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Graduate HandbookDepartment of Criminology and Criminal JusticeUniversity of South CarolinaAugust 2021OverviewThis Graduate Student Handbook provides an outline of program information for prospective andcurrent graduate students in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at theUniversity of South Carolina and is intended to be used as a supplement to the Graduate StudiesBulletin. All graduate students must adhere to the policies and procedures set forth in theUniversity of South Carolina Graduate Studies Bulletin and the Bulletin supersedes any informationpresented in this Handbook.Contents1The Department and Graduate Faculty322.12.22.32.42.4.12.4.22.4.32.4.4The M.A. Degree Program4M.A. Program Admission . 4BA/MA Accelerated Plan and Senior Privilege . 5Joint M.A./J.D. Program . 5M.A. Degree Requirements . 5Core Courses. 6Electives . 6M.A. Thesis . 6M.A. Comprehensive Exam . 6
.9The Ph.D. Degree Program7Ph.D. Program Admission . 7Ph.D. Degree Requirements . 8Core Courses .8Elective Courses.9Qualifying Examination . 9Admission to Candidacy . 9Residency Requirement . 9Foreign Language Requirement. 9Comprehensive Examination . 9Dissertation Research . 10Baccalaureate Matriculation . 104Thesis and Dissertation Logistics55.15.25.35.45.55.65.75.85.9Graduate Academic Policies12Grades and Course Repetition . 12Course Audits . 12Transfer Credit . 12Independent Studies . 12Internships . 13Graduate Advising . 13Programs of Study . 13Appeal Policy . 13Graduation and Degree Applications . 146Graduate Student Funding147Travel Funds158Graduate Student Governance16112
The Department and Graduate Faculty1Originally established in 1974 as the College of Criminal Justice, the Department ofCriminology and Criminal Justice at the University of South Carolina is one of the oldestprograms in the nation. Our Columbia campus is centrally located in South Carolina’scapital city, which provides graduate students access to a wide array of state and federalagencies and abundant opportunities for research. The Department’s faculty contributesignificantlyto USC’s classification as a Doctoral University of Highest Research Activitywithin the Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education. They are engaged inscholarship that spans many facets of criminal justice practice and policy as well ascriminological theory. The program offers boththe M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in criminologyand criminal justice to prepareits graduates for an exciting future in criminal justicepractice, research, or higher education. The graduate program operates under the oversightof the Department’s graduate faculty, a Graduate Committee comprised of a subsetof theDepartment’s graduate faculty, and the graduate program director.The Graduate Faculty Geoffrey P. Alpert, Professor (Ph.D., Washington State University, 1975).Policing and applied research. Tia Stevens Andersen, Associate Professor and Undergraduate Program Director(Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2013). Race and gender, juvenile justice,qualitative and mixed methods. Brandon Applegate, Professor and Department Chair (Ph.D., University ofCincinnati, 1997). Corrections, public opinion, and juvenile justice. Kaitlin Boyle, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., University of Georgia, 2016). Victimization,gender, and mental health. John Burrow, Associate Professor (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 1998; J.D.,University of Wisconsin, 2001). Law, juvenile justice, and the death penalty. Robert Kaminski, Associate Professor (Ph.D., The University at Albany, StateUniversity of New York, 2002). Policing and quantitative methods. Brent Klein, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2020). Schoolviolence, terrorism and bias crime, place-based criminology, and crime prevention. Barbara Koons-Witt, Associate Professor (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2000).Gender and crime, sentencing, and corrections. Ashley Mancik, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., University of Delaware, 2018).Violence, crime clearance, communities and crime.3
Christi Metcalfe, Associate Professor and Graduate Program Director (Ph.D.,Florida State University, 2014). Courts, life course criminology, and attitudes aboutcrime. Sarah Rogers*, Instructor (Ph.D., Mississippi State University, 2020). Queer andfeminist criminologies, trans studies, sexual assault on college campuses. Cory Schnell, Assistant Professor (Ph.D., Rutgers University, 2017). Policing,crime and place. Deena Isom, Associate Professor (Ph.D., Emory University, 2015). Race, gender,criminological theory, and critical perspectives. Bill Smith*, Instructor (J.D., University of South Carolina, 1978). Child welfare,criminal courts, criminal law, police misconduct. Hayden Smith, Professor (Ph.D., University of Central Florida, 2007). Corrections,program evaluation, and mental health. Seth W. Stoughton, Associate Professor, Affiliate (J.D., University of VirginiaSchool of Law). Criminal law, criminal procedure, and police practices.* term appointmentThe M.A. Degree Program2The Master of Arts degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice is designed to equip studentswith an understanding of the causes and societal responses to crime and deviant behavior.Students successfully completing the program will be well prepared to continue their studiesat the doctoral level or to entire the field as practitioners and future leaders in criminaljustice agencies.2.1M.A. Program AdmissionProspective students applying to the M.A. program must possess a bachelor’s degree froman accredited college or university. An undergraduate degree in criminology, criminaljustice, or a related social science discipline is desirable. To be considered for admission,applicants must submit the following materials directly to the Graduate School by July 1st(fall admission) and December 1st (spring admission): A completed application form submitted to the Graduate School including astatement of interests and study or career objectives. This 500–750-word statementshould describe the applicant’s interests in the criminology and criminal justice fieldand goals or objectives for the applicant’s degree and career.4
Two letters of academic reference from faculty members or other persons qualifiedto evaluate the applicant’s abilities to undertake graduate-level studies.o Note, for the 2022 application cycle only (Spring 2022 and Fall 2022application term), we are not requiring GRE or MAT scores to apply foradmission to the Criminology and Criminal Justice Masters Program. Official grade transcripts from all institutions where academic coursework has beenattempted since high school.Admission to the M.A. program is competitive and based on the merits of the applicationmaterials. M.A. students can matriculate in either the fall or spring semester. Studentsshould consult the Graduate Studies Bulletin for additional policies governing graduateadmissions to the University of SouthCarolina including application fees, immunizationrequirements, mandatory health insurance, disability services, and policies governinginternational students and credentials. In addition, the Department reserves the option ofmaking an admission offer contingent on the completion of certain conditions or remedialcoursework.2.2B A / M A Accelerated P l a n a n d S e n i o r P r i v i l e g eThe Accelerated Bachelor’s/Graduate Study Plan and Senior Privilege program offerstudents the opportunity to begin working towards a M.A. degree while completing the B.A.degree. Qualified undergraduate students can seek approval for either of these two programsbut not both. Students should discuss whether they are eligible for either program withtheir undergraduate advisor and complete either the Senior Privilege program form (GSPCA) or the Accelerated BA/MA program form (G-ABGSP) and obtain approval fromthe Graduate Director.2.3Joint M.A./J.D. ProgramThe Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, in cooperation with the University ofSouth Carolina School of Law offers a joint degree program which permits a student toobtain both the Juris Doctor (law degree) and the M.A. degree in Criminology andCriminal Justice in approximately four years. Through the combined program, the totalcourse load may be reduced by as many as 18 credit hours from that required if the twodegrees were earned separately, since 6 hours of electives toward the M.A. degree may betaken in law courses and 9 hours of electives toward the J.D. degree may be earned in theM.A. program. Students interested in this dual program must apply for admission to and beaccepted by both programs.5
2.4M.A. Degree RequirementsThe M.A. degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice requires the completionof 30 credithours of coursework and can be completed with either a M.A. thesis or a written policypaper. All courses applied to the M.A. degree must be taken within 6 years ofmatriculation.2.4.1Core CoursesAll students must complete the 15 hours of core courses in the M.A. programwith a gradeof B or higher. The core courses include: CRJU 701, Survey of Criminal Justice CRJU 702, Law and Justice CRJU 703, Research Methods in Criminal Justice CRJU 705, Quantitative Methods in Criminal Justice CRJU 741, Criminology2.4.2ElectivesStudents who decide to complete the program with a thesis must take 9 credit hours ofelectives. At least 3 of the 9 elective credit hours must be at or above the 700-level.Students who decide to complete the program with a written policy paper must take 15credit hours of electives and at least 6 of these hours must be at or above the 700-level.Graduate students must obtain the approval of the graduate director for all elective coursesoffered below the 700 level or outside the Department.2.4.3M.A. ThesisA M.A. thesis represents an intensive study of a topic of mutual interest to the student and athesis examining committee comprised of the chair and a reader (both must be members ofthe University of South Carolina’s Graduate Faculty). The thesis is developed in two phases– proposal draft and final draft – each culminating in a meeting of the student and theexamining committee where the student presents the work and answers questions about(i.e., orally defends) the work to the committee’s satisfaction. The thesis proposal generallycovers the first three chapters of a student’s project and provides the committee with a clearunderstanding of the scope and significance of the proposed work. The completed thesisrepresents a work of significance to the field that meets the highest standards of quality andrigor in the judgment of the thesis examining committee.6
2.4.4M.A. Comprehensive ExamThe University requires the successful completion of a comprehensive examination for theM.A. degree. The Department’s M.A. comprehensive examination tests students’ knowledgeof major philosophical, scientific, theoretical, and policy issues related to criminology andcriminal justice. Students who fail the exam are permitted to retake it one time. Thesis-trackstudents satisfy this requirement by a successful oral defense of the thesis proposal to thesatisfaction of the thesis examining committee. Non-thesis-track students meet the examrequirement by receiving a grade of “pass” or “high pass”on the policy paper as gradedby the faculty policy paper grading committee. The policy paper is written within thecontext of a 2-month take-home examination (usually during the last semester ofcoursework). Students are required to select one of three available questions to answer.Each question requires the student to review, analyze, and synthesize the literature as itpertains to a particular policy area and, in most cases, make recommendations based ontheir findings. To support students’ preparation efforts, old exams are publicly posted onthe department’s webpage.The Ph.D. Degree Program3The Department offers a graduate program leading to the Ph.D. in Criminology andCriminal Justice. Faculty research and teaching interests span a wide variety of crime- andcriminal justice-related topics, including policing, courts, corrections, law and policy, macro,meso-, and micro-level criminological theory, sentencing, victimization, and programevaluation. Graduates from the program are trained to enter positions in academia or thecriminal justice system that will allow them to teach, research, or influence policy andpractice in the fields of criminology and criminal justice.3.1Ph.D. Program AdmissionProspective students applying for admission to the Ph.D. program must possess abachelor’s or master’s degree from an accredited college or university. An undergraduate orgraduate degree in criminology, criminal justice, or a related social science discipline isdesirable. Admission to the Ph.D. program is competitive and based on the merits of theapplication materials. Doctoral students are required to matriculate in the fall semester. Inaddition to meeting all the requirements of the University’s Graduate School, applicantsmust submit the following materials directly to the Graduate School by April 15th: A completed application form submitted to the Graduate School including astatement of research goals and objectives. This 500–750-word statement shouldoutline the applicant’s interests in criminology and criminal justice and discuss plansfor developing a research agenda during their doctoral program of study. A sole-authored writing sample such as a course paper or thesis chapter writtenduring the applicant’s previous degree program (please limit the sample to no7
more than 25 pages and include course number, date, and name of professor).Writing samples are uploaded electronically by applicants during the submission ofthe online application. Three letters of academic reference from faculty members or other persons qualifiedto evaluate the applicant’s abilities to undertake graduate-level studies.o Note, for the Fall 2022 application cycle only, we are not requiring GREscores to apply for admission to the Criminology and Criminal Justice Ph.D.Program. Official grade transcripts from all institutions where academic course- work hasbeen attempted since high school.Students should consult the Graduate Studies Bulletin for additional policies governinggraduate admissions to the University of South Carolina including application fees,immunization requirements, mandatory health insurance, disability services, and policiesgoverning international students and credentials. In addition, the Department reserves theoption of making an admission offer contingent on the completion of certain conditions orremedial coursework.3.2Ph.D. Degree RequirementsThe Department and the University have established different requirements for the Ph.D.in Criminology and Criminal Justice depending on each student’s previous academictraining. Some students matriculate in the Ph.D. program with a master’s degree or a lawdegree already in hand. Other students begin the Ph.D. program with only a bachelor’sdegree in hand. For the first group of students, the Ph.D. degree requires a minimum of 36credit hours. Students in the second group are required to take a minimum of 60 credithours.3.2.1Core CoursesAll students must complete the 15 hours of core courses in the Ph.D. program with a gradeof B or higher. The core courses include: CRJU 706: Advanced Quantitative Analysis CRJU 810: Crime, Law, and Public Policy CRJU 814: Research Design CRJU 821: Advanced Criminological Theory Either CRJU 816: Applied Quantitative Analysis or CRJU 817: Qualitative ResearchMethods8
3.2.2Elective CoursesStudents are required to take a minimum of 9 elective credit hours. All of these hours mustbe at or above the 700 level. Graduate students must obtain approval of the GraduateDirector for all elective courses offered outside the Department.3.2.3Qualifying ExaminationAll students admitted to the Ph.D. program in criminology and criminal justice mustsuccessfully complete a qualifying examination prior to formal admission to candidacy.Students satisfy the qualifying examination requirement in criminology and criminal justiceby completing CRJU 814 (ResearchDesign) and CRJU 821 (Advanced CriminologicalTheory) with a grade of B or highe r. Once these courses have been completed, theQualifying Exam Form must be submitted to the Graduate Director.3.2.4Admission to CandidacyA doctoral student is admitted to candidacy when the qualifying examination and doctoralprogram of study forms (see section 5.6 below) are completed and included in his/her filein the Graduate School.3.2.5Residency RequirementDoctoral residency is established by meeting one of the following two options:(1) 2 consecutive semesters of full-time enrollment (9 or more credit hours per semester withoutan assistantship and 6 or more credit hours per semester with an assistantship); or (2) anapproved program-specific alternative.3.2.6Foreign Language RequirementThe foreign language requirement established by the Graduate School can be satisfied bypassing a reading proficiency examination in one of the foreign language areas or bycompleting the research methods sequence (CRJU 706, CRJU 814 and either CRJU 816 orCRJU 817) with a grade of B or higher in each course. English is accepted as satisfyingthis requirement for those students whose native language is not English.3.2.7Comprehensive ExaminationSuccessful completion of the comprehensive examination occurs when the student receivesa grade of “pass” by the student’s examining committee (3 graduate faculty members fromthe department and one outside member). At the time the committee is constituted, eachstudent (and his/her committee chair) is responsible for submitting a Doctoral CommitteeAppointment (G-DCA) Request Form to the Graduate Director. This form must besubmitted and approved by The Graduate School before starting the comprehensiveexamination. The comprehensive examination is to be taken after the student hascompleted the required common core classes (CRJU 706, 810, 814, and 821) with a grade9
of B or better and the student has a signed memo of understanding (MOU) with theircommittee chair on file with the Graduate Director. The exam is designed to test broadtheoretical and methodological understanding and basic competence in the general area ofthe student’s dissertation research through both a written and an oral component.Certification of the comprehensive examination for doctoral students remains valid for fiveyears from the academic year taken, after which it must be revalidated (per Graduate Schoolpolicy). Any student who fails the comprehensive examination is permitted to retake it onetime. The comprehensive examination must be completed at least 60 days before thestudent receives the Ph.D. degree.3.2.8Dissertation ResearchA minimum of 12 hours of dissertation credit must be successfully completed to earn thePh.D. degree. The Ph.D. dissertation is an original research project that advances scientificknowledge in the student’s chosen area. The dissertation must be approved and orallydefended by the student before the student’s Dissertation Examining Committee. Withinfive years of passing the comprehensive examination, the student must present adissertation based on research that has been approved by the Dissertation ExaminingCommittee. This committee is comprised of 4 members – three department graduate facultyand one approved faculty reviewer from outside the department. The DissertationExamining Committee must be approved by both the Graduate Director and the Dean ofThe Graduate School. At the time the committee is constituted, each student (andhis/her committee chair) is responsible for submitting a Doctoral CommitteeAppointment (G-DCA) Request Form to the Graduate Director. 1The doctoral dissertation can be completed in one of two formats: traditional or manuscriptstyle (i.e., journal articles as chapters). The traditional dissertation is typically about 5 chapters,including the Introduction, Literature Review, Methods, Results, and Conclusion. Depending onthe student’s area of focus, this format may be best suited for his/her research. However,doctoral students can opt to proceed instead with a manuscript style dissertation. If students areinterested in this format, they should first consult with and receive approval from theirdissertation chair and committee. Those interested in completing a manuscript style dissertationshould refer to the policy guidelines on Manuscript Style Dissertations.3.2.9Baccalaureate MatriculationSome students begin the Ph.D. program with only a bachelor’s degree in hand. For thesestudents, all of the above requirements must be met but an additional 24 credit hours ofcoursework are also required and include: (1) CRJU 701 (Survey of Criminal Justice); (2)CRJU 702 (Law and Justice); (3) CRJU 703 (Research Methods); (4) CRJU 7051The Dissertation Examining Committee may be comprised of the same people who oversee thecomprehensive examination.10
(Quantitative Methods); (5) CRJU 741 (Criminology); and (6) 3 additional elective courses(9 credit hours), no more than two of which (6 credit hours) are below the 700 level. 2Thesis and Dissertation Logistics4M.A. thesis and Ph.D. dissertations are significant research projects that advance ourunderstanding of key issues in the discipline. In an effort to ensure that the developmentand defense of these projects goes as smoothly as possible, we have created the followinglist of issues that commonly arise: Human research participants: Any research project that is based on data pertainingto individual persons must be carefully vetted with the thesis or dissertationcommittee chair to ensure that all requirementsof the University’s InstitutionalReview Board (IRB) have been met. Each student is required to submit anapplication for the conduct of research with human subjects to the IRB prior tobeginning any data collection efforts. Students should always consult closely with thethesis or dissertation chair prior to submitting an IRB application. Credit hours: Any student who is conducting thesis or dissertation research thatrelies on faculty involvement or oversight during a particular semester should beregistered for and taking an appropriate number of thesis or dissertation creditsduring that term. These credits can be taken at any point in the doctoral programafter the student’s core coursework is completed. The student and the committeechair should make an agreement about the number of hours to be taken in eachsemester. In the semester the project is defended, the student is required to take atleast one credit hour of thesis or dissertation credit. University requirements: Any student working on a thesis or dissertation projectshould regularly consult the University’s Thesis and Dissertation page for importantinformation on deadlines, formatting issues, forms, and electronic submissionrequirements. Public posting of defense meetings: Thesis and dissertation defenses are open to allinterested persons. To facilitate awareness of these events, our department has anethic of public and advance (2 weeks) posting of the student’s name, title of project,and the date, time, and location of the defense meeting. Public posting consists ofannouncements placed on departmental bulletin boards and on the crimgrad emaillistserv. The student and the chair of the student’s committee are jointly responsiblefor appropriate public posting of this information. Approval forms: Ph.D. students are required to submit a completed DissertationSignature and Approval Form to the Graduate Director. M.A. students must submit a2Students admitted to the Ph.D. program with only a bachelor’s degree and who complete all requirements for thePh.D. other than the dissertation may be awarded a M.A. degree in criminology and criminal justice. Studentschoosing this option will not be permitted to complete the dissertation or be awarded the Ph.D. degree.11
completed Graduate School Thesis Signature and Approval Form to the GraduateDirector. In both cases,the completed forms are signed by the committee chair andreaders indicating the successful oral defense of the final project.5Graduate Academic PoliciesThis section describes various academic policies and practices that affect graduate studentsand their progress in the Department’s graduate degree programs. Any questions aboutthese policies should be presented to the Graduate Director.5.1Grades and Course RepetitionStudents who accumulate more than 6 hours of graduate credit below the grade of B willnot be permitted to continue in the graduate degree program for which they are enrolled.No course may be repeated more than one time.5.2Course AuditsCore courses may not be audited in either the M.A. or the Ph.D. programs. Other coursesmay be audited, but students must remember that audited courses cannot be repeated forcredit at a later time. The Graduate Director and the Department Chair will jointlyconsider on a case-by-case basis any requests by funded students for tuition waivers onaudited courses.5.3Transfer CreditAdmitted students may request a transfer up to 6 credit hours from other programs orinstitutions. Any request to consider transfer credits will be considered by theDepartment’s Graduate Committee after a student has been admitted to the program.5.4Independent StudiesSometimes graduate students choose to pursue research projects that are outside the scopeof a normal graduate-level course. If the student is able to reach an agreement with agraduate faculty member to oversee this work, the Graduate School’s independent studycontract form (G-ISC) should be completed by the faculty member and endorsed by thefaculty member, the student, and the Graduate Director.5.5InternshipsIt can be appropriate in certain instances for M.A. students to participate in aninternship program. Whether an internship is reasonable and useful in any particular12
student’s case is a matter to be considered by the student, the Department’s internshipcoordinator, and the Graduate Director.5.6Graduate AdvisingThe Graduate Director serves as program advisor for all graduate students in theDepartment and will regularly post office hours to advise and consult with graduatestudents. The Graduate Director will also serve as the major professor for all M.A. studentswho are not on the thesis track. In consultation with the Department’s graduate faculty, theGraduate Director advises graduate students on their programs of study and degreerequirements. Once admitted to a graduate program, students are responsible for followingthe registration procedures set forth by the University Registrar. Newly admitted studentsshould consult with the Graduate Director prior to registering for courses. Duringadvisement sessions, the Graduate Director and student will discuss the requirements forthe student’s degree program and will begin development of a program of study. For moreinformation about registration procedures, students should consult the UniversityRegistrar’s registration site.5.7Programs of StudyGraduate students are required to complete a program of study (POS) form listing thecourses they intend to take as part of their graduate program. M.A. students shouldcomplete the MPOS form by the end of the first year; Ph.D. students should complete theDPOS form by the end of the second year. In completing the form, students shouldidentify only those courses necessary to satisfy the degree requirements. Students shouldsubmit a completed form to the Graduate Director for approval and processing.5.8Appeal PolicyGraduate students sometimes have concerns about grades or decisions that affect theirstanding in the program resulting from comprehensive examinations, or circumstancessurrounding thesis or dissertation assessments. Appeals of grades from these projectscannot be based on substantive grounds. Rather, any ap
The Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, in cooperation withthe University of South Carolina School of Law offers a . joint degree program which permits a student to obtain both the Juris Doctor (law degree) and the M.A. degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice in approxim
