PhD in Criminal Justice

Research doctoratePhDDedicated degreeOnline

Overview

An online PhD in Criminal Justice of 83 quarter credits with four residencies, a dissertation and specializations including criminal justice leadership and law and justice administration.

Official program name: PhD in Criminal Justice
Awarded degree: Doctor of Philosophy · major: Criminal Justice
Source: waldenu.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: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
School: Walden University
Location: Minneapolis, MNFor the online option this is where the school is located — not a residency requirement, and not a guarantee that you may enroll from your state.
Subjects: Criminal Justice — core of the degreeCriminal Justice Administration — formal concentration / track (“Law and Justice Administration”)
Tracks / concentrations: Behavioral Sciences · Criminal Justice Leadership · Law and Justice Administration · Self-Designed
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Required credits: 83 quarter credits
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Duration: Varies per student; up to eight years unless a petition for extension is granted
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Why this program is listed

Dedicated online PhD in Criminal Justice.

Degree title names criminal justice; coursework, research courses, four residencies and a doctoral dissertation.

Source: waldenu.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: Online
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Online delivery: Online delivery type not verified
Campus visits (online option): Campus visits: not verified
Class schedule (online option): Not verified
Internship: Internship requirement: not verified
Study intensity: Not verified

Attendance requirements as published

Residency Required
Four residencies; fees are listed for virtual and in-person versions.
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Curriculum

Research courses total 20 credits and elective courses 15 credits.
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Other

Students are eligible for a Master of Philosophy (MPhil) after completing program requirements, before finishing the dissertation.
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

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.

Dissertation

Dissertation support course (5 cr.) and dissertation writing courses of 5 credits per term for at least four terms.
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Residency

Four PhD residencies support progress at key points in the doctoral journey.
Source: waldenu.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”.

Application fee: Not requiredNo application fee.
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026
Transcripts: RequiredCompleted online application and transcripts.
Source: waldenu.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.

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

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.

Category	Amount	Basis and year
All students — Standard option, coursework (63 quarter credits)	$705	per creditCalculated tuition$58,515 = 83 credits × $705 per credit. Excludes mandatory fees, books, travel for any required visits or placements, transfer credit reductions and rate changes. Not the full cost of attendance.Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

Other published fees

Program fee: $185 per term
Source: waldenu.edu · verified October 24, 2026

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

PhD program grant Grant
Up to $5,000 when starting an eligible PhD program
Eligibility: Eligible PhD programs.
Source: waldenu.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

Higher Learning Commission (HLC) — 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.

State authorization (online students)

Not verified — check the school's state authorization page before applying from outside Minnesota.

International applicants

Not verified for the online option.

Sources and verification

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

DAPIP — HLC institutional accreditation record (data files downloaded 2026-10-10) — U.S. Department of Education dataset (IPEDS / DAPIP), verified October 10, 2026
waldenu.edu/online-doctoral-programs/phd-in-criminal-justice — Official program page, verified October 24, 2026

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Criminal Justice Degrees is independent and not affiliated with Walden University. Information is collected from official pages and directories and can change; confirm requirements, costs and deadlines with the school.