Program Requirements
General Program Requirements:
Number of Credits Required to Earn the Degree: 48
Required Courses:
| Code | Title | Credit Hours |
|---|---|---|
| Core Courses | ||
| CJ 8101 | Decision Making in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 8102 | Research Methods in Criminal Justice | 3 |
| CJ 8105 | Statistical Issues and Analysis of Criminal Justice Data | 3 |
| CJ 8106 | Theories of Crime and Deviance | 3 |
| CJ 8228 | Race, Crime, and Justice | 3 |
| CJ 8302 | Advanced Methods and Issues in Criminal Justice Research | 3 |
| CJ 8305 | Advanced Statistical Issues in Criminal Justice Data | 3 |
| Electives 1 | 21 | |
| Research Courses 2 | 6 | |
CJ 9994 | Preliminary Examination Preparation | |
CJ 9998 | Pre-Dissertation Research | |
CJ 9999 | Doctoral Dissertation Research | |
| Total Credit Hours | 48 | |
- 1
Any CJ course at the 8000 or 9000 level that is not a required course may be taken as an elective. With approval from their advisor, students may take up to two graduate-level courses outside the department.
- 2
Of the 6 required research credits, a minimum of 2 credits of CJ 9999 must be taken. The other 4 credits may be taken in any combination of CJ 9994, CJ 9998, and CJ 9999.
Culminating Events:
Research Paper:
All doctoral students are required to write a criminal justice research paper under the supervision of a member of the Criminal Justice Graduate Faculty. The paper may be a revised version of a paper originally developed in a Criminal Justice graduate course. Ideally, the research paper will be submitted during the coursework stage of the program.
The research paper should be of sufficient quality to meet publication standards of peer-reviewed journals in Criminal Justice and Criminology. This is determined by ratings from two independent faculty readers who may score the paper as: publishable (i.e., meeting the requirement), needing minor revisions, or needing major revisions. If the student’s paper requires only minor revisions, the Faculty Advisor oversees the changes and the Graduate Committee gives final approval. If the student’s paper requires major revisions, the Faulty Advisor oversees the changes, faculty reviewers re-review the paper, and the Graduate Committee gives final approval. It is expected that the research paper will have been submitted within six months of coursework completion and, if needed, revisions will be completed within an additional three months.
Prospectus Defense:
The prospectus defense evaluates the student's ability to apply specific research and/or analytic methods to the questions addressed in the prospectus. The defense occurs within several weeks of the student's advisor confirming, in writing to the Graduate Chair, that the student is ready to defend their prospectus.
Ideally, the prospectus defense should be completed within one year of completing the research paper requirement. The prospectus defense consists of a short (30-40 minute) presentation of the prospectus by the student to faculty and graduate students. Following the presentation, the Graduate Chair mediates a question-and-answer session between the student and audience. The members of the student's Doctoral Advisory Committee normally pose the initial questions at the defense. When these have been exhausted, other audience members are asked to put forth any questions they have for the student. The defense is scheduled to last no longer than two hours.
The Doctoral Advisory Committee must evaluate the quality of the presentation and of the answers provided during the question-and-answer session. Committee members look for evidence of a breadth and depth of understanding of specific substantive and methodological areas. In addition, they gauge the student's ability to utilize their knowledge to address the questions posed during the defense. Each member votes to pass or fail the student. Members can also vote to pass pending the completion of specified changes to the prospectus. In order to pass, a majority of the committee members must agree that the defense has been satisfactorily completed.
Students who are preparing to defend their prospectus should arrange some dates and times for the defense with the Doctoral Advisory Committee. The student should then inform the Graduate Chair of these dates and times and confirm the final date and time selected. Finally, the Graduate Chair provides confirmation of the time, date and room.
Dissertation:
The dissertation is an original empirical study that makes a significant contribution to the field of Criminal Justice. It should expand the existing database and demonstrate the student's knowledge of both research methods and a mastery of their primary area of interest. Dissertations should be rigorously investigated; uphold the ethics and standards of the field of Criminal Justice; demonstrate an understanding of the relationship between the primary area of interest and the broader field of Criminal Justice; and be prepared for publication in a professional journal.
The Doctoral Advisory Committee is formed to oversee the student's doctoral research and is comprised of at least three Temple Graduate Faculty members. Two members, including the Chair, must be from the Department of Criminal Justice. Committee compositions must be approved by the Department's Graduate Committee. The Chair is responsible for overseeing and guiding the student's progress, coordinating the responses of the Committee members, and informing the student of their academic progress.
The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student's dissertation and oral defense. This committee is comprised of the Doctoral Advisory Committee and at least one additional Graduate Faculty member from outside the Department of Criminal Justice. The Outside Examiner should be identified no later than the beginning of the term in which the student will defend the dissertation. The Dissertation Examining Committee evaluates the student's ability to express verbally their research question, methodological approach, primary findings and implications. The Committee votes to pass or fail the dissertation and the defense at the conclusion of the public presentation.
If a student needs to change a member of a Committee, the new member must be approved by the Department's Graduate Committee and registered with the Graduate Secretary and the Graduate School.
Students who are preparing to defend their dissertation should confirm a time and date with their Doctoral Advisory Committee and register with the Graduate Secretary at least 30 days before the defense is to be scheduled. The Graduate Secretary arranges the time, date and room and forwards to the student the appropriate paperwork. After the Graduate Secretary has scheduled the defense, the student must send the Graduate School a completed "Announcement of Dissertation Defense" form, found in TUportal under the Tools tab within "University Forms," at least 10 working days before the defense. The department posts flyers announcing the defense.