Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice

Criminal Justice Ph.D. Program Requirements

Each applicant holding an earned Master’s degree in criminal justice, criminology, sociology, humanities, or other social science discipline must provide support reflecting an earned program GPA of at least 3.30 from a regionally accredited college or university.
An applicant may hold an earned Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, criminology, sociology, humanities or other social science related discipline (with a minimum program GPA of 3.3) from a regionally accredited college or university.
Applications do not require GRE score information.

The North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University (N.C. A&T) Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice is housed in the Department of Criminal Justice (CRJS) under the College of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (CAHSS). The program provides a Main Campus (face-to-face) delivery mode. Students enrolled in the graduate program can choose from one of four specializations (Digital Forensics, Investigative Science, Research Methodology, or Social Justice).

Criminal Justice Ph.D. offerings expand on the success of the baccalaureate Criminal Justice degree program, one of the largest and fastest-growing CAHSS majors. The main strengths of the institution for supporting the Ph.D. program include the institution’s intensive research programs, a dedicated and experienced faculty, and community-focused initiatives. The primary target audiences for the program are N.C. A&T graduates with an earned baccalaureate or master’s degree in criminal justice, sociology, or other social science related field as well as law enforcement or military professionals seeking career advancement.

Ph.D. program aligns with the institutional mission to advance knowledge through scholarly exchange and transform society with exceptional teaching, learning, discovery, and community. The program will prepare graduates to assume educator, attorney, policy analyst, administrator, criminal investigator, and cybersecurity professional roles. The program’s coursework is structured to develop subject matter knowledge, critical thinking, scientific inquiry, cultural sensitivity, and technical proficiency amongst scholars, academicians, research scientists, professionals, and thought leaders.

Admission

University Admissions Requirements

All applicants must apply using the online admission portal that is accessible from the Graduate College webpage. All programs require the graduate admission application (including application fee, transcripts, references, and a personal statement).

Department of Criminal Justice Admissions Requirements

Each applicant must hold an earned Master’s degree from a regionally accredited college or university (with program GPA of 3.30 or greater) in criminal justice, criminology, sociology, humanities, or other social science and satisfy the prerequisites in the table below.
An applicant may hold an earned Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, criminology, sociology, humanities or other social science related discipline (with a minimum program GPA of 3.30) from a regionally accredited college or university.

List of specialization-specific courses for each specialization.
Prerequisite Courses for the M.S. Program in Criminal Justice
Prerequisite Courses	Credit Hours	N.C. A&T Equivalent courses
Graduate level Statistics	3	CRJS 765 (Introduction to Statistics)
Graduate level Research Methods	3	CRJS 755 (Research Methods)
Graduate level Criminal Theory	3	CRJS 750 (Theories of Criminal Behavior)

Students must earn at least a “B” in each prerequisite course. Students with perquisite deficiencies are required to complete these courses before they can begin the Ph.D. program in Criminal Justice.

Documents and support to be submitted for admission:

University application for admission
Personal statement of interest in the Ph.D. Criminal Justice program
Curriculum Vitae or resumé
Official transcripts for college work (undergraduate and graduate)
Two letters of recommendation from individuals in professionally relevant fields
Additional materials as required by the N.C. A&T Graduate College (such as TOEFL or IELTS scores for international students)

Completed criminal background verification if requested by the Graduate College

Ph.D. requirements are listed below:

65 hours of graduate coursework will be required.

Up to 24 hours of graduate-level credit can be accepted from another accredited institution.

15 credit hours in core coursework are required of all students in the program.
- CRJS 750 Theories of Criminal Behavior
- CRJS 755 Quantitative Research Methods
- CRJS 765 Advanced Statistics
- CRJS 865 Applied Data Analytics
- CRJS 866 Advanced Statistics

Six courses (18 credits) of specialization-specific content will be completed during the second year.

Prerequisite Courses for the Ph.D. Program in Criminal Justice.
Digital Forensics
CRJS 770	Cybercrime and Digital Forensics
CRJS 771	Digital Forensics
CRJS 772	File System Forensics
CRJS 773	Digital Forensics Tools & Techniques
CRJS 774	Network Forensics
CRJS 775	Operating System Forensics
Investigative Science
CRJS 721	Crime Scene Reconstruction
CRJS 722	Blood Pattern Analytics
CRJS 723	Crime Scene Professionalism
CRJS 724	Forensic Ballistic Investigation
CRJS 725	Investigative Science & Technology
CRJS 726	Forensics & Law
Research Methodology
CRJS 715	Ethics and Concerns
CRJS 716	Writing for Graduate Students
CRJS 717	Data Management
CRJS 718	Field Research in Criminal Justice
CRJS 719	Spatial Data Analysis
CRJS 720	Survey Design
Social Justice
CRJS 727	Critical Race Theory
CRJS 728	Social Justice & Public Policy
CRJS 729	Social Transformation & Law
CRJS 730	The History of Social Movements
CRJS 731	Intersectionality
CRJS 732	Scholar Activism & Social Justice

* A Criminal Justice graduate specialization shall not be repeated; any student with an earned Master of Science in Criminal Justice (MSCJ) degree from N.C. A&T must elect a different specialization for their doctoral studies.

Students must also complete three required courses between their 1st and 3rd year (a total of 8 credit hours):
- CRJS 900 Doctoral Proseminar (2 credits)
- CRJS 993 Supervised Teaching (3 credits)
- CRJS 997 Doctoral Dissertation (3 credits)
With the permission from the Graduate Director and Department Chair, a student may complete a maximum of two N.C. A&T elective courses outside of the Department of Criminal Justice toward the Ph.D. degree.