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PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in Oklahoma

If you want to explore the full range of career opportunities in criminal justice, investing in your education may help you build a larger professional network, gain insight into important issues, and qualify for prestigious job offers. If you have a Bachelor’s degree in criminal justice, attending a doctoral program that combines graduate and PhD courses is one option. If you already have a Master’s degree, you may have access to a greater variety of criminal justice PhD programs.

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

Oklahoma has significant financial issues caused by a shrinking budget (Reuters, 2016). This problem has been multiplied by a bulging prison system that costs the state millions of dollars each year. This has led professionals and legislators across the state to call for criminal justice reform.

As is the case in many states, one of the biggest issues in Oklahoma’s criminal justice system is the correlation between mental illness and incarceration. The Oklahoman is hosting a community forum that addresses this issue and considers ways to fix it (News OK, 2016).

With criminal justice degrees, Oklahoma employers may hire you for a number of positions. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that judges earn an average salary of $76,400 per year in Oklahoma, while criminal justice professors earn an average of $54,640 per year (2015). Through the year 2022, O*Net anticipates a 3% increase in openings for judges and an 11% increase in demand for criminal justice professors (2016).

If you want to move into the fields of legislation, administration, and research, keep reading to learn more about earning your PhD in criminology or criminal justice.

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

Since a doctorate is the highest degree of education and criminal justice, plan on improving your skills and knowledge in a variety of ways throughout your education.

First, you must be accepted to a program. Relevant work experience is generally required or highly recommended, and you may need an undergraduate GPA of 3.0 or higher. If you do not yet have a Master’s degree, plan on taking the GRE and submitting your scores.

When you begin your education, you can get familiar with the learning goals and outcomes at your school. In Oklahoma, most institutions focus on research methods, statistics and statistical analysis, and criminal justice theory. As you earn your degree, you may collaborate on research with faculty members and other PhD candidates.

To earn the 30 to 36 credits required for graduation, you may take courses like those listed here:

  • Seminar in the Criminal Justice System
  • Qualitative Research Methods
  • Advanced Regression Analysis
  • Seminar in Criminology
  • Deviance and Social Control
  • Inequality in a Global Perspective

When earning a doctorate in criminal justice, you should remember that funding is extremely different at this level of education than it is at the undergraduate or graduate level. Oklahoma schools that offer this degree generally make an effort to offer funding to all accepted students. Generally, this includes partial or full tuition, in addition to a monthly stipend.

Depending on your goals and previous experience, you may work between 10 and 20 hours per week as a teaching assistant or research assistant. As a research assistant, you may first play a support role in research conducted by others before designing and executing your own research ideas. As a teaching assistant, you may get the chance to design, teach, and grade your own undergraduate courses.

Another feature that separates a PhD from a Master’s degree is the dissertation. With extremely dedicated research and writing, you may finish your dissertation in two years or less. However, some students spend four years or more completing this project.

There is room for improvement in any industry. With a PhD in criminal justice, you can help direct the future of this field and make it more sustainable for Oklahoma.

Learn more now by requesting information from the schools listed below.

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