Overview: Each student is required to pass the First Written Examination
by the time 45
credits have been completed. This written examination contains three
parts
which reflect the make-up of the core curriculum: 1) research methodology;
2) integrated criminology theory; and 3) law and public policy. Students
must
take all three parts of the examination. A student failing one or two
parts may
retake the part or parts again. A student who fails any part of the
exam a second time must have their case brought before
the Executive Committee to discuss the student's future
in the program and may be dropped from the program.
Each of the three exams is given once each semester at times
announced at
the beginning of the academic year. Each exam is offered once each
semester and the order is rotated. Generally, in the fall semester,
exams are
given in October, November and December, and in the spring semester
they
are given in March, April, and May. Students must register in
the
Doctoral Program office at least two weeks prior to the examination
to be
eligible to take it. Reading lists are available to students
in the
Doctoral Program office and also on the Doctoral Program website.
Each examination will be comprised of four questions (students
choose one from each section, with the exception of Research
Methods, in which the student answers ALL questions) which
draw on important current literature as well as classical literature.
The examination can be done on the computer or it can be handwritten,
though handwritten exams MUST be typed up immediately following
the examination. The student will receive a xeroxed version
of their handwritten exam and must follow it exactly and
not deviate in any way from the handwritten version.
There is a three-hour time limit for each examination.
Exams are graded on a pass/fail basis by all qualified faculty who will come
together to discuss specific examinations if there is disagreement in the initial
grading.
Current
reading lists and past comp questions are available here.
*** IMPORTANT NOTICE***
After the FALL 2005 semester, the comps will be offered in
a different manner. This change is consistent with the curriculum
revision (approved earlier this semester) that requires that
incoming students (effective Fall 2005) take all three written
examinations by the start of their second year. Continuing
students are expected to take the first exam prior to completing
the 30th credit (program expectation) or the 45th credit (GC
satisfactory progress requirement).
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2007- 2008 Examination Schedule
Exam
Subject |
Exam Dates |
Must Register By
(two weeks prior to exam) |
Law & Public Policy |
August 22 , 2008 |
August 8, 2008
|
Integrated Criminological Theory |
August 22, 2008 |
August 8, 2008 |
Research Methods |
August 26 , 2008 |
August 12, 2008 |
Forensic Science
(The "CRJ" Comp) |
See Forensic Science Site for Details |
N/A |
***
Any make-up examinations of these comps from last semester will be from 2pm - 5pm on August 22, 2008***
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2007-08 Comp Committees
LAW AND PUBLIC POLICY:
Dr. Evan Mandery, Law chair
Dr. Rick Culp , Public Policy chair
RESEARCH METHODS AND STATISTICS:
Dr. Steve Rice, chair
INTEGRATED CRIMINOLOGICAL THEORY:
Dr. Nicole Piquero, Criminology chair
Dr. Jennifer Dysart, Psychology chair
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Instructions for Taking the First Exam:
Please make sure to arrive at the Program Office no later than 9:15am on the
day of examination. The exam will last from 9:30am-12:30pm, so if you arrive
late, you are automatically depriving yourself of time to take the examination.
You may bring in one 1.5" binder of your own notes to
the examination. Xeroxed pages of any sort are prohibited, and "borrowed" notes
are considered plagiarized examination aids.
Violating this rule may result in your case being brought before the Executive
Committee on charges of possible plagiarism.
You are not to leave the examination room during the three-hour examination
period unless you have completed your examination. You may leave to use the
restroom, but it is your responsibility to make sure that nobody else has left
the room
at
that
time.
If Program Office
personnel stop in to check on how things are going in the examination room
and find more than one student is absent from the room, they have the authority
to invalidate the ENTIRE examination for all test-takers that
day! It is your responsibility to monitor your colleagues for violations of
this policy.
Your examination packet will contain a blank diskette, a legal pad, and
a pen.
Please allow yourself time at the end of the exam to re-read your exam
and make corrections. It is your responsibility
to print
the
exam response, if you wish to do so,
before
you leave the exam room.
Turn in all material, questions, disks, notes, and scratch
paper at end of the examination.
The examination will be graded as quickly as possible.Graders will submit exam results within three weeks of the
exam date. All students will receive the results by email within 21 days after
they take the exam.Students should not contact the Program Office asking about
exam results.
If you have any questions on the First Comprehensive Examination,
please feel free to contact the Program Office!
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