Criminal Justice, PHD

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Graduate Coordinator: Carla D. Coates Email: cdcoates@ncat.edu Phone: 336-285-2046
Department Chair: Carla D. Coates Email: cdcoates@ncat.edu Phone: 336-285-2046

The Ph.D. program in Criminal Justice presents both advanced instruction and opportunities for
independent research. The Ph.D. degree is the highest academic degree offered, and graduates typically
find employment as researchers in government or industry laboratories or as university faculty. Earning a
Ph.D. degree requires initiative and responsibility, and the student is expected to make a significant
contribution to criminal justice knowledge by investigating a topic that is recognized as significant.

Additional Admission Requirements

• Applicants for the Ph.D. in Criminal Justice program must have a master’s degree in criminal
justice, criminology, sociology, humanities, or other social science degree and a cumulative
master’s program GPA of 3.3, with adequate preparation in statistics, criminological theories,
and research methods.
• Students can transfer up to 24 credits from a master’s program.
• GRE test scores.

Program Outcomes

• Provide students with the skills to achieve an advanced understanding of the core theoretical
perspectives in criminology and criminal justice.
• Provide students with the skills to examine and design the technology needed to protect our nation’s
critical infrastructure in cyberspace.
• Provide students with practical and hands-on experience to examine and design technology needed
to advance police technologies to reduce the criminalization of people of color, immigrants, and
other marginalized persons.
• Provide students with a comprehensive understanding of the social, political, cultural, and ethical
issues related to the governing of crime and criminal justice processes and outcomes.

Degree Requiements

Core Courses

CRJS 750 - Theories of Criminal Behavior 3 Credit(s)
CRJS 755 - Quantitative Research Methods 3 Credit(s)
CRJS 765 - Advanced Statistics 3 Credit(s)
CRJS 865 - Applied Data Analytics 3 Credit(s)
CRJS 866 - Qualitative Research Methods 3 Credit(s)

Credit Hours: 15

CRJS Specialization Courses

Credit Hours: 18

Graduate Seminar

CRJS 900 - Doctoral Proseminar 2 Credit(s)

Credit Hours: 2

Supervised Teaching

CRJS 993 - Supervised Teaching 3 Credit(s)

Credit Hours: 3

Dissertation

CRJS 997 - Doctoral Dissertation 3 Credit(s)

Credit Hours: 12

Non-Course Requirements

Pass comprehensive exam, preliminary exam, dissertation defense

Comprehensive Exam

CRJS 988 - Comprehensive Exam 0 Credit(s) Students must complete and pass the comprehensive exam before working on their dissertation. The CRJS 988 Comprehensive Exam course must be taken during the semester student decide to take the exam. See Graduate Student Handbook for more information.

Descriptions

Dissertation Research:

A student may not register for dissertation credits before passing Comprehensive Examination.
No more than 12 dissertation credits are counted toward the total credit hours requirement for
the degree.

Comprehensive Examination:

The Comprehensive Examination is given to assess the student’s competence in a broad range of
relevant subject areas. Only students with unconditional status and in good academic standing
may take the Comprehensive Examination. A student who wants to retake the Comprehensive
Examination must apply to retake the Comprehensive Examination by the posted deadline. No
student is permitted to take the Comprehensive Examination more than twice. A student not
recommended for re-examination or who fails the exam on a second attempt may be dismissed
from the doctoral program.

Preliminary Oral Examination:

The Preliminary Oral Examination is conducted by the student’s dissertation committee and is a
defense of the student’s dissertation proposal. Passing this exam satisfies requirements for Ph.D.
Candidacy. Failure on the examination may result in dismissal from the doctoral program. The
student’s Advisory Committee may permit one re-examination. At least one full semester must
elapse before the re-examination. Failure on the second attempt will result in dismissal from the
doctoral program.

Admission to Candidacy:

Student will be admitted to candidacy upon successful completion of the Comprehensive Exam
and the Preliminary Oral Exam.

Final Oral Examination:

The Final Oral Examination is conducted by the student’s dissertation committee. This
examination is the final dissertation defense presentation that is scheduled after a dissertation
is completed. The examination may be held no earlier than one semester (or four months) after
admission to candidacy. Failure on the examination may result in dismissal from the doctoral
program. The student’s Advisory Committee may permit one re-examination. At least one full
semester must elapse before the re-examination. Failure on the second attempt will result in
dismissal from the doctoral program.

Submission of Dissertation:

Upon passing the Ph.D. Final Oral Examination, the Ph.D. student must have the dissertation
approved by each member of the student’s dissertation committee. The approved dissertation
must be submitted to The Graduate College by the deadline given in the academic calendar and
must conform to the Graduate College’s guidelines for theses and dissertations.