PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in Ohio

If you are ready to do more with your criminal justice degree or work experience, it begins here. Request information from criminal justice schools Ohio below.

What Can I Do With My PhD in Criminal Justice in Ohio?

As dozens of other states undertake criminal justice reform, Ohio has joined the fray. The Ohio Justice and Policy Center has worked with the ACLU to develop six policy recommendations to create comprehensive criminal justice reform (WCPO, 2016). These types of massive efforts must be supported by research and leadership, two of the subjects you tackle as a PhD student.

Legal experts in Ohio claim that the state has a mass incarceration crisis (Columbus Dispatch, 2016). In the last decade, the prison population has increased 12% in Ohio. These sorts of problems do not have quick and easy answers; they require legislative and societal change.

One of the benefits of a PhD is the fact that it can help you qualify for different career options. Currently, criminal justice professors earn an average of $66,920 per year in Ohio (Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2022), and job openings may increase 6% through 2030 (CareerOneStop, 2022). Demand for judges is expected to increase by 1% during this timeframe (CareerOneStop, 2022). Ohio judges report an average salary of $127,350 per year (BLS, 2022).

2022 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary and employment figures for Ohio contained here reflect national data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed November 2023.

What Will It Take to Earn My Criminal Justice Graduate Degree in Ohio?

As you use the list of schools below to evaluate different criminal justice graduate programs, there are many factors to keep in mind. First, which type of educational experience do you want?

If you are a working professional, consider a part-time program or a program that allows you to earn your degree online. Although you do still have to do in-person work for your internship practicum requirements, you may be able to complete the majority of your coursework on your own schedule. If you do not have a Master’s degree, you need to look for a program that accepts Bachelor’s degree graduates.

Whichever route you choose, remember that these programs can be fairly competitive. A PhD requires years of full-time work, and you must prove that you are up to the challenge. When you weigh your options, look at financial aid packages. PhD students generally work about 20 hours per week as teaching assistants and research assistants in exchange for lowered tuition rates or free tuition. Since this degree generally takes between three and seven years, you may be looking at a significant financial investment if you do not qualify for a financial aid package.

Before you begin working on your dissertation, you have to explore a variety of criminal justice topics and build your knowledge up to a more advanced level. This may involve taking courses like:

• Legal Issues in Criminal Justice
• Biological and Individual Theories of Crime
• Community and Environmental Criminology
• Qualitative Methods in Criminal Justice
• Correctional Rehabilitation
• Applied Crime Prevention
• White Collar Crime
• Correctional Theory and Policy
• Theory and Practice of Crime Prevention

The experience you get in these courses may give you the critical thinking skills you need to write a compelling, well-researched dissertation. Anticipate spending at least two years on your dissertation. Some students take much longer; your experience depends on how much time you dedicate to your dissertation and how you respond to feedback.

You can improve the future of criminal justice in Ohio. Make your move now and start comparing criminal justice PhD programs below.