PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in Illinois

Updated September 21, 2026

Federal education data identifies one Illinois doctoral program in this field: the PhD in Criminology, Law, and Justice at the University of Illinois Chicago. The department suspended admissions to that program for Fall 2026, effective November 2025, so confirm current status before you plan around it. Criminal justice and law enforcement professors in Illinois earned a $66,040 median as of May 2025 BLS data, with about 30 openings projected yearly through 2034.

A PhD in criminal justice is a research credential, not a hiring requirement. You’re not earning it to get past an academy or a background check. You’re earning it to teach, publish, or move into research and policy work at a level a bachelor’s or master’s typically doesn’t reach.

Featured Programs:

What Can You Do With a PhD in Criminal Justice in Illinois?

The most direct path is postsecondary teaching. Illinois criminal justice and law enforcement postsecondary teachers earned a $66,040 median as of May 2025 BLS data. The U.S. Department of Labor-sponsored ProjectionsCentral projects those positions to grow from 400 to 410 in Illinois between 2024 and 2034, a 2.8% gain with roughly 30 openings a year statewide. Not every teaching position requires a doctorate. BLS lists a PhD as typical for postsecondary teachers generally, but some institutions hire qualified candidates with a master’s.

Beyond teaching, the degree also supports research and policy roles at universities, government agencies, and research organizations. Those positions set their own education and experience requirements rather than following one statewide standard, so a PhD helps you compete for them without guaranteeing entry.

What It Takes to Earn a Criminology, Law, and Justice PhD in Illinois

UIC’s program requires 96 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. If you already hold a qualifying master’s, you can apply up to 32 of those hours toward the requirement, though the graduate director evaluates your prior coursework individually rather than granting a flat credit. You can enter with either a BA or an MA. Entering with a BA means completing both the MA and PhD requirements, including the MA comprehensive exam.

Required coursework covers:

Law and Society
Criminological Theory
Criminal Justice: Process and Institutions
Race, Class, and Gender Dimensions of Crime and Justice
Quantitative Methods and Design
Qualitative Methods and Design
Statistical Applications in Criminology, Law, and Justice I and II
Advanced Methods in Criminology, Law, and Justice

After the core sequence, you’ll complete 40 more hours in one of three areas of specialization: Law and Society, Criminology, or the Study of Justice, including two Signature Seminars. The department also offers five interdepartmental concentrations you can add with your advisor’s approval: Violence Studies, Black Studies, Gender and Women’s Studies, Latin American and Latino Studies, and Survey Research Methodology. From there, you’ll sit three departmental comprehensive exams, defend a dissertation proposal at the preliminary exam, and complete a dissertation.

Where to Earn a Criminal Justice PhD in Illinois

Federal education data identifies one Illinois institution with a doctoral-level criminal-justice-family program: the University of Illinois Chicago, a public university in Chicago, whose Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice offers the PhD. The department has suspended admissions to the MA/PhD program for Fall 2026, effective November 2025. Contact the department directly to confirm whether admissions have reopened before applying, since federal data can lag a school’s current catalog and enrollment status.

Institution	City	Control	Program Area
University of Illinois Chicago	Chicago	Public	Criminal Justice

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the University of Illinois Chicago currently accepting PhD applicants?

No. The Department of Criminology, Law, and Justice suspended admissions to its MA and PhD programs for the Fall 2026 term, effective November 2025. Contact the department directly for the current status before you plan an application around it.

How many credits does the UIC PhD require?

96 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s degree. If you enter with a qualifying master’s, up to 32 of those hours can count toward the total, though the graduate director reviews your prior coursework individually rather than applying a flat reduction.

Do I need a master’s degree first?

No. UIC admits students with either a BA or an MA. Entering with a BA means completing both the MA and PhD requirements, including the MA comprehensive exam, along the way.

What can I do with a criminal justice PhD besides teach?

Research and senior policy positions at universities, government agencies, and research organizations draw on the degree, though each sets its own hiring requirements rather than following one statewide standard.

Is a PhD required to work in criminal justice in Illinois?

No. Nearly every entry-level and mid-career role in Illinois law enforcement, corrections, and the courts hires with a high school diploma, an associate degree, or a bachelor’s. A PhD is for the academic and research track specifically, not for getting hired into the field.

Key Takeaways

One in-state program, currently paused – UIC’s PhD in Criminology, Law, and Justice is the state’s doctoral-level option per federal data, but it isn’t accepting new applicants for Fall 2026.
Teaching pays $66,040 in Illinois – Criminal justice and law enforcement postsecondary teachers earned that median as of May 2025 BLS data, with about 30 openings a year through 2034.
96 hours, not a generic range – UIC’s program runs 96 semester hours beyond the bachelor’s, with up to 32 transferable from a qualifying master’s.
The degree is optional for most CJ careers – It’s built for academia and research roles, not for entry into policing, corrections, or the courts.

Not sure a PhD is the right next step, especially with admissions paused? Read the full guide to Doctoral Degrees in Criminal Justice below to see how it compares with a master’s, and what other doctoral programs outside Illinois are accepting applicants.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary. Long-term (2024-34) job growth projections from the US Department of Labor-sponsored resource, ProjectionsCentral. Figures reflect state-level data, not school-specific information. Conditions in your area may vary. Data accessed September 2026. 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 September 2026.

Looking for a Criminal Justice PhD Program in Another State?

Use the state finder below to compare doctoral programs outside Illinois.

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