25 PhD programmes in Criminology in North America

The Criminology and Criminal Justice program from University of Nevada, Las Vegas will prepare students for research, teaching, and professional employment at universities, research institutes, and criminal justice related agencies — including, governmental agencies, related non-profit agencies, public policy institutes, and the private sector.

The Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice (CLJ) at University of Illinois at Chicago is an interdisciplinary department with Master's, PhD, and undergraduate programs at Chicago’s only urban, public research university. 

The highly interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Criminology at the University of Pennsylvania combines the traditional concerns of criminologists with concepts, theories, and empirical research from a wide variety of academic disciplines.

Criminology is devoted to the scientific analysis of crime, justice and social control. This PhD program is offered at the University of Ottawa.

Criminology is defined as the interdisciplinary scientific study of crime, criminal behavior, and the social control of crime. The Department of Criminology at the University of South Florida provides a scientific, philosophical, and humanistic approach to the understanding of these subjects in contemporary society.

The Doctor of Philosophy in Psychology - Legal Psychology at Florida International University focuses on issues such as witness memory, interrogations, investigative interviewing, lineups, deception detection and juror decision-making.

Pennsylvania State University’s Criminology graduate program is one of the nation’s top programs in criminology and criminal justice.

The PhD in Criminology and Social Justice at Ontario Tech University combines disciplinary and specialized study in Criminology, study in qualitative research methods and statistics, and applied learning experiences to prepare students to work in a variety of settings.

The School of Criminology at Simon Fraser University offers graduate programs leading to the degrees of master of arts and doctor of philosophy that are designed for, but not restricted to, individuals graduating with a bachelors or masters degree in criminology, or students with a background in one or more of the behavioral or social sciences.

The Department of Sociology and Criminal Justice at the University of Delaware offers a doctor of philosophy degree program in both Sociology and Criminology.

Considered the best Criminology and Criminal Justice doctoral program in the country as evidenced by multiple articles in The Journal of Criminal Justice Education, the Florida State University College of Criminology offers you the opportunity to be part of an intellectual community and learn from the most productive scholars in the country. 

The Criminology, Law and Society graduate program at University of Florida has two areas of special emphasis: crime and justice, and law and society.  

The primary aim of the graduate program at the University of Toronto Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies is to provide students with opportunities for advanced multi‑disciplinary study and supervised research experience in the areas of crime, the administration of criminal justice, and social studies of law and regulation.

The School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Arizona State University offers an on-campus program of coursework and research leading to the PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

Embark on an enlightening academic journey at Northeastern University's Criminology and Justice Policy Doctoral Program.

The doctoral degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Massachusetts Lowell is an interdisciplinary, research-oriented degree designed to provide a theoretically grounded, methodologically sophisticated and statistically rigorous education.

The doctoral Criminology and Criminal Justice program from University of Missouri–St. Louis is designed to provide students with a command of criminological knowledge and analytical skills.

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina offers a program of coursework and research leading to the Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. 

Become a leader in researching solutions for today’s most critical social issues! The PhD program in Community Research and Action at Binghamton University prepares students for rewarding academic or policy-related careers conducting high-quality, impactful scholarship.

The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice (DCCJ) at Florida International University offers a Ph.D. in International Crime and Justice (ICJ).