MA Program (Coursework Only Option)

Minimum Admission Requirements

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

• Applicants must have an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university. An appropriate bachelor's degree normally consists of 20 full-course equivalents (FCEs). Applicants with arts and science degrees will normally be required to have at least a B+ standing. Applicants from law schools who have already completed a JD degree or its equivalent will normally be required to have at least a B standing.

• Although many applicants to the MA program have some training in criminology or sociolegal studies, students from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds are welcomed. It would be advantageous for MA students in the program to have some familiarity with the approaches and methodologies associated with the social sciences. However, outstanding students from the humanities and behavioral and natural sciences will also be considered.

• The program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. All students will be required to complete the program within the time limits set for the MA degree under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Students with professional experience who meet the academic admission requirements are encouraged to apply to the 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.

Completion Requirements

• MA students can complete the program on a coursework only basis by completing 4.0 full-course equivalents (FCEs) within 9 months.

• The degree program includes compulsory and elective courses.

  • The compulsory course (0.5 FCE) is CRI2010H Methodological Issues in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies.

  • The elective courses allow students to engage in specialized study of different approaches to, and topics within, criminology and sociolegal studies. The elective courses offered may vary from year to year. In certain cases a student may, with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, substitute a maximum of 1.5 FCEs from other graduate units in lieu of elective courses in criminology or sociolegal studies.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 3 sessions full-time (typical registration sequence: FWS); 6 sessions part-time
Time Limit: 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

 

MA Program (Research Paper Option)

Minimum Admission Requirements

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

• Applicants must have an appropriate bachelor's degree from a recognized university. An appropriate bachelor's degree normally consists of 20 full-course equivalents (FCEs). Applicants with arts and science degrees will normally be required to have at least a B+ standing. Applicants from law schools who have already completed a JD degree or its equivalent will normally be required to have at least a B standing.

• Although many applicants to the MA program have some training in criminology or sociolegal studies, students from a variety of disciplinary and interdisciplinary backgrounds are welcomed. It would be advantageous for MA students in the program to have some familiarity with the approaches and methodologies associated with the social sciences. However, outstanding students from the humanities and behavioral and natural sciences will also be considered.

• The program can be completed on a full-time or part-time basis. All students will be required to complete the program within the time limits set for the MA degree under the General Regulations of the School of Graduate Studies. Students with professional experience who meet the academic admission requirements are encouraged to apply to the 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.

Completion Requirements

• MA students can also complete the program by completing 3.0 FCEs and a research paper (CRI3360Y) within 12 months.

• The degree program includes compulsory and elective courses.

  • The compulsory course (0.5 FCE) is CRI2010H Methodological Issues in Criminology and Sociolegal Studies.

  • The elective courses allow students to engage in specialized study of different approaches to, and topics within, criminology and sociolegal studies. The elective courses offered may vary from year to year. In certain cases a student may, with the approval of the Graduate Coordinator, substitute a maximum of 1.5 FCEs from other graduate units in lieu of elective courses in criminology or sociolegal studies.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 1 year full-time (typical registration sequence: FWS-F); 6 sessions part-time
Time Limit: 3 years full-time; 6 years part-time

 

PhD Program

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.

Completion 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 if the alternative course covers relevant topics. Students will normally complete all course requirements for the PhD in Year 1.

• Professional development sequence. Year 1 doctoral students will participate in CRI1010Y, 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.

Mode of Delivery: In person
Program Length: 4 years full-time (typical registration sequence: Continuous)
Time Limit: 6 years full-time