Graduate students in the non-thesis option must inform the Director of Graduate Studies of their plan to take the comprehensive exam during the semester of intended graduation.   This notice must occur during the first two weeks of their last semester. A student wishing to graduate during the summer term must take the comprehensive exam in the preceding Spring Semester.

There will be a standing comprehensive examination committee comprised of all available CRM Graduate Faculty. The Comprehensive Examination Committee must have at least three members. This committee will be convened and chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies. The comprehensive exam consists of three questions- one in criminological theory, one in research methods/data analysis, and one written specifically for each student based on the student’s substantive interests in criminology.   The theory and methods questions will be the same for all students during a given semester.

The exam is administered on a specific day and time announced during the third week of each Fall and Spring semester. It will be an “open-book” exam where all participating students gather for a four-hour time period to take the exam in one place at the same time. Students will be allowed to use laptop computers when writing responses to the questions.

Responses to exam questions will be evaluated by the available CRM Graduate Faculty, who will meet to discuss each student’s performance and determine whether the performance is  “pass,” “marginal,” or “not pass.”

If a student receives either “marginal” or “not pass” on the written comprehensive exam, they are required to appear before the committee for an oral defense. At this event, committee members ask the student to clarify responses to exam questions. After this discussion, the committee shall decide 1) to change the “marginal” to “pass,” 2) change the “not pass” to “pass,” or 3) the student does not pass the comprehensive exam requirement.

If a student does not pass the comprehensive exam, they are required to retake the exam during the subsequent semester. A student may repeat the comprehensive exam only once, unless an exception is granted by majority vote of the CRM Graduate Committee.