MASTER OF SCIENCE IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE (MSCJ) Comprehensive Examination Instructions General Information
A student sitting for the MSCJ comprehensive examination will write an essay response to each of four questions, with each question taken from one of the four different “core” MSCJ courses: CJ 6610, CJ 6620, CJ 6622, and CJ 6624. As a matter of policy, the student may not sit for the comprehensive examination until after the student has successfully passed the ten courses in his or her MSCJ program to include all four of the core courses.
To successfully complete the MSCJ comprehensive examination, the student must pass the examination question for each of the four core MSCJ courses. However, there is no penalty for failing any or all of the four examination questions. A student who completes successfully any number of the questions, but not all four of the questions will, at a later-scheduled examination period, answer different questions taken from the same core courses as the previously failed questions. In answering a different examination question from the same core course as a previously failed question, the student will have ninety minutes to complete the question during the later-scheduled comprehensive examination period (for two questions, three hours, etc.). The student will not repeat questions answered successfully during any examination period. (Note that university policy requires all credits used to satisfy degree requirements be less than eight years old at the time of the completion of all degree requirements.)
The student will have six hours to complete the comprehensive examination. The student may not use any books, notes or other materials in authoring the essay responses to the examination questions. The student will type the responses to the examination questions using the computers provided by the region. The examination proctor will be responsible for timing the length of the examination period.
Evaluation of Question Responses
Each comprehensive examination question response will be evaluated using a 100-point scale.
1. Application of knowledge of major theories and concepts with factual information relevant to the field of criminal justice (40 possible points);
2. Application of critical thinking and problem-solving skills as demonstrated by analysis and development of ideas relevant to the subject matter of the question (30 possible points);
3. Application of effective communication skills as demonstrated through written organizational clarity and writing style, to include the use of correct grammar, spelling and punctuation (20 possible points);
4. Application of knowledge about authoritative research in the field of criminal justice as demonstrated by references to appropriate sources (10 possible points).
While 100 points are possible for each question response, students must earn a total of at least 75 points on each essay to pass the specific examination question.
Student Preparation
To prepare for the questions on the comprehensive examination, the student should review the graduate bulletin description and the course syllabus for each of the four MSCJ core courses: CJ 6610, CJ 6620, CJ 6622, and CJ 6624. Regardless of the material covered by the specific professor in a core course, the student’s comprehensive examination question response must as a minimum address the specific subject areas embodied in the bulletin course description for each course. In CJ 6610, for example, what are the “basic principles and functions of personnel administration,” as applied in the field of criminal justice? In CJ 6620, what are the relevant “principal trends and changes in the judicial processes” for criminal justice? In CJ 6622, what does an “examination of the criminal justice system” yield in the specific context of the examination question? In CJ 6624, what does “study of the judicial process” yield in the context of the examination question?
While a bulletin course description addresses very broad subject areas embodied in the content of a specific course, a comprehensive examination question response should draw not only on the course syllabus and assigned texts for what was taught in the course, but also upon what was learned throughout the MSCJ program about each question area. The student may contact faculty members teaching core MSCJ courses and library staff members for references to additional relevant reading materials as the student prepares for the comprehensive examination. In responding to a comprehensive examination question, the student will be required to identify the three most important issues in the subject area, describe those issues in detail, and then explain why the student thinks the issues are the most important issues in the context of the examination question.
In each question response, the student will be expected to support the response with references to relevant authorities, sources or legal cases as appropriate. (Note: with regard to references, the student is not expected to memorize page numbers or complete citations; however, the student is expected to be familiar with and able to cite the major criminal justice theories, authors and cases.) For example, in CJ 6620, it would be incorrect to write that the “Exclusionary Rule” is a current issue in criminal law. In fact, the Exclusionary Rule was established more than 40 years ago, and while it has been embellished and discussed since then, it can hardly be called a major issue in contemporary criminal procedure. The same may be said for the Miranda Warnings.
There are a great many issues that would be appropriate for discussion in each of the four core course areas. It is the responsibility of the student to frame each comprehensive examination question response in ways that identify the three key issues in each of the relevant subject areas and then support the relevant discussion. It is also important for the student to budget the available examination time so that each of the three issues to be addressed in each question response can be fully discussed in the allotted time.
As an item of facility administration, students are prohibited from bringing foods or beverages into the examination room due to the risks the presence of those items present to the operational capabilities of the information technology and supporting equipment located in the examination room.
