School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
Graduate Programs in Criminology
Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology
75 semester credit hours minimum beyond the baccalaureate degree
Program Faculty
Professors: Lynne M. Vieraitis, John L. Worrall
Associate Professor: Tony Love
Assistant Professors: Alexander Burton, Andrew Krajewski, Yeung Jeom Lee
Associate-Professor-of-Practice: Ryan Getty
Associate-Professor-of-Instruction: Arthur Vasquez
Mission
The mission of the Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology at The University of Texas at Dallas is threefold in nature, in order to:
1) Deliver high-quality education to a diverse body of graduate students regarding the etiology, control, and variation of lawbreaking across space and time.
2) Serve local, regional, and national communities through professional development programs, public policy analyses, evaluation research, program and policy design, and a forum for new approaches to the study of crime.
3) Advance the understanding of criminology through a multidisciplinary mix of theoretical and applied research.
Objectives
The doctoral program in Criminology is an interdisciplinary, research-oriented degree offered in conjunction with other graduate programs in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences at UT Dallas. The objective of the PhD program is to provide students a coherent, yet intellectually challenging degree that adequately prepares them to conduct research among the many aspects of criminology and criminal justice, varying with individual interests and areas of specialty. Graduates of the PhD program will be qualified to teach at the university level as professors. Graduates will also be competent to enter into analytic and administrative posts within the vast array of research and policy institutions, criminal justice organizations, and in the private sector.
Facilities
Students have access to the computing facilities in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the University's computer labs. The school has four computing laboratories which have 24-30 computers that are network linked and equipped with major social science software packages, including EViews, R, RATS, PASW, Stata, LexisNexis database, and Westlaw for student use. The University's computer labs provide personal computers and UNIX Workstations. Data and reference materials are also available online via the library and the school's memberships in numerous organizations.
Application and Admission Requirements
The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.
The PhD Program in Criminology requires that applicants have completed a Master's in Criminology or similar discipline from an institution of higher education. A graduate GPA (grade point average) of 3.50 and a GRE combined verbal and quantitative score of 300 are desirable, but students may be admitted at the program's discretion. All transcripts must be submitted, along with three letters of recommendation (preferably academic) and a one-page essay describing their background, education, and professional objectives. To be considered for funding opportunities, applications must be submitted in full by January 15. Students can apply as late as May 1, per University policy, but they will likely not be considered for funding opportunities. Students should note their desire to be considered for graduate funding in their letter of intent at the time of application.
Degree Requirements
On admission to the PhD in Criminology Program, a student must earn a minimum of 75 semester credit hours beyond the baccalaureate degree, pass a qualifying examination covering research methods/statistics, pass the criminology comprehensive examination, and successfully complete independent research. Students must fulfill the following requirements:
- Coursework: 75 credit semester credit hours of graduate study (minus transferred master's credit of 36 semester credit hours)
- Qualifying Examination
- Doctoral Dissertation
A grade of "B-" or lower in any core graduate class requires that the class be retaken with only one retake allowed per course. If the retake results in a final grade of "B-" or lower, the student will be dropped from the program. Students are allowed to retake no more than two core courses. In addition, all students must meet the University's minimum required GPA of 3.0 or higher. See the Criminology Graduate Program Handbook located on the Criminology website for more specific requirements.
Course Requirements
Coursework: 75 semester credit hours of graduate study (includes required master's degree credit of 36 semester credit hours)
I. Criminology core classes (6 semester credit hours)
CRIM 7300 Advances in Criminology Theory
CRIM 7305 Professional Development in Criminology
II. Criminology Electives (9 semester credit hours)
Any nine hours of additional graduate level courses with the CRIM course prefix.
III. Methodology/Statistics core classes (9 semester credit hours)
EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
or EPPS 7313 Descriptive and Inferential Statistics
EPPS 6316 Applied Regression
or EPPS 7316 Regression and Multivariate Analysis
A grade of "B-" or lower in any core graduate class requires that the class be retaken. Only one retake is allowed per course. If the retake results in a final grade of "B-" or lower, the student will be dropped from the program. Students are allowed to retake no more than two core classes. In addition, all students must meet the University's minimum required GPA of 3.0 or higher. See the Graduate Program Handbook located on the Criminology website for more specific requirements.
IV. Methodology or Advanced Statistics Elective (3 semester credit hours)
Students must select one additional research methods or advanced statistics course. Students may select this course from any number of methodology or statistics courses offered through the School of Economic, Political, and Policy Sciences (EPPS).
Sample of Methodology or Advanced Statistics Courses:
EPPS 6346 Qualitative Research Orientation
EPPS 6352 Evaluation Research Methods in the Economic, Political and Policy Sciences
EPPS 7304 Cost-Benefit Analysis
EPPS 7318 Structural Equation and Multilevel (Hierarchical) Modeling
EPPS 7344 Categorical and Limited Dependent Variables
EPPS 7368 Spatial Epidemiology
EPPS 7370 Time Series Analysis I
EPPS 7386 Survey Research
EPPS 7390 Bayesian Analysis for Social and Behavioral Sciences
V. Independent Study (minimum of 3 semester credit hours)
Students take at least 3 semester credit hours of independent study (i.e., Qualifying Exam Preparation or Independent Advanced Research) in the spring semester upon completion of required substantive coursework in order to prepare for doctoral qualifying exams. Funded students will be required to take at least 9 semester credit hours in that semester in order to retain funding, as is the case in any other semester during which funding is awarded. These hours may be a combination of Qualifying Exam Preparation hours and electives.
VI. Dissertation Research (minimum of 9 semester credit hours)
A dissertation or a three-paper option requirement must be completed in order to successfully complete the Criminology doctoral program. Students will select a dissertation chair and a supervising committee to advise them through the research component of the doctoral requirement.
The dissertation is an original work initiated and completed by the doctoral candidate that demonstrates research competence and substantially adds to the knowledge in the candidate's field. The three-paper option is composed of a set of articles that together represent a significant and coherent contribution to our knowledge in the field of Criminology.
Regardless of the option selected, students will enroll in CRIM 8V99 during each semester until the research is completed and defended. The final dissertation defense is completed when the dissertation chair and supervising committee agree that the research has been satisfactorily completed.
Qualifying Examination
Students will sit for the Criminology Qualifying Examination once all substantive coursework is completed and upon approval of the Criminology Program Head and/or Ph.D. Advisor. The Qualifying Examination will test students' knowledge in topical areas related to the discipline. Student performance will be evaluated as pass or fail on each section. Those failing one or more sections of the examination will be allowed one retake in accordance with UTD policy (policy.utdallas.edu/utdpp1052). Those students who fail any section of the retake examination will be dismissed from the Criminology program in accordance with policy.
Master of Science in Criminology
36 semester credit hours minimum
Program Faculty
Professors: Lynne M. Vieraitis, John L. Worrall
Associate Professor: Tony Love
Assistant Professors: Alexander Burton, Andrew Krajewski, Yeung Jeom Lee
Associate-Professor-of-Practice: Ryan Getty
Associate-Professor-of-Instruction: Arthur Vasquez
Mission
The mission of the Master of Science in Criminology program at The University of Texas at Dallas is threefold, to:
1) Deliver high-quality education to a diverse body of students regarding the etiology, control, and variation of law-breaking across space and time.
2) Serve local, regional, and national communities through professional development programs, public policy analyses and evaluation research, program and policy design, and as a forum for new ideas and approaches to the study of crime.
3) Advance the understanding of criminology through a multidisciplinary mix of theoretical and applied research, as well as to provide a forum for new ideas and approaches to the study of crime.
Objectives
The Master of Science (MS) in Criminology provides students with a coherent yet intellectually challenging degree that prepares them to conduct interdisciplinary research among the many aspects of criminology and criminal justice, varying with individual interests and areas of specialty. Graduates of the MS program will be competent to teach at the community college and at the university level as adjunct lecturers. Graduates will also be ready to enter into analytic and administrative posts within a vast array of research and policy institutions, criminal justice organizations, and in the private sector.
Facilities
Students have access to the computing facilities in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences and the University's computer labs. The school has four computing laboratories which have 24-30 computers that are network linked and equipped with major social science software packages, including EViews, R, RATS, SPSS and Stata. A computerized geographic information system, the LexisNexis database, and Westlaw are also available for student use. The University's computer labs provide personal computers and UNIX workstations. Many important data and reference materials are also available online via the library's and the school's memberships in numerous organizations.
Application and Admission Requirements
The University's general admission requirements are discussed on the Graduate Admission page.
The Master of Science in Criminology seeks applicants from a baccalaureate in Criminology, Sociology, or a relevant discipline. A 3.2 undergraduate GPA and a combined GRE verbal and quantitative score of 300 are desirable, but students may be admitted at the program's discretion. All transcripts must be submitted, along with three letters of recommendation (preferably academic) and a one-page essay describing their background, education, and professional objectives. For more information, please see our Graduate Handbook on our website.
Prerequisites
For the Master of Science in Criminology, students with an undergraduate degree in Criminology or a related field will have the necessary academic foundation to begin their graduate coursework. For more information on Prerequisites and Transfer Policies, please see the Graduate Program Handbook which is posted on the EPPS website.
Program of Studies Policy
Each student admitted to a graduate program will have a specific program of studies agreed upon in consultation with the Graduate Studies Committee or graduate advisor for Criminology per the degree plan for the program. A complete Program of Studies Form will be filled in and approved prior to the student's registration for his/her 19th semester credit hour to be counted toward a master's degree.
Writing Requirement (MS in Criminology)
All Doctoral track students must complete a writing requirement while enrolled in the MS Program. Students must take a minimum of six semester credit hours of CRIM 6V96 or CRIM 6V98, complete an independent paper, and present their findings in a colloquium setting to be eligible for graduation with the MS.
Non-Writing Requirement Option for the MS in Criminology
MS students on a terminal track who do not wish to be considered for admission into a doctoral program have the option of taking 6 semester credit hours of any graduate classes as electives in lieu of the writing requirement.
Course Requirements
Coursework: 36 semester credit hours of graduate study
I. Criminology Core Required Courses: 12 semester credit hours
CRIM 6301 Research Design I
CRIM 6303 Etiology of Crime and Criminality
CRIM 6311 Crime and Justice Policy
EPPS 6313 Introduction to Quantitative Methods
II. Elective Courses: 24 semester credit hours
12 semester credit hours in Elective Criminology graduate courses
and 6 semester credit hours in any program or school outside Criminology
and 6 semester credit hours of CRIM 6V98 Analytical Writing Research (for PhD track students)
or 6 semester credit hours of graduate-level course electives (for students wishing to terminate at MS)
A grade of "B-" or lower in any core graduate class requires that the class be retaken. Only one retake is allowed per course. If the retake results in a final grade of "B-" or lower, the student will be dropped from the program. Students are allowed to retake no more than two core classes. In addition, all students must meet the University's minimum required GPA of 3.0 or higher. See the Graduate Program Handbook located on the Criminology website for more specific requirements.
1. If a student has completed this course at UT Dallas with a "B" or better this course will need to be substituted with an additional advanced statistics or methods course.