Meeting in the Middle: A Review of Joint JD/PhD Programs

In recent years there has been a vigorous debate in the discipline of criminology and criminal justice, concerning the role
of faculty members in Criminology and Criminal Justice departments who hold a Juris Doctorate (JD), but lack a PhD. Some argue
that faculty members with a JD possess sufficient credentials to be tenure-track faculty members within a department; however,
others believe that a tenure-track faculty member within a department should hold a PhD. Two primary arguments in the debate
concern the discrepancies in the hour requirements for degree certification, as well as the dissertation requirement for completion
of a PhD. Although it seems both sides are entrenched in their respective beliefs, one plausible method of attempting to bridge
this gap is to encourage interested students to enroll in joint JD/PhD programs. These programs are designed to overlap degree
requirements and allow students to concurrently earn both degrees in a shorter period of time than if both degrees were earned
separately. To analyze JD/PhD programs, a survey of the 201 American Bar Association (ABA) accredited law schools with joint
degree programs within criminology and criminal justice (as well as other academic disciplines) was conducted. Of specific
interest was the process of program integration and combined curriculum requirements.