Doctor of Philosophy in Criminology

Get your PhD in Criminology

The University of Iowa's new PhD Program in Criminology offers rigorous training in criminological and sociological theory, a variety of quantitative and qualitative research methods, and two cutting edge substantive areas - Inequality, Crime & Justice and International & Comparative Criminology. Housed in the same department as one of the nation's leading sociology departments, our program offers students a unique opportunity to take courses and conduct research at the intersection of the two disciplines, preparing them for a variety of teaching and research jobs in academia, government, and the non-profit sector.

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Program overview

Curriculum and summary of coursework

Students who wish to pursue the PhD in Criminology may enter with a MA degree in Criminology or Sociology from another university or may first earn the MA degree in Sociology at the University of Iowa. A MA Thesis or MA Research Paper is required and must be approved before the PhD in Criminology. The requirements of the MA in Sociology with intention to continue to the PhD in Criminology are mapped below:

	Timing	SH	Minimum Grade	Primary Learning Outcomes
SOC:7270 Scholarly Professionalism and Integrity I	Y1S1	2	Pass	[7] Learn research ethics; socialization to discipline
SOC:6170 Introduction to Sociological Data Analysis	Y1S1	3	B-	[1] Develop research methodology skillset
CRIM:5410 Criminological Theory I	Y1S1	3	B-	[2] Develop expertise in criminological theory
SOC:5160 Research Design and Methods	Y1S2	3	B-	[1] Develop research methodology skillset
SOC:7271 Scholarly Professionalism and Integrity II	Y1S2	2	Pass	[7] Learn research ethics; socialization to discipline
SOC:6180 Linear Models in Sociological Research	Y1S2	3	B-	[1] Develop research methodology skillset
CRIM: 5120 Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems	Y1S2	3	B-	[2] Develop expertise in criminological and social science theory [3] Develop substantive expertise [3] Develop scholarly and research communication skills [6] Develop skills to work with policy makers
At least three (≥9sh) Elective Courses in the Department, at least two of (≥6sh) which must be CRIM^a CRIM:7030 or SOC:7030 Readings & Research, up to a maximum of 3sh^b CRIM:6080 Master's Thesis^b	Y1-2	Combined ≥11	Combined 3.25 GPA	[1] Develop research methodology skillset [2] Develop expertise in criminological and social science theory [3] Develop substantive expertise [4] Develop scholarly and research communication skills [6] Develop skills to work with policy makers

Notes:

^a A list of elective courses is provided in Appendix A.

^b By arrangement with instructor, non-graded or graded option.

Students may only advance to or be accepted into the PhD in Criminology upon completing the University of Iowa Sociology MA with Thesis or Research Paper, or by entering with an equivalent Sociology or Criminology MA/MS granted by a peer program at another university. To complete the PhD, students must take a total of 72sh; a minimum of 36 must be taken after the MA is conferred. PhD curriculum requirements are mapped below:

	Timing	SH	Minimum Grade	Primary Learning Outcomes(s)
CRIM:6430 Criminological Theory II^c	Y2+	3	B-	[2] Develop expertise in criminological theory
Graduate Methods Course ^c	Y2+	≥3	B-	[1] Develop research methodology skillset
Graduate Methods Course ^c	Y2+	≥3	B-	[1] Develop research methodology skillset
At least five (≥15sh) Elective Courses in the Department, at least four (≥12sh) of which must be CRIM ^{a, c} CRIM: 7030 or SOC:7030 Readings & Research^b CRIM: 7090 PhD Dissertation^{b, d}	Y2+	Combined ≥27	Combined 3.25 GPA	[1] Develop research methodology skillset [2] Develop expertise in criminological theory [3] Develop substantive expertise [4] Develop scholarly communication skills [6] Develop skills to work with policy makers

Notes:

^a A list of elective courses is provided in Appendix A.

^b By arrangement with instructor, non-graded or graded option.

^c Students must choose among approved courses or obtain approval by DGS.

^d Applicable to the 72sh requirement but cannot be used to obtain the 36sh post-MA requirement.

Elective courses

18 s.h. from these:

courses	SH
CRIM:6430 Feminist Perspectives on Crime and Punishment	3
CRIM:6440 Crime and Health in the Life Course	3
CRIM:6450 Sem: Comparative Criminology	3
CRIM:6460 Criminal Punishment	3
CRIM:6490 Immigration and Crime	3
CRIM:6750 Race and Crime	3
CRIM:7400 Sem: Selected Topics in Criminological Research	3
CRIM:7410 Communities and Crime	3
CRIM:7430 Gender and Violence	3
CRIM:7440 Social Psychology of Violence	3

Program milestones and experiences

	Description and Primary Learning Outcomes
Milestone 1	MA Thesis/Research Paper [1] Develop research methodology skillset [2] Develop expertise in social science theory [3] Develop substantive expertise [4] Develop scholarly communication skills
Milestone 2	Comprehensive Exam [1] Develop research methodology skillset [2] Develop expertise in social science theory [3] Develop substantive expertise [5] Teaching preparation [6] Develop crime policy analysis skills
Milestone 3	Dissertation Prospectus [1] Develop research methodology skillset [2] Develop expertise in social science theory [3] Develop substantive expertise [4] Develop scholarly communication skills
Milestone 4	Dissertation [1] Develop research methodology skillset [2] Develop expertise in social science theory [3] Develop substantive expertise [4] Develop scholarly communication skills
Experience 1	Teaching Assistantships [5] Teaching preparation
Experience 2	Research Assistantships and Co-authorship/Collaborative Research Experiences with Faculty Mentors [1] Develop research methodology skillset [2] Develop expertise in criminological and social science theory [3] Develop criminological and social science substantive expertise [4] Develop scholarly communication skills [6] Develop crime policy analysis skills
Experience 3	Departmental Committee Service [7] Socialization to discipline
Experience 4	Departmental Workshop/Talk Series Reinforces all learning outcomes
Experience 5	Professional Development Workshops [4] Develop scholarly communication skills [7] Socialization to discipline

Areas of focus

Inequality, Crime & Justice

The first substantive focus of our program, Inequality, Crime & Justice (ICJ), builds on the wealth of expertise that the departmental faculty holds on patterns of unequal distribution of resources and social exclusion along the lines of race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, and class. Among many other topics, ICJ students explore the ways that crime contributes to public health disparities, learn how violence can be racialized and gendered, consider the patterns whereby crime is distributed spatially, and conduct research on dissimilar experiences that Americans from different social groups have in the criminal justice system.

Race, Crime and Justice
Communities and Crime
Health, Lifecourse & Crime
Gender, Law & Justice

International & Comparative Criminology

The second substantive focus of the Criminology PhD Program at Iowa, International & Comparative Criminology, entails the study of crime in different countries and of new and emergent crimes that often span the boundaries of nation-states. Students pursuing this specialization learn how to compare the rates and patterns of violent crimes like homicide around the world, explore the impact of war on the likelihood of criminal behavior, analyze law-breaking by political and economic elites, delve into the ways that non-democratic governance shapes criminality, and discover the transnational legal and criminal justice orders that have emerged to address crime on supra-national levels.

Criminology of War
Homicide and Violence
Comparative Migration Studies
Corruption, White-Collar & Political Crime

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