M.A. Criminology Student Handbook

For more information contact:
Graduate Coordinator
c/o Department of Sociology and Criminology

4th Floor, McNally Building, South Wing
Saint Mary's University
Halifax, NS   B3H 3C3

902-420-5871 (tel)
902-420-5121 (fax)
crim.grad@smu.ca

Graduate Student Handbook
m. a. in Criminology

Saint Mary's University Department of
Sociology & Criminology

Important Contacts

Lindia Smith or Sandi Cole-Pay (Secretaries)
Department of Sociology & Criminology
Fourth Floor, McNally Building
Room 424 MS
902-420-5871
crim.grad@smu.ca

Heather Taylor, Graduate Studies Officer
Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research
Atrium Building, Suite 210
902-420-5089
fgsr@smu.ca

Financial Services
McNally Main 120
902-420-5464

Registrar's Office
McNally Main 134
902-420-5582
registrar@smu.ca

University Residences
Loyola Residence 106
902-420-5597
family.housing@smu.ca

Program Overview

Welcome to the M.A. Program in Criminology! We offer one of the few graduate programs in Criminology in Canada. Our M.A. in Criminology will provide you with an opportunity for advanced critical work in areas such as the social construction of crime and criminality; punishment; socio-legal studies; social justice and; governance and regulation. The Program will provide you with the analytical and research skills necessary for further graduate study, research, or teaching; policy research and practice; or employment in government and non-governmental agencies, and the private sector.

Our Department has an excellent scholarly and professional reputation in the field of critical criminology involving the analysis of how unequal power relations shape the social and historical construction of regulation, crime/criminality and justice by the state, private groups and academic scholarship. Our faculty members currently hold grants related to youth justice law reform (Drs. Sandra Bell and Val Johnson), restorative justice (Dr. Diane Crocker), gambling (Drs. John McMullan and David Perrier), crime prevention through social development (Dr. Stephen Schneider), youth resiliency (Dr. Madine VanderPlaat), and organized crime in Latin America (Dr. Alfredo Schulte-Bockholt).

These interests illustrate the diversity of our knowledge and our commitment to a sociologically informed critical criminology.  Our Program is not directed at those looking for training in criminal justice, but for students whose intellectual talents are keenly tuned into the problems associated with criminalization strategies and social regulation.

Please see the web page of the Department of Sociology and Criminology for details on courses offered each year.

Areas of Faculty Expertise

• citizenship and human rights
• crime prevention
• criminalization strategies
• cultural studies
• gambling and society
• girls in the justice system
• governance and regulation
• health promotion and the body
• history of law and policing
• international development and globalization
• intersections of race/class/gender/sexuality
• migration and security
• organized, state and corporate crime
• political economy of crime
• politics of drug regulation
• prisons and prisoners' rights
• punishment and culture
• representations of crime in the media
• socio-legal studies
• restorative/transformative justice
• urban regulation and governance
• violence against women
• young offenders and youth justice

Administrative Overview

The Graduate Program is run through the Department of Sociology and Criminology .  The Graduate Program Committee and the Graduate Coordinator are responsible for day-to-day administration of the program, including admissions and distribution of funding. 

The Coordinator provides administrative assistance and academic advice to students.  He/she monitors student progress on a yearly basis. The Graduate Coordinator may also chair the Thesis Proposal Meeting and the Thesis Defense (although often the Dean of Graduate Studies fills this role).

The Graduate Program Committee provides support and guidance to the Coordinator, especially in regards to policy development, standards and admissions.  The Program Committee will make policy recommendations to the Department.  A graduate student representative may participate in this committee.  A grduate student representative may participate in this committee.

The Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research is responsible for overseeing and all graduate programs.  They administer the admissions process, registration and financial issues. They also have several policies and regulations that you should read about in their Handbook. 

Talk to the Graduate Coordinator about . . .

• Formation or functioning of your Supervisory Committee
• Concerns about your progress in the Program (including completion of courses, proposal, or thesis)
• Funding, Fellowships and Teaching Assistantships
• Program policies
• Concerns about courses, professors, or Supervisory Committees
• General academic advising
• Advice on writing applications for funding or doctoral studies

Talk to the Faculty of Graduate Studies about . . .

• Registration
• Funding Scholarships (including SSHRC fellowships)
• Admissions

Talk to the Secretaries in the Department of Sociology and Criminology about . . .

• Problems in the graduate student room (e.g., computers, printing)
• Thesis Defense Organization (date, place)
• Changes in your contact information

Faculty

(see individual faculty web pages for more details)

S. Bell Ph.D. Toronto: Young offenders and youth justice; girls in the justice system.

K. Bonnycastle Ph.D. S.F.U.: Critical masculinities; techniques of penal punishment; health effects of prison.

M. Byers Ph.D. OISE: Television; media and cultural studies; youth and identity; Jewish cultural studies; crime and the media; women's studies.

A. Carver : Social inequality and human rights violations through anti-terrorism law; violance and the state through exception and othering of segments of society, surveillance as a tool of national security, social justice through community development and human security from violence and excesses of state power.

D. Crocker Ph.D. York: Violence against women; criminal harassment/stalking; judicial decision making; restorative justice; qualitative and quantitative research methods; feminist criminology; and law and society.

V. Johnson Ph.D. New School for Social Research: History, theory, criminology and law; the intersections among class, race, gender and, sexuality; moral regulation and policing; the history and theory of regulation and policing in cities; theories and histories of youth; immigration, migration and citizenship; the criminalization of poverty; theories and histories of liberalism.

J. McMullan Ph.D. London School of Economics: Historical sociology and criminology; gambling and society; justice studies; business crime; criminal organizations; criminological and social  theory; law enforcement; social regulation; media, crime and justice; and gambling and social policy.

M. Rajiva Ph.D. Carleton: Youth research; feminist theory/method; and race/postcolonial theory.

S. Schneider Ph.D. U.B.C.: Organized crime, economic crime; policing and law enforcement; and crime prevention.

A. Schulte-Bockholt Ph.D. Carleton: Organized crime and state crime; regulation of drugs; Latin America.

E. Tastsoglou Ph.D. Boston: Critical race, gender and class studies; gender and ethnicity; gender and international migration; immigrant women; critical, feminist and anti-racist pedagogies; diversity and globalization.

M. VanderPlaat Ph.D. Dalhousie: Community development/well-being; women, children and families; gender issues; citizen participation; social inclusion.

R. Westhaver Ph.D. S.F.U.: Gay men's health; health promotion; health knowledge; the body; and the pleasurable practices associated with risk taking, sex, and drug use.

The Graduate Program in Criminology also benefits from the expertise of affiliated faculty members in other Departments.  Please see their Departmental web page for details on their work.

Affiliated Professors

T. Chorney (English), P. Erickson (Anthropology), E. Keeble (Political Science), K. Kelloway (Psychology),

R. Konopasky (Psychology), E. Lee (Finance, Information Systems and Mgment. Science), C. MacDonald (Philosophy),

S. Malton (English), A. O'Malley (IDS), T. Peckmann (Anthropology), S. Smith (Psychology), V. Stinson (Psychology),

S. Wein, (Philosophy).

Adjunct Professors

B. Cottrell (Independent Researcher), S. Perrott (Mount Saint Vincent University), J. Sauvageau (Saint Thomas University).

Program Details

Our Program includes several components. You will:

• Complete courses (usually by the end of the second term)
• Form a thesis Supervisory Committee (usually by the end of the second term)
• Present a thesis proposal for approval (usually at the start of the second year)
• Conduct research (usually in the fall and winter of the second year)
• Complete a thesis (usually in the winter and summer of the second year)

These timelines were approved by the program committee and will be the basis upon which we will assess your progress in the Annual Report. We also expect that students will become aware of and adhere to the administrative expectations associated with the department as well as the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. It is important to note that funding for second year students is linked to meeting these benchmarks — normally only those students who are progressing satisfactorily in their program will be awarded funding in their second year.

We have expectations for faculty as well.  Our policy states that: "Normally, faculty members should be expected to read, and provide feedback on proposals, papers, or theses chapters in a maximum of three weeks."

Please see the Graduate Coordinator if you are having trouble meeting these timelines. Please also carefully read The Faculty of Graduate Studies Handbook, which you should receive at the Orientation in September. It contains important information on registration, fees and funding, as well as other relevant regulations.

Annual Reports

Each year in October, the Graduate Coordinator will review your file, contacting you and your Supervisor (if you have one) to assess your progress. The Coordinator will send you a letter confirming your status in the Program and assessing your progress on the Program components listed above.

This letter will also provide an overall assessment of your progress as satisfactory, unsatisfactory, or in need of improvement (based on the Program normal time lines and definitions in the Academic Calendar).

The letter will be copied to the Supervisor (if you have one) and kept on file with the Coordinator.  It will be accompanied by the Annual Report Form available in the Program Office or on the website.

Details about how we evaluate your progress are in the Faculty of Graduate Studies Calendar Section 27(c) and (d).

Courses

All students must complete the following courses:

Advanced Seminar: In this course SMU faculty and other researchers working in the field of Criminology will be invited to discuss selected topics, including a presentation of their past and current research, which will then be open to discussion and critical analysis by graduate students.   

Advanced Theory: This seminar course is concerned with examining current themes and debates in criminological and sociological theory. Attention will be given to the influence of critical social theory, postmodernist, and poststructuralist writings for theorizing crime, criminality and other forms of regulation. Students may also be exposed to debates and critical discussions concerning criminology as a body of knowledge, the future of criminology as a discipline

Advanced Research Methodology:  This seminar course is designed to cover advanced topics, issues and techniques in a range of research methods.  Students will be encouraged to apply a reflexive critique and understand the link between methodology and theory.

You must also register in the Thesis Research course, which does not meet as a class.  You will complete in this course once your thesis has been defended.

Students must also complete two other Seminars. 

Supervisory Committee

Choosing a Supervisory Committee

The Supervisory Committee will oversee your thesis research. You should begin searching for a Supervisory Committee early, but remember that this is an evolving process that does not come together in one day!  The Graduate Coordinator is happy to help introduce you to relevant faculty members and you should endeavour to meet as many of them as possible.  Students work with Supervisory Committees in a number of ways.  For example, all Committee members may be involved from the beginning with the development of the proposal, or, in some cases, the student and Supervisor may work together to develop the proposal and thesis and other member(s) of the Supervisory Committee become involved after a draft thesis has been completed.  Either way, it is important to talk to any potential Supervisors about these aspects of the thesis process. 

It is also important to remember that you are forming a Committee—the Supervisor and Reader together should meet your intellectual and personal needs.  Each individual may not be able to both.  So, for example, you may find that your Supervisor provides you with the intellectual inspiration for your work and your reader may be a ruthless editor but not be an expert in the field.  Likewise, the Supervisor may provide you with detailed input on methods while the reader helps you with the substantive area of your research.  You should talk to potential Supervisors about:  supervisory styles (do you like to have tight deadlines or work independently?) and timelines (will your Supervisor be able to meet the timelines in your work plan?).

Don't forget— you should talk to as many faculty members as possible to identify a good Supervisor.

Checklist for Committee Formation

• As per normal completion timelines, Committees should be in place by the end of the second semester.
• Committees, and any changes, must be approved by the Graduate Coordinator using the form available in the Program Office or on the website.
• Committees consist of at least two faculty members:  one Supervisor and one Reader.
• The Supervisor shall be a member of the Department of Sociology and Criminology.
• The Supervisory Committee must be in place at least two months prior to your Thesis Defense.

Thesis Proposal

Overview of the Thesis Proposal

Your thesis proposal will be written in consultation with your Supervisory Committee.  Committees work differently—some prefer to have the Supervisor and student work together to submit a fairly tight draft for review by the reader; others prefer to work more side-by-side.  Check with your Supervisor as to how they would like to proceed.

After you have completed the Proposal, and prior to beginning research, your Proposal must be approved in a meeting with the Supervisory Committee and the Graduate Coordinator.  The Graduate Coordinator will arrange this meeting upon being notified by the Supervisory Committee.  The purpose of this meeting is to provide academic advising on the Proposal and offer you with an opportunity for a public presentation of proposed work.   Students and faculty are invited to attend part of the meeting. 

Thesis Proposal Meetings

• The student makes a short oral presentation of their Proposal, usually 20 minutes
• Members of the audience who are not on the Supervisory Committee will be asked to leave
• The Supervisory Committee, student and Graduate Coordinator will discuss the proposal

The input from this process will be assessed by your Supervisory Committee and Graduate Coordinator. They may recommend specific changes before the thesis may proceed.  The Supervisory Committee's views will carry the most weight in these recommendations. The results of the meeting will be conveyed to you in a letter from the Graduate Coordinator (meeting Chair), in writing, within two weeks of the meeting date.

Format of the Thesis Proposal

While different Supervisory Committees have different expectations, usually a Thesis Proposal will be 25 to 35 pages long.  Different styles of research also require different approaches to proposal writing but there are several common features described briefly below.  You should talk in detail with your Supervisory Committee about how they see all these pieces fitting together, their various lengths and so on.

1. Introduction
2. Background/Literature Review
3. Thesis or Problem Statement/Research Questions
4. Research Objectives/Aims
5. Theoretical Framework/Orientation
6. Research Methods/Design
7. Work plan and timelines
8. REB Application (where applicable)

As you write remember that the proposal should show why your research is important, either empirically or theoretically (or both), and demonstrate that the scope is reasonable (and your plan realistic). 

Also, don't hesitate to check in with faculty members who are not on your Committee but whose expertise can help you.

Thesis Proposal Checklist

• Proposals should be completed by the beginning of the fourth semester (i.e., the fall term of your second year).
• You will not make submissions to the Research Ethics Board, or conduct empirical research, prior to having your Proposal approved at a Thesis Proposal Meeting.
• Committee members shall be in place at least four weeks prior to the Thesis Proposal Meeting.
• Both Committee members will confirm, to the Graduate Coordinator, that the Proposal is ready prior to the arrangement of the Thesis Proposal Meeting.
• Thesis Proposals should be provided to the Graduate Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the proposal meeting date.

Ethics Reviews

Students must follow the ethics approval process as outlined by the Research Ethics Board (REB) at Saint Mary's and the Tri-Council Policy Statement (which defines the types of research requiring REB approval and the criteria for that approval).

For information see:
www.pre.ethics.gc.ca
www.smu.ca/academic/reb/welcome.html

Or, contact the REB office at 420-5728 or ethics@smu.ca

While you must submit details about your entire research project, the approval you get from the REB is limited to the research tools or methods (e.g., questionnaire, interview questions).  Any changes you make, or any unforeseen opportunities for data collection that arise, must go back to the REB for approval. 

Research Ethics Board Checklist

• Submissions to the REB may only proceed AFTER your proposal has been approved at a thesis proposal meeting
• Submissions to the REB are required for all research involving "human subjects"
• No research with human participants shall begin before approval is received from the REB
• Any changes in your project or methods, or any data collection that falls outside of what was approved, must be re-submitted to the REB

The Thesis

Overview of the Thesis

The Master's Thesis is a scholarly work that shows familiarity with methodology, critical analysis and scholarship characteristic of the field of criminology at the Master's level.  It should contribute to the field of criminology, theoretically, empirically, epistemologically or methodologically. Lengths and specifics of the thesis depend largely on subject and focus and are to be worked out with the student's thesis Supervisor and Committee. 

A thesis should accomplish the following:

• Demonstrate knowledge of a broad scope of relevant literature and critical evaluation of a narrower scope of literature directly related to the research
• Describe the relevance of the problem being studied
• Apply methods and/or concepts in a novel way
• Interpret findings
• Integrate primary and secondary sources
• Present an argument that is supported in the research completed

A key point is that an M.A. Thesis moves beyond description of literature, methods, theories and research findings – it must analyze, interpret and critically evaluate your primary and secondary sources.  In that way, it makes a unique contribution to knowledge. 

There are diverse pathways, processes, methodologies and approaches to writing a thesis.  Some students will change their thesis topic and Committee members during the course of their studies while others remain on the same track throughout the whole Program. 

Write the first draft for submission to your Supervisor. Sometimes Supervisors will prefer that the draft be submitted one chapter at a time. Others will want to read whole drafts. Have conversations with your Committee members on how they would like to proceed. Your thesis will always require more than one rewrite; indeed, writing several drafts is a critical part of the process of developing your analysis.

Formatting the Final Draft

• The draft that you submit to the Graduate Coordinator, in preparation for the Thesis Defense should include the following:
• Title page
• Committee approval page
• Author's permission form
• Dedication (if any)
• Abstract (normally the abstract should be 250 words, not more than one page)
• Acknowledgements (if any)        
• Table of Contents (list chapter headings and sub-headings, bibliography/references and appendices)
• List of tables (if any)
• List of figures or illustrations (if any)
• Body of text (start numbering at page 1)
• Endnotes (if used)
• Bibliography or References
• Appendices (if any)

Print must be of high quality and the text must be double-spaced on single-sided pages.  Margins should be 1 and 1/2” on the left and 1” on the right, top and bottom.  Good quality bond paper must be used.  Be sure that the styles for your chapters, headings and sub-headings are consistent throughout the thesis.

Our program has not adopted a particular Style Guide so check with your Supervisory Committee members on what style of referencing they prefer. 

Thesis Checklist

• You should aim to have a draft of your thesis written prior to the end of your second year
• Expect to complete several revisions leading up to the Thesis Defense (see description below)
• Once you have a draft acceptable to your Supervisory Committee, an External Reviewer will be selected to review your thesis (see procedure detailed  below)
• The Thesis Defense is a public presentation of your work, with questions and comments offered from your Supervisory Committee and any others in attendance
• Expect additional revisions after the thesis defense
• Your final Thesis must be bound and submitted to the library

Thesis Examining Committee & Defense

The Thesis Examining Committee consists of the Supervisory Committee and an External Examiner who has not taught or been involved in any way with your  research.  External examiners will normally be chosen from universities in Nova Scotia but, in exceptional circumstances, they may be selected from outside the region (if arrangements can be made for a conference call).  When the Supervisory Committee has deemed the Thesis ready for Defense, the Supervisor should notify the Graduate Coordinator who will arrange the Thesis Defense through the Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. The Supervisor will submit the External Nomination Form available on the Department of Sociology and Criminology webpage.

The oral Defense is publicly advertised and shall normally involve: a short presentation by the student, questions from the Examining Committee (one or more rounds), questions from the audience, in camera deliberations by the Committee and presentation of the results of the exam to the student.  Where necessary, one member of the Committee may submit her/his comments and questions in writing or participate via conference call.  Any suggestions by the Committee concerning corrections, additions, revisions and other necessary changes must be either carried out by the student or formally refuted by the student before the thesis can be accepted.  Normally, the Supervisor is responsible for ensuring required changes are made to the thesis. The External Examiner may request some notification of completed changes. Time lines for changes may range from days to a few months.

Either the Dean of Graduate Studies or the Graduate Coordinator (or designate in cases where he/she is a member of the Supervisory Committee) presides as Chair of the Defense. The Coordinator ensures that the process is fair and consistent and that administrative demands of the university have been met.  After the student presentation and questioning, the Chair presides over the Committee's in camera determination of the defense outcome. The Graduate Coordinator ensures that the results of the examination are communicated to you in writing, included in your file, and sent to the Dean.

Suggested Thesis Defense Agenda

• Introduction and welcome (1 to 5 minutes)
• Candidate for degree presents thesis (20 minutes)
• Candidate answers rounds of questions from Examining Committee, starting with external member (30 – 40 minutes)
• Candidate answers questions from others in the room (10- 20 minutes)
• Committee meets in camera to discuss the outcome of the Defense and any changes/revisions to be made
• Graduate Coordinator makes notes on outcome and changes (where required)
• Chair invites candidate back into room to hear result and discuss revisions, if necessary

The Graduate Coordinator, in consultation with the Supervisory Committee, will write a letter to the candidate (within two weeks) officially informing him/her about the decision, any revisions required and how these are to be completed (e.g., timelines and supervision of revisions).

Thesis Defense Checklist

• Supervisory Committee members shall be in place at least two months prior to Thesis Defense
• External Examiner Nomination Form will be sent to Graduate Coordinator at least six week before expected Defense (form is available on Program webpage)
• The External shall not be a member of the Department of Sociology and Criminology
• The External will not have been involved in the supervision of your thesis research, taught you any courses as a graduate student, or worked with you in any other way

 

This page last modified Monday, 05-Dec-2011 14:40:43 AST