PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership Shaping a Future of Excellence In Criminal Justice
60
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Lead in the Criminal Justice Field with Integrity by Earning an Online PhD in Criminal Justice Leadership
Are you an experienced criminal justice professional? Perhaps you’ve worked in law enforcement for years, or maybe you’re a prospective criminal justice professor who would like to earn a PhD and ascend to the pinnacle of criminal justice academia.
Leading a large criminal justice organization often requires more than just career experience in law enforcement. At Liberty University, you can learn the advanced principles and practices that underlie large and diverse corrections organizations by conferring a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Criminal Justice – Leadership online degree.
This online criminal justice PhD program will challenge you to master advanced topics in criminal justice, such as organizational conflict and program evaluation. Mastery of these skills and others can hone your leadership abilities in criminal justice and bolster your résumé as you eye upper-level positions at law enforcement agencies.
Through Liberty’s PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership program, you can learn how to critically assess your organization and outline possible areas of improvement. Our criminal justice doctoral program online can also help you acquire knowledge in a wide range of subjects — making you even more valuable to your criminal justice organization.
This degree program also covers topics like strategic planning and advanced human resources development. Additionally, you can learn from seasoned professors who teach from a Christian worldview. Our professors have a passion for teaching you how to apply biblical principles to ethical challenges frequently faced by law enforcement officers, FBI agents, and CIA officers alike.
If you are interested in a terminal criminal justice degree with a curriculum that goes beyond the day-to-day work of police departments, Liberty University’s online PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership may be a great fit.
Why Choose Liberty University’s Online Doctorate in Criminal Justice – Leadership Program?
Liberty University recognizes the need for senior leaders in the criminal justice field who are equipped with relevant knowledge and skills rooted in biblical foundations and ethics. All of the classes within our online PhD in Criminal Justice program are taught by Christian professors who have years of experience as professionals in their field. They understand the unique challenges of commanding large organizations and are dedicated to your academic and personal success.
In addition, our PhD in Criminal Justice Leadership degree is offered 100% online with no set login times and no required intensives, so you can earn a terminal degree from the comfort of your own home or office. Liberty University is also accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC), so you can rest assured that you are earning your degree at a respected institution of higher learning with years of experience training principled law enforcement professionals on a virtual platform.
Become a well-respected leader and excel in your field with the advanced training you gain in our PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership online degree program. Don’t wait any longer — apply today and take your career to the next level.
What Will You Study in the Online Criminal Justice PhD – Leadership?
Your PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership courses provide advanced study of principles that underlie the management of large criminal justice organizations. Through this degree, you can learn key leadership principles, such as how to properly develop subordinates and how to set up effective employee feedback channels within your organization.
The PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership degree consists of 5 sections: core courses, research and evaluation, advanced focus courses, leadership-specific courses, and a sequence of dissertation courses. The core courses of this degree can help you understand various theories of crime, the intricacies of criminal justice systems, juvenile justice, and corrections policy.
The research and evaluation courses will cover research design methodology in addition to quantitative and qualitative analysis of criminal justice as a whole. The advanced focus section of your degree program will cover organized crime, terrorism and intelligence, stress management for law enforcement professionals, and organizational conflict within the criminal justice field.
The leadership specialization consists of 3 courses: advanced criminal justice leadership, strategic planning in criminal justice, and advanced human resource development for criminal justice professionals — where you can learn the skills needed for setting priorities, time management, and effective communication within your organization.
Your dissertation is designed to be completed in several phases. You will develop a research concept and a dissertation prospectus. After completing the prospectus, you will develop a dissertation proposal and conduct research before defending your dissertation in this degree’s final course.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Criminal justice writer
- Forensics investigator
- Lead detective/investigator
- Lead/senior researcher
- Professor
- University administrator (department chair, dean, chancellor)
After completing Liberty University’s online PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership degree, you will have an advanced, terminal degree that can help you pursue leadership roles in the criminal justice field and in higher education as a professor of criminal justice.
The skills and knowledge gained from the online criminal justice PhD degree may provide opportunities in private or government agencies and can help create avenues for a pay raise.
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the Helms School of Government.
- View the Graduate Government Course Guides (login required).
Degree Completion Plan
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Tuition & Aid
Your success is our success, which is why we are committed to providing quality academics at an affordable tuition rate. While other colleges are increasing their tuition, we have frozen tuition rates for the majority of our undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs for the past 9 years – and counting.
Doctoral Full Time | $595/Credit |
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Doctoral Part Time | $650/Credit |
Eligible current and former military service members and their spouses may qualify for a special rate of $300/credit hour (learn more).
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
All Tuition & Fees
Financial Aid & Scholarships
Admission Information for the PhD in Criminal Justice
Admission Requirements
- Apply online or over the phone with an admissions counselor by calling (800) 424-9596.
- A non-refundable, non-transferable $50 application fee will be posted on the current application upon enrollment (waived for qualifying service members, veterans, and military spouses – documentation verifying military status is required).
- Send official college transcripts (mailed as sealed, unopened copies or sent via a direct electronic transcript system). A regionally or nationally accredited master’s degree with at least a 3.0 GPA is required for admission in good standing.
- Applicants whose native language is other than English must submit official scores for the Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) or an approved alternative assessment. For information on alternative assessments or TOEFL waivers, please call Admissions or view the official International Admissions policy.
Preliminary Acceptance
If you are sending in a preliminary transcript for acceptance, you must:
- Be in your final term and planning to start your doctoral degree after the last day of class for your master’s degree.
- Complete a Master’s Self-Certification Form confirming your completion date. You may download the form from the Forms and Downloads page or contact an admissions counselor to submit the form on your behalf.
- Submit an official transcript to confirm that you are in your final term. The preliminary transcript must show that you are within 6 credit hours of completion for a 30-48 credit hour master’s degree or within 9 credit hours of completion for a 49+ credit hour master’s degree.
- Send in an additional, final official transcript with a conferral date on it by the end of your first semester of enrollment in the new doctoral degree.
Transcript Policies
Official College Transcript Policy
An acceptable official college transcript is one that has been issued directly from the institution and is in a sealed envelope. If you have one in your possession, it must meet the same requirements. If your previous institution offers electronic official transcript processing, they can send the document directly to luoverify@liberty.edu.
Admissions Office Contact Information
Liberty University Online Admissions Verification
1971 University Blvd.
Lynchburg, VA 24515
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Submit your application online or over the phone.
Military
Liberty University is dedicated to providing world-class educational experiences to military students across the globe.
Who May Qualify?
- Active Duty
- Reserve/National Guard
- Veterans/Retirees
- Spouses of Service Members and Veterans/Retirees
Military Tuition Discount
We want to help you find the doctoral degree you want – at a price you’ve earned. As a thank-you for your military service, Liberty University offers eligible current and former service members like you or your spouse multiple pathways to earn a doctoral degree for only $300/credit hour. Find out how you can take advantage of this unique opportunity as you work toward your goal of reaching the pinnacle of your profession – for less.
Tuition rates may change annually. For the most current information, please visit our LU Tuition Cost page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What resources will be available to me in this program?
You will have access to vast online resources through Liberty University’s library portal while pursuing your online PhD in Criminal Justice – Leadership degree.
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