Criminal Justice (PhD)

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice 
Unit: College of Arts and Sciences (GA)
Department: Criminal Justice
Program Webpage 
Academic Plan Code(s): JA_ _PHD

Program Information

The Department of Criminal Justice offers a Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice. The PhD in Criminal Justice prepares graduates for academic careers (e.g., teaching and research) as well as public sector (e.g., research, policy analysis and development, planning, program development and evaluation) organizations.

The program consists of a core curriculum and electives that students may use to develop their particular areas of specialization. The core provides a broad orientation and the electives enable students to develop expertise in a particular field. The curriculum requires 54 credit hours: 18 credit hours of core courses, 18 credit hours of specialization courses, six (6) credit hours of qualifying project, and twelve (12) credit hours of dissertation research. Students qualify for official candidacy to the PhD by satisfactorily completing all course work and the qualifying project.    

Admission Requirements 

• Completed graduate application 
• Official transcripts showing all degrees awarded and all undergraduate and graduate work (all courses) completed from each accredited college/university previously attended
• Three letters of recommendation
• Personal statement
• Writing sample 
• Curriculum vitae (CV) or resume

Additionally, applicants must show evidence, on their transcript, of the completion of both graduate-level statistics and research methods courses.  The Department of Criminal Justice has adopted the Council of Graduate Schools recommendation for a holistic approach to our admission criteria.  Successful applicants will typically have strong scores on the standardized test, a strong undergraduate and master's degree record, and excellent letters of recommendation that speak to the nominee's scholarly ability and potential to succeed in a doctoral program.  However, candidates may have other documented strengths that speak to the potential for success as evidenced by: prior research experience; exceptional community engagement or service; leadership experience; evidence of creativity or resilience; unique experiences or background that will contribute to our program. The holistic review of applications allows our faculty to select the students who best fit the research areas offered within the department. 

In addition to other admissions materials, international students whose native language is not English must submit proof of language proficiency. The University of Louisville currently accepts TOEFL, IELTS and DET.  Score reports are valid for two years and scores will be considered expired if the test was taken more than two years prior to the application deadline.  The minimum score accepted for each test is below:

TOEFL:  79 iBT, 213 cBT, 550 pBT
IELTS:  6.5 (no sub-score lower than 5)
Duolingo English Test (DET):  105

For more information, visit English Language Proficiency Requirements.

Both full and part-time study is permitted. Part-time students are required to meet residency requirements consisting of four continuous semesters of enrollment and participation in departmental activities offered to meet the need for scholarly integration and academic immersion in the program.

Degree Requirements