The Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice requires a minimum of 48 credit hours at the post-master’s level (i.e., courses at the 800 to 900 level). These hours include 12 hours of core courses, 12 hours of research skills courses, 12 hours of elective courses and 12 hours of dissertation-related credits (detailed below).
After a student has completed two full semesters of study (18 hours) she/he may petition the graduate admissions committee to transfer up to 6 credit hours of prior Ph.D. level coursework to be applied toward elective requirements where the assigned grade is no lower than an B.
Core Courses (12 credit hours). The core courses are designed to provide students with a broad conceptual, theoretical and empirical appreciation for various facets of the criminal justice system with particular attention given to ensuring that they are competitively prepared for the job market upon graduation. The core includes a pro-seminar (overview) course as well as focused study of other relevant subjects such as criminology & public policy, social stratification and justice, and advanced criminological theory.
CRIM 800 - Proseminar in Criminology & Criminal Justice
CRIM 801 - Criminology & Public Policy
CRIM 802 - Advanced Criminological Theory
CRIM 803 - Inequality, Crime and Justice
Research Skills (12 credit hours). The research skills requirement reflects the University’s expectation that students develop one or more significant skill sets distinct from the dissertation but fundamental to doctoral and postdoctoral research. The Ph.D. in Criminology & Criminal Justice requires competence in the areas of:
1) advanced social science research methods, and;
2) advanced multivariate data analysis / statistics.
CRIM 805 - Multivariate Statistics and Data Analysis
CRIM 810 - Qualitative Research Methods
CRIM 815 - Advanced Multivariate Data Analysis
CRIM 820 - Advanced Research Methods
Electives (12 credit hours). Students complete 12 hours of electives selected from 700 or 800-level courses within the Department or across the University. The selection of electives will be guided by input from the program director depending upon course availability, program resources and student goals. Students are encouraged to select courses that contribute to specialized knowledge of one or more subject areas previously identified through core coursework as well as their understanding of quantitative and qualitative research methods and statistics.
Dissertation Seminar (3 credit hours). This course supports students in preparing chapters one through three of the dissertation proposal (statement of the problem, review of the literature, research methodology) and an annotated bibliography. It sets up writing groups for cohorts of students entering the dissertation stage of their graduate studies.
CRIM 898 - Dissertation Seminar
Dissertation Credits (minimum of 9 credit hours). In addition to core classes and electives, students are required to sign up for a minimum of 9 credit hours of dissertation work with their committee. The dissertation will be a scholarly work of high quality investigating a problem of significance that constitutes a meaningful contribution to the body of existing knowledge regarding matters of criminology & criminal justice policy or practice. It is the culmination of a program of advanced study leading to a doctoral degree and, as such, is expected to demonstrate a high degree of scholarly competence. CRIM 999 is a one-hour pass/fail registration required of all graduate students to maintain active status each fall/spring until the degree is completed.
CRIM 899 - Dissertation Credit
CRIM 999 - continued active status enrollment
Plan of Study
The following plan of study outlines the order in which full-time students will complete the degree requirements over years one through three.
Fall, Year 1 Spring, Year 1
CRIM 800 Proseminar in Criminology & Criminal Justice CRIM 801 Criminology & Public Policy
CRIM 802 Advanced Criminological Theory CRIM 803 Inequality; Crime & Justice
CRIM 820 Advanced Research Methods CRIM 805 Multivariate Data Analysis
Fall, Year 2 Spring, Year 2
CRIM 815 Advanced Multivariate Data Analysis CRIM 810 Qualitative Research Methods
Elective Course #1 Elective Course #3
Elective Course #2 Elective Course #4
Fall, Year 3 Spring, Year 3
CRIM 898 Dissertation Seminar CRIM 899 Dissertation Credits
CRIM 899 Dissertation Credits CRIM 899 or 999 enrollment until dissertation completed
The following plan of study outlines the order in which part-time students will complete the degree requirements over years one through four.
Fall, Year 1 Spring, Year 1
CRIM 800 Proseminar in Criminology & Criminal Justice CRIM 801 Criminology & Public Policy OR CRIM 803 Inequality, Crime & Justice
CRIM 820 Advanced Research Methods CRIM 805 Multivariate Data Analysis
Fall, Year 2 Spring, Year 2
CRIM 802 Advanced Criminological Theory CRIM 801 Criminology & Public Policy OR CRIM 803 Inequality, Crime & Justice
CRIM 815 Advanced Multivariate Data Analysis CRIM 810 Qualitative Research Methods
Fall, Year 3 Spring, Year 3
Elective Course #1 Elective Course #3
Elective Course #2 Elective Course #4
Fall, Year 4 Spring, Year 4
CRIM 898 Dissertation Seminar CRIM 899 Dissertation Credits
CRIM 899 Dissertation Credits CRIM 899 or 999 enrollment until dissertation completed
Qualifying and Comprehensive Examinations
The qualifying exam evaluates a student’s comprehension and ability to integrate and apply knowledge from first year courses and to demonstrate critical thinking skills in a written format. “First year coursework” refers to the six required core and research skills courses offered during every cohort’s first year. Written qualifying exams will be taken at the end of the first year of coursework in August by students enrolled full-time. Part-time students may choose to take qualifying exams at the end of the first year of coursework, or may elect to take them upon completion of all first year coursework, but they must take them prior to the beginning of their third academic year in the program. Students may pass or fail the exam in whole or in part and need retake only those parts that are failed. Students who fail any portion of the exam may register for fall classes but must retake the failed part(s) during Fall Break of that same year. Students who do not successfully pass the qualifying exam following the Fall Break retake will be dismissed from the program; these students may complete fall classes for credit if they wish.
The comprehensive exam policy is still being formulated and will be posted once completed.
Admission to Candidacy
A student is admitted to candidacy for the degree once the following criteria are satisfied:
S/he has completed all Ph.D. coursework (excepting dissertation hours) with a G.P.A. of at least 3.25;
S/he has successfully passed the qualifying and comprehensive examinations;
S/he has successfully defended a dissertation prospectus.
The Dissertation
The dissertation is a scholarly work investigating a problem of significance and should constitute a meaningful contribution to the body of existing knowledge regarding matters of criminology & criminal justice policy or practice. It is the culmination of a program of advanced study leading to a doctoral degree and, as such, is expected to demonstrate a high level of scholarly competence. It must show that the candidate is capable of conceptualizing and conducting sophisticated original research, analysis and reporting on an approved topic related to crime and justice by use of accepted scientific methods. See additional information.