Criminology and Criminal Justice PhD
Eligibility
Undergraduate applicants must have a baccalaureate degree or expect one by the end of the academic year in which they apply. Applicants must have a grade point average of 3.0 or greater (on a scale of A = 4.0) for the last 60 hours of undergraduate work. Admission is competitive.
Graduate applicants who have or will have a master's degree must have a grade point average of 3.0 or higher (on a scale of A = 4.0) for their graduate course work.
Application
To consider an applicant for admission, the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice must have transcripts, three letters of recommendation, GRE scores, statement of purpose, and a writing sample. Applicants with master's degrees should include a chapter of their thesis. International students whose native language is not English are required to submit scores from the TOEFL examination.
Amount of Course Work
Sixty post-baccalaureate hours of graduate work are required for the Ph.D. More than half of these hours must be completed in residence. A minimum of six credit hours of dissertation research (CRIMIN 7499) is required. Students may enroll for dissertation credits (CRIMIN 7499) only when all other degree requirements have been completed.
| Required Courses | 24 | |
| CRIMIN 5415 | Foundations of Criminological Theory | 3 |
| CRIMIN 6405 | Methods | 3 |
| CRIMIN 6410 | Statistical Applications in Criminology and Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CRIMIN 6420 | Contemporary Criminological Theories | 3 |
| CRIMIN 6450 | Theories of Criminal Legal System Institutions | 3 |
| CRIMIN 6465 | Qualitative Research Design | 3 |
| CRIMIN 6470 | Advanced Quantitative Methods 1 | 3 |
| CRIMIN 6480 | Multivariate Statistics in Criminology | 3 |
| Seminar Courses | 12 | |
| At least twelve hours beyond those required must be taken at the 5000-level or higher within the CCJ Department. | ||
| Elective Courses | 9 | |
| Nine additional hours beyond the above requirements are taken as elective courses. | ||
- 1
Other 6000 or 7000 Advanced Methods courses may be taken instead of Crimin 6470 with approval of the Graduate Program Director
Qualifying Papers
Graduate students in the doctoral program are not officially classified as PhD candidates until they have passed the Qualifying Papers prerequisite defined below. Passing the Qualifying Papers prerequisite fulfills the comprehensive exam requirement of the Graduate School. The goal of the qualifying papers is to establish a student’s familiarity with the substantive literature, demonstrate theoretical and methodological expertise, communicate their work effectively, and demonstrate an ability to imaginatively, logically, and creatively use this knowledge to address research questions within the broad realm of criminology, criminal justice, punishment, and the legal system.
Further information about qualifying papers is available from the department.
The Dissertation
The dissertation is required of all PhD candidates and demonstrates the student's scholarly expertise. The dissertation process formally begins when all other requirements of the PhD program have been met. The dissertation is original research on a topic that is substantively significant and should also be something about which the student has a passion. The dissertation is original research on a topic that is substantively significant. It is a highly individualized project developed under the guidance of a dissertation committee. They can take different forms but may include a book manuscript, linked papers with an overarching research question, or another format approved by the Dissertation Committee Chair. Students need to work closely with their dissertation chair and committee, and the committee needs to approve the project.
Learning Outcomes
Upon completion of the program, graduates will be able to:
- Demonstrate a mastery of theory, methods, and substantive literature of criminology and criminal justice, and the interconnections between social theory, research, and policy
- Analyze the role that social structure (e.g. race, class, gender, etc.) plays in crime and criminal justice
- Critically synthesize and analyze the nature, scope, and determinants of major criminological problems and identify gaps for further inquiry
- Independently apply scientific research methods and empirical analyses to produce high-quality original, theoretically relevant, and socially important criminological research
- Conduct independent high-quality research in accordance with the highest ethical standards and scientific integrity
- Effectively translate and communicate scientific findings effectively, in both oral and written forms
- Demonstrate knowledge of the profession needed for a successful research and/or teaching career in criminology and criminal justice