University of Louisville · Department of Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Sciences

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeOn campus

Overview

A 60-credit-hour PhD in Criminal Justice with 24 hours of core courses, 12 elective hours, a 12-hour qualifying project and 12 hours of dissertation research, structured as a four-year program with assistantship funding for full-time students.

Official program name: Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy · major: Criminal Justice
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Degree level: Doctoral — research doctorate
Subject focus: Dedicated degreeThe degree itself is in criminal justice, criminology, forensic science or a closely related justice subject.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
School: University of Louisville — Department of Criminal Justice, College of Arts and Sciences
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Location: Louisville, KY
Subjects: Criminal Justice — core of the degree
Required credits: 60 credit hours
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Duration: 4 academic years for full-time students
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated PhD in Criminal Justice with dissertation research; the page does not state the delivery format.

Degree title names criminal justice; core, qualifying project and dissertation research.

Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

We list associate, bachelor's, master's and research-doctorate programs in criminal justice, criminology, forensic science and related subjects at institutionally accredited US schools — degrees in the subject and formal concentrations, never certificates or one-elective degrees. Eligibility rules

Format and attendance

Formats, online delivery, campus visits, internships and class schedule are shown separately, each only as the school states it.

Formats offered: On campus
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

Curriculum

Curriculum details: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Careers and licensure

An academic degree and an occupational licence are different things.

Career and licensure statements for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

A degree does not guarantee police academy admission, sworn officer certification, federal employment, a security clearance, a position with a named agency, a forensic laboratory job or eligibility to practice as a psychologist. Those have separate training, scientific prerequisites, examinations or hiring requirements set by the agency, state or licensing board. Academic degrees vs police academy training

Research and doctoral requirements

Research areas, supervision, examinations and residency as the school publishes them.

Research areas

Electives let students develop expertise in a particular field.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Qualifying examinations

Students qualify for candidacy by completing all coursework and the qualifying project.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Dissertation

12 credit hours of dissertation research (CJ 799).
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Residency

Part-time students must meet a residency requirement of four continuous semesters of enrollment and participation in departmental activities.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Admissions

Required, optional, waived and not-required items are shown exactly as the school states them. Anything not listed is not verified — not “not required”.

Technical preparation

Prerequisite courses: RequiredEvidence of completed graduate-level statistics and research methods courses.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Minimum GPA: RequiredMinimum 3 — Minimum 3.0 grade point average.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Statement / essay: RequiredPersonal statement.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Recommendation letters: Required3 letters — Three letters of recommendation.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Writing sample: RequiredWriting sample.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Tests

Entrance and English-language test policy: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

We do not publish acceptance rates or estimate admission chances.

Start dates and deadlines

Dates are shown with the term the school printed. A past date is marked passed and is never carried into a new cycle.

Funding / assistantship consideration
January 5 · for Fall (funding consideration)
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Year not printed
Application deadline
April 15 · for Fall (not seeking funding)
The school does not print a year with this date.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Year not printed

Tuition and fees

Each amount keeps its student category, academic year and basis. Per-credit, per-term and whole-program figures are not comparable with each other, and tuition is not the full cost of attendance.

Tuition for this program: not verified. We publish this only when the institution states it on an official page.

Scholarships and funding

Awards published by the school for this program or for its level. Loans must be repaid and are not scholarships; service scholarships require government service after graduation. Graduate funding guide

Graduate assistantship Assistantship
Stipend, tuition remission and healthcare coverage; funding for up to four years for students in good standing beginning 2026-27
Eligibility: Applicants seeking full-time enrollment; 20 hours per week.
Duties: Departmental teaching, research or administrative functions.
Source: catalog.louisville.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Accreditation

Two different things: the school's institutional accreditation, and FEPAC accreditation of this exact forensic science program.

Institutional accreditation

Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) — accreditedSource: ope.ed.gov · verified October 10, 2026

FEPAC program accreditation

This program does not appear in FEPAC's accredited-program list. FEPAC accredits forensic science programs only and is optional; its absence is not a sign that a program is illegitimate, and the school's other programs or institutional accreditation do not imply it.

Sources and verification

Every fact on this page comes from the official pages and directories below. Last verified October 24, 2026.

catalog.louisville.edu/graduate/programs-study/doctor-philosophy-criminal-justice/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 24, 2026
catalog.louisville.edu/undergraduate/majors/criminal-justice-bs/ — Official catalog / bulletin, verified October 24, 2026
DAPIP — SACSCOC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026

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Similar programs at other schools

Same degree level and focus. Listed for discovery, not ranked.

CUNY Graduate School and University Center

Ph.D. in Criminal Justice

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeDoctor of Philosophy

Campus · Full-time

New York City, NY

Campus-based study

Students are expected to complete the doctoral degree in 5 years; all students must complete within 8 years. · 60 credits

$1,235 per semester · In-state — Level III, full time, New York residents

No upcoming verified deadline

Institution accredited: MSCHE

Criminology · Criminal Justice

View program

North Carolina A & T State University