Criminology, Law and Society, PhD

Program Overview

The PhD in Criminology, Law and Society prepares scholars and leaders to advance policy and practice through rigorous coursework, analytical methods, and original research. Students develop expertise in criminological theory, justice organizations, and the intersection of law and social science, empowering them to make a meaningful impact in the fields of criminal justice and social policy. The program culminates in a dissertation that contributes significantly to the field and demonstrates students' ability to conduct and communicate groundbreaking research.

Program Outline

Degree Overview:

The PhD in Criminology, Law and Society is designed to produce top academic scholars and leaders in policy and applied settings. Students in this program aim to make a difference in the development and evaluation of policy using cutting-edge social science methods. The program provides a rigorous course of study that will prepare students to do research, teach, develop and test policies, and administer agencies and programs designed to administer law, deliver justice, reduce crime, and enhance domestic security.

Outline:

Core Courses:

• CRIM 700: Values, Ethics, and Criminal Justice Policy (3 credits)
• CRIM 710: Criminological Theory (3 credits)
• CRIM 720: Law and Social Science (3 credits)
• CRIM 740: Justice Organizations (3 credits)
• CRIM 760: Evidence-Based Crime Policy (3 credits)

Analytical Methods Courses:

• CRIM 780: Research Methods (3 credits)
• CRIM 782: Statistics I (3 credits)
• CRIM 783: Statistics II (3 credits)
• Select one course from the following:
• CRIM 781: Justice Program Evaluation
• CRIM 784: Experimental Criminology
• CRIM 795: Special Topics
• CRIM 796: Directed Reading
• EDRS 812: Qualitative Methods in Educational Research
• GGS 650: Introduction to GIS Algorithms and Programming
• GGS 754: Earth Science Data and Advanced Data Analysis
• PSYC 633: Evaluative Research in Psychology
• PSYC 640: Techniques in Industrial/Organizational Psychology
• PSYC 646: Longitudinal Data Analysis
• PSYC 652: Quantitative Methods II: Analysis of Variance
• PSYC 892: Special Topics in Psychology
• SOCI 631: Survey Research
• SOCI 632: Evaluation Research for Social Programs
• SOCI 634: Qualitative Research Methods
• SOCI 655: Ethnography
• WMST 610: Feminist Research Methods

Electives:

• Select 21-30 credits of electives from criminology, law and society courses offered by the department.
• Students who take fewer than 30 elective credits will have accordingly more dissertation credits.
• Students may substitute 3-6 credits of non-CRIM courses with prior written approval of the director of the graduate program.

One Professionalization Course:

• CRIM 797: Professionalization Seminar (0 credits)

Major Area Paper:

• Students must write and have approved a major area paper.
• Students are not eligible to submit a major area paper until they have successfully completed 36 credits.

Advancement to Candidacy:

• To advance to candidacy, students must complete all coursework required on their approved program of study.
• Students must also successfully write and have approved a major area paper.
• In addition, students must have a dissertation committee appointed by the Dean’s Office and have defended their dissertation proposal.

Dissertation:

• Dissertation Committee:
• Criminology, Law and Society (CLS) doctoral dissertation committees must have one Chair and three other members (Member #1, Member #2, Member #3).
• The Chair and Members #1 and #2 must be full-time, graduate faculty in the CLS department.
• Member #3 must be graduate faculty in another program at Mason or from outside the university.
• Committee members are approved by the CLS chair or director of the academic unit or program, or designee, after consultation with the student's adviser and the student.
• Dissertation Research:
• Once enrolled in CRIM 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal, students in this degree program must maintain continuous registration in CRIM 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal or CRIM 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research each semester (excluding summers) until the dissertation is submitted to and accepted by the University Libraries.
• Once enrolled in CRIM 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research, students must follow the university’s continuous registration policy as specified in AP.6.10.6 Dissertation Registration.
• Students who defend in the summer must be registered for at least 1 credit of CRIM 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research.
• Students may apply to this degree a minimum of 3 and a maximum of 6 credits of CRIM 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal and a minimum of 12 and a maximum of 21 credits of CRIM 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research.
• They may apply a maximum of 24 dissertation credits (CRIM 998 Doctoral Dissertation Proposal and CRIM 999 Doctoral Dissertation Research combined) to the degree.
• Because of the continuous registration policy, students may be required to register for additional credits of these courses.
• Students who take fewer than 24 dissertation credits will have accordingly more elective credits.
• Dissertation Courses:
• Select 15-24 credits from the following:
• CRIM 998: Doctoral Dissertation Proposal
• CRIM 999: Doctoral Dissertation Research
• Dissertation Defense:
• The final requirement is a dissertation of original research representing a significant contribution to the field, which should be publishable in a referred journal or a quality press.

Assessment:

• Students will demonstrate the ability to plan, execute, and communicate research in the field of criminology, law and society.
• Students will demonstrate the ability to understand and apply advanced methods and analysis in the field of criminology, law and society.
• Students will demonstrate knowledge of criminological theory, criminal justice policy, justice organizations, and the interplay between law and social science.
• Students will produce a dissertation of original research representing a significant contribution to the field, which should be publishable in a referred journal or a quality press.

Other:

• Students admitted to the doctoral program without a master's degree need to earn the MA in Criminology, Law and Society as a component of the doctoral degree.
• The requirements for the MA degree are included in the requirements for the PhD.
• When beginning the doctoral program students should add the master's degree as a secondary program using the Secondary Program Application and then apply online to graduate the semester prior to meeting all requirements for the master's degree.