Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice

The Ph.D. degree program in Criminal Justice is designed to produce criminal justice scholars who will lead the field in academia, private and governmental research agencies, and policy-level positions in criminal justice and related organizations. The Ph.D. degree requires the completion of a minimum of 48 hours of coursework post-baccalaureate, although students may take additional courses to prepare themselves for subsequent stages of their post-graduate career. Lead the criminal justice field in academia, private and governmental research agencies with the Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice in the College of Liberal Arts at Temple University. This nationally recognized program is known for its output of impactful research that helps policymakers and practitioners solve some of the world's most pressing problems. As a Criminal Justice PhD student, you will be a part of a community of curious, driven individuals with a passion for making the world a better and more just place. The full-time doctoral program is designed for students who have backgrounds in counseling, economics, geography, history, political science, psychology, social work, sociology and urban studies, among others. Students can form expertise in one area of specialization within the criminal justice field through advanced interdisciplinary research.

Master's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A master's degree is not required.

Bachelor's Degree in Discipline/Related Discipline: A baccalaureate degree in Criminology/Criminal Justice, Geography, History, Law, Political Science, Social Work, Sociology, or a related field is required.

Statement of Goals: In approximately 500 to 1,000 words, discuss your specific interest in Temple's program, your research goals and how they relate to Temple's program, your future career goals, and your academic and research achievements.

Standardized Test Scores:
GRE: Required. The minimum acceptable scores are 153 verbal and 144 quantitative. Applicants with scores just below are considered if other aspects of their application are especially strong.

Applicants who earned their baccalaureate degree from an institution where the language of instruction was other than English, with the exception of those who subsequently earned a master's degree at a U.S. institution, must report scores for a standardized test of English that meet these minimums:

TOEFL iBT: 79
IELTS Academic: 6.5
550 on the paper-based (PBT)
Resume: Current resume required.

Writing Sample: The writing sample should demonstrate your ability to research and write a scholarly paper. The paper should not be too lengthy (up to 10 pages is preferable) and should be fully referenced according to a professional, scholarly style manual. Although it need not be related directly to Criminal Justice, it should reflect your ability to prepare a social science paper.

The minimum admissions standard for all graduate students is ordinarily an undergraduate grade point average of B or 3.0 on a 4.0 scale, or the functional equivalent for students who have attended universities outside of the United States.