Criminal Justice (PhD)

Program Overview

The Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice is a post-master's program designed to prepare scholars for academic and research positions, analysts for criminal justice agencies, and educators for higher education. The program focuses on criminal justice and leverages the city of Orlando and surrounding areas to examine criminal justice issues. Graduates are well-prepared for careers in academia, research, and criminal justice practice.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The Doctoral Program in Criminal Justice is a post-master's program of study and research. It is designed to:

• Prepare disciplinary stewards: Advance scholarship in criminal justice.
• Prepare a qualified workforce: Assume criminal justice instructional responsibilities in postsecondary institutions.
• Prepare analysts: Staff federal, state, and local criminal justice agencies.
• Improve safety and justice in communities: Through research partnerships with neighborhood, city, county, and state agencies and associations.
The program focuses on criminal justice and leverages the city of Orlando and surrounding areas to examine criminal justice issues from multiple angles and levels.

Outline:

The program is a 57-credit-hour program, requiring a minimum of 42 credit hours of doctoral coursework and 15 credit hours of dissertation research. It is structured as follows:

• Substantive Core (15 credits):
• CCJ7019 - Seminar in the Nature of Crime (3)
• CCJ7457 - Seminar in Criminal Justice Theory (3)
• CCJ7096 - Seminar in Criminal Justice Systems (3)
• CCJ7785 - Teaching Criminal Justice (3)
• CCJ7775 - Criminal Justice Research in the Community (3)
• Methodological Core (12 credits):
• CCJ7727 - Advanced Research Methods in Criminal Justice (3)
• CCJ7708 - Advanced Quantitative Methods for Criminal Justice Research (3)
• Two additional methodological courses from the following list or another methodological course with advisor approval:
• CCJ7725 - The Geography of Crime: Theory and Methods (3)
• CCJ6073 - Data Management Systems for Crime Analysis (3)
• CCJ6079 - Crime Mapping and Analysis in Criminal Justice (3)
• CCJ7747 - Hierarchical Linear Modeling in Criminal Justice Research (3)
• CCJ7752 - Structural Equation Modeling in Criminal Justice Research (3)
• CCJ6902 - Qualitative Criminal Justice Research Methods (3)
• Concentration Area (9 credits):
• Students select one of the following areas of concentration and complete the assigned coursework:
• Policing Theory and Research:
• CJE6320 - Seminar in Police Administration (3)
• CJE6456 - Seminar in Policing Urban Communities (3)
• CJE6706 - Seminar in Police Socialization and Culture (3)
• Correctional Theory and Research:
• CJC6135 - Seminar in Institutional Corrections (3)
• CJC6165 - Seminar in Community Corrections (3)
• CJC6486 - Seminar in Correctional Effectiveness (3)
• Juvenile Justice Theory and Research:
• CJJ6124 - Seminar in Prosecuting Juvenile Offenders (3)
• CJJ6126 - Seminar in Juvenile Corrections (3)
• CJJ6546 - Seminar in Policing and Prevention in the Juvenile Justice System (3)
• Elective Courses (6 credits):
• Students select two additional courses (3 credit hours each) in consultation with program advisor and mentor.
• Examinations (0 credits):
• Students must successfully complete a series of cumulative examinations to demonstrate expertise in the substantive, methodological, and concentration areas.
These include:
• Core criminal justice coursework exam
• Research methods and statistics proficiency exam
• Concentration area exam
• Students may enroll in doctoral research (CCJ 7919) during the period of study preceding the examinations if all coursework is complete.
• Students are given two attempts at each exam.
Failure on the second attempt results in dismissal from the program.
• Dissertation (15 credits):
• CCJ 7980 - Upon successful completion of all examinations, students enter candidacy and complete a dissertation.
• The dissertation topic must be grounded in the student's selected concentration area.
• Dissertation committees consist of a minimum of four faculty members, with at least three (including the chair) from the Department of Criminal Justice.
The fourth member must be from outside the Department of Criminal Justice and may be from outside the university. All committee members must be approved graduate faculty or graduate faculty scholars.

Assessment:

• Coursework: A grade of B (3.0) or better is required for all courses in the Substantive Core, Methodological Core, and selected concentration area.
• Examinations: Students must pass a series of cumulative examinations to demonstrate expertise in the program's core areas.
• Dissertation: The dissertation is a major component of the program and is assessed based on its originality, research methodology, and contribution to the field of criminal justice.

Teaching:

• Faculty: The program is taught by experienced faculty members with expertise in various areas of criminal justice.
• Teaching Methods: The program utilizes a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, seminars, group discussions, and research projects.
• Unique Approaches: The program takes advantage of the city of Orlando and surrounding areas to provide students with real-world experiences and opportunities to examine criminal justice issues from multiple perspectives.

Careers:

• Academic Positions: Graduates are well-prepared to pursue academic positions in universities.
• Research Positions: Graduates are qualified for research positions in criminal justice agencies.
• Consultancies: Graduates can work as consultants in program evaluation and needs assessment.

Other:

• Program Prerequisites: Applicants must have a master's degree in criminal justice or a closely related discipline.
They must also have completed master's-level courses in advanced research methods and advanced quantitative methods and be familiar with SPSS, SAS, STATA, or R.
• Program Recommendations: It is recommended that students complete master's-level courses in their chosen concentration area prior to taking courses in that area.
• Financial Assistance: Graduate students may receive financial assistance through fellowships, assistantships, tuition support, or loans.