PhD in Criminal Justice Programs in Washington

Updated October 6, 2026

Washington has one university tracked under federal data offering a criminal justice PhD: Washington State University, which requires a master’s degree for admission, a 3.0 GPA (3.5 preferred), and GRE scores, then 72 graduate credits beyond the master’s. Washington criminal justice professor and judge positions are both projected to grow through 2034.

A criminal justice PhD is not a credential you pick up to get your foot in the door. It’s the degree that puts you in front of a classroom, on a research grant, or writing the policy other people follow instead of out on patrol, and Washington’s own list of accredited options is short enough that you’ll likely be looking outside the state as often as inside it.

Featured Programs:

What a Criminal Justice PhD Opens Up in Washington

A PhD moves you out of the field and into the people who train it, study it, or write the policy behind it. In Washington, that mostly means two paths: teaching criminal justice at the college level, or sitting on the bench, and the two don’t lead through the same door.

Washington’s criminal justice and law enforcement postsecondary teachers earn a median of $72,700 a year, and the state projects that workforce growing from 160 to 180 positions by 2034, a 7.9% increase (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025; ProjectionsCentral, 2024-34). Judges, magistrate judges, and magistrates earn a median of $134,270 a year, with the role projected to grow 8.7% over the same period, from 1,110 to 1,210 positions (BLS, May 2025; ProjectionsCentral, 2024-34).

Neither job hands you the keys on graduation day, though. Professors need a published research record and a defended dissertation. Judges in Washington get there by election or appointment, and a criminal justice PhD by itself does not qualify someone for a Washington judgeship. Judicial qualifications vary by court: most positions require admission to practice law in Washington, and the Court of Appeals additionally requires at least five years of admission. Treat the doctorate for what it actually is: a credential built for research, teaching, and policy work, not a law license.

Washington requires certified officers covered by WAC 139-05-300 to complete at least 24 hours of annual in-service training, including the Washington State Criminal Justice Training Commission’s annual online crisis-intervention course. This requirement was added for certified limited-authority peace officers and corrections officers starting January 1, 2026. If your research interests run toward practitioner training, that standard is worth knowing before you pick a dissertation topic.

May 2025 US Bureau of Labor Statistics salary figures for Criminal Justice and Law Enforcement Teachers, Postsecondary and Judges, Magistrate Judges, and Magistrates. 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 Washington

Before you commit to a PhD in criminal justice or criminology, know exactly what Washington’s one tracked program expects. Washington State University requires a master’s degree in criminal justice or a closely related field for admission, a minimum 3.0 cumulative GPA (3.5 preferred), and GRE scores. From there, the PhD itself runs 72 graduate credits beyond the master’s: 39 in graded coursework and 33 in dissertation research.

Much of that coursework comes from advanced seminars, commonly including:

Research Methods in Political Science and Criminal Justice
Criminal Justice Processes and Institutions
Seminar in Criminological Theory
Criminal Justice Research and Evaluation
Seminar in Corrections
Prosecution and Adjudication
Advanced Research Methods in Criminal Justice and Criminology
Leadership in Criminal Justice
Special Topics in Criminological Theory

Programs expect teaching and research experience along the way, usually fulfilled by working as a teaching assistant or research assistant, and that experience matters if you’re aiming for a faculty job afterward. Pick your program partly on faculty research fit: every program publishes its professors’ research areas, and you’ll want an advisor working on questions close to your own.

WSU considers PhD applicants for teaching and research assistantship funding, which can include a tuition waiver and a stipend, but awards are competitive and depend on available departmental funding each year.

Where to Study a Criminal Justice PhD in Washington

Federal education data tracks one Washington institution offering a doctoral program in the criminal-justice-and-corrections CIP family: Washington State University, in Pullman. That tracking is CIP-code specific, so a criminology or sociology doctorate built under a different federal code wouldn’t show up here even if it covers similar ground. Confirm current enrollment, format, and admission requirements directly with the program before applying.

Institution	City	Program Area	Credential
Washington State University	Pullman	Criminal Justice	Doctoral Degree

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 need a master’s degree before starting a criminal justice PhD in Washington?

Yes, for Washington’s one tracked program. Washington State University requires a master’s degree in criminal justice or a closely related field before you can be admitted to the PhD, along with a minimum 3.0 GPA (3.5 preferred) and GRE scores.

Can a criminal justice PhD help me become a judge in Washington?

Not directly. Washington judges reach the bench through election or appointment, and judicial eligibility requirements vary by court, but most Washington judgeships require admission to practice law in the state. A criminal justice PhD is not a substitute for those requirements. The degree is built for research, teaching, and policy roles, including studying the courts, not for sitting on them.

How many credits does a criminal justice PhD require in Washington?

At Washington State University, plan on 72 graduate credits beyond your master’s degree: 39 in coursework and 33 in dissertation research. A master’s in criminal justice or a closely related field is required for admission; it isn’t optional transfer credit.

Is funding available for criminal justice PhD students?

Sometimes. WSU considers PhD applicants for teaching and research assistantships, which can include a tuition waiver and stipend, but awards are competitive and depend on available departmental funding. Ask about funding packages before you apply, not after you’re admitted.

Key Takeaways

One in-state option, several out-of-state ones – Washington State University is the only Washington institution tracked under federal CIP data for a criminal justice doctoral program, so most applicants will also be comparing online and out-of-state programs.
Budget 72 graduate credits beyond a master’s – WSU requires a master’s degree for admission, then 72 credits to finish the PhD, 39 coursework and 33 dissertation research.
The payoff is teaching or research, not the bench – CJ professors in Washington earn a median $72,700 and judges $134,270, but judicial eligibility requirements vary by court, and most Washington judgeships require admission to practice law in the state, not a criminal justice PhD.
Funding is competitive, not guaranteed – WSU considers PhD applicants for teaching and research assistantships, but awards depend on available departmental funding, so ask about it during the application process.

If Washington’s short list of in-state CJ doctoral programs has you looking elsewhere, the featured schools above include several accredited options that enroll students nationwide, including fully online formats built around working professionals.

— REMOVED, dead shortcode replaced by the Where-to-Study table above

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