The Doctorate in Criminal Justice degree is a comprehensive program designed to prepare students for advanced positions in leadership, consultation, education and research. After earning a doctoral degree in criminal justice, professionals will possess the ability to continually discover an evolving understanding of issues in crime and justice. While attending the doctoral program, students in criminal justice will develop the skills necessary to address criminal behavior, the penal system, crime prevention and intervention and public policy. Whether students wish to pursue careers in criminological positions involving leadership, theory, consultation, or education, the Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice curriculum will provide the required foundations to enable them to succeed.
Doctoral criminal justice programs are comprised of graduate-level classes that encompass a diverse selection of elective courses. There are a variety of specialty tracks students can add to their degree plans which may focus on their interests and increase their workforce marketability. Possible plans of specialization for the Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice degree program include administration of justice, forensic psychology, criminology, and criminal justice policy and practice.
During the doctoral program, criminal justice students will become experts in theory, research, and analysis through a number of different courses. Some examples of courses found within the criminal justice doctorate degree program include Theories of Crime and Delinquency, Legal and Philosophical Issues in Criminal Justice, Theories and Philosophies of Punishment, Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice, Computer Based Data Analysis, and Criminal Justice Ethics. Candidates who successfully complete the program will be awarded a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice.
Program Objectives
- Foster innovative thinking to criminal justice and apply it using appropriate research methods
- Develop an understanding of the theoretical foundations of crime and justice
- Refine methods of inquiry to study the consequences, causes, and responses to criminal deviance
Program Curriculum
- Theories of Crime and Delinquency
- International and Comparative Criminology
- Legal and Philosophical Issues in Criminal Justice
- Crime, Criminals and Victims
- Theories and Philosophies of Punishment
- Legal Aspects of Criminal Justice
- Computer Based Data Analysis
- Conceptual Foundations of Criminal Law
- Terrorism
- Legal Aspects of Justice Administration
- Political Theory of Criminal Justice
- Criminal Justice Ethics