How to Get a PhD, DBA, or EdD in Criminal Justice

The discussion of how to get a PhD in Criminal Justice might best begin with a brief discussion of why to get a doctorate degree in criminal justice. If you want to become a police officer, why not just become a police officer? You don't need a PhD in Criminal Justice for that.

The need for doctorate-level degree programs in criminal justice is due to three main factors:

1. The complexity of today's criminal justice system
2. The complexity of the threats to the public from today's criminals
3. The complexity of the law enforcement tools now being used to fight crime

Such a system, such threats, and such tools, because they are so complex, demand experts in criminal justice who have deep knowledge of this extremely challenging field.

In post-9/11 America, with information technology simultaneously enabling and preventing crime, criminal justice is rightly considered a worthy subject for PhD-level education. Online PhD programs in criminal justice are a new-age tool for a new age. Be sure to research your online degree programs in criminal justice options thoroughly before choosing. Different doctorate degrees, and different schools, can lead you down different paths.

Three Main Branches of the Criminal Justice System

Before you get too deep into exploring particular doctorate degree options, quickly review the overall structure of the criminal justice system, which is divided into three branches:

1. Law enforcement is comprised of police officers and other individuals conducting policing activities, such as detectives and investigators
2. Adjudication refers to the courts: lawyers, judges, and juries
3. Corrections includes jails, prisons, and parole programs

The apparent simplicity of this system can be highly misleading. Each of the three branches of the criminal justice system is governed and influenced by a dizzying array of laws, chains of command, and adverse external events such as crimes, disasters, and negative media coverage.

A PhD in Criminal Justice helps you gain extensive knowledge about each particular branch of the criminal justice system, as well as how each branch works with the others.

An Exciting--but Not Easy--Time to Be Involved in Criminal Justice

This is an exciting time to be involved in criminal justice, especially if you are planning to work at a high-level position, which is a common reason for obtaining an on campus or online PhD in Criminal Justice.

Take technology as an example, and COMSTAT as a more specific example, of how technology has utterly changed the criminal justice system. In the early 1990s, a New York City transit cop named Jack Maple invented what he called "Charts of the Future." Using experience and statistics, Maple mapped out subway stations and street corners where crime was likely to occur. Over time, the Charts of the Future concept grew into COMSTAT, crime mapping and prediction software now used by every large city in the U.S. COMSTAT proved the value of information technology and statistics to the criminal justice system, and the criminal justice system has been implementing more and more information technology ever since.

However, just as a bigger gun is not going to make a poorly-trained police officer more effective, all the data in the world is only valuable when analyzed correctly and used fairly. A PhD in Criminal Justice degree may put you in a position to step up to that level of competence. This is a heavy responsibility in an era of lawsuits, terrorism, and 24/7 cable news.

Doctorate Degree Programs in Criminal Justice

Before evaluating the merits of individual schools that offer doctorate degrees in criminal justice, take a moment to review the variety of doctoral degrees in criminal justice that are available. With a strong comprehension of what each degree means, you'll be well-equipped to make a strong decision when it comes time to choose a doctorate degree in criminal justice.

If you are currently employed and wondering how you could possibly fit a doctoral degree into your hectic schedule, be sure to pick up your free copy of The Insider's College Guide for Working Adults from WorldWideLearn.com.

Types of Doctorate Degrees in Criminal Justice

PhD in Criminal Justice

The decision to pursue a PhD in Criminal Justice typically indicates the desire to obtain a high-level career in academia, government, or the private security sector.

With respect to academia, a PhD in Criminal Justice may put you in a position to teach criminal justice at the college level, or work as a professional researcher at a university. Hundreds of colleges now offer degrees in criminal justice at the certificate, bachelor's, master's, and doctorate level.

Outside the academic world, a PhD in Criminal Justice can be a valuable asset if you are seeking to work in a supervisory role within the criminal justice system. Employers who are in need of individuals who can process, analyze, and interpret criminal justice information may include:

• Your local police or fire department
• U.S. Department of Homeland Security
• The Internal Revenue Service
• The Central Intelligence Agency
• Private consulting firms

The PhD in Criminal Justice is intended to show organizations that you are capable of confronting a variety of crimes via a variety of methods. To find solutions in such a complex system requires knowledge of theories of crime, statistics, and research methodologies.

A PhD program in criminal justice may include a written dissertation or residency period. Online PhD programs in criminal justice usually include an off-line element as well. Distance learning can teach you the theory of criminal justice, but there is no substitute for experience.

PhD in Human Services Criminal Justice

A PhD in Human Services Criminal Justice degree may qualify you to work in a supervisory role with an organization that operates in communities that are affected by crime. PhD programs in human services criminal justice force students to consider both the theory and the reality of criminal justice.

Federal and state government agencies, such as prisons and domestic abuse centers, are possible employers that may enable you to put a PhD in Human Services Criminal Justice to good use.

PhD in Law Enforcement

The PhD in Law Enforcement is a relatively new doctorate degree that has come into existence as a result of the increasing complexity of the law enforcement branch of the criminal justice system.

A PhD program in law enforcement is a specialized doctorate degree that may be suitable for:

• Police chiefs
• Fire chiefs
• Security executives

PhD in Investigation

Like the PhD in Law Enforcement, a PhD in Investigation is a relatively new and highly specialized doctorate degree in criminal justice that is primarily career-oriented, as opposed to some other PhD in Criminal Justice programs that take a more academic approach.

If you want to ascend into a management position in an investigative agency such as the police, FBI, or CIA, a PhD in Investigation may set you apart from peers competing for the same position.

Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) in Criminal Justice

The DBA in Criminal Justice degree differs from the PhD in Criminal Justice option in its focus on business concepts such as management, human resources, and administration. A DBA in Criminal Justice may be an appropriate choice if you want to work at a government agency at an executive level.

Online Doctorate Degrees in Criminal Justice

Because so many people seeking advanced levels of criminal justice education are already working in the field as full time participants in the criminal justice system, the traditional college environment of on-campus instruction is not a good fit for many criminal justice students.

Colleges that offered degrees in criminal justice, as a group, realized that fact sooner rather than later, and were some of the earliest (and most successful) adopters of online degree programs, including online PhD programs. Nearly all criminal justice degrees, including doctorate degrees, can now be attained online.

Online criminal justice degree programs in general, and online doctorate degree programs in criminal justice specifically, benefit from the reality that basic criminal justice learning customarily takes place on the job. A police officer, for instance, learns most by patrolling the streets. However, knowledge beyond the basics translates well to the online degree program environment, especially when augmented by real life experience such as a police officer patrolling the streets.

The opportunity to learn at your own pace, on your own time, and then see how what you're learning works or doesn't work in the real world, speaks well for the online degree in criminal justice. Evaluate your learning style before choosing the distance education option.

How to Choose a Doctorate Degree in Criminal Justice

Choosing a doctorate degree program in criminal justice challenges you to be clear and concise about why you are choosing to pursue this degree. Most students who pursue doctorate degrees in criminal justice are doing so with one goal in mind: career advancement.

The top three criteria for choosing a doctorate-level degree in criminal justice reflect the overriding importance of career advancement as a motivating goal.

1. Evaluate Program Performance

As shown by:

• Accreditation. Accreditation is important as a baseline quality assurance measurement. Doctoral degree programs that are not accredited might not benefit your career as much as an accredited program could.
• Student Placement. Contact schools directly and inquire, directly, about where former students are now working, and in what positions. Certain schools act as "feeders" for certain employers, and are well-recognized and well-respected by those employers. Those connections can be very valuable to you as a student. One way to look for those relationships, as an applicant to a doctorate-level program in criminal justice, is to find out where past students of a program you're considering are now employed.
• Prerequisites. Some doctorate-level programs in criminal justice accept applicants who have a bachelor's degree, even if the bachelor's degree is in an unrelated field. Other PhD programs in criminal justice accept only candidates who have a master's degree and employment experience.

Identify doctorate-level programs in criminal justice that cater to students who are at your level of education and experience. A doctorate degree program, at its best, is a community of like-minded people at similar life stages.

2. Identify Your Degree of Specialization

The two choices are:

• Specialized. A doctorate degree in criminal justice is by nature a specialized degree. Most doctoral students in criminal justice specialize in one branch of the criminal justice system: law enforcement, adjudication, or corrections.
• Highly Specialized. Some doctorate degrees in criminal justice are more specialized than others. Highly specialized doctorate degrees in criminal justice are the ultimate career-oriented choice. A PhD in investigation, for example, is suitable if you know you want to work in investigation. If your career goals are broader than that, you are probably better off choosing a specialized rather than a highly specialized PhD in Criminal Justice.

3. Consult Additional Research Materials

When it comes time to choose a doctorate program, research is paramount. You'll be spending the next few years of your life earning this degree, and making sure those years are well spent requires forethought and, again, research.

Academic journals, like Justice Quarterly and Journal of Criminal Justice Education (both put out by the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences), are a great way to stay up-to-date with issues in the field and get a solid idea of what might come up in doctorate degree program admissions interviews. The National Institute of Justice also puts out a journal aimed at policy makers and criminal justice professionals.

Get in touch with students and faculty working in the field--and program--that you're interested in specifically. Attend conferences, like the annual National Institute of Justice Conference or the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences' annual meeting, which offers reduced ticket pricing for graduate students--not to mention free membership for doctoral students. Bottom line, research and network. There are a wealth of options available to you when it comes to getting the information you need; be sure to take advantage of all that you find.

WorldWideLearn.com can help you narrow down your search for a program by matching you to a degree program and facilitating the process of contacting schools.

Serving Justice with Your Doctorate Degree

Whichever doctorate degree you end up going for, whether from an online graduate school or from a campus-based one, you're making a commitment, both to your future and to justice. The criminal justice field is evolving, and you could be a major part of it. Take the next step in your career by going for your doctorate, and take your place in this rewarding field.

Sources

• Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, ACJS Journals
• American Bar Association, Criminal Justice Section
• Bureau of Justice Statistics, Sourcebook of Criminal Justice Statistics
• Bureau of Labor Statistics, Police and Detectives
• College of Criminal Justice at Sam Houston University, Doctoral Program
• Government Technology, Jack Maple: Betting on Intelligence, by Raymond Dussault
• Federal Bureau of Investigation, Law Enforcement Services
• Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, Welcome to FLETC
• Justice Technology Information Network, About NLECTC
• National Criminal Justice Reference Service, Justice System
• National Institute of Justice, Highlights of the 2009 NIJ Conference