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Graduate Calendar
Spring 2009

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SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY

THE MASTER OF ARTS DEGREE IN CRIMINOLOGY

Admission Requirements

For admission to the Criminology MA, applications must hold an Honours (4 year) Degree in Criminology, Sociology, or related field from a recognized university.

The admission criteria are as follows:

1) A minimum grade point average of B+/A-;

2) Strong recommendations based on faculty observations of academic performance demonstrating clear commitment to, and understanding of, criminological concerns, or strong recommendations from a community professionals’ observations of work experience or community involvement in areas relevant to criminology;

3) Consideration of the applicant’s background preparation:
a) Applicants with an honours degree in Criminology or a related field may be admitted into the candidate year of the M.A. program provided they have an adequate background in criminological and sociological theory and social science methodology. Students not having a sufficient background in statistics and/or social/criminological theory may be required to take 02-250 and 48-308 and/or 48-202 and 48-302 or 48-466. An overall B- average must be maintained.

b) Applicants with a three-year degree in Criminology, transferring into Criminology from another discipline, or those with insufficient preparatory background may be required to take up to ten additional courses before proceeding into the candidate year. These may include: 48-210 or 48-310; 48-466; one course from 48-403, 48-404, 48-405, 48-406, 48-408 or 48-415 and six other courses at the 300 or 400 level, two of which may be outside the program. An overall B average must be maintained.

c) Students not having a sufficient background in statistics and/or social theory may be required to take 02-250 and 48-308 and/or 48-202 and 48-302. An overall B average must be maintained.

4) Full-time registered students admitted to the programme must normally complete all requirements for the Criminology MA within 24 months from commencement of study. During the end of the first year of registration, all graduate students are required to complete a progress report detailing the achievements of the previous year and the objectives for the next year. At this time, students in the Criminology MA will be required to declare a title and provide an abstract for their thesis as well as to list the members of their supervisory committee. Permission to continue to register in the program depends on a satisfactory report.

Program Curriculum Structure
The graduate course offerings and proposed graduate Criminology course offerings, and related graduate courses from other areas within the Department of Sociology and Anthropology will complement the research focus of the core faculty in the area of criminology. The Criminology MA requires the completion of coursework and the completion of an MA thesis.

Program Requirements

The program requirements are as follows:

Course requirements: Satisfactory completion of 6 graduate courses

Total courses: Six (6) 500-level credit courses

Major requirements: 48-566 Contemporary Criminological Theory; 48-505 or 48-506 (Qualitative or Quantitative Research Methods); Two of (48-561, 48-562, 48-567, 48-568,or 48-565); and, 48-590 (Directed Readings: Development of the Thesis Proposal)

Other requirements: One of the ancillary sociology courses (48-500, 48-520, 48-521, 48-525, 48-530, 48-540, 48-550, 48-555, 48-569, 48-574, or 48-580). (For course titles and other information, see section on existing Sociology-Criminology Courses p. 11)

Satisfactory progress in research within each review period: The graduate committee in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology will conduct a periodic review, to establish that the candidate is making adequate progress.

The Proposal: Normally within the first year of the program, the student will present in the form of a seminar an outline of their proposed thesis research. This will be presented to the MA committee who must approve, with or without modifications, or reject the proposal. The proposal will be assigned a letter grade.

The Thesis: Normally completed within the second year of the program, the student will present their main research findings in the form of a seminar. This will be presented to the MA committee who must approve, with or without modifications, or reject the thesis. Graduate students in the Criminology MA will work on specific thesis topics within the scope of the Criminology program area. Their program of studies will be formulated in consultation with their graduate advisor(s) and approved by the thesis supervisor.

Program Sequencing/Progression (if applicable)

Students will normally complete all course requirements in the first year of the MA program. The courses offered for the Criminology MA include:

1) three new graduate Criminology courses (48-566, 48-567, 48-568);

2) Two existing Sociology graduate courses for those specializing in Criminology (48-561, 48-562);

3) One Sociology graduate course that bridges between Criminology and Sociology (48-565);

4) Two Sociology graduate methods courses (48-505, 48-506); and

5) Eleven Sociology graduate courses, one of which is as an optional course for students in the Criminology MA.