PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in Delaware

Updated October 1, 2026

Earning a PhD in criminal justice means several years of graduate-level coursework and an original dissertation, with most programs built to produce university faculty and researchers. As of May 2025 BLS data, Delaware’s criminal justice professors earn a median $80,510 a year. Administrative law judge is a separate, higher-paying bench role usually reached through a law degree, not this PhD.

National reform debates get the headlines, but Delaware still has its own problems to work through, and that’s exactly the work a PhD prepares you for. Back in 2016, the state’s prisons showed some of the highest rates of inequity in the country, according to News Works, and Delaware lawmakers were debating whether every officer should wear a body camera, per Delaware Online‘s coverage that year. Those specific fights have moved on since, but the underlying tension between reform pressure and budget reality is still what a PhD-level researcher gets pulled into.

Featured Programs:

What Can I Do With a PhD in Criminal Justice in Delaware?

A PhD in this field points mainly toward one door: university faculty. Criminal justice and law enforcement professors in Delaware earn a median $80,510 a year, per May 2025 BLS data, and Delaware’s state-level projection reported through Projections Central shows 14.3% growth through 2034, well ahead of most careers on this site.

Administrative law judge is a related, well-paid role worth knowing about, though it’s not a typical destination for this specific degree. The job typically requires a law degree and experience practicing law rather than a criminal justice PhD, and specific requirements vary by jurisdiction, per the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Delaware’s administrative law judges, adjudicators, and hearing officers earn a median $56,830 a year, also May 2025 BLS data; nationally, BLS’s current outlook for the role is flat, with 0% projected change from 2025 to 2035.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Administrative Law Judges, Adjudicators, and Hearing Officers and Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary. Delaware’s long-term (2024-34) job growth projection for criminal justice professors comes from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral; the national (2025-35) outlook for administrative law judges comes directly from the BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook. Figures reflect state-level wage data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed October 2026.

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

A PhD puts you among the most credentialed people in this field, and the program will test you accordingly.

Coursework

Doctoral credit requirements and timelines vary considerably by school, depending on whether you’re building on an existing master’s or starting a combined track from a bachelor’s. Across programs, though, the core subject matter looks similar:

Data Collection and Analysis
Theories and Approaches in Social Deviance
Application of Criminological Theory and Empirical Tests
Criminology and Systems of Criminal Justice
Research Practicum

The Dissertation

Your dissertation has to stand in for your entire doctoral career, so expect it to take real time, commonly a year or more depending on your research and your program. It must analyze one specific issue, trend, or theory in criminal justice in enough depth to stand up to a committee.

Program Requirements

Program requirements vary, but doctoral study in this field commonly includes advanced research coursework, a dissertation, and may include teaching or research appointments along the way, the same work that can lead toward an academic post or a research-heavy role afterward.

Where to Study for a PhD in Criminal Justice in Delaware

Per U.S. Department of Education data, no Delaware institution in our dataset reports a doctoral-level program in the Criminal Justice and Corrections CIP family. If you want a criminal-justice-titled PhD, plan on an out-of-state program unless you confirm something newer directly with Delaware’s graduate schools; federal reporting data can lag what a school currently offers.

School and program data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, institution file May 2025 and field-of-study file April 2025. Data accessed October 2026.

Looking for a Doctoral Program in Another State?

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to earn a PhD in criminal justice?

It varies by program. Expect several years of coursework beyond whatever degree you’re entering with, plus a dissertation phase that commonly runs a year or more depending on your research and your school.

Do I need a master’s degree before starting a criminal justice doctorate?

Not always. Some programs admit you straight from a bachelor’s and fold master’s-level coursework into a longer, combined track. If you already hold a master’s, most programs will credit relevant coursework toward the doctorate.

What can I do with a PhD in criminal justice besides teaching?

Most graduates aim at university faculty or research positions, drawing directly on the dissertation and research skills the degree builds. Some move into senior policy or research roles at government agencies and research institutes. A few other well-paid criminal-justice-system roles, like administrative law judge, typically require a law degree and practicing experience rather than a criminal justice PhD.

Is a PhD in criminal justice worth it?

It depends on which door you’re trying to open. If you want a faculty position or a senior research role, there’s no real substitute for the doctorate. If you want to work the job itself- patrol, corrections, investigations- a bachelor’s or master’s gets you there faster and for a fraction of the time and cost.

Key Takeaways

Primary outcome is teaching: most PhD-holders in this field end up in university faculty roles; administrative law judge is a separate, well-paid path usually reached through a law degree, not this PhD.
Timeline varies by program: expect several years of coursework plus a dissertation phase that commonly runs a year or more.
Teaching pays more and grows faster here: Delaware professors earn a state median of $80,510 with 14.3% projected growth (2024-34, per Projections Central), while Delaware ALJ pay is lower ($56,830) with a flat national outlook (0%, 2025-35, per BLS).
No matching in-state doctoral program: federal education data shows no Delaware institution with a doctoral program in the criminal-justice CIP family; plan on an out-of-state program or confirm directly with schools in case something newer isn’t yet reflected in the data.

If a PhD doesn’t fit your timeline or budget right now, Delaware’s master’s and bachelor’s programs in criminal justice can get you into the field much faster, and you can add a doctorate later, once you’re already working in the system. The schools listed above are a reasonable place to start comparing doctoral tracks and specialties.

Want the bigger picture? Read the full guide to Doctoral Degrees in Criminal Justice | DCJ and PhD.