Graduate Program

Click here for a list of graduate students and their interests.

Click here for graduate student news.

On behalf of our faculty and graduate students, I welcome you to our graduate program website. Our goal is to train graduate students to become careful independent scholars who are well-versed in both theory and method. Although the PhD program is relatively new, we have graduated several PhDs who have gone on to careers in academia, government, and the private sector. Our setting and location provide unique resources for graduate study, and the Criminal Justice Department, the College of Arts and Sciences, Indiana University, and Bloomington all have much to offer.

The Department of Criminal Justice provides an excellent environment for graduate study, and we admit several graduate students each year to our MA and PhD programs. We currently have 16 faculty members with an extremely diverse set of research interests and an impressive level of productivity. Recent articles by our faculty appear in top journals in several disciplines, including Criminal Justice, Criminology, Law and Society, Anthropology, Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, and Alcohol and Drug Studies. Another strength of our Department is a focus on international and cross-national research. Several of our faculty members do research abroad, including in Central and South America, the Philippines, India, and Russia and Eastern Europe. Our Department also plays host to a vibrant colloquium series that brings in several top scholars from around the country every year in order to present their research and interact with our graduate students.

With over 60 departments and programs in IU’s College of Arts and Sciences, our graduate students are free to explore their interests in other social sciences related to criminology and criminal justice. The College has leading sociology and psychology departments, for example, and anthropology and political science are also popular with our students. Graduate students interested in carrying out criminological research in other cultures will find amazing resources here, as the College boasts world class language and area studies programs. For those who want to sharpen their quantitative and methodological skills, the College’s Department of Statistics provides advanced courses on several topics.

Indiana University - Bloomington is a Research I University that ranks nationally among top research institutions. IU has outstanding research support and infrastructure. The Herman B Wells library is one of the top research libraries in the country, and PC Magazine recently ranked IU #1 among public universities in providing students and faculty with an advanced technological environment for learning and research. The IU campus is well known for its picturesque setting, and has won several awards for its beauty. You can take a virtual tour here to see for yourself.

Bloomington is a quintessential college town. We are located in the rolling green hills of southern Indiana, with easy access to Midwestern urban centers such as Indianapolis, Louisville, Cincinnati, and Chicago. For a small city, Bloomington is surprisingly diverse and holds an amazing array of attractions. The Arts are especially strong here, as IU boasts one of the top music schools in the world, a great theatre department, and a top notch art museum. There are three lakes within Monroe County, miles of scenic hiking and running trails in nearby State Parks, fantastic restaurants, and even several small wineries within an hour’s drive.

Finally, I saved the best for last. Our graduate students are an energetic group with a richly diverse set of research interests. Among other accomplishments, our current graduate students publish articles in leading criminology journals, win prestigious academic fellowships, and present research at several academic conferences, with especially strong showings at the ASC meetings. We are proud of our graduate students’ accomplishments and are a stronger department thanks to their presence.

Whether you are considering our program for your future graduate studies or simply here to learn more about the Department, I invite you to explore our extensive website. Should you have any questions about our graduate program, please feel free to check out my website and to contact me at wpridemo@indiana.edu. Thanks for visiting!

William Alex Pridemore, PhD
Associate Professor
Chair of Graduate Studies

Spotlights

Judah Schept receives prestigious John H. Edwards Fellowship

President McRobbie recently congratulated Schept for winning one of the University’s most prestigious academic awards. Recipients of the Edwards fellowship are selected from nominations made by the deans of all divisions and professional schools within the university that award terminal degrees. A university-wide committee evaluates candidates on the basis of good citizenship and character, strong commitment to public service, and superior scholastic and intellectual ability. Schept was nominated by Professors Parnell and Pepinsky, as well as by Professors Luskin and Sandys. We are particularly pleased by this recognition. Pepinsky rightly noted that Schept’s exemplary record of accomplishments reflects our department’s concern for "justice" beyond traditional views of "crime." This recognition was best captured by Parnell who wrote that Judah brings "an impassioned and inquiring gaze" to public institutions that "are concerned with people who are powerless, in trouble, and trapped in contexts that sustain violence." Congratulations Judah!