PhD Course Requirements

Students complete four half courses beyond those taken at the MA level. Students from programs other than the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies’ MA may be required to take additional courses.

All PhD students must complete the required research methods course. Students who have had previous methods training can apply for exemption from the methods requirement. Students who feel they may be exempt should discuss this with the Graduate Coordinator.

Courses may include a reading course (CRI 3350HF or CRI 3351HS). This course must be approved by the instructor and the Graduate Coordinator.

Students may, with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, take up to three half-courses from another graduate department within the University in lieu of a non-required course (see page 7 of the Graduate Handbook).

Finally, participation in the Centre’s seminar series is expected of all graduate students.

Course requirements

Students must complete a minimum of 2.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) beyond those taken at the MA level.

With approval of the Graduate Coordinator, a maximum of 1.5 FCEs of these may be from another graduate unit.

Students must complete, at either the MA or the PhD level, the required research methods course (CRI 2010H Methodological Issues in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies) and the required theory course (CRI 1020H Law and State Power: Theoretical Perspectives). With the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, students can take a theory course offered through another graduate unit in lieu of CRI 1020H.

Students will normally complete all course requirements for the PhD in Year 1.

Professional development sequence.

Year 1 doctoral students will participate in CRI 1010Y (CR/NCR, 0.0 FCE), a sequence of eight monthly workshop meetings of approximately two hours in length led by one or more faculty members and dedicated to discussion of a range of important issues in graduate professional development. Meetings will be scheduled at the beginning of the academic year, and attendance will be taken at each meeting. Students must normally attend at least six workshop meetings by the end of the second session of Year 1 to complete this requirement, and those who do not do so must make up the required sessions by the end of the second session of Year 2.