Skip to Content

Criminology and Criminal Justice, Ph.D.

College of Arts and Sciences

The coursework and research of the Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice emphasizes criminological theory, criminal justice system operations, research and policy.

The program is designed to provide rigorous advanced training that educates and prepares highly competent criminology and criminal justice faculty members, agency researchers and administrators.

Program Highlights

  • Apple with leaf icon.

    A Notable Faculty

    Learn from some of the nation’s leading criminology and criminal justice researchers and instructors.

  • Scales of justice icon.

    Research

    Conduct research that is vital to designing effective policy interventions and criminal justice system practices.

  • Convergence point icon.

    Experiential Learning

    Enhance your knowledge through internships with local criminal justice-related agencies or organizations.

  • Wallet with currency icon.

    Competitive Assistantships

    Keep your focus on your studies and research with financial support from graduate assistantships.

What You’ll Study

Faculty interests span many crime- and criminal justice-related topics, including policing, courts, corrections, law and policy, criminological theory, sentencing, victimization and program evaluation. Graduates are trained for academia or criminal justice system roles where they can teach, research or influence policy and practice.

Program WebsiteDegree DetailsAdmissions Info

Building Skills

Gain the professional and personal intelligence it takes to have a successful career.

  • Data Analysis

    Examining and interpreting information to uncover insights and inform decision making

    Leadership

    Inspiring and guiding others to achieve common goals and reach their full potential

    Public Speaking

    Delivering a message or presentation to an audience effectively and persuasively

  • Research

    Gathering and analyzing information to increase knowledge or solve problems

    Teaching

    Foster learning by conveying knowledge, skills and concepts to students

    Writing

    Creating professional written content for inclusion in scholarly journal articles, books and reports

Using your degree

Make your college experience the foundation for a successful future.

Learn how alumni use degrees with outcome data from Gamecock GradStats, a service of the University of South Carolina Career Center.

Potential Careers

  • Professor
  • Researcher

Workplace Settings

  • Research Organizations
  • Social Science Research Institute
  • University
  • U.S. Department of Justice

Employers of Alumni

  • University of South Carolina
  • Notre Dame of Maryland University
  • University of Nevada-Las Vegas
  • University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
  • University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

The faculty guided me to actively engage in research with criminal justice agencies, which brought me real-world knowledge and experience. Thanks to them, I’m able to provide my students with effective teaching while conducting research independently and collaboratively.

Siying Guo
Portrait of Siying Guo

You may also like

Related Degrees

  1. A papers with charts and data with a stethoscope and calculator sitting on top of them.
  2. Students in a classroom.
  3. Two people talking with each other in an outside setting.
  4. A group of students walking on the brick path on the Historic Horseshoe.
  5. Student sitting at a computer.
  6. Educator standing in front of an information panel giving a lecture.
  7. Teacher working with a student in a classroom holding papers with a happy face and a sad face on them.
  8. Large choir singing at practice.
  9. The courtyard in front of Wardlaw College with a statue of a man on a horse surrounded by benches.
View all degrees
©