PhD Thesis Prospectus
Each student is required to develop a prospectus for a dissertation, which should be based on original research. This step takes place after the successful completion of the comprehensive exam. The prospectus will define the proposed investigation and demonstrate its connection to existing scholarship. The prospectus will be presented to the supervisory committee for approval. After receiving approval, the dissertation prospectus shall be available to faculty and resident graduate students and presented at a School colloquium.
The colloquium is not an 鈥渆xamination鈥� or a 鈥渄efense鈥� of the candidate鈥檚 work. Instead, it is an opportunity for the doctoral student to share their research in a public forum, while it is still in a relatively early state of preparation. This setting allows the student to receive valuable commentary and feedback from the committee, as well as from attending faculty and students, in a seminar-like environment.
CRIM 890 PhD Thesis Prospectus Enrollment
Students who successfully complete CRIM 897 Comprehensive Examination, enroll in CRIM 890 PhD Prospectus in each term following the completion of the comprehensive examination, and maintain enrollment in CRIM 890 until the prospectus is approved and presented at a School colloquium.
Prospectus Committee
The prospectus committee should be identical to the intended defence committee with exception of the internal and external examiners. Graduate Studies strictly prohibits involvement of internal and external examiners at any point during the prospectus stage.
Prospectus Format
The prospectus is a written proposal for the thesis. The specific format and length of the prospectus should be determined in consultation with the student's supervisory committee. Typically, the prospectus includes a review of the theoretical framework being used, identification of a gap in the literature, discussion of why this gap is important to address, the specific research questions addressed in the thesis, how these questions will be addressed (e.g., description of data, analytic strategies used), and any preliminary results. The prospectus is often completed in the first or second semester following the comprehensive exam. The prospectus will be submitted to all members of the PhD thesis committee. The student will present the prospectus in the form of a colloquium. The colloquium is open to all members of the public. It is not a defence of the proposal; rather, it is an opportunity to get experience presenting in a public forum and to get feedback from committee members regarding the approach to writing the thesis. Thus, part of the purpose of the prospectus and colloquium is to identify any barriers or challenges in completing the thesis, addressing a relevant research question, and using an appropriate theoretical framework.
Prospectus Presentation Scheduling
When the prospectus committee determines that the prospectus is complete and ready for presentation at a School colloquium, the PhD Prospectus Approval & Colloquium Scheduling form is submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant. Each committee member signature is required on the form, indicating approval of the prospectus as submitted and agreement that the date/time/location indicated on the form is suitable for presentation.
This form must be submitted to the Graduate Program Assistant no less than two weeks prior to the date/time indicated on the form.
The Graduate Program Assistant will request a prospectus abstract from the student for use in promotion of the prospectus presentation to the School of Criminology faculty and graduate student community.
Prospectus Assessment
CRIM 890 is graded on a Satisfactory/Unsatisfactory basis, and enrollment is continuous until a submitted prospectus is passed by the committee and presented at a School colloquium.