Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice

Our Ph.D. program is designed to provide students with outstanding learning opportunities through coursework, collaborative research, and teaching experience. We emphasize faculty-student mentoring and researcher-practitioner partnerships to prepare students for successful careers. Producing the next generation of criminal justice scholars: During the past 50 years, the field of criminal justice has evolved to become more evidence-based, and doctoral education has played a significant role in this evolution. The University of New Haven's Ph.D. program in criminal justice is designed to create a new generation of educators and scholars who excel in the classroom, produce valuable research, and contribute to their discipline and communities. Our graduates are well-prepared for both academic and research-oriented careers. Our vision is to be the premier student-centered Ph.D. Program in Criminal Justice in the Northeast region, with a national and international reputation for academic excellence among students, faculty, alumni, and peers. Criminal justice students in the Ph.D. program conduct research that makes an impact on the field, reduces crime, and makes society safer. Their experience in the field and specialized research experience uniquely prepare them to, as educators, talk about theories in a way that students will be able to understand and implement in the workplace. Full- and part-time options and traditional classroom-based courses and hybrid courses (that feature some online instruction) are available to allow Ph.D. students to tailor the program to meet their individual needs. Scholarships, graduate assistantships, and teaching fellowships, providing a range of benefits for tuition and academic support, are available for qualified students. Our Ph.D. in criminal justice is designed to be a small and selective program that enables every student to receive the individualized instruction and mentoring necessary in doctoral education. Many students are former or current practitioners in a range of criminal justice professions, which adds to the vibrancy of the program and its close ties with criminal justice policy and practice. Graduates can expect to apply their skills and credentials in a range of jobs where doctoral degrees are highly valued — from academic teaching to policy and analysis. The Ph.D. program is part of the University’s Henry C. Lee College of Criminal Justice and Forensic Sciences, one of the largest and most academically diverse colleges of Criminal Justice in the United States, enabling us to provide the highest level of student support. Our location in the greater New Haven area – in the heart of one of the most dynamic regions of the world – also offers a wide variety of educational, cultural, and economic opportunities for prospective students and their families.