PhD in Criminal Justice

Pursuing PhD in Criminal Justice

Many of the courses one will need to take as part of the PhD in Criminal Justice program are those such as: Criminology, Criminal Justice Process, a law course, Advanced Criminological Theory, Research Methods with lab, Evaluation Methods, Statistics with lab, in addition to two third year practice and twelve elective courses. Of course, this will vary from school to school.

A PhD in Criminal Justice focuses on applied research with a strong urban focus to prepare highly-skilled criminal justice faculty and scholars, applied researchers, and senior agency administrators. It is an innovative program that is designed to meet the needs of a rapidly changing criminal justice environment.

As part of the application process to begin a PhD in Criminal Justice, one should hold a Bachelors degree in any one of the following areas: Sociology, Geography, History, Political Science, Social Work, Law, or a related field. One would be responsible for writing a statement of goals.

This should be approximately 50-1,000 words and should include the following elements: interest in the program, research goals and how they relate to the program, future career goals, and academic and research achievements. In addition, the GRE (graduate Record Exam) is required for entering the PhD in Criminal Justice program. The minimum acceptable scores for most programs are 500 Verbal and 500 Qualitative. Applicants with scores just below are considered if other aspects of their application appear to be very strong.

A resume is a definite requirement. In the case of an advanced standing (student already holds a Masters degree), an applicant must supply an official transcript from their prior graduate institution to the Graduate Chair. The transcript must clearly show MA awarded and provide the date. The Graduate Committee reviews the request and only grades of B or better are accepted. If the request is granted, the student receives advanced standing and is awarded maximum of 30 credits. Again, this will vary from one school requirements for the PhD in Criminal Justice program to other school requirements.

The PhD in Criminal Justice is created to produce criminal justice scholars who will provide the future leadership for the field in academics, private and governmental research agencies, and policy-level positions in criminal justice and related organizations.

Featured Criminal Justice School

The Brown Mackie College system of schools offers bachelor’s and associate’s degrees, and diploma and certificates in Criminal Justice.* The Criminal Justice programs at the Brown Mackie College schools provide a solid foundation for those who seek employment in criminal justice systems, including the field of corrections and the court systems.

The programs focus on the development of real-world knowledge of the criminal justice system and explore the social, legal and technological challenges of the field. Graduates will be prepared to pursue entry-level positions or to apply their understanding of criminology, the judicial process, corrections and criminal law to their current job.

* Not all credential levels are offered at each location. Program availability varies by location.

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