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Benefits of a Professional Doctorate in Criminal Justice
Our Professional Doctorate in Criminal Justice (DCrimJ) is a structured 4-year programme. The first two years are focused on workshop-based teaching in ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, while the latter two years are focused on supervised research, leading to a thesis.
Established in 2007, this course offers a framework for criminal justice professionals to reflect on and contribute to practice in their area of work. And unlike the more traditional PhD route – which aims to develop professional researchers – the Professional Doctorate in Criminal Justice develop researching professionals.
Students are drawn from a variety of backgrounds in criminal justice – including policing, counter fraud, the private security industry, the voluntary sector, youth justice, prisons, probation, the legal profession, and forensic mental health.
The aim of the course is to develop criminal justice professionals whose work informs and is informed by original research in the field. Previous graduates have followed research projects into profession-related subjects such as:
- Reform and the Garda in the Republic of Ireland
- The National Intelligence Model and reduced risk in the public sector
- Gender within specialist police departments
Contact information
Contact AdmissionsEntry requirements
Professional Doctorate in Criminal Justice entry requirements
Qualifications or experience
A master's degree in a relevant subject, preferably of Merit level. It is essential that applicants are professionally engaged in one of the many areas of criminal justice. Applicants should be working at a senior level and/or have strong relevant criminal justice experience.
All applicants will be invited to attend a face-to-face or telephone interview.
English language requirements
English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.5 with no component score below 6.0.
If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.
Course costs and funding
Tuition fees
- Home/CI students: £5,700 p/a*
- EU students: £5,700 p/a* (including Transition Scholarship)
- International students: £8,600 p/a*
*All fees are subject to annual increase
This course is eligible for the Government Doctoral Loan.
Modules
You'll be studying with the same cohort of people over the whole course – the interaction this provides will give you the opportunity to work, learn and develop together.
What you'll study
Core modules
You'll reflect critically on your skills and experience, using professional knowledge models and literature to identify any areas for improvement.
You'll join your fellow students for discussion groups where you'll analyse complex theories relating to professionalism and practice.
This module gives you the essential foundations, analytical abilities and autonomy to shape your own doctoral path.
You'll examine relevant literature on methodology and strategies, evaluating their strengths and weaknesses.
You'll then identify and justify methods for a particular project, design a relevant research instrument, and complete ethical review documentation.
Core modules
You'll get to grips with the academic experience of journal searching, targeting, writing and conference presenting first-hand.
You'll also reflect on your academic learning and development needs while preparing original research that meets peer review standards and merits publication.
When preparing your proposal, you'll identify practice-based questions, critically appraise literature gaps, make informed methodological judgments, appraise ethical issues, and apply advanced writing skills.
With staff and peer review to support you, you'll produce a well-structured, coherent, realistic, achievable and costed proposal ready for the research phase of your course.
Core modules
Within your thesis, you'll interpret new knowledge that contributes to the field of criminal justice, satisfies peer-review and merits publication.
You'll also present your ideas via a formal presentation to a specialist audience of practitioners and academics.
Core modules
Within your thesis, you'll interpret new knowledge that contributes to the field of criminal justice, satisfies peer-review and merits publication.
You'll also present your ideas via a formal presentation to a specialist audience of practitioners and academics.
Core modules
Within your thesis, you'll interpret new knowledge that contributes to the field of criminal justice, satisfies peer-review and merits publication.
You'll also present your ideas via a formal presentation to a specialist audience of practitioners and academics.
You'll design, plan and implement your research to uncover new knowledge, to a standard that satisfies peer review, contributes to the field of criminal justice and merits publication.
You'll use a range of advanced research techniques and communicate your ideas clearly to a specialist audience of experts and academics through your written thesis and a formal presentation.
Core modules
Within your thesis, you'll interpret new knowledge that contributes to the field of criminal justice, satisfies peer-review and merits publication.
You'll also present your ideas via a formal presentation to a specialist audience of practitioners and academics.
You'll design, plan and implement your research to uncover new knowledge, to a standard that satisfies peer review, contributes to the field of criminal justice and merits publication.
You'll use a range of advanced research techniques and communicate your ideas clearly to a specialist audience of experts and academics through your written thesis and a formal presentation.
Changes to course content
We use the best and most current research and professional practice alongside feedback from our students to make sure course content is relevant to your future career or further studies.
Therefore, some course content may change over time to reflect changes in the discipline or industry. If a module doesn't run, we'll let you know as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
Teaching and assessment
The Professional Doctorate in Criminal Justice aims to develop your research ability to an advanced level and promote evidence-based practice development. The development of the quality and value of your practice and research will be enhanced through:
- seminars and workshops on critical research and criminal justice issues specifically focused on the development needs of criminal justice professionals
- support from peers and staff to ensure your work reaches the necessary (doctoral) standard
- supervision from a team with a very wide range of development and research interests and many years of professional experience
- access to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú library facilities including a large number of e-books, journals and databases accessed electronically
- the use of an online learning environment enabling you to keep in easy touch with your peers and the course team
- development of wider national and international perspectives through networking with the peer group
- building ongoing productive links between criminal justice organisations
- raising the profile, credibility and influence of your profession in both academic and practice contexts
How you'll be assessed
You will be assessed on the strength of your thesis, which is up to 50,000 words.
The assessment includes two elements:
- a 50 minute presentation with an invited audience (plus 10 minutes of Q&As)
- followed by a Viva Voce conducted by external and internal examiners
Apply
How to apply
Before you start your application, you'll need to have the following documentation ready:
- A research proposal and personal statement
- Proof of your first degree and grades (officially certified and translated copies if not in English)
- Proof of a relevant postgraduate degree with at least 60 credits having been completed
- Details of 2 referees or 2 references on official headed paper, one of which should ideally be an academic reference
- Proof of your English language proficiency (if English is not your first language)
- An up-to-date copy of your CV
Admissions terms and conditions
When you accept an offer to study at the ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú, you also agree to abide by our Student Contract (which includes the University's relevant policies, rules and regulations). You should read and consider these before you apply.