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Graduate Calendar
Winter 2017

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SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY

To change from one program to another requires the approval of the graduate committee.

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 an accredited university. Applicants must apply by February 28 for fall enrolment.

The admission criteria are as follows:

The Department’s current admission criteria are as follows:

1) 77% minimum cumulative average in the final two years of study (full-time equivalent) of the 4-year undergraduate degree;

2) Strong recommendations based on faculty observation of student’s performance, work experience, or community involvement demonstrating clear commitment to and understanding of sociological concerns;

3) Applicant’s background preparation and graduate faculty resources available in the area of specialization indicated on the application.

a) Applicants with an Honours degree in Criminology or a related field from an accredited University may be admitted into the candidate year of this M.A. program.

b) Applicants without an Honours degree in Criminology or related discipline may be required to take additional courses.

c) Students transferring into Criminology from a non-related discipline and those with insufficient preparatory background may be required to take additional courses before proceeding into the candidate year. At least an overall 77% cumulative average must be maintained.

4) Full-time registered students admitted to the programme must normally complete all requirements for the Criminology MA Thesis within 24 months from commencement of study or 12 months for Criminology MA course stream. 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 Thesis 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, and Criminology will complement the research focus of the core faculty in the area of criminology.

PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS

CRIMINOLOGY MASTER OF ARTS – THESIS OPTION

The essential components of the Master of Arts degree in Criminology – Thesis Option are course work and a thesis. Students are expected to complete all 5 courses in two (2) consecutive semesters; 48-790 should be taken during the 2nd semester.

Course selections and course changes must be made in consultation with a faculty advisor (provisional).

Students accepted directly into the candidate year will proceed towards the degree by achieving at least a 77% cumulative average in all five courses.

The program requirements are as follows:

Course requirements: Satisfactory completion of 5 graduate courses plus the thesis.

Total courses: Five (5) 600-level graduate courses*, plus the thesis.

Degree Requirements:
48-664 Contemporary Criminological Theory;
48-605 (Quantitative and Analysis ) or 48-616(Qualitative Research Design Methodology I) or 48-607 (Survey Data);
Two other courses from 48-6XX, one of which must be 48-661, 48-662, 48-665, 48-667, 48-671 or 48-668;
48-690 (Directed Readings: Development of the Thesis Proposal);
48-797. MA Thesis

*One (1) course may be taken outside of the Department (48-) with prior permission from the Graduate Committee.

Faculty advisors may recommend particular courses to develop the skills necessary for thesis work. After completion of the courses, the focus shifts to the thesis which is an independent research project conducted in consultation with an advisor and thesis committee.

The minimum passing grade in a graduate course is 70%. A student who fails to achieve a grade of 70% in a graduate course may repeat the course once (scheduling considerations may require the Graduate Committee to substitute an alternative course). If a student fails to achieve a grade of 70% in their second attempt, or fails to achieve a grade of 70% in two courses, a recommendation will normally be made to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research that the student be required to withdraw from the program. Students are required to achieve an overall 77% cumulative average in all five courses. Students have the option of taking one graduate course outside the Department. Permission may be required from the department or program offering the course. Advance permission from the Departmental Graduate Committee is required in order to take courses outside the Department.

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

3. 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 percentage grade.

4. 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 thesis supervisor, who would normally be from Criminology.

CRIMINOLOGY MASTER OF ARTS – COURSE OPTION

The Master of Arts degree in Criminology – Course Option involves course work only.

Course selections and course changes must be made in consultation with a faculty advisor.

Students accepted directly into the candidate year will proceed towards the degree by achieving at least a 77% cumulative average across all seven courses. The minimum passing grade in a graduate course is 70%. A student who fails to achieve a grade of 70% in a graduate course may repeat the course once (scheduling considerations may require the Graduate Committee to substitute an alternative course). If a student fails to achieve a grade of 70% in their second attempt, or fails to achieve a grade of 70% in two courses, a recommendation will normally be made to the Dean of Graduate Studies and Research that the student be required to withdraw from the program.

Students have the option of taking one graduate course outside the Department. Permission may be required from the department or program offering the course. Advance permission from the Departmental Graduate Committee is required in order to take courses outside the Department.

The program requirements are as follows:

Course requirements: Satisfactory completion of 7 graduate courses.

Total courses: Seven (7) 600-level graduate courses*

Degree Requirements:
(a) 48-664 Contemporary Criminological Theory;
(b) 48-605 (Quantitative Statistics and Analysis) or 48-606 (Qualitative Methodology) or 48-607 (Survey Data)
(c) Five (5) additional 600-level courses, three (3) of which must be selected from 48-661, 48-662, 48-665, 48-667, 48-668, 48-671.
(d) Two (2) of these courses may be selected from any 48-6XX course offerings.

*One (1) course may be taken outside of the Department (48-) with prior permission from the Graduate Committee. Students may not take more than three (3) courses in a single term.

SOCIOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY AND CRIMINOLOGY: COURSES