PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in South Carolina

Updated September 22, 2026

South Carolina has one university offering a criminal justice doctorate: the University of South Carolina-Columbia’s Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. It requires a minimum 63 credit hours beyond a bachelor’s, or 39 with a master’s or law degree, plus comprehensive exams and a dissertation. Graduates typically move into faculty, research, or agency administrative roles.

If you’re weighing a criminal justice PhD in South Carolina, you’re not choosing between schools. You’re deciding whether the degree is worth the time. One in-state program offers it: the University of South Carolina-Columbia’s Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice. Here’s what the requirements actually look like, what admissions expects from you, and what the degree opens up once you’re done.

Featured Programs:

What It Takes to Earn a Criminal Justice PhD in South Carolina

USC’s Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice runs on research training, not one fixed credit count for everyone. Under the 2026-27 catalog, you’ll need a minimum of 63 credit hours if you’re entering with a bachelor’s degree, or 39 credit hours if you already hold a master’s or law degree. That total includes coursework plus 12 dissertation hours.

Along the way, you’ll take a qualifying exam and a comprehensive exam. These are academic milestones the program uses to confirm you’re ready to move from coursework into independent research, not professional licensing exams, and they don’t certify you for any regulated career on their own. The program also carries foreign-language and residency requirements. Confirm the current specifics with the department, since they can shift by catalog year.

Core doctoral coursework currently includes Professional Development in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Crime, Law, and Public Policy, Advanced Quantitative Analysis, Research Design, and Advanced Criminological Theory, with additional requirements set based on what you’ve already completed at the master’s level.

What USC’s PhD Application Requires

Doctoral applicants currently submit GRE scores from within the past five years, three academic references, official transcripts, a statement of research goals, and a sole-authored writing sample. Build in time for the GRE specifically. It’s the piece most applicants underestimate.

Funding the Degree

USC offers graduate assistantships and fellowships to doctoral students, but they’re competitive and depend on available department resources. Don’t assume funding is guaranteed just because you’re admitted. If you land one, confirm the specific hours, stipend, and tuition terms directly with the program. Terms vary and aren’t standardized across every assistantship.

Where to Study a Criminal Justice PhD in South Carolina

One South Carolina institution appears in federal education data for a doctoral-level program in the criminal justice family. USC’s own 2026-27 catalog independently confirms its Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice is active, alongside the standing federal record below.

Institution	City	Control	Program Area
University of South Carolina-Columbia	Columbia	Public	Criminal Justice

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. Confirm current enrollment, format, and admission requirements directly with the school before applying.

What a Criminal Justice PhD Opens Up

USC’s bulletin points graduates toward three tracks: faculty positions, applied research roles at criminal justice agencies, and administrative leadership. Teaching is the most visible of the three. As of May 2025, criminal justice and law enforcement postsecondary teachers in South Carolina earn a median $76,960 a year (BLS), and the state projects 6.6% growth in these roles through 2034 (ProjectionsCentral). That figure covers everyone currently teaching in the role, not specifically PhD graduates. It’s also worth knowing before you commit: BLS generally says postsecondary teaching typically calls for a doctorate, though some institutions do hire instructors with a master’s.

Outside the classroom, the same research training supports policy analysis and program evaluation work inside criminal justice agencies and administrative offices, roles the degree prepares you for directly even though BLS doesn’t track them as one distinct occupation.

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.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which school in South Carolina offers a PhD in criminal justice?

The University of South Carolina-Columbia is the only in-state institution federal data identifies for a doctoral-level criminal justice program, and USC’s own current catalog confirms its Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice is active. Confirm current admission requirements and format directly with the school.

How many credits does USC’s criminal justice PhD require?

A minimum of 63 credit hours if you’re entering with a bachelor’s degree, or 39 credit hours if you already hold a master’s or law degree, per USC’s 2026-27 catalog. That total includes coursework and 12 dissertation hours.

Do I need to pass an exam to finish the degree?

Yes. USC requires a qualifying exam and a comprehensive exam along the way. Both are academic milestones the program uses internally, not professional licensing exams, and they don’t certify you for any regulated career.

What can I do with a criminal justice PhD?

USC’s bulletin points to three tracks: faculty positions, applied research at criminal justice agencies, and administrative leadership. Teaching is the most visible option. South Carolina criminal justice professors earn a median $76,960 a year (BLS, May 2025), a figure that reflects everyone in the role today, not PhD graduates specifically.

Will I automatically get funding as a doctoral student?

Not automatically. USC offers graduate assistantships and fellowships, but they’re competitive and depend on department resources. Confirm the terms directly with the program if you’re offered one.

Key Takeaways

One in-state option – The University of South Carolina-Columbia’s Ph.D. in Criminology and Criminal Justice is the only doctoral criminal justice program federal data identifies in the state, and USC’s own catalog confirms it’s active.
63 or 39 credit hours – The requirement depends on whether you’re entering with a bachelor’s or already hold a master’s or law degree, per USC’s 2026-27 catalog.
Qualifying and comprehensive exams – Academic milestones, not professional licensing, plus a 12-hour dissertation and foreign-language and residency requirements.
Three career tracks – Faculty, agency research, and administrative leadership, per USC’s bulletin. Teaching pays a median $76,960 a year in South Carolina (BLS, May 2025), though that figure covers the whole occupation, not PhD holders specifically.
Funding isn’t guaranteed – Assistantships and fellowships exist but are competitive and resource-dependent.

Ready to see what USC’s doctoral program actually involves? Reach out to the University of South Carolina-Columbia directly for current admissions and funding details, or check the featured programs above for online options if an in-state seat isn’t the right fit for your schedule.

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