The Criminal Justice faculty has devoted considerable time to designing a curriculum that will firmly ground doctoral students in the core of the discipline of criminal justice/criminology. Our goal is to ensure that all University of Cincinnati graduates share a common, rigorous training that will prepare them for criminal justice and criminology research. At the same time, through electives and dissertation research, students have the flexibility to develop expertise consistent with their unique interests.
On completion of the Ph.D., doctoral students will be well-versed in criminal justice, criminology, and research methods. Doctoral students must complete course requirements in a Foundation Area of either Criminal Justice or Criminology and in a Substantive Specialization area in Corrections, Policing, or Crime Prevention. To enhance professional development, the curriculum also includes practicum courses on teaching effectiveness and the research process.