Teaching Preparation and Professional Development Coursework in Doctoral Programs: The Example of Criminology and Criminal Justice

Teaching preparation is critical to success in graduate school, as many doctoral students across disciplines are expected to teach or assist in teaching undergraduate classes as part of a graduate assistantship or in the capacity of adjunct faculty. Many go on to enter their chosen fields in the academy with the expectation that they are fully prepared to develop and teach their own courses at the undergraduate and even graduate level. This paper explores the frequency and type of teaching preparation and professional development coursework in 40 criminology and criminal justice doctoral programs. Findings reveal that nearly half of these programs offered none of these courses whatsoever. Required coursework formalizes the knowledge and skills that are key to success in teaching during graduate school and beyond.