{"id":779,"date":"2022-07-21T18:18:02","date_gmt":"2022-07-21T18:18:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/web.tarleton.edu\/criminaljustice\/?page_id=779"},"modified":"2026-04-08T21:52:03","modified_gmt":"2026-04-08T21:52:03","slug":"criminal-justice-doctoral-overview","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/criminal-justice-doctoral-overview\/","title":{"rendered":"Ph.D. Criminal Justice Program Requirements"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-columns advgb-columns-wrapper\" id=\"advgb-cols-dc23f90a-9aca-4c84-b80e-547767f7d88f\"><div class=\"advgb-columns-container\"><div class=\"advgb-columns advgb-columns-row advgb-is-mobile advgb-columns-2 layout-12-12 mbl-layout-stacked vgutter-10\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-column advgb-column advgb-is-half-tablet advgb-is-full-mobile\" id=\"advgb-col-74bdaaca-213f-4334-9c81-140ba91b8381\"><div class=\"advgb-column-inner\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:1px\">\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Degree Completion Plan (52-54 Credit Hours)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Phase I: Complete course requirements (42 credits)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phase II: Prepare and pass preliminary exams (1-3 credits)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Phase III: Dissertation research (9 credits)\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Develop applied dissertation proposal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Successfully complete an oral defense of the proposal<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete your dissertation research<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Complete your written dissertation<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Successfully complete an oral defense of the dissertation<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Recommended Timeline for Degree Completion<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Year 1: 2 courses in Fall, Spring, and Summer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Year 2: 2 courses in Fall, Spring, and 1 course in Summer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Year 3: 2 courses in Fall, 1 course in Spring, take preliminary exams by Summer<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Year 4: dissertation hours in Fall, Spring, and Summer<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-column advgb-column advgb-is-half-tablet advgb-is-full-mobile\" id=\"advgb-col-b5354079-09ac-4e14-aa75-b0d0d0152521\"><div class=\"advgb-column-inner\" style=\"border-style:none;border-width:1px\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1280\" src=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"Doctoral students seating at the lobby.\" class=\"wp-image-1782\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-300x150.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-1024x512.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-600x300.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-768x384.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-1536x768.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-2048x1024.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/Touchup_Picture_new-1568x784.jpg 1568w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-advgb-button alignfull is-style-default\"><a class=\"wp-block-advgb-button_link advgbbtn-a56cae4a-f9d6-434b-b695-c0e4b47a3164\" href=\"https:\/\/www.tarleton.edu\/criminal-justice\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/191\/2025\/10\/CJ-Doctoral-Program-Handbook-_2025-1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><span>Ph.D. Program Handbook<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Coursework Requirements<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>In order to count for Ph.D. degree requirement, students need to receive a final grade of a B or higher in all courses.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Individuals receiving a C or less in a course will be required to retake the course at its next offering<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Individuals who receive a C or less the second time when taking a course will be subject to removal from the program.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Academic Performance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The student\u2019s major professor should review at least once a year the doctoral student\u2019s progress in his or her research as well as plans for work in the coming year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Comprehensive Exams<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Doctoral students must receive passing grades for each of four exams: (1) criminological theory, (2) research design\/methods, and (3) statistical analysis reflecting the individual student\u2019s professional background and educational history within the Doctoral Program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Admission to Candidacy<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Following the completion of comprehensive exams, an Admission to Candidacy form is sent to the Registrar\u2019s office and the student becomes a candidate for the doctoral degree. At this stage, the student is eligible to register for dissertation credit hours. The department requires a minimum period of six months between the admission to candidacy and the granting of the degree.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Prospectus Defense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>The prospectus defense is a meeting held by the doctoral student and the doctoral committee members to reach consensus regarding the proposal and research methods. The prospectus defense must be held at least one semester prior to the final defense of the dissertation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:20px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Dissertation and Dissertation Defense<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>During the preparation of the dissertation, the doctoral student is required by the University to complete at least 9 dissertation credits. Until the dissertation is completed, students must register for at least 1 dissertation credit each semester, even after they have completed the University minimum of 9 credits. All doctoral students are required to register for at least 1 hour of dissertation credit during the semester in which they graduate. The dissertation defense is a formal presentation of the dissertation to the dissertation committee. The formal dissertation defense is open to anyone in the University, and the doctoral dissertation must be presented in an acceptable form before a student will receive clearance from the University to graduate.<\/p>\n<style class=\"advgb-styles-renderer\">#advgb-col-74bdaaca-213f-4334-9c81-140ba91b8381>.advgb-column-inner{}@media screen and (max-width: 1023px) {#advgb-col-74bdaaca-213f-4334-9c81-140ba91b8381>.advgb-column-inner{}}@media screen and (max-width: 767px) {#advgb-col-74bdaaca-213f-4334-9c81-140ba91b8381>.advgb-column-inner{}}.advgbbtn-a56cae4a-f9d6-434b-b695-c0e4b47a3164{font-size:18px;color:#fff !important;background-color:#4f2d7f !important;margin:0px 0px 0px 0px !important;padding:10px 30px 10px 30px;border-width:1px !important;border-style:none;border-radius:50px !important;}.advgbbtn-a56cae4a-f9d6-434b-b695-c0e4b47a3164:hover{box-shadow:1px 1px 12px 0px #ccc;opacity:1;transition:all 0.2s ease;}.advgbbtn-a56cae4a-f9d6-434b-b695-c0e4b47a3164 > i 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