Criminology and Sociolegal Studies: Criminology and Sociolegal Studies PhD

Doctor of Philosophy

Program Description

Similar to the MA program, the PhD program reflects the same emphasis on interdisciplinarity and flexibility, as well as an integrated, inclusive approach to criminology and sociolegal studies.

The primary mission of the doctoral program is to prepare future professional academics for a career in teaching and research; graduates hold faculty positions throughout Canada, in the United States, and around the world.

Over the years, PhD students have pursued dissertation projects on extremely varied research questions involving aspects of crime, criminal justice institutions, and a range of sociolegal topics. Regardless of their specific focus, they have found the Centre a supportive and interactive environment. The Centre promotes such collegiality by offering students shared office space in the Centre and encouraging them to work on site and participate in the lively intellectual life and shared scholarly activities. Likewise, although PhD students work closely with a primary supervisor, they also benefit from opportunities to learn from other core and cross-appointed faculty members. In short, the goal is to train broadly educated, thoughtful scholars with a research agenda in criminology or sociolegal studies.

Students are normally paired with a prospective supervisor at the time of admission. Therefore, applicants are encouraged to identify one or more possible supervisors, as well as possible dissertation committee members, and should indicate on their application whether they have made contact with particular core or cross-appointed members of the graduate faculty for these purposes.

Minimum Admission Requirements

  • Applicants are admitted under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Applicants must also satisfy the Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies' additional admission requirements stated below.

  • Applicants normally hold an MA degree in criminology or a cognate field, with a minimum A– standing or its equivalent from a recognized university. Students with MAs in disciplines unrelated to criminology or sociolegal studies may be required to take additional courses as part of their doctoral program.

  • It is essential that all incoming graduate students have a command of English. Proficiency in the English language must be demonstrated by all applicants educated outside Canada whose primary language is not English and who graduated from a university where the language of instruction and examination was not English. This requirement must be satisfied using a Test of English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL) with a verbal and a written component. To be considered for admission, applicants must achieve the following minimum scores:

    • paper-based TOEFL exam: 580 and 5 on the Test of Written English (TWE)

    • Internet-based TOEFL exam: 93/120 and 22/30 on the writing and speaking sections.

    Official copies of these scores must be submitted to the University of Toronto before a formal offer of admission can be made.

Program Requirements

  • 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 (CRI2010H Methodological Issues in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies) and the required theory course (CRI1020H 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 CRI1020H. Students will normally complete all course requirements for the PhD in Year 1.

  • Professional development sequence. Year 1 doctoral students will participate in CRI1010Y (Credit/No Credit; 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.

  • One comprehensive exam. This exam must take the form of a major review paper. Students are required to read widely on a particular topic and identify and evaluate major theoretical debates and methodological issues. Students should provide an original, critical analysis of the literature and discuss possibilities for future work in their topic area. The comprehensive exam should normally be completed by the end of the second session of Year 2.

  • Language requirements. Students must have an adequate knowledge of a language other than English if an additional language is deemed essential for satisfactory completion of research for the thesis.

  • Thesis. PhD students must prepare an original thesis that is a significant contribution to knowledge in criminology or sociolegal studies. The thesis is a sustained piece of research written in an integrated series of chapters. The thesis is normally supervised by a member of the graduate faculty, with two other members of the graduate faculty serving on the thesis committee.

  • Residency. PhD students are required to be on campus full-time for the period of their program, except for approved field research and academic exchanges. Students are expected to participate in the Centre's activities associated with the program.

Program Length

4 years full-time

Time Limit

6 years full-time