PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in North Dakota

Updated October 2, 2026

North Dakota has criminal justice doctoral options at North Dakota State University and, per federal education data, the University of North Dakota, though program requirements and availability differ by school. Verify current admissions requirements, required credits, and whether the program is still accepting applicants directly with each university before you apply.

If you’re weighing a criminal justice PhD in North Dakota, the honest starting point is that your in-state options are limited, and the details (admissions requirements, credit counts, even which schools are currently accepting doctoral applicants) vary enough between programs that you shouldn’t assume one school’s requirements apply to the other. Here’s what we can verify from federal education data and each school’s own current materials: what the degree tends to require, where to study it, and what the job market looks like for the career it most directly supports.

Featured Programs:

What a Criminal Justice PhD Prepares You to Do in North Dakota

Between 2005 and 2015, county jail populations across North Dakota rose 83% (KXNet, 2016), and the state’s prison population climbed 236% over the prior 22 years (Bismarck Tribune, 2016). Those are the most recent sourced figures available for this page; they’re nearly a decade old, and whether North Dakota still needs the same volume of recidivism research and policy work is a question for admissions staff, not something to assume from a 2016 headline.

A criminal justice PhD leads most directly into one career: postsecondary criminal justice instructor. (Judicial law clerk positions, despite appearing in the same state labor data, typically require a law degree rather than a criminal justice PhD, per BLS and O*NET job descriptions, so they aren’t a direct outcome of this degree.) As of the 2025 BLS wage data, North Dakota’s criminal justice and law enforcement teachers earn a median of $67,720 a year. ProjectionsCentral’s 2024-34 state projections show the role holding flat: 20 positions, 0% change, and zero average annual openings projected over the decade. That’s a thin in-state market, so treat this degree as a ticket to a national academic job search rather than a North Dakota-specific one.

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 October 2026.

What It Takes to Earn a Criminal Justice Doctorate in North Dakota

Entry Point: Requirements Vary by School

Admissions requirements and total credit counts aren’t standardized across North Dakota’s CJ doctoral programs. North Dakota State University, for example, requires an approved master’s degree for admission to its Criminal Justice PhD and lists a current curriculum of 60-90 total credits, not a bachelor’s-level entry point. Don’t assume one school’s requirements, testing policy, or credit count apply to another: verify current admissions requirements, required credits, and testing policy directly with each program before you apply.

Coursework

Course names vary by school, but expect your curriculum to cover the history and current state of criminology, how the criminal justice system is administered, and how to design ethical research. Typical courses include:

Historical Perspectives in Criminology
Contemporary Perspectives in Criminology
Criminal Justice Administration
Criminal Justice Policy Analysis
Occupational and Organized Crime
Theories of Punishment
Victimology

Full-Time Commitment and Funding

Assistantship funding varies by university and program. At NDSU, qualifying graduate assistantships include a stipend and may carry a tuition waiver, subject to eligibility, college policy, and available funding. NDSU specifically discourages students holding a full-time assistantship from taking on additional off-campus work, and restricts other employment within NDSU, the North Dakota University System, or state agencies, rather than barring outside work for every doctoral student across the board. Ask each program directly how its assistantship and outside-work policies work before you commit.

The Dissertation

Your research record is what a hiring committee or search firm will look at later, so your project choices should align with the career you want, not just the easiest committee to assemble. Program length and typical time-to-degree vary by school; ask each program directly rather than assuming a standard timeline.

Where to Study for a Criminal Justice Doctorate in North Dakota

Federal education data lists two North Dakota institutions with a doctoral-level criminal justice program:

Institution	City	Control / Type	Doctoral Program Area
North Dakota State University	Fargo	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice and Corrections (on campus, confirmed current); Homeland Security
University of North Dakota	Grand Forks	Public, 4-year	Criminal Justice and Corrections (per federal data; confirm current availability with UND)

NDSU’s Criminal Justice PhD is confirmed current and on-campus in its own program materials. UND’s doctoral listing comes from federal education data and may not reflect UND’s current catalog: UND’s public program directory currently highlights a Criminal Justice Studies M.S., B.S., minor, and accelerated B.S./M.S., not a PhD. If UND’s doctorate matters to your plans, confirm directly with UND’s graduate school that it’s currently open to applicants before counting on it.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to leave North Dakota to earn a criminal justice PhD?

North Dakota State University in Fargo offers a confirmed, on-campus Criminal Justice PhD, plus a Homeland Security doctoral track. Federal education data also lists a University of North Dakota doctoral program in Criminal Justice and Corrections, but UND’s current public program directory highlights its Criminal Justice Studies M.S. rather than a PhD, so confirm directly with UND’s graduate school whether the doctorate is currently accepting applicants before counting on it.

How long does a criminal justice PhD actually take?

It depends on the program. NDSU, for example, requires an approved master’s degree for admission to its Criminal Justice PhD and lists a 60-90 credit curriculum from there, a different starting point than a bachelor’s-entry doctorate. Ask each program directly about its required credits and typical time-to-degree rather than assuming a standard timeline.

What jobs does this degree actually lead to?

The clearest direct outcome is postsecondary criminal justice instruction. Judicial law clerk work, despite sharing North Dakota’s criminal-justice labor data, typically requires a law degree rather than a criminal justice PhD, so it isn’t a direct path from this degree. Many graduates also move into senior research, policy, or administrative roles within state or federal criminal justice agencies.

Will I get paid while I’m in the program?

It depends on the school and the specific assistantship. At NDSU, qualifying graduate assistantships include a stipend and may include a tuition waiver, depending on eligibility, college policy, and available funding; a full-time assistantship there also limits additional outside and on-campus employment. Ask each program what funding is actually available before you apply.

Do I need the GRE to apply?

It depends on the program, and sometimes the catalog year. NDSU’s current Criminal Justice PhD requires an approved master’s degree rather than GRE-based bachelor’s entry, though older NDSU materials did require the GRE. Testing requirements change, so check each program’s current catalog rather than assuming a standard policy.

Key Takeaways

In-state options vary by school – NDSU confirms an on-campus Criminal Justice PhD (plus Homeland Security); federal data also lists a UND doctoral program, but UND’s current materials emphasize its M.S., so confirm PhD availability with UND directly
Admissions and credit requirements aren’t standardized – NDSU requires an approved master’s and lists 60-90 credits from there; verify requirements, testing policy, and credit counts with each program before applying
The clearest direct career outcome is postsecondary CJ instruction – $67,720 median in North Dakota, per May 2025 BLS data, though the in-state market is thin with zero projected average annual openings through 2034
Funding and workload policies are program-specific – ask each school directly about assistantship stipends, tuition waivers, and outside-work rules

If neither in-state option fits what you’re looking for, the sponsored programs listed near the top of this page cover the online and out-of-state routes other North Dakota doctoral candidates take.

Looking for a Criminal Justice PhD Program in Another State?

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