with public personnel management and to critique the practices and trends unique to public sector personnel administration. Finally, you will learn the various management strategies that enhance human capital in the public sector.

Strategic planning is necessary for effectively planning both current and future organizational goals of a criminal justice organization. This course will allow you to examine the tools and skills needed in the strategic planning process while understanding the importance of the planning process. This course will also strengthen your ability to analyze, develop, and implement strategic plans to achieve criminal justice goals for an organization as well as to assess and manage improvements for an organization in a specific geographical location. Several criminal justice agencies will be examined within the course to provide you with the widest perspective possible before you begin developing your own strategic planning documents.

In this course, you will engage in the process of scholarly literature reviews and academic writing. With an emphasis on how to (a) conduct effective literature searches, specifically in preparation for the dissertation, (b) develop a plan for writing comprehensive, critical, and synthesized reviews of research literature, and (c) critically review and write about underlying theory/conceptual frameworks, you will develop a foundation for future research. The overarching goal of this course is for you to conduct an exhaustive search of the peer-reviewed research literature in your topic area and identify potential areas of inquiry for your dissertation.

In this course, you will cultivate a statistical mindset through learning and nurturing skills needed to perform and interpret univariate inferential statistics. The course will facilitate building your statistical confidence in assessing and performing statistics. The course will cover univariate parametric and non-parametric statistical tests, interpretation of statistical output, and introduce skills needed to select statistical tests based on quantitative research questions.

During this course, as a scholar-practitioner, you will build the skills essential for designing quantitative studies; analyzing the data collected in these studies and interpreting the results of data analyses. You will explore designs and statistical techniques to use with their envisioned dissertation research.

During this course, you will examine qualitative methods for studying human behavior including grounded theory, narrative analysis, ethnography, mixed methods, and case studies. You will explore designs and methodologies to use with your envisioned research.

The Pre-Candidacy Prospectus is intended to ensure you have mastered knowledge of your discipline prior to candidacy status and demonstrated the ability to design empirical research as an investigator before moving on to the dissertation research coursework. You will demonstrate the ability to synthesize empirical, peer-reviewed research to support all assignments in this course. The Pre-Candidacy Prospectus is completed only after all foundation, specialization, and research courses have been completed.

Students in this course will be required to complete Chapter 1 of their dissertation proposal including a review of literature with substantiating evidence of the problem, the research purpose and questions, the intended methodological design and approach, and the significance of the study. A completed, committee approved (against the minimum rubric standards) Chapter 1 is required to pass this course successfully. Students who do not receive approval of Chapter 1 to minimum standards will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of Chapter 1.

Students in this course will be required to work on completing Chapters 1-3 of their dissertation proposal and receive committee approval for the Dissertation Proposal (DP) in order to pass the class. Chapter 2 consists of the literature review. Chapter 3 covers the research methodology method and design and to includes population, sample, measurement instruments, data collection and analysis, limitations, and ethical considerations. In this course, a completed, committee-approved Chapters 2 and 3 are required and, by the end of the course, a final approved dissertation proposal (against the minimum rubric standards). Students who do not receive approval of the dissertation proposal will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of these requirements.

Students in this course will be required to prepare, submit, and obtain approval of their IRB application, collect data, and submit a final study closure form to the IRB. Students still in data collection at the end of the 12-week course will be able to take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to complete data collection and file an IRB study closure form.

In this dissertation course students work on completing Chapters 4 and 5 and the final Dissertation Manuscript. Specifically, students will complete their data analysis, prepare their study results, and present their findings in an Oral Defense and a completed manuscript. A completed, Committee approved (against the minimum rubric standards) Dissertation Manuscript and successful Oral Defense are required to complete the course and graduate. Students who do not receive approval for either or both their Dissertation Manuscript or defense can take up to three supplementary 8-week courses to finalize and gain approval of either or both items as needed.

Program at a Glance

• Total Credit Hours:  54 Credit Hours
• Courses:  18 Courses
• Recommended Completion Time:  36 Months
• Next Start Date: Every Monday
• Classroom Size:  One

Career Potential*

• Regulatory Affairs Managers
• Compliance Managers
• Security Managers
• Loss Prevention Managers
• Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Post-secondary
• First-Line Supervisors of Police and Detectives
• Police Detectives
• Criminal Investigators and Special Agents
• Immigration and Customs Inspectors
• Intelligence Analysts
• Sheriffs and Deputy Sheriffs
• Private Detectives and Investigators

*Positions may require additional experience, training, and other factors beyond successfully completing this degree program. Many roles may also require state licensure, and it is the responsibility of the student to ensure that all licensure requirements are met.

Specializations

Doctor of criminal justice in homeland security.

Keeping our nation safe requires the ongoing work of dedicated professionals who understand the complex problems we face. The Homeland Security specialization helps prepare the next generation of leaders within areas such as public administration, law enforcement, public safety, emergency medical care, and disaster preparedness. As a student, you will explore emerging theories and concepts in terrorism and intelligence as well as innovative approaches to resolving them. Additionally, you will gain the valuable leadership skills you need to take on executive leadership roles within an organization. This specialization is ideally suited for those already working in law enforcement who want to enhance their knowledge and expand their career possibilities.

Doctor of Criminal Justice in Organizational Leadership

The Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) with a specialization in Organizational Leadership serves to enhance the understanding and practice of organizational leadership using an interdisciplinary approach between business and education theory and research. You will explore theoretical research as it relates to strategic planning in all phases of organizational leadership, including building organizational capacity and sustainability.

This specialization has broad appeal among practicing professionals with backgrounds in business administration, human resources, nonprofit administration, or related fields, whose professional goals may be organizational consulting or a general leadership position in corporate, government, not-for-profit, educational, or community organizations.

Doctor of Criminal Justice in Policing

Policing diverse and growing populations is an increasingly complex situation. To work in this field, one must have the right combination of skills, knowledge, and experience. The Policing specialization offers students the opportunity to explore topics such as effective police tactics and techniques, public policy issues, and leadership theories. As a student, you will examine current police issues within today’s multicultural and digital environment along with possible solutions for the issues we face. This specialization is ideally suited for those already working in law enforcement who want to enhance their knowledge and expand their career possibilities.

Doctor of Criminal Justice in Public Administration

As governments and organizations struggle to do more with fewer resources, individuals with expertise in public administration will be in high demand. The 100% online Doctor of Criminal Justice in Public Administration specialization offers unparalleled flexibility as you work one-to-one with your doctoral professor to develop your skills in gathering, analyzing, and applying data to business decisions. You will explore human resources management, accounting, urban politics, and policy analysis, with an emphasis on contemporary program evaluation, complex public organization, and environmental compliance, along with strategies needed to meet the challenges in government management at the local, state, and federal levels. Graduates are prepared for management roles in the nonprofit and government sectors in areas such as budgeting, program evaluation, research analysis, and economic development.

Doctor of Criminal Justice Program Outcomes

At National University, you can complete your Doctor of Criminal Justice program completely online, when it’s convenient for you. We have no residency requirements, no GRE/GMAT requirements, and no group projects. This allows you to earn your degree from anywhere in the world and complete coursework in a way that is convenient for you. We also offer a unique one-to-one learning model that provides you the guidance, attention, and support you need to thrive.

Doctor of Criminal Justice Learning Outcomes

• Develop policies and budgets to support effective administration of criminal justice agencies
• Evaluate risks and opportunities in criminal justice agencies based on legal, professional, and ethical expectations
• Integrate management and leadership theories into criminal justice practice
• Generate independent research to address issues in criminal justice and inform professional practice

Hear From Our Faculty

Watch our video to learn more about the Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) program from Dr. Eugene Wilkerson, Dean for the School of Business.

NU’s Public Safety Promise

National University, a Veteran-founded nonprofit, is proud to support public safety professionals who protect and serve our communities every day. To show appreciation, we commit to  providing affordable, accessible education  to all public safety professionals to advance their careers and help them reach educational goals through our Public Safety Promise Scholarship*.

To learn more about NU’s Public Safety Promise contact an enrollment advisor to discuss degree programs and scholarship options or visit https://www.nu.edu/our-university/the-university/partnerships/publicsafety/ .

* Nursing, radiation therapy, and doctoral programs are excluded from the tuition discount.

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Dissertation of the Year/Poster of the Year Process

Learn more about our Dissertation of the Year (DOY) and Poster of the Year (POY) processes, where doctoral students eligible for graduation submit a poster for the poster session held during graduation. This allows doctoral students to display their research among other researchers.

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Program Disclosure

Successful completion and attainment of National University degrees do not lead to automatic or immediate licensure, employment, or certification in any state/country. The University cannot guarantee that any professional organization or business will accept a graduate’s application to sit for any certification, licensure, or related exam for the purpose of professional certification.

Program availability varies by state. Many disciplines, professions, and jobs require disclosure of an individual’s criminal history, and a variety of states require background checks to apply to, or be eligible for, certain certificates, registrations, and licenses. Existence of a criminal history may also subject an individual to denial of an initial application for a certificate, registration, or license and/or result in the revocation or suspension of an existing certificate, registration, or license. Requirements can vary by state, occupation, and/or licensing authority.

NU graduates will be subject to additional requirements on a program, certification/licensure, employment, and state-by-state basis that can include one or more of the following items: internships, practicum experience, additional coursework, exams, tests, drug testing, earning an additional degree, and/or other training/education requirements.

All prospective students are advised to review employment, certification, and/or licensure requirements in their state, and to contact the certification/licensing body of the state and/or country where they intend to obtain certification/licensure to verify that these courses/programs qualify in that state/country, prior to enrolling. Prospective students are also advised to regularly review the state’s/country’s policies and procedures relating to certification/licensure, as those policies are subject to change.

National University degrees do not guarantee employment or salary of any kind. Prospective students are strongly encouraged to review desired job positions to review degrees, education, and/or training required to apply for desired positions. Prospective students should monitor these positions as requirements, salary, and other relevant factors can change over time.

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Criminology and Criminal Justice, PhD

• Program description
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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
• STEM-OPT extension eligible: No

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

Doctoral Degree Programs in Criminal Justice

Pursuing a doctoral degree in criminal justice is one way to reach the highest level of the profession and make a lasting impact on the field. People who pursue degrees at this level are interested in expanding our understanding of criminal behavior and how to deal with it. Graduates with this degree often achieve high-level academic positions or work in research, consulting firms, or public policy groups. They make significant contributions to a wide variety of criminal justice-related organizations.

Types of Criminal Justice Doctoral Degrees

There are a variety of doctorates in the field of criminal justice, all of which serve different purposes. In fact, the primary thing they have in common is that they could all lead to a career in academia, as you would be researching or teaching college-aged learners within your field of study. Below, you can find examples of some of the more common doctoral degrees in criminal justice along with typical concentrations—though these concentrations aren’t your only choices.

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

This degree tends to focus on research and academia. Ph.D. candidates in criminal justice fields often study theories, policies, and educational methods. Ph.D. programs typically end in a dissertation or capstone project, both of which are research-intensive and result in either a paper or full-scale study, respectively.

Common Ph.D. concentrations: criminal justice, criminology, forensic science , social work , cybersecurity , homeland security, policy

Doctor of Criminal Justice (D.C.J.)

D.C.J. is the newest accredited doctoral degree in criminal justice. This degree is for people who already have extensive practical experience in the criminal justice field to help them become leaders in their area or focus on a new one.

Common D.C.J. concentrations: homeland security , criminal justice policy

Doctor of Psychology (Psy.D.) in Criminal Justice

Psy.D. candidates in criminal justice fields focus on the environmental and mental challenges that lead to criminality. Criminal activity isn’t black and white; many perpetrators come from abusive environments, experience high poverty, suffer from mental health issues, or have other challenging situations. The job of someone with a Psy.D. is to figure out why people commit crimes and try to find solutions to problems on an individual or widespread level.

Common Psy.D. concentrations: forensic science , social work , criminal profiling , juvenile justice

Doctor of Public Administration (D.P.A.)

D.P.A. programs allow you to learn about, analyze, and plan for improvements in policy and program administration in a variety of fields, including criminal justice. These programs focus on topics such as government and nonprofit administration, leadership, and program planning and management.

Common D.P.A. concentrations: policy, administration of justice

Juris Doctor (J.D.)

While not a doctoral degree in the traditional sense, a J.D. is a terminal degree for people who wish to work as a lawyer. Those with this degree don’t typically refer to themselves as doctors.

Common J.D. concentrations: prosecutor , defense attorney , possibly leading to a judgeship

How to Get Your Doctoral Degree in Criminal Justice

Students pursuing a doctoral degree in criminal justice typically complete 40–60 semester credits, which takes around two years of study, plus an additional two or so years to complete a dissertation or capstone project. Some programs also require a residency, in which you will work in a criminal justice field under a mentor for approximately one year. If you’re taking an online program, you may be required to attend one or more residencies or colloquia (conferences or seminars with your specific graduating class) at different stages of the program.

Juris Doctors spend more time in school—around 90 credit hours, or three years, in law school. Though you typically won’t need to complete a dissertation or capstone project, you will generally need to get hands-on experience through an internship or practicum. To become a lawyer, you will need to pass your state bar exam.

Criminal Justice Doctoral Program Entry Requirements

While entry requirements will vary by institution, the following are some typical admission requirements:

• A minimum of a bachelor’s degree, ideally in a relevant field; some require a master’s or J.D.
• Professional experience relating to the field you plan to study
• A high GPA from previous studies, usually a minimum of a 3.0
• Letters of recommendation from professors, managers, or coworkers
• Competitive GRE scores
• A completed application and related fee

Criminal Justice Doctoral Curricula

Though each doctoral program will have a unique curriculum, certain types of classes are relatively universal:

• Court Process and Institutions: While undergraduate criminal justice classes cover the basics of how the courts work, doctoral programs look at specific issues and laws that govern how the courts are run on a day-to-day basis. Some of the issues include judicial processes, interpretation and implementation of constitutional law, financial and social costs of capital punishment, victim justice, and system flaws.
• Criminal Justice Policy: Courses in criminal justice policy and administration explore the challenges associated with combining research, criminological theory, and political trends into proposals for positive changes within the many areas of the criminal justice system.
• Criminological Theory: Advanced studies on criminological theory teach students how theories about crime causation are developed and the roles they play in today’s criminal justice system.
• Law and Social Order: Classes in law and social order are crucial to all criminal justice jobs because they define the role laws play in public safety and the modern society in general. They also help students learn how to deal with controversial issues such as the death penalty, imprisonment, and the prevalence of crime across different ethnic groups and social classes.
• Public Policy and Administration: Classes in public policy and administration cover a diverse set of issues that criminal justice professionals face. They emphasize change through effective management and are thus helpful for students who are interested in decision-making positions.

For all these doctoral programs (not including law school), you will need to complete a dissertation or capstone project. While a dissertation is research-based, a capstone project is about the practical application of knowledge. You will complete hands-on work in an attempt to solve a problem in the criminal justice field and ultimately write a paper or create a portfolio or other product and report, sharing and defending your findings.

Completing a dissertation requires you to research a significant problem in criminal justice, such as domestic violence, illegal immigration, incarceration rates, or juvenile crime, then write an extensive paper on your findings. A capstone project requires you to focus on a problem or health issue and complete a full-scale study on it, with a paper, portfolio, or presentation—or combination thereof—at completion.  A faculty advisor will provide guidance and mentor you throughout the process. Upon completion, the student will submit and defend their work before a committee. The committee has the final say on the acceptance and publication of the work.

Online Doctoral Degrees in Criminal Justice

Doctorates in criminal justice are frequently available exclusively or almost exclusively online . Accredited online degrees can be just as prestigious and high-quality as accredited on-campus programs, as they’re taught by fully qualified professionals and have the same rigor. You’ll also have access to an academic advisor and financial aid opportunities, just as you would in a brick-and-mortar school.

Pros of Online Doctorates in Criminal Justice

• Generally more flexible than on-campus programs, allowing you to maintain your current employment
• No need to travel to campus, saving you money on transportation expenses
• Less chance of contracting illnesses from others in packed classrooms
• Easy access to posted lessons and conversations, which means you can review materials as needed

Cons of Online Doctorates in Criminal Justice

• Little to no in-person communication, which some people thrive on
• Must have access to reliable technology, including the internet, a device compatible with your school’s learning management system (the website on which your classes are held), and a webcam
• Group work may be required, and coordination can be difficult, particularly if group members live in different time zones

One frequently cited drawback to online learning is the need to be self-motivated to create your own structure and discipline. However, success at the doctoral level requires these traits of students even in on-campus programs, because structured coursework is not the primary focus of the program as with the undergraduate or master’s levels.

Paying for Your Criminal Justice Doctorate

Doctorates in criminal justice will vary widely in cost based on the type of degree and specific institution. As of the 2019–2020 school year, full-time doctoral candidates across all areas of study paid an average of $11,380 per year at public institutions and $45,380 at private, nonprofit institutions. However, this is the “sticker price” and doesn’t factor in scholarships, grants, or teaching assistant funding.

You have a variety of options, including federal aid , for assistance in paying for your degree. Before exploring these options—particularly any that need to be paid back—you should discuss funding opportunities through your current place of work to see if they provide any tuition assistance or reimbursement in exchange for agreeing to years of service.

Types of Financial Aid for Doctorates in Criminal Justice

• Loans: Loans can be provided by the government or private institutions like banks. These funds gain interest and must be paid back, so be sure to only borrow what you need.
• Public service loan forgiveness: If you have certain types of governmental loans, you may be eligible for forgiveness of some of your loans if you work full time for the government or qualifying nonprofits that serve the community.
• Assistantship: Some doctoral programs allow students to serve as teaching or research assistants for professors, which will offset some or all of the degree costs.
• Full funding: It isn’t uncommon for doctoral programs to be fully funded by the university , even in the field of criminal justice. You may be required to work as a teaching assistant.
• Scholarships, fellowships, and grants: Scholarships, fellowships, and grants can be based on need, merit, membership in associations, minority status, or a combination of any of these and more. They don’t need to be paid back as long as you meet all contractual obligations.

Criminal Justice Doctorate Scholarships and Fellowships

• ACJA/Lambda Delta Epsilon Scholarships are offered by the American Criminal Justice Association to those with membership in the organization. The association awards three scholarships—one for $100, one for $200, and one for $400. They’re open to graduate students who are studying criminal justice with at least a 3.0 GPA. Applicants can apply for membership alongside their scholarship application.
• ASC Ruth D. Peterson Fellowships for Racial and Ethnic Diversity are designed to encourage students of color to enter the field of criminology and criminal justice. Recipients of the fellowship must be accepted into an accredited doctoral program. Three awards are given per year in November, each for $6,000.
• The Thurgood Marshall College Fund and Center for Advancing Opportunity offer up to five, one-year scholarships of $15,000 to students attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Funds will be applied solely to tuition, fees, and required expenses. Applicants must be enrolled in full-time doctoral programs, be U.S. citizens, and have a minimum GPA of 3.0.
• The National Institute of Justice Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports doctoral students focusing on research that advances the organization’s mission. The maximum award amount available under this fellowship program is $150,000, and at least 20 students earn this award.
• The Call to Serve Scholarship is awarded by CriminalJusticePrograms.com to deserving students—either undergraduate or graduate—in a criminal justice field.

Common Fields and Salary Ranges for Doctoral Graduates in Criminal Justice

There are many career possibilities for those with doctorates in criminal justice. You may work in high-level governmental positions, teach and conduct research in your area of interest, or provide consulting services. While some of these careers don’t require a doctorate to get started, you may rise through the ranks quicker and potentially earn higher pay with this terminal degree. Some of the most common fields for those with doctoral degrees in criminal justice are:

Career Options with a Doctorate in Criminal Justice

Academia Many people with a doctorate in criminal justice go into postsecondary education or research. Those in this field may work as instructors to up-and-coming criminal justice professionals or serve in a behind-the-scenes role as a researcher in an area of interest; most do a combination of the two. As of 2019, the median salary for criminal justice postsecondary teachers was $62,860 per year, with pay ranging from $35,560 to $125,680 depending on location, experience, and level of education. Across the country, the field is expected to grow by 7% to 10% between 2018 and 2028.

Court system While there are many careers within the court system, both attorneys and judges need a Juris Doctor (J.D.) degree to work in their fields. Lawyers in the criminal justice system present cases against accused people, defend alleged criminals, and mediate civil cases. Attorneys earned a median salary of $122,960 per year as of 2019, and the number of jobs for lawyers is expected to grow 4% to 6% between 2018 and 2028. Judges oversee cases and make the final call on sentences or settlements. In 2019, they were paid an annual median salary of $136,910. Their field is expected to grow by 2% to 3% between 2018 and 2028.

Learn more about becoming a judge

Learn more about becoming an attorney

You can also work within the court system with other doctoral degrees; you simply won’t be able to work as a lawyer or a judge. Instead, you would take on a leadership or policy role.

Forensic science Forensic science is where science and criminal justice meet. Professionals in this field work with everything from psychology to crime scene investigation to the human body. Forensic science is an umbrella term that includes a variety of positions.

Learn more about becoming a forensic scientist

Forensic psychology Forensic psychologists work at the crossroads between psychology and the criminal justice system. They may work with people who are encountering the legal system as an accused person, witness, or juror. Forensic psychologists ensure that people in the legal system are fit to fulfill their roles, create profiles of unknown criminals, or assist victims with recovery, among other focuses. As of April 2020, the average salary for forensic psychologists was $69,855 per year. Job growth varies by career title, but clinical psychology—the field of psychology under which forensic psychologists fall—expects a growth of 15% between 2018 and 2028.

Learn more about becoming a forensic psychologist

Forensic anthropology Forensic anthropologists study the human body to help solve crimes—or decide if a crime occurred. They usually work on deceased people to try to identify bodies and determine the cause of death. If they work in forensic serology, however, they focus on bodily fluids—not just to identify a person and cause of death but also to try to find DNA matches with potential perpetrators. Anthropologists were paid a median salary of $63,670 as of 2019, and the field is anticipated to grow 7% to 10% between 2018 and 2028.

Learn more about becoming a forensic anthropologist

Government and policy Many people with doctorates in criminal justice work in government, especially at the state and national levels. They may focus on policy analysis and advising, in which they research trends and statistics relating to criminal justice and recommend ways to change the system. Others work in emergency management for organizations like FEMA. People working in emergency management help plan for potential emergencies (natural disasters, terrorism, etc.) and coordinate responses when they occur. Those who want to work more directly in law enforcement may find careers as special agents for government agencies like the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA). With a doctorate, they may find themselves in leadership roles more than on-the-ground enforcement positions.

Learn more about becoming a DEA agent

Learn more about becoming an FBI agent

Learn more about working in the Department of Homeland Security

As of 2018, political scientists —the umbrella including policy analysts and advisors—earned a median salary of $122,220 annually, and the field is expected to grow by 5% between 2018 and 2028. FEMA jobs have a set of standard pay systems by level; as these jobs are so diverse, there is no reasonable average to assume. In 2018, the average DHS salary was $119,755.92 across all positions; FBI salaries vary greatly by position, experience, education, and location using federal payscale regulations, as do those in the DEA .

Resources for Criminal Justice Doctoral Students and Graduates

• Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences : ACJS focuses on education, research, and policy for criminal justice educators and professionals. They provide a variety of publications that may not be available in university libraries, scholarships and grants, and the opportunity to network with other criminal justice practitioners from around the world.
• American Academy of Forensic Sciences : AAFS strives to promote the study and practice of the forensic sciences as well as foster strong relationships between this field and other areas of criminal justice. They have several membership sections, and you choose based on your career focus. They provide job assistance for students, publications, and other resources for members, as well as some financial awards for students. They’re affiliated with The Forensic Sciences Foundation, Inc ., which focuses on education and research and provides scholarships, grants, and other awards.
• American Correctional Association : The ACA works toward improving the public view of corrections and relations between different organizations and governments. They also promote and implement effective researchand education. They offer a variety of publications, professional development opportunities (some including certifications), and annual conferences.
• American Criminal Justice Association-Lambda Alpha Epsilon : ACJA-LAE’s vision includes improving and expanding criminal justice education, increasing professionalism, improving relationships between criminal justice professionals and those they work with, and promoting general high standards. They have both regional and national conferences, chapters throughout the country, and offer scholarships.
• American Society of Criminology : This international organization focuses on expanding the knowledge of criminal justice professionals regarding best practices in identifying criminal justice predictors and improving the justice system. Alongside a career center, they have publications, a yearly meeting, and a partnership with the Crime & Justice Research Alliance .
• CriminalJusticePrograms.com : For articles and interviews on a variety of topics, check out our resource pages.
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Criminal Justice (PhD)

Program at a glance.

• In State Tuition
• Out of State Tuition

Learn more about the cost to attend UCF.

The Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice is a post-master's program of study and research. The program is composed of a substantive core focused on criminal justice theory and institutions, a research methods core that prepares social scientists in the scientific method and social-science statistics, and a selection of substantive criminal justice concentrations (policing, corrections, and juvenile justice).

The program focuses on criminal justice and takes advantage of the city of Orlando and surrounding cities and counties to examine criminal justice issues from multiple angles and levels.

The program is intended to serve many purposes. Chief among them are:

• Prepare disciplinary stewards capable of advancing scholarship in criminal justice;
• Prepare a qualified workforce to assume criminal justice instructional responsibilities in postsecondary institutions;
• Prepare analysts competent to staff federal, state, and local criminal justice agencies; and
• Improve safety and justice in communities through research partnerships with neighborhood, city, county and state agencies and associations.

Students completing the program will be well prepared to pursue academic positions in universities, research positions in criminal justice agencies, and consultancies in program evaluation and needs assessment.

The Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice is a 57-credit-hour, post-master's program of study and research. Substantive emphasis is placed on core coursework in criminal justice theory and institutions, and on in-depth concentrations in policing, corrections, or juvenile justice. Students complete a minimum of 42 credit hours of doctoral coursework and 15 credit hours of dissertation research.

Total Credit Hours Required: 57 Credit Hours Minimum beyond the Master's Degree

Application Deadlines

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Program Prerequisites

Applicants are expected to have a master's degree in criminal justice or a closely related discipline. Applicants' transcripts will be reviewed for successful completion of a sufficient number of fundamental criminal justice classes. Applicants may be required to complete master's-level courses in certain topics before being admitted to the program or permitted to take classes.

Students must have completed master's-level courses in advanced research methods and advanced quantitative methods and be familiar with SPSS, SAS, STATA, or R prior to enrolling in the Methodological Core courses. Students who do not meet this requirement may be required to complete remedial coursework prior to enrolling in CCJ 7708 - Advanced Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice Research and CCJ 7727 - Advanced Research Methods in Criminal Justice. It is recommended students have completed master's level courses in the concentration area they choose prior to taking courses in that area (policing, corrections, or juvenile justice).

Degree Requirements

Required courses.

• A grade of B (3.0) or better is required for all courses listed in the Substantive Core and Methodological Core.

Substantive Core

• CCJ7019 - Seminar in the Nature of Crime (3)
• CCJ7457 - Seminar in Criminal Justice Theory (3)
• CCJ7096 - Seminar in Criminal Justice Systems (3)
• CCJ7785 - Teaching Criminal Justice (3)
• CCJ7775 - Criminal Justice Research in the Community (3)

Methodological Core

• CCJ7727 - Advanced Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3)
• CCJ7708 - Advanced Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice Research (3)
• Select two courses from the list below or another methodological course with adviser approval:
• CCJ7725 - The Geography of Crime: Theory and Methods (3)
• CCJ6073 - Data Management Systems for Crime Analysis (3)
• CCJ6079 - Crime Mapping and Analysis in Criminal Justice (3)
• CCJ7747 - Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Criminal Justice Research (3)
• CCJ7752 - Structural Equation Modeling in Criminal Justice Research (3)
• CCJ6902 - Qualitative Criminal Justice Research Methods (3)

Concentration Area

• Students select an area of concentration and complete the assigned 9 credit hours of coursework. It is recommended entering doctoral students have completed a master's-level precursor in their chosen area (e.g., master's-level survey course in policing if the area chosen is Policing Theory and Research). A grade of B (3.0) or better is required for all courses listed in the selected concentration area. Areas of concentration are:
• CJE6320 - Seminar in Police Administration (3)
• CJE6456 - Seminar in Policing Urban Communities (3)
• CJE6706 - Seminar in Police Socialization and Culture (3)
• CJC6135 - Seminar in Institutional Corrections (3)
• CJC6165 - Seminar in Community Corrections (3)
• CJC6486 - Seminar in Correctional Effectiveness (3)
• CJJ6124 - Seminar in Prosecuting Juvenile Offenders (3)
• CJJ6126 - Seminar in Juvenile Corrections (3)
• CJJ6546 - Seminar in Policing and Prevention in the Juvenile Justice System (3)

Elective Courses

• Earn at least 6 credits from the following types of courses: Students select two additional courses (3 credit hours each) in consultation with program adviser and mentor.

Examinations

• Students must successfully complete a series of cumulative examinations to ensure expertise in the substantive, methodological and concentration areas. Students will take an exam on the core criminal justice coursework, a research methods and statistics proficiency exam, and an exam in the student's concentration area. Students may enroll in doctoral research (CCJ 7919) during the period of study preceding the examinations if all coursework is complete. Students will be given two attempts at each exam. If unsuccessful on the second attempt the student will be dismissed from the program.

Dissertation

• Earn at least 15 credits from the following types of courses: CCJ 7980 Upon successful completion of all examinations, students will enter candidacy and complete a dissertation. The dissertation topic should be grounded in the student's selected concentration area. Dissertation committees will contain a minimum of four faculty members, at least three of which (including the chair) will be from the Department of Criminal Justice. The fourth member must be from outside the Department of Criminal Justice and may be from outside the university. All dissertation committee members must be approved graduate faculty or graduate faculty scholars.

Grand Total Credits: 57

Application requirements, financial information.

Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans. For more information, see the College of Graduate Studies Funding website, which describes the types of financial assistance available at UCF and provides general guidance in planning your graduate finances. The Financial Information section of the Graduate Catalog is another key resource.

Fellowship Information

Fellowships are awarded based on academic merit to highly qualified students. They are paid to students through the Office of Student Financial Assistance, based on instructions provided by the College of Graduate Studies. Fellowships are given to support a student's graduate study and do not have a work obligation. For more information, see UCF Graduate Fellowships, which includes descriptions of university fellowships and what you should do to be considered for a fellowship.

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]

Type of Program

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• Course Catalog
• The Experiential PhD
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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.

PhD Justice, Law & Criminology

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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.

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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 2024-2025

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.

• Concentrations and course offerings may vary by campus and/or by program modality.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for the course availability each term at your campus or within your program modality.  
• Certain options within the program may be  required  at certain campuses or for certain program modalities.  Please consult with your advisor or admissions coach for requirements at your campus or for your program modality. 

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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15 Best Online PhD in Criminal Justice Programs [2024 Guide]

Explore online PhD in Criminal Justice Programs for 2024. Compare doctoral specializations, career paths, and salaries.

Maybe you want to help protect your community and your country from crime, or maybe you want to help find ways to make the criminal justice system more equitable for people of all races and socioeconomic statuses—or maybe both?

Editorial Listing ShortCode:

Either way, an online PhD in Criminal Justice may be just the credential you need to get in that ball game.

Online PhD Criminal Justice Programs

Select the online criminal justice degree program that most interests you to jump to that section of the guide:

Criminal Justice

Homeland security.

Regardless of the specialty you select,  pursuing this degree can help you build a strong foundation in criminal justice and related courses.

The study of Criminal Justice covers all aspects of the justice system, from arrest to court proceedings to punishment. With a doctorate in Criminal Justice, you may be able to impact one or all of those stages at a level that you simply can’t achieve without one.

A doctorate in Criminal Justice may also open doors to academia or prepare you for a career in law enforcement, corrections, politics, or advocacy.

Being smart and studious can help you earn any advanced degree. With Criminal Justice, being tough-minded and resilient can also be helpful. It can be emotionally difficult to deal with violence and crime every single day.

With a PhD in Homeland Security, you can help defend our nation from threats of all kinds.

People generally think of the Department of Homeland Security as the folks who battle foreign terrorists, but the institution also deals with domestic terrorism, cybersecurity, natural disaster management, and border protection. It includes the Transportation Security Administration, the Coast Guard, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Earning your doctorate in Homeland Security may qualify you for leadership positions in the private sector or at a number of government agencies. Depending on your past skills and experience, potential job titles include Senior Executive Officer, Cryptology Supervisor, and Foreign Language Expert.

Criminal Justice Careers & Salaries

A PhD in Criminal Justice may lead to a career in corrections, law enforcement, academia, private security, juvenile justice, or even politics.

The direction that the PhD can take you will largely depend on which specialization you select. Focusing on something like organized crime can help you get into the law enforcement field, while focusing on behavioral science may get you a research position in academia.

Most of the jobs are related to government to some degree, but there are private industry opportunities, as well. Private security firms are often on the lookout for qualified consultants.

All of the potential Criminal Justice career paths may offer the chance to make a meaningful contribution to society while doing stimulating work. Many of them can also be pretty lucrative.

The table above shows only a portion of the career fields potentially available to you if you earn a PhD in Criminal Justice. All salary and career data are provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Criminal Justice Specializations & Concentrations

Criminal justice doctoral programs have many specializations and concentrations, and the one you choose may go a long way in determining your career path following graduation.

• Behavioral Sciences : The behavioral sciences include the fields of sociology, anthropology, and psychology. This concentration involves studying why people do what they do and learning how to help people make better choices.
• Corrections : The study of Corrections deals with the punishment and rehabilitation of criminal offenders. While there’s some nuance to the term, corrections generally deals with prisons, jails, and related topics.
• Criminology : Criminology is the study of criminals and criminal behavior.
• Juvenile Justice : Juvenile justice deals with the incarceration and rehabilitation of offenders less than eighteen years old.
• Organizational Leadership : This specialization involves how to apply managerial sciences to the criminal justice industry. This includes things like running a prison or being a police chief.

All of these specializations may lead to interesting, fulfilling careers in the field of criminal justice.

Choosing a Doctorate in Criminal Justice Degree

When choosing a doctoral program in criminal justice, a number of factors should be taken into consideration.

• Admissions. Ensure you meet the program’s admission requirements.
• Transfer Credits . Check to see how many of your credits will transfer. The fewer credits that transfer, the more time you may have to spend making up for them.
• Accreditation . Make sure the school is properly accredited. Regional accreditation is the gold standard.
• Degree Requirements . Look at how long the program should take to complete. Also, make sure that any scheduled classes or requirements are doable in your work and life schedule.
• Residency . Does the program require a period of residency?
• Career Relevancy . Make sure the degree’s educational focus will point you in the right career direction you’re interested in going.
• Cost . No matter how much you like the university and its programs, weigh the financial cost against the potential salary gains you can reasonably expect to earn. Also, remember that your state residency status may affect tuition cost.

Deciding on a criminal justice doctoral program is a very personal decision. Choosing the best program will depend on variables that are unique to you.

Criminal Justice Curriculum & Courses

You’ll encounter a broad range of courses in your PhD studies, much of it dependent on which particular specialization you choose to focus on. These are some common courses included in criminal justice programs:

• Criminal Justice Policy and Analysis : This course gives a comparative overview of the dynamics and effects of various policies and analyses in criminal justice systems at multiple levels.
• Research Theory, Design, and Methods : This course can help prepare you to construct your own research plans and carry them out effectively.
• Leadership in Criminal Justice Administration : This is for those who will be working in senior administrative roles.
• Criminological Theory : This course examines theories as to why criminals commit crime and what creates criminals to begin with.
• Criminal Justice Organization and Management : This course examines how the justice system if formed structurally and how it can be improved.
• Criminal Justice Organizational Planning and Change : This course helps prepare you to understand and effectively manage large Criminal justice institutions like prisons and police departments.
• Ethical Practices in Criminal Justice Leadership : Those with the power to enforce laws also have a unique power to break them. This course examines how to spot these pitfalls and how to act ethically as a Criminal Justice professional.
• Organizational Trends in Criminal Justice : This course focuses on the most recent organizational developments in the Criminal Justice field.
• Risk Assessment: This course examines both behavioral science’s role in predicting violent behavior and the controversy that that role faces.
• Domestic Violence & Abuse: This course looks at the unique psychological and sociological factors that play into domestic and other types of abuse.

These are just some of the courses that you may encounter on your path to earning a PhD in Criminal Justice.

Admissions Requirements

Different schools are going to have slightly different admissions requirements, but most general requirements can be expected pretty much anywhere you go.

• GPA (undergraduate and graduate) : Most schools are going to look at the GPA you earned in your previous university work. They generally have sharp, minimum cut-off points that you have to meet at minimum to even be considered.
• Work Experience : PhD programs are preparing you for leadership and top positions in the criminal justice field. Universities want to verify that you have the requisite experience to succeed in the program.
• Graduate Exams : Some schools may require GRE or GMAT scores, but a growing number of universities no longer require exam scores for admission (or they offer waivers if you have a high enough GPA).

Accreditation

There are two kinds of educational accreditation—national and regional accreditation . Both serve the same purpose, but regional is the gold standard of university accreditation.

National accreditation is not insignificant, but it’s just not up to snuff with regional accreditation. If you’re investing your time and your money in a school, you almost certainly want to make sure they’re regionally accredited.

Criminal Justice Professional Organizations

Joining a professional organization can help you network, find opportunities, and show everyone how serious you are about the Criminal Justice field.

• Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences
• American Correctional Association
• American Probation and Parole Association
• American Society of Criminology
• National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice
• National Criminal Justice Association
• National Institute of Justice

Each organization has its own culture and focus, but joining at least one of them may provide opportunities to advance in the profession.

Financial Aid and Scholarships

If you’re like the vast majority of people, you don’t have the money to pay for your PhD out of pocket. Luckily, there are a bunch of ways you can fund your educational quest. You’ve likely come across these before in your previous degree-earning endeavors, but here’s a reminder for you.

The most obvious form of financial aid is the student loan, which comes in federal and private form. Most student loans in the United States are federal, and that’ll likely be the best route for you, as well.

You may also qualify for grants and scholarships, which you don’t ever have to pay back (barring some stipulations). Multiple organizations award both items specifically for Criminal Justice studies.

Scholarships are generally awarded based on merit while grants have some specific purpose in mind, such as conducting meaningful research into an important topic.

What Can You Do With a PhD in Criminal Justice?

A PhD in Criminal Justice can help you get a job in academia or in numerous government bodies. It can also help open doors for consulting in the private security industry.

Some potential careers include professor, police chief, juvenile corrections officer, and prison warden.

Are Online PhD Programs Credible?

The answer to this depends on the school in question, but generally the answer is yes. Most online PhD programs are credible and respected so long as they come from regionally accredited programs.

In many cases, the same faculty that teaches in the physical classroom will teach in the virtual. Also, in many cases, the degree issued will be exactly the same as a degree issued by a physical classroom.

How Much Does a PhD in Criminal Justice Cost?

A PhD in Criminal Justice typically costs between $550 and $1,100 per credit hour. This will mean your total tuition costs will likely be from $22,000 to $66,000.

Remember that the status of your state residency may affect the cost.  

How Long Does it Take to Get a PhD in Criminal Justice?

Obtaining a PhD is similar to the length of a bachelor’s degree as it usually takes roughly four years, but may range from three to five years. An associate’s degree in criminal justice is worth it for many who want a degree in a shorter amount of time.

The time it takes will depend on both the school’s curriculum and on how much of a course load you can take on at a time.  

Are There Any Affordable Online PhD Criminal Justice Programs?

Yes, there are some affordable online PhD programs in criminal justice.

Some schools charge as little as $550 per credit hour, which will generally come out to about $22,000 of total tuition.

Is a PhD in Criminal Justice Worth it?

Yes, a PhD in Criminal Justice is worth it for many students. According to the Census Bureau, less than 5% of Americans hold a doctoral degree. Earning this credential can help separate you from the rest of the pack.

Earning a PhD credential puts you in rare company and potentially opens the door for promotions and positions that otherwise wouldn’t be possible.

How Much Money Can Criminal Justice Professionals Make?

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median salary for police and detectives is $67,290 and criminal justice and law enforcement teachers is $63,560.

Universities Offering Online PhD in Criminal Justice Degree Programs

Methodology: The following school list is in alphabetical order. To be included, a college or university must be regionally accredited and offer degree programs online or in a hybrid format.

Working to help students from all over the world to access higher education since 1919, American Public University is a private college that provides online instruction to support students in obtaining an undergrad, post-grad, and Ph.D. in many fields. Some popular study areas at APU include criminal justice, education, and healthcare.

• Doctor of Global Security

American Public University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.

Commenced in 1965 as a private institute, Colorado Technical University has more than one hundred programs that help students excel in higher education.

Students enrolled at CTU can complete their undergraduate, graduate, or professional degree at an accelerated rate by using CTU’s distance learning program options. Those who would rather attend in-person can do so.

• Doctor of Management in Homeland Security

Colorado Technical University is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.

Known as an esteemed research facility, Florida International University has been assisting students with their educational needs since it opened in 1965. As a public-school, FIT provides affordable online and in-class learning opportunities for those looking to gain a bachelor’s or post-baccalaureate education.

FIT has many academic options, such as criminal justice, education, and STEM.

• PhD in International Crime and Justice

Florida International University  is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools.

Florida State University began in 1851 and now gives students sixteen colleges and a dynamic distance learning platform, FSU enrolls over 40,000 students from across the world every year.

This public research university gives students the opportunity to gain a high education ranging from bachelor’s degrees to professional degrees in various academic areas.

• PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Florida State University  is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Liberty University opened in 1971 and has been giving students alternative opportunities ever since by allowing hundreds of degree opportunities that can be obtained online or in person.

Based in beautiful Virginia Beach, this private college has several colleges and research center locations to help meet the needs of students enrolled in undergraduate, post-graduate, and professional degree programs.

• PhD in Criminal Justice – Homeland Security
• PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership

Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Providing a small community feel in a large urban area, New Jersey City University has been offering public education since opening in 1927.

This liberal arts college has more than forty-five undergrad programs and thirty graduate programs to help students gain higher education in a variety of subject areas, including criminal justice, health care, and technology.

• Doctor of Science in Civil Security – Leadership, Management and Policy

New Jersey City University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

With more than 150 academic study areas to chose from, students at Nova Southeastern University have had access to dynamic research facilities since 1964. Offering graduate, undergraduate, and doctoral programs, Nova Southeastern University is a private school that is known for excellence throughout the globe.

Some programs offered include criminal justice, technology, and psychology.

• PhD in Criminal Justice

NSU is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Offering students an opportunity to advance their educational status since 1852, the Pennsylvania Western University has hundreds of academic areas for students to explore.

CUP has both campus-based programs and virtual learning opportunities that provide flexible options for students pursuing any level of degree, including Ph.D.’s. CUP strives to offer affordable public education for all who attend.

• Doctorate in Criminal Justice

The Pennsylvania Western University is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

Providing a place for Christian students to obtain their educational needs, Saint Leo University has offered a diverse community of dedicated learners since 1889. Founded in liberal arts, SLU is a private school that gives students access to associate degrees, as well as undergraduate and graduate education in various fields of study.

• Doctor of Criminal Justice – Homeland Security

Saint Leo University  is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Opening with the assistance of the Roman Catholic Church, St. John’s University found its beginning in 1870 and has been offering private education ever since. Students at St. John’s University can earn an undergraduate or graduate degree in many program areas. Some popular areas of study offered at SJU are criminal justice, liberal arts, and business.

• Doctor of Professional Studies in Homeland Security

St. John’s University  is accredited by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.

1978 marks the beginning of a dynamic public education option when the University of Louisville opened its doors. Working to educate students throughout the world, UL provides research-based curriculums in an assortment of majors that lead to undergraduate, post-graduate, and doctoral degrees.

This university is also known for its revolutionary school of medicine.

The  University of Louisville  is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Beginning in 1894 as a public school for higher education, the University of Massachusetts – Lowell helps students excel in their quest to earn an undergrad, grad, or advanced degree.

Students from around the globe have access to UML’s many academic options by way of online learning, but campus-based classrooms are also an option for those seeking a more traditional route.

The  University of Massachusetts Lowell  is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education.

The University of North Georgia’s PhD in Criminal Justice offers a concentration in Intelligence. This program can help prepare students for careers in the military, federal, state, and local government, and private corporations. This 54 credit program can be completed fully online with asynchronous courses. It is designed to work with students’ busy schedules.

UNG is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Providing private education options since 1888, the University of the Cumberlands has serval paths to assist students in gaining a higher learning degree. Located in Kentucky, UC is dedicated to serving its community and gives students attending undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate degree programs college credit for community service efforts.

• PhD in Leadership Studies – Criminal Justice

The University of the Cumberlands  is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges.

Walden University opened its doors as a private educational facility in 1970. Offering classes through face-to-face and distance learning, Walden University is able to educate students from serval countries around the world.

It has many program options that can help learners achieve higher education in the form of undergrad, graduate, and professional degrees.

Walden is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission.

G­etting Your Doctorate in Criminal Justice Online

If you find that there’s only so much you can do with a masters in criminal justice , a doctoral program may be the right fit for you.

A doctorate in criminal justice may be challenging, but if you want better (or maybe just different) opportunities than the ones you currently have, a doctoral program may be a good option.

Going the online route can be a little nerve-racking because online education is still relatively new, but there are many respected and accredited universities providing valuable skills and credentials.

Earning an online doctorate in criminal justice just may be the thing that helps you take your life to the next level.

College of Psychology and Community Services: PhD in Criminal Justice

• College of Psychology and Community Services
• BS in Criminal Justice
• BS in Human Services
• BS in Psychology
• Graduate Certificate in Conflict Management and Negotiation
• Graduate Certificate in Criminal Justice
• MS in Criminal Justice
• MS in Criminal Justice Leadership and Executive Management
• MS in Forensic Psychology
• MS in Human Services
• Post-Master’s Online Teaching in Psychology Certificate
• Doctor of Human Services
• PhD in Criminal Justice

Note on Licensure

Learning outcomes, program types, specializations, general program (track 1) - for students master’s degree in criminal justice or a related field., general program (track 2) for students who have a master’s degree in a discipline unrelated to the criminal justice field, master of philosophy (embedded degree).

• Doctoral Writing Assessment

8-Year Maximum Time Frame

• PhD in Forensic Psychology
• PhD in Human Services
• PhD in Psychology
• Post-Doctoral Respecialization Certificate

Program Website  

The PhD in Criminal Justice program helps prepare students with the skills needed to pursue a range of criminal justice-related roles including leadership and education. Spanning topics such as homeland security, human services, and the role of technology in law enforcement, the curriculum examines contemporary criminal justice theory and practice while outlining some of the national and global issues facing the field today. Students can choose from six optional specializations to create a program of study that is tailored to their professional objectives.

Walden’s PhD in Criminal Justice program is not considered a Professional Peace Officer Education Program for the state of Minnesota and is not designed or intended to prepare graduates for licensure as a peace officer, police officer, or other law enforcement officer in any state.  

Upon graduation, students will be able to:

• Evaluate the root causes of crime and its impact on criminal justice policies, practices, and procedures.
• Evaluate management philosophies in managing human resources in criminal justice organizations.
• Synthesize theory and research on the historical trends and current perspectives in criminal justice.
• Apply data analysis techniques and research design methods to scholarly research in criminal justice.
• Evaluate the role of criminal justice in advancing social justice and positive social change.

General (Track 1)— Track 1 is a program of study for students who have a master’s degree in criminal justice or a related field.

General (Track 2)— Track 2 is a program of study for students who have a master’s degree in a discipline unrelated to the criminal justice field.

Specialization in Emergency Management

Specialization in global leadership, specialization in homeland security policy and coordination, specialization in justice administration (not available for students in track 2), specialization in law and public policy, specialization in online teaching in higher education, specialization in public management and leadership, track 1: fast track option, track 1 is a program of study for students who have a master’s degree in criminal justice or a related field..

* Students take this course for a minimum of four quarters and are continuously enrolled until completion of their dissertation with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval. In general, students are continuously registered in the dissertation course until they complete their capstone project and it is approved. This usually takes longer than the minimum required terms in the dissertation course shell.

To complete a doctoral dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the chief academic officer. Students must also publish their dissertation on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the Dissertation Guidebook .

(Not Currently Accepting New Students)

Walden offers a Fast-Track Option. With the Fast-Track Option, students take up to three courses and a dissertation preparatory course to expedite their path through the program.

Minimum Degree Requirements

• Professional Development Plan and Program of Study
• Foundation course (3 credits)
• Core courses (20 credits)
• Specialization/elective courses (15 credits)
• Research courses (20 credits)
• Dissertation support course (5 credits)
• Dissertation writing courses (5 credits per term for a minimum of three terms taken continuously until completion)
• Quarter Plans
• Four PhD residencies

In addition, students must

• Pass a writing assessment.
• Submit an application essay.
• Maintain a 3.0 GPA.

Walden students have up to 8 years to complete their doctoral program unless they petition for an extension.

In general, students are continuously registered in the dissertation course until they complete their capstone project and it is approved. This usually takes longer than the minimum required terms in the dissertation course shell.

To complete a doctoral dissertation, students must obtain the academic approval of several independent evaluators including their committee, the University Research Reviewer, and the Institutional Review Board; pass the Form and Style Review; gain approval at the oral defense stage; and gain final approval by the chief academic officer. Students must also publish their dissertation on ProQuest before their degree is conferred. Learn more about the dissertation process in the  Dissertation Guidebook .

Course Sequence (Fast Track for Track 1)

Note: PhD in Criminal Justice Fast-Track Option courses are identified with an ACRJ course prefix for enrollment purposes. ACRJ course descriptions align with corresponding CRJS courses, as listed below. 

* In quarters 2 and 3, CRJS 9000 is equivalent to ACRJ 9001A. ACRJ 9001A is a one-credit course. ** In quarter 4, CRJS 9000 is equivalent to ACRJ 9001B.ACRJ 9001B is a one-credit course.

Track 2: Fast Track Option

General program track 2, track 2 course sequence.

* Students take this course for a minimum of four terms and are continuously enrolled until completion of their dissertation with final chief academic officer (CAO) approval. In general, students are continuously registered in the dissertation course until they complete their capstone project and it is approved. This usually takes longer than the minimum required terms in the dissertation course shell.

General Program Track 2: Fast Track

Walden offers a Fast-Track Option. With the Fast-Track Option, students take up to three courses

• Core courses (35 credits)
• Note: The General program does not require electives or specialization courses.

Note: PhD in Criminal Justice Fast-Track Option courses are identified with an ACRJ course prefix for enrollment purposes. ACRJ course descriptions align with corresponding CRJS courses, as listed below.

* In quarters 2 thru 4, CRJS 9000 is equivalent to ACRJ 9001A. ACRJ 9001A is a one-credit course. ** In quarter 5, CRJS 9000 is equivalent to ACRJ 9001B. ACRJ 9001B is a two-credit course.

Walden awards the Master of Philosophy (MPhil) degree to recognize PhD students for academic achievement leading up to their dissertation. With an MPhil, students will be able to demonstrate to employers and others that they have an advanced knowledge base in their field of study as well as proficiency in research design and evaluation.

• All required PhD core courses (or KAMs)
• All required PhD specialization courses (or KAMs)
• All required doctoral research and advanced research courses
• Program prospectus development course
• Residencies 1, 2, and 3
• A minimum 3.0 GPA is mandatory.
• The MPhil requires a minimum of 45 quarter credits. Maximum transfer of credit varies by program but is not to exceed 50% of the overall, or embedded, program requirements. Students who previously completed a master's degree with Walden in the same discipline area are not eligible for an MPhil.

Students who start or readmit to doctoral programs at Walden University in the university catalog for academic year 2017 or later will complete the university’s required  doctoral writing assessment . Designed to evaluate incoming doctoral students’ writing skills, this assessment aims to help prepare incoming doctoral students to meet the university’s expectations for writing at the doctoral level.

Students have up to 8 years to complete their doctoral degree requirements (see  Enrollment Requirements  in the student handbook). Students may petition to extend the 8-year maximum time frame, but an extension is not guaranteed.

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Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence (Ph.D.)

The Criminal Justice with a Concentration in Intelligence (Ph.D.) at UNG is designed to meet the intelligence and research needs of military, federal, state, and local governmental agencies, private corporations engaged in intelligence fields, and others who are interested in developing greater knowledge about the field of intelligence and research studies.

The objective of this degree is to prepare students for analytic, operational, research, and investigative intelligence positions within the federal government, the military, local law enforcement, and the private sector and to produce well-trained criminologists, researchers, teachers, and criminal justice practitioners The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice program at UNG will require the completion of a minimum of 54 credit hours, contingent upon an earned master’s degree. The program will consist of 30 hours of core course, 9 hours of electives, and 15 hours will be dissertation credits. All students will be required to complete and defend a dissertation.

Request Information Apply Attend a Virtual Information Session

Criminal Justice (Ph.D.) Program Quick Facts

• Online program, no campus visit required
• Asynchronous online classes
• Program length 54 credit hours (minimum)
• Full-time or part-time enrollment
• Cohort begins in fall semester

Application Deadlines

All application materials are to be received prior to the deadline. Completing your application earlier is better.

If program capacity is met prior to established admission deadlines, we will stop accepting applications for admission and cancel remaining incomplete applicants.

Fall Deadline

How to apply to the criminal justice (ph.d.) program.

Requirements

• Hold a graduate degree in an area of social science (criminal justice, criminology, sociology, psychology, etc. from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the  Academic Information  section of the Graduate Catalog ) with a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 or higher (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures. The applicant’s graduate degree should include a background in theory and research methodology relevant to the discipline.
• Official Graduate Record Exam (GRE) Score: Applicants must submit official GRE scores as a requirement for admission into the Ph.D. program. The Ph.D. program at UNG does not have a minimum GRE score, nor does the admissions committee use a formula to determine admission eligibility. All aspects of the applicant’s file are taken into consideration for admission decisions. Please note, only test scores less than five years old will be considered.
• Three UNG recommendation forms .
• Statement of Professional and Academic Goals: a 2-3 page statement that should include the applicant’s research interests in the field of criminal justice, teaching philosophy if applicable, and professional goals. Applicants should highlight how their Ph.D. studies will contribute to their professional goals.
• Current professional resume or curriculum vita.
• One Academic Paper/Writing Sample: Single-authored writing sample, such as a paper written for an academic course, that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability. The paper submitted should not be longer than 25 double-spaced pages.

Applying to UNG

• Step 1 Application and Application Fee
• Step 2 Official Transcripts
• Step 3 Official Entrance Test Score
• Step 4 Verification of Lawful Presence in the U.S.
• Step 5 Graduate Assistants
• Step 6 Persons Aged 62 or Over

Application and Application Fee

Submit the online application for Graduate Admissions.

Please allow three business days after submitting your application for processing. You will receive an email from [email protected]  after your application has been reviewed for accuracy and updated with submitted documents. Please do not check your application status prior to receiving an email from this office as your online application checklist will not accurately reflect the required items for your program of interest.

• Non-refundable application fee of $40.
• Pay with a credit/debit card (Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express) or electronic check (U.S. banks only) when completing the online application.
• Include a check or money order payable to UNG when submitting a paper application.
• Required supplemental documents may be uploaded with your application or emailed to [email protected] .

Official Transcripts

Submit one set of official transcripts from each institution attended for all course work at the graduate level.

• Transfer credit posted on records of other institutions is not accepted in lieu of transcripts from original institutions. Please request a transcript from each institution attended.
• Transcripts that have been opened, scanned or forwarded by email are not official and will not be accepted.
• Official paper transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution and mailed to University of North Georgia Admissions Imaging Center, P.O. Box 1358, Gainesville, GA 30503-1358. Student paper transcripts are accepted only when issued to the student in a sealed envelope and submitted to Graduate Admissions unopened.
• Official electronic transcripts are accepted if submitted from the issuing institution to [email protected] . Depending on the transcript service you are using, [email protected] may not be an available option. You may then select any admissions or undergraduate admissions @ung.edu address. Electronic transcripts forwarded via email from the student are not accepted.
• International transcripts must have a course-by-course credential evaluation by an independent evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services, Inc. ( NACES ) or Association of International Credential Evaluators, Inc. ( AICE ). Evaluations must be sent directly from the agency to the Admissions office. Refer to the evaluator website for a full list of  NACES  or  AICE  members. Official evaluations must include certification that the applicant's course work and degrees earned are equivalent to course work and degrees earned from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the  Graduate Catalog ) and include a cumulative grade point average. Evaluations should be submitted from the evaluation service to Graduate Admissions. Evaluations must include certification that the applicant has received a baccalaureate from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the  Graduate Catalog ) with a minimum grade point average of 2.75. 
• Graduate Admissions will retrieve transcripts of coursework completed in-residence at UNG. You do not need to order official transcripts from UNG.

Official Entrance Test Score

University of North Georgia’s institutional code is 5497 for submitting official  GRE General Test  scores. Only test scores less than five years old will be considered.

Verification of Lawful Presence in the U.S.

Board of Regents’ policy requires all applicants accepted for admission or readmission to UNG seeking in-state for tuition classification provide validation of residency and lawful presence in both the state of Georgia and the United States.

Graduate Assistants

Interested in applying for a graduate assistant position at UNG? 

• Visit  UNG's Job Site  and select Grad Assistant to view available positions. 
• When prompted on the Graduate Admissions application , select "Yes" to be added to our email communications about upcoming positions. 
• Graduate assistants  are required to have health insurance. For additional information, visit  USG Student Health Insurance Program (SHIP)

Persons Aged 62 or Over

• Must be a resident of Georgia and 62 years of age or older at the time of registration.
• May enroll as a regular or auditing student in courses on a “space available” basis without payment of fees, except for supplies, laboratory or shop fees.

Applicants who have a related graduate degree outside of the social sciences or who do not have the necessary course content in theory and methodology may qualify for provisional admission. To qualify for provisional admission, an individual must:

• Graduate degree from an accredited institution (as defined under Accredited Institutions in the Academic Information section of the  Graduate Catalog ) with at least a cumulative grade point average of 3.2 (4.0 scale) calculated in accordance with Graduate Admissions procedures.
• Three UNG recommendation forms.
• Statement of Professional and Academic Goals: Two to three pages that include the applicant’s fields of interest and how the Ph.D. program will contribute to the goals.
• Current professional resume.
• One Academic Paper/Writing Sample: Single-authored writing sample that demonstrates the applicant’s writing ability. Examples include a chapter from the applicant’s thesis or a paper written for course credit. The paper submitted should not be longer than 25 double-spaced pages.

Provisional degree-seeking students

• may register for a maximum of nine semester hours of graduate credit.
• will be reviewed to determine eligibility for regular admission following completion of the first semester.
• are not eligible for federal financial aid while enrolled in courses as a provisional student.
• will not be allowed to continue in the program if a grade of C or lower is earned in any graduate course.
• may apply for readmission after three semesters from the date removed from the program because of a deficient grade by submitting a new application to Graduate Admissions with a letter addressed to the program coordinator requesting readmission.
• Non-Degree The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice program does not permit non-degree students.

The Ph.D. in Criminal Justice program does not permit transient students.

International applicants who must be issued an F-1 visa by UNG to enter the United States to attend school may not apply for completely part-time (less than nine hours) or online programs. This program is only offered as an online program and therefore does not permit F-1 visa student admission.

A candidate whose application is denied has the right to appeal the decision. A written letter of appeal must include strong evidence to support the basis for your appeal. The appeal should consist of information beyond what was previously submitted in your admissions file and detail your ability to be successful in graduate studies.

• Students whose appeals are granted will be admitted as provisional students.
• Students are not eligible for financial aid while taking courses under a provisional admission status.
• Students may not appeal for regular admission.

Email your letter of appeal as a pdf attachment to [email protected] .

Start Your Application Graduate Admissions Tuition Estimator

Criminal Justice (Ph.D.) Curriculum

Required courses (30 credit hours).

• CRJU 8100 - Contemporary Criminological Theory This course will examine some of the major theories developed to explain crime and criminal behavior, followed by a discussion of theories on punishment and social control, developmental and life course theories, social reaction theories, and critical theory. The course will also include a discussion on the present state and future prospects of criminological theory. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8200 - Quantitative Research Methods This course offers a hands-on opportunity for doctoral students to experience the practice of quantitative research. This course is designed to train graduate students in quantitative research methodology, from conceptualization, through design and data collection processes for use in their graduate studies and their careers. The course is a program requirement for doctoral students. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8300 - Qualitative Research Methods This course offers a hands-on opportunity for doctoral students to experience the practice of qualitative research. This course is designed to train graduate students in qualitative research methodology, from conceptualization, through design and data collection processes for use in their graduate studies and their careers. The course is a program requirement for doctoral students. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8400 - Advanced Statistical Analysis This course is an advanced overview of descriptive and inferential statistics with emphasis on the latter. Students will gain practical experience in analyzing current data from the social sciences through the use of statistical computer programs. Topics include: sampling, measures of central tendency and dispersion, probability theory, hypothesis testing, point and interval estimation, chi-square distributions, correlation, multiple regression analysis, logistic regression analysis, and factor analysis. Prerequisite/Corequisite: Prerequisite: CRJU 8200 Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8500 - Directed Teaching in Criminal Justice I This course focuses on pedagogical issues in teaching criminal justice content at the undergraduate level. Techniques for teaching in class as well as online will be introduced and discussed. Course design and development will also be introduced. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8600 - Directed Teaching in Criminal Justice II This course focuses on course development, design, and delivery for teaching criminal justice content at the undergraduate level. Supervised co-teaching in an existing undergraduate course is included. Prerequisite/Corequisite: Prerequisite: CRJU 8500 and 18 hours of coursework in the program Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8610 - Intelligence Analysis This course provides an overview and introduction of the intelligence analysis function within the law enforcement organization, including an overview of the techniques and applications used to plan investigations, collect reliable intelligence, process and analyze the intelligence, and disseminate it to other agencies. The course prepares the student for using these techniques within a law enforcement organization. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8612 - Crime Analysis and Intelligence-Led Policing This course is an advanced overview of techniques and processes related to Intelligence-Led Policing (ILP) and other advanced methods in crime analysis. Topics include: the origins of ILP, decision making based on ILP and crime analysis, the role of technology, as well as the evaluation and assessment of these methods. Technology related to ILP, such as crime mapping, mobile data terminals, COMPSTAT and related technologies will be discussed. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8613 - Terrorism, Intelligence, and Homeland Security This course covers the historical and contemporary issues interrelating terrorism, intelligence and homeland security. The course represents not only a strong scholarly approach to the study of terrorism, but also incorporates the real-world experience of federal agents, police officers, and soldiers tasked with preventing the next terrorist attack on our country. It is designed to help students develop a working knowledge of people, ideas, organizations and current issues in the field. The approach of this course provides students with a unified and cutting-edge understanding of terrorism, intelligence, and homeland security and their interrelationship. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8614 - Cybercrime, Policy, and Intelligence This course will explore the policy and law of computer crime and consider how "cybercrimes" are different from and similar to transgressive behavior in physical space. Topics will include the Fourth Amendment, forensics, electronic surveillance, cyberbullying, identity theft, computer hacking and cracking, espionage, cyberterrorism, privacy, the era of "forced disclosure," and the challenge of cross-jurisdiction enforcement. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog

Electives (9 credit hours)

• CRJU 7005 - Global Crime and Justice In the last two decades, transnational crime has experienced an unprecedented expansion, now accounting for roughly 15 percent of the world's GDP. Profits from transnational crime groups have been termed the 'global shadow economy' or the 'dark side of the economy.' The purpose of this course is to study crime and criminal justice from a global perspective. The course will examine how globalization and improvements in communication technologies have led to a recent growth in transnational crime. The course will explore issues surrounding the definitions, incidence, and trends in transnational crime. The course also analyzes efforts made by contemporary nation states and multilateral agencies to combat illicit transnational activity. Specific crime topics discussed include, drug trafficking, arms trafficking, the trafficking of persons, the sex industry, fraud, cybercrime, and transnational criminal organizations. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 7010 - Criminal Justice Policy This course is a survey of program evaluation and policy analysis techniques relating to the philosophical and practical administration of criminal justice. The focus is on how policy in criminal justice is created, analyzed and changed. The student will be introduced to critical issues in criminal justice and policymaking at the local, state, and federal levels as well as effective and ineffective policies and strategies used in the criminal justice system. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 7112 - Police and Society The purpose of this course is to examine the development and role of police in modern society. This not a course on police administration or criminal investigation, rather the course examines the function of police in the context of the large society. As such, it will explore such topics as, the history of policing, police recruitment, police misconduct, police discretion, police culture, patterns of police-community relations, crime prevention strategies, the relationship between police and the media. Like other course in the graduate curriculum, this class will integrate theory, research, and policy by relying on academic journal articles as the source for class discussions. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 7115 - Corrections and Penology This course will examine the current research in corrections and penology. It will address specific issues such as public perception and reaction to the criminal justice system's methods of punishment and treatment of criminal offenders, the effectiveness of sentencing options and policies and the various theoretical and methodological approaches to the study of community-based corrections, intermediate sanctions, and prisons. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 7117 - Legal Liabilities of Criminal Justice This course is an examination of the liability issues that challenge criminal justice professionals in the performance of their duties. The course will result in an examination of how management and administration in criminal justice relates to ethical, civil, and criminal behaviors of personnel. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 7120 - Forensic Behavioral Analysis The purpose of this course is to examine criminal behavior through a psychological perspective. Upon completion of this course, students should have acquired knowledge regarding the major psychological theories of criminal behavior as well as specific psychological disorders that potentially contribute to criminal behavior, such as personality disorders, impulse control disorders, and sexual disorders. Students will study the behaviors and traits of the perpetrators and victims of such crimes as, serial murder, rape, child molestation, domestic homicide, mass murder, and serial arson. The course will also familiarize students with various techniques for analyzing and understanding criminal behavior though crime scene analysis. These techniques include an introduction to the fundamentals of criminal investigative analysis, criminal profiling, risk assessment, and interview strategies. Critical thinking skills are emphasized by the utilization of case studies that will involved an analysis of offender psychopathology, modus operandi, and signature. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 7900 - Special Topics in Criminal Justice A seminar on topics which will vary according to instructor and student interest. With a change in topic, this course may be repeated for credit. Hours: 0-9 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8900 - Special Topics in Criminal Justice A seminar on topics in criminal justice that will vary according to instructor and student interest. This course is designed to introduce relevant contemporary topics not covered by existing curriculum. The course may be repeated for credit with a change in topic for a maximum of 6 hours credit. Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8920 - Independent Study in Criminal Justice An advanced independent study of a relevant topic in the field of criminal justice. Study topics are subject to approval by the supervising faculty member and the graduate coordinator. Prerequisite/Corequisite: Prerequisite: approval of the graduate coordinator Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog

Dissertation Research (15 credit hours)

• CRJU 8801 - Directed Reading in Criminal Justice This course is designed as an independent study of major written works in the field of criminal justice, especially those highlighted in the PhD curriculum. This course is also considered a qualifying examination of  theory, methodology, and research interests. Completion is required prior to the beginning of the dissertation.  Prerequisite/Corequisite: Prerequisite: Permission of the Graduate Coordinator Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• CRJU 8901 - Dissertation Research I Students enrolled in this course will work on their dissertation supervised by a committee of the faculty. This course may be repeated for up to 6 hours of total course credit. Prerequisite/Corequisite: Prerequisite: Permission of the Graduate Coordinator Hours: 3 View Course in Catalog
• Department of Criminal Justice

For questions about the application process, contact: Graduate Admissions [email protected]   706-864-1543

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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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Doctor of Criminal Justice Hone Your Expertise

Degree Options

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100% online, 8-week courses

Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total

Pursue the Administration of Justice with an Online Doctorate in Criminal Justice

Are you interested in defending those around you, your community, and the general public? The need for criminal justice professionals who can provide insight into and change the landscape of criminal justice has never been greater. At Liberty University, we believe the administration of justice is critical. Part of our mission of  Training Champions for Christ  involves protecting those who are most vulnerable.

In our Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) program, you will have the opportunity to pick a specialization so you can hone your skills in a specific area. Are you interested in protecting your country and preparing for and preventing attacks domestically and abroad? Or are you looking to move up the ranks to a leadership role in a criminal justice organization? At Liberty, no matter where your interests lie, we are ready to partner with you as you prepare to take the next step in your criminal justice career!

What Will You Study in Our Doctor of Criminal Justice Online Degree ?

In our online doctorate in criminal justice core courses, you can learn many of the basic tenets of criminal justice. For example, you will begin by taking courses in criminology, criminal justice administration, and justice policy. These courses are designed so that you can construct effective strategies and make needed changes within criminal justice organizations.

In addition, you will take courses that analyze different criminal justice systems, juvenile justice systems, and advanced corrections policy. You will also take research courses focused on transnational crime, organizational conflict, terrorism and intelligence, and stress management in criminal justice. After this, you have the choice to take elective courses and customize your path of study or to pursue a specific specialization in homeland security or leadership.

If you choose one of these specializations, you will then take further courses to foster your skills and challenge you to identify problems and create solutions within the criminal justice field. Some of the topics that you will study if you pursue a homeland security specialization include weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high yield explosives (CBRNE) as well as counterterrorism and risk management.

If you choose the leadership specialization, you will study a wide variety of topics, including strategic management and advanced human resources advancement in criminal justice organizations. If you decide to pursue the general track and mix and match courses, you can pursue a wide swathe of criminal justice online classes that are offered by the Helms School of Government.

Featured Courses

• CJUS 700 – Theories of Crime
• CJUS 701 – Comparative Criminal Justice Systems
• CJUS 702 – Advanced Juvenile Justice Policy
• CJUS 703 – Advanced Corrections Policy

Degree Information

• This program falls under the  Helms School of Government . 
• View the  Graduate Government Course Guides  (login required) . 

Why Choose Liberty’s Online Degree?

When looking for an online doctorate degree in criminal justice, we understand the importance of academic quality. At Liberty, our faculty are leading industry experts who have served in a variety of criminal justice roles. In addition, our professors have advanced degrees in related areas of study, so you know that you are receiving a relevant and rigorous education. In addition, Liberty is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges ( SACSCOC ). Choosing Liberty means choosing a world-class education and a degree you can be confident in.

We understand that life can get busy – which is why we offer our criminal justice program 100% online. With no set login times, you can access your course materials whenever you need them and wherever you are. In addition to the flexibility that Liberty offers, we also believe that higher education should be affordable. That is why our tuition has been frozen for the past 9 years – and counting.

With the flexibility, quality, and affordability that Liberty provides, you can be confident in partnering with us for your doctoral studies!

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• What Sets Us Apart?
• Private Nonprofit University
• 600+ Online Degrees
• No Standardized Testing for Admission
• Transfer in up to 75% of an Undergrad Degree
• Transfer in up to 50% of a Grad/Doctoral Degree

Potential Careers for Doctor of Criminal Justice Graduates

• Compliance manager
• Crime scene investigation unit manager
• Criminal justice professor
• Federal agent
• Police chief/sheriff
• Police detective
• Prison warden
• Public policy advisor
• Threat assessment analyst

Degree Options for Liberty’s Online Doctorate of Criminal Justice

At Liberty, you can choose a specialization in our Doctor of Criminal Justice. That way, you can pick a course of study that best aligns with your career goals. If you have a very specific course of study that you desire to take, you can also choose our general specialization, which allows you to pick courses tailored to your unique interests.

Check out our specializations below!

Liberty’s online  Doctor of Criminal Justice – General  degree allows you to mix and match various 700-900 level courses that are housed within the Helms School of Government.* By doing so, you can pick courses that better apply to your unique desires and prospective career goals.

View the  Degree Completion Plan . 

*Courses may not be dissertation or capstone courses. Courses that are not housed within the Helms School of Government are subject to a case-by-case review.

Homeland Security

Liberty’s online  Doctor of Criminal Justice – Homeland Security  is designed to teach you how to address threats that face the United States and take preventative measures to ensure security both domestically and abroad. With courses that delve into intelligence and counterintelligence, weapons of mass destruction (WMDs), and chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high-yield explosives (CBRNEs), you can graduate more confident in your ability to handle national security- and defense-related issues in your career.

View the  Degree Completion Plan .

Whether you desire to lead a federal agency or manage the human resources or internal affairs of an organization, Liberty’s  Doctor of Criminal Justice – Leadership  can help prepare you for the leadership challenges ahead. With courses in strategic planning, advanced leadership, and human resources development, you can rest assured that our leadership specialization is designed with your success in mind.

View the  Degree Completion Plan .

Not sure what to choose?

Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.

Tuition & Aid

Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.

Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour ( learn more ) .

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Financial Aid & Scholarships

Financial Aid Forms & Eligibility

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Admission Information for Our Online Doctor of Criminal Justice Degree

Admission requirements.

• A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required) .
• Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
• Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy .

Preliminary Acceptance

If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:

• Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
• Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
• Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
• Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.

Transcript Policies

Official college transcript policy.

An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to [email protected] .

Admissions Office Contact Information

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(888) 301-3577

Email for Questions

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Email for Documents

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Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.

Who May Qualify?

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• Reserve/National Guard
• Veterans/Retirees
• Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees

Military Tuition Discount

We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour . Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.

Frequently Asked Questions

Are there resources available to online students.

As an online student, you can access a wealth of resources through our top-notch library portal. 

Why should I pursue a DCJ?

If you are a criminal justice professional seeking positions of added responsibility, an online Doctor of Criminal Justice from Liberty can help you achieve your career goals!

Is the program flexible?

Most of our doctoral courses are available in an 8-week format with no set login times.

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South College

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Master of Science in Criminal Justice

Programs: get started today.

Our Master of Science in Criminal Justice program is designed to prepare you for the challenges and opportunities that confront criminal justice leaders and decision-makers. In this competency-based program for working professionals, you’ll move through online courses by completing assignments and demonstrating mastery of course content and competencies. You can spend more time on topics that are new to you and move at an accelerated pace through areas where you already have expertise from prior education or experience.

In this program, you’ll interact frequently with your faculty as you explore criminal justice theory and practice. Through your coursework, you can gain experience analyzing and applying research and statistics to real-world issues. You’ll discuss topics like the impacts of new technology, community collaboration, stakeholder interactions, and much more. Across the program, you’ll have numerous opportunities to align your work with your professional interests.

Program Specializations Include:

• General Track
• Public Administration

Develop Essential Skills In

• Criminal justice management
• Research design and application
• Contemporary criminal justice issues

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1:1 mentoring, a unique subscription-based approach to higher learning, use your expertise, work towards “mastery”, concentrations in this program, ready for your next step, you may enjoy this line of study if….

• Are passionate about the criminal justice field
• Enjoy working with others to solve complex problems
• See the value of technology and data in criminal justice
• Want to grow your communication and leadership skills
• Can think critically on your feet in high-pressure situations

The Master of Science in Criminal Justice program is designed for working professionals or practitioners who desire to improve their current level of proficiency or develop enhanced capabilities to enhance marketable in today’s criminal justice workforce. The Criminal Justice General Track offers a comprehensive and flexible curriculum designed for students seeking a broad understanding of criminal justice while allowing for additional focus in various sectors of criminal justice such as public administration, cybersecurity, and financial crime prevention.

The concentration in Public Administration is designed to provide basic foundational courses in criminal justice, as well as courses to develop knowledge and skills necessary for the effective and efficient administration and management of public sector organizations and agencies with a public safety, homeland security, or social service focus. The concentration focuses the student’s education to help prepare them for leadership positions in public sector and public safety agencies, with a particular emphasis on the development of core knowledge areas and administrative skills, such as strategic planning and assessment.

Learning Outcomes

Graduates completing the Master of Science in Criminal Justice will accomplish the following outcomes:

• Demonstrate effective written skills in written assignments and online interaction with peers and faculty.
• Demonstrate knowledge of various criminal justice technological implications for effective collaborations and use in contemporary criminal justice agencies.
• Identify and discuss the essential theoretical and practical concepts used in the criminal justice system.
• Interpret and analyze scholarly research related to the criminal justice field and apply it to real world issues and contemporary practice.
• Understand and articulate the role of critical stakeholders in the criminal justice system and how these roles and interactions influence desired outcomes in criminal justice systems.
• Discuss and describe the role and function of criminal justice managers in contemporary criminal justice agencies.
• Demonstrate and articulate understanding of a range of special topics related to existing criminal justice systems and how they influence the effective administration of justice.
• Discuss the importance of community collaboration and partnerships in achieving positive criminal justice system outcomes.
• Demonstrate cognitive skills and capabilities when analyzing historical or current problems related to the criminal justice field.

MS Criminal Justice, Public Administration Concentration Additional Learning Outcomes

• Articulate an advanced understanding the nature of public administration and its function with the American political system.
• Identify and discuss the principles theories and practices related to directing a public sector organization. Specifically:
• The principles and practices of organizational behavior and leadership.
• Advanced knowledge of the principles legal environment affecting public sector management.
• An understanding of the concepts, principles and assessment practices involved in the strategic planning process in public sector organizations.

Admission Requirements

Applicants interested in the Master of Science in Criminal Justice program are required to meet individually either in person or via telephone with an admissions representative to discuss the program and all requirements. 

• Applicants must provide a completed South College application for admission and application to the program.
• Applicants must provide evidence of completion of a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution of higher education (related undergraduate preferred) with a minimum grade point average of 2.75 on a 4.0 scale.

Got A Question? South College Frequently Asked Questions

What is the tuition for south college.

Tuition and fees for South College students vary by program, and tuition rates are tiered based on the number of credits taken each quarter. For example, in our undergraduate programs, students taking 10-20 credits per quarter are charged one quarterly tuition rate based on their program, while students in the same program taking 1-5 or 6-9 credits are charged different tuition rates. Our tuition rates are designed such that South College students who take a high number of credits per quarter may be able to complete their program at a lower total cost than students who take fewer credits per quarter. Contact our admissions team who can help you prepare the budget for the field of study you want to pursue. And don’t forget we also offer numerous grants, scholarships, and financial aid packages to those that qualify.

Does South College offer Financial Aid?

Yes! Financial aid for South College is available to those who qualify. Students at South College have access to a range of financial aid to provide the economic assistance they need to pay for college. Aid is available in the form of scholarships, grants and awards, work-study programs, and loans. We’re happy to participate in numerous federal, state, and private student aid programs, and to offer funding directly. In addition to federal and state financial aid, South College institutional grants can reduce out-of-pocket expenses for qualified military-affiliated students, first responders, and recent high school graduates. Visit our financial page or contact our admissions team. We want you to succeed! Let us help you give your dream direction and address your financial aid questions.

Is South College Accredited?

Yes! South College is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to award degrees at the doctorate, educational specialist, master's, baccalaureate, and associate levels, as well as certificates. With over 100 programs and concentrations and campuses on multiple states the state authorizations have been obtained. Visit the link to see the full listing. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the appropriate licensing board to confirm whether a South College program will meet the requirements for professional licensure in that state. South College will assist with this information for fully online programs. For onground/hybrid programs, the institution ensures that the program meets requirements for the state in which the campus is located.

How do I apply to South College?

Visit South College and see for yourself what the college has to offer. Campus tours include a personal admissions consultation, campus facility tour and more! When you are ready to start your journey at South College, submit an online application or speak with an admissions representative. Once your application is received, we will begin building your personalized plan to pursue the chosen degree or certificate program based on your interest. We want you to have the best possible educational experience. To learn more about the educational opportunities available for your future, Apply today!

Do you Offer Housing?

South College offers a wide range of degree and certificate programs in areas such as business, healthcare, legal studies, education, criminal justice, and technology. At this time, we do not currently offer housing options. Our expansive online study and hybrid options allow our students to learn wherever they are located, and often with the flexibility of their own convenient time. With academic advisors that support the students throughout their tenure at South College, along with tutors, study groups, and a student success team, students at South College have resources at their fingertips to assist them in their educational pursuits and may be able to guide towards housing areas close to the campus of their choice. The individual attention and support provided by our faculty and staff helps to set us apart. Students interested in a more personalized learning experience are often attracted to South College over other larger universities and colleges in our campus locations. Request more information about South College today!

Looking for South College Consumer Information?

South College was founded in 1882 and focused on serving students who want a hands-on, relevant education that can have a meaningful impact on their lives. South College strives to provide quality instruction, resources, and support services based on systematic and ongoing assessment and evaluation of objectives/outcomes to ensure the development of student abilities necessary for the achievement of positive student outcomes and the mission/vision of the college. The institution establishes policies and procedures to maintain compliance with applicable federal, state, and accrediting requirements. Click below to learn all about South College’s history, and who we are as an institution today.

Does South College accept Transfer Students?

Yes! Credit for transfer work may be given if it was taken at an accredited collegiate institution, if it is equivalent to courses offered at South College, and if it carries a grade of C or better. Any coursework taken over seven years ago may be denied transfer credit if the material is outdated. Policies for the acceptance of any graduate level transfer credit are determined by the associated program faculty within guidelines determined by the institution. We want students to succeed and will do our best to help you in your journey to apply transfer credits to those who qualify. Contact admissions for assistance for your transfer individualized plan and consideration and learn about transfer specifications and time limits by course here:

What Kind of Certificate u0026amp; Degrees does South College Offer?

South College is a regionally accredited private co-educational, institution with non-residential campuses in Knoxville and Nashville, Tennessee; Asheville, North Carolina; Atlanta, Georgia; Indianapolis, Indiana; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Orlando, Florida. Students can pursue academic programs at all levels, including professional certificates and associate, bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral degrees. New academic programs are added frequently in response to local, regional, and national employment trends, and South College is committed to providing programs at all levels with innovative course content and teaching platforms. Explore all the programs and come back often as we regularly add new programs that may spark your interest!

Online vs On-Campus – What Is Best?

Since its founding 140 years ago, South College‘s mission has been to serve students who want a hands-on, professional focused education. Today this means offering traditional classroom experiences along with accelerated, hybrid, and online learning options. It means small class sizes, modern labs, and campuses that are convenient to large numbers of students. Most of all, it means experienced instructors who provide real world experiences in their classes and lead in-depth discussions on the concepts taught. South College also offers non-traditional distance-learning programs, allowing students to earn a college degree online providing more flexibility with the same level of quality education and experience from all academic programs offered. This option is great for potential students who are working a full-time job or are not in travel distance to one of the learning sites. Online vs. campus? You decide. Get the student experience you desire in the program that fits your style best on your road to success!

Does South College Have Programs for Active or Retired Military?

As an institution of higher education, South College recognizes its responsibility to society and supports both institutional and individual commitments to service. South College encourages its administration, faculty, and staff to invest their knowledge, experience, and expertise in community, professional, and institutional service. South College’s core values of excellence, responsibility, and integrity serve as the foundation for assessing the quality of institutional, school/departmental, and individual performance in achieving this mission. South College is grateful for the service and sacrifice of our military and their families. We are happy to provide the South College Military Grant to support our military – past and present – in the pursuit of their education and skill development. The South College Application Fee is waived for all active-duty military members, veterans, their spouses, and their dependent children who receive this Grant.