Doctor of Criminal Justice – Online Leadership Degree Defining the Future of Excellent Policing
60
Credit Hours
100% online, 8-week courses
Transfer in up to 50% of the degree total
Protect and Serve Your Community with Liberty’s Online Doctorate in Leadership and Criminal Justice
Are you a criminal justice professional looking to move into a top-level role in your organization? The field of criminal justice needs strong leaders who can creatively adapt to a wide variety of challenges. Whether you are currently serving in a position of authority or hope to soon don the mantle of leadership, Liberty University’s 100% online Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) – Leadership can help you carry out your responsibilities with excellence and integrity.
Our doctorate in leadership and criminal justice is designed for law enforcement practitioners who hope to solve practical problems in their field. In this program, you won’t just study effective research methods — you’ll learn how to apply your research and address real-world challenges in your organization. With guidance from our seasoned faculty, you can become a leader who is able to generate ideas, implement solutions, and better serve the public.
If you are a senior criminal justice leader seeking career advancement, our criminal justice leadership doctoral program can help you take the next step toward achieving your goals. Partner with us and learn how to effectively oversee operations in public, private, and nonprofit criminal justice organizations.
Why Choose Liberty’s Online Criminal Justice Leadership Doctoral Program?
Liberty University has a rich history of viewing government, justice, national security, and public policy through a biblical lens — and this degree program seeks to further that tradition and spirit. Each of our courses emphasizes an ethical approach to criminal justice and leadership, so you can learn how to stand out as a leader in your field.
In this program, you’ll study under professors who have years of experience in criminal justice. Drawing on what they have learned in their own careers, our faculty can help you gain a deeper understanding of the purposes and procedures of criminal justice. They are committed to helping you grow academically, professionally, and personally as you pursue your online doctorate degree in criminal justice – leadership.
If you’re worried that school may get in the way of your other commitments and priorities, we have just what you need. Our doctorate in leadership and criminal justice is available 100% online with no set login times. At Liberty, you’ll have the freedom to earn your degree on your schedule while remaining invested in your family, job, and community.
What Will You Study in Our Doctor of Criminal Justice – Online Leadership Degree?
This doctoral program is broken down into 5 main parts: core criminal justice courses, advanced focus courses, the leadership specialization, research and evaluation courses, and an applied research capstone project. Each section of this doctorate degree in criminal justice – leadership is designed to help you hone industry-specific skills that can be used directly in the field.
Throughout the core and advanced focus courses, you’ll explore theories of crime, juvenile justice, and corrections policy. You’ll also examine criminal justice from a global perspective through courses in transnational organized crime, comparative criminal justice systems, and terrorism and intelligence. Additionally, you can choose to study either organizational conflict or stress management in criminal justice.
Within the leadership specialization, you’ll learn about the major tenets of various leadership theories. As a criminal justice leader, you’ll likely need to make critical decisions that define your career and shape the public’s opinion of your organization. At Liberty, we’re committed to helping you face challenges with grace, wisdom, and dignity.
In addition, you’ll explore how to build and sustain effective criminal justice organizations. With studies in strategic planning and human resource development, you can learn how to foster a positive work environment that helps your employees grow and thrive in their roles. By partnering with us, you can become equipped to develop an organization that fights injustice, serves the common good, and creates safer communities.
Lastly, you’ll complete an extensive sequence of research and evaluation courses, culminating in a capstone project intended for application in a professional setting. You’ll develop your project using research and scholarship best practices, with the goal of making a valuable contribution to current operations and practices in criminal justice.
Potential Career Opportunities
- Crime scene investigation unit manager
- First-line supervisor of police and detectives
- Lead detective/investigator
- Police chief
- Prison warden
- Professor of criminal justice
- Public policy advisor
- Regulatory affairs manager
Featured Courses
Degree Information
- This program falls under the Helms School of Government.
- View the Graduate Government Course Guides (login required).
Degree Completion Plan
Not sure what to choose?
Speak to one of our admissions specialists to help you choose the program that best fits your needs.
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 Liberty’s Online Doctorate in Criminal Justice Degree
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
Ready to Apply?
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’s the difference between a PhD and a Doctor of Criminal Justice?
Perhaps you’re wondering how Liberty’s Doctor of Criminal Justice (DCJ) compares to our Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Criminal Justice. While the PhD focuses on theoretical and original research that expands the body of knowledge in the teaching discipline, our DCJ degree is a professional doctorate designed to help you address practical problems in the field.
To this end, Liberty’s PhD in Criminal Justice requires a dissertation while the DCJ includes a final capstone project. If you want to learn how to apply research to solve real-world challenges, Liberty’s DCJ program may be right for you! If you aspire to work in research or academia, our PhD in Criminal Justice may be a better fit. Regardless of which program you choose, both degrees can help build your skill set so you can pursue career advancement.
What resources will be available to me in this program?
As an online Liberty student, you’ll have access to a wealth of resources through our top-notch library portal.
What accreditation does Liberty University have?
Liberty University is accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).
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- Overview
- What Sets Us Apart?
- Why Choose Liberty?
- What Will You Study?
- Tuition & Aid
- Admission Information
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