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The timeline below provides a summary of what you will be doing in each term as well as any deadlines. You will need to read the details for each of these in the following sections:

Year 1 – Fall & Winter Terms – Coursework & Forms:

In your first year, you will complete all of your coursework in the Fall and Winter semesters by taking three classes each semester. During the Winter semester in particular, you should also be considering and discussing with your supervisor ideas for your thesis topic.

In some of the courses you take, your professors may encourage you to use the course assignments as ‘stepping stones’ towards developing your intended thesis topic. You should take advantage of these opportunities to do some preliminary work towards your thesis!

In the Fall term, you and your supervisor will complete the ‘Graduate Student & Supervisor Expectation Form.’ As noted in the form, “This document is intended to facilitate and guide a conversation between the Supervisor(s) and Student with respect to expectations and responsibilities. The goal of this document is to avoid misunderstandings.” 

Year 1 – Winter & Spring/Summer Terms – Thesis Proposal Timeline & Deadlines:

You will be working with your supervisor to develop your thesis proposal during the Spring/Summer semester of your first year, with preliminary work beginning in the Winter term.

A thesis proposal is an important step in developing your thesis. In it, you will describe what research you are planning to do, why you are planning to do it, and how you plan to undertake it. You can think of it as a ‘proof of concept’ document in the sense that it allows you to show the gap(s) in the literature that demonstrate a need for your proposed research and to develop an appropriate methodology to address that need.

The proposal process also provides valuable opportunities to get feedback on your intended research and refine your ideas before you undertake the research. Your supervisor will be the primary source for helping you refine your ideas, but refinements are also likely to come from other sources such as your coursework, fellow students, and feedback received during your proposal presentation.

Developing your thesis proposal is a time-intensive process and will require full-time efforts over the Spring/Summer term. Unlike undergraduate students, who have the summer ‘off’ from school if they are not taking classes, M.A. students are full-time students throughout the year. So, though you will not be taking classes in a classroom during the summer, your workload will still be that of a full-time student – it will just shift to working on your thesis proposal with your supervisor.

The body of your proposal should be approximately 25 - 35 pages (not including a reference list, tables, etc.). Though this does not seem like a long document to write when it is the only thing you will be working on over a whole term, you should not underestimate the time it will take to do your proposal! You will need to do a significant amount of reading, writing, and revising before it is complete.

Your thesis proposal will require multiple drafts. The number of drafts needed will differ between students and will be determined in discussion with your supervisor. It will be somewhat of an ongoing discussion that will be impacted by the nature and quality of the drafts you turn in, but you can expect to write at least two or three drafts, incorporating your supervisor’s feedback into subsequent drafts. And keep in mind that your supervisor will need some time in order to review and provide feedback on your drafts.

You should discuss with your supervisor which sections to include in your proposal based on your own project, but most proposals will contain an introduction/literature review, conceptual and/or theoretical framework, research questions, and your proposed methodological approach. 

• April 15 – You need to have your thesis topic approved by your supervisor by this date. In the following 6 weeks, you will work to complete a first draft of your proposal.
  • Before beginning work on your proposal, your supervisor must approve your intended topic. Starting work on a topic your supervisor has not approved may impact your ability to meet the proposal deadlines and stay in the thesis stream, e.g., you may have to re-start the process from the beginning with an approved topic or redo significant portions of the proposal. 

• June 1 – You must send your supervisor a complete first draft of your proposal on your approved topic by this date
  • This should not be a ‘hot off the presses’ draft, but rather, one which you have had time to edit before sending to your supervisor. This means you should aim to finish about a week ahead of this deadline to give yourself time to edit.
  • Though June 1 is the deadline to submit a complete draft, you need to be discussing your thesis topic and proposal with your supervisor throughout the process of writing your first draft. They are the most important resource available to help guide you through the proposal writing process!
  • Students who do not meet this deadline will normally be required to move to the KSP stream 

• After June 1 – based on your supervisor’s feedback, you will continue revising and editing your thesis proposal. The types of edits, number of drafts needed, etc. will be determined by/discussed with your supervisor, being mindful of the July, August, and September thesis proposal deadlines noted below. 

• July 15 – Based on your progress with your thesis proposal by this point, and in discussion with your supervisor, you must provide a declaration via email to the Graduate Program Chair (with your supervisor cc’d) of your intention to continue in the thesis stream, or if you are requesting to move to the KSP stream
  • Note that you must have your supervisor’s support to continue in the thesis stream at this point, but you must still meet all subsequent deadlines to continue in the thesis stream after this point
  • Also note that you may decide on your own after working on the proposal that the thesis stream is not a good fit for you – and that is okay! 

• August 31 – Your supervisor will typically reach out to you in early to mid-August to discuss your Annual Progress Report, which is due to the Graduate Program Chair by August 31 for students in the thesis stream 
  • By the end of August, your thesis proposal should either be fully complete or only in need of some minor ‘fine-tuning’ edits. If your supervisor’s assessment is that your proposal is not at this point, this means you are unable to meet the proposal presentation deadlines, and thus you will not have made ‘Satisfactory’ progress per the progress report form. Students in this situation will normally be required to move to the KSP stream in order to continue in the M.A. program.

Important: As outlined in the individual deadline descriptions, students must meet the stated thesis proposal deadlines and benchmarks to continue in the thesis stream. Though there are a variety of reasons why students may not be able to complete a thesis proposal within these timelines, students who do not will normally be required to move to the KSP stream in order to continue in the program. This change does not indicate anything about a student’s ability, but rather is about aligning them with a stream that will suit their strengths and facilitate timely degree completion. We have had students successfully switch streams, which allowed them to make meaningful progress toward their degrees while still developing valuable research skills.

Year 2 – Fall Term – Thesis Proposal Timeline & Deadlines:

Note that these are the final deadlines by which these activities must occur, but we encourage students to finish and present earlier!

• September 21 – By this date, your supervisor must have approved the final draft of your proposal and confirmed you are ready to proceed to the proposal presentation
  • This means you should discuss with your supervisor the date by which they will need your final draft in order to review it by September 21
• September 22 – Your supervisor will distribute your proposal via email to faculty by this date. Or, if you are presenting earlier than September 29, your proposal must be distributed at least 7 calendar days in advance of your presentation.
•  September 29 – You must give your proposal presentation on or by this date. Presentations may be given in person or online (or as a hybrid); you should discuss with your supervisor which option is best.
  • Presentations are open to Criminal Justice faculty and current M.A. students, and as noted, your supervisor will distribute your proposal via email by September 22
  • Your presentation should be approximately 20 – 25 mins long, and then will be open to questions from your supervisor, other faculty, and students
  • You can discuss with your supervisor what should be included in your presentation, but most presentations will typically include the background literature, your research question(s), your conceptual and/or theoretical framework, your proposed methodology, and how the knowledge gained from your thesis research could be used
  • There is no grade assigned to the proposal, but it is a required step that must be completed in order to undertake your thesis research
  • Depending on the questions and feedback you get during the presentation, your supervisor may require changes to either the proposal itself, or that the changes be incorporated into the thesis project
  • Even if you had met earlier deadlines, students who do not meet this presentation deadline will normally be required to move to the KSP stream

Year 2 – Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer Terms – Thesis Research & Writing:

The majority of your second year will be spent working on – and completing – your thesis. As theses will vary in their nature, you should discuss with your supervisor what ‘on time’ looks like for your specific thesis, as various steps in the research process (e.g., gaining ethics approval) will differ between students.

Note that if you are using human participants in your research, you will have to go through the ethics approval process, and will need to read the section further down on this page titled ‘Do I have to do an ethics application for my thesis or research project?’

Theses vary in length depending on the nature of your project, but will typically range between 80 – 120 pages (not inclusive of reference list, tables, etc.)

The thesis exam timelines and procedures are scheduled and run through Graduate Studies. See the ‘Graduate Studies Thesis Handbook’ found on this page for the ‘Thesis Preparation/Examination Timeline and Deadlines’ with respect to the process, requirements, and timelines for scheduling your thesis exam.

You should familiarize yourself with the Graduate Studies deadlines for thesis submission and thesis examinations and, along with your supervisor, work backwards to determine when you will need to complete the various steps in your thesis (e.g., ethics approval [if required], submitting drafts, obtaining an external examiner).

If you have questions about thesis deadlines and/or timelines, you should discuss them with your supervisor and/or the Graduate Program Chair.

The following timeline provides a summary of what you will be doing in each term, and any deadlines. These are explained in more detail in each of the sections:

Year 1 – Fall & Winter Terms:

If you are a full-time KSP student, in your first year, you will take 3 classes in the Fall semester and 3 classes in the winter semester.

Similar to what is noted for thesis stream students, during the Winter semester in particular, you should also be considering and discussing with your supervisor ideas for your KSP topic and methodology. In some of the courses you take, your professors may encourage you to do assignments on your intended KSP topic, and you should take these opportunities to use the assignments in the course as ‘stepping stones’ towards developing your KSP topic.

In the Fall term, you and your supervisor will complete the ‘Graduate Student & Supervisor Expectation Form.’ As noted in the form, “This document is intended to facilitate and guide a conversation between the Supervisor(s) and Student with respect to expectations and responsibilities. The goal of this document is to avoid misunderstandings.” The form can be found on this page: 

Year 1 – Spring/Summer Term:

You will begin working on your KSP over the summer term of your first year. Working with your supervisor, you will identify your KSP topic, research question(s), and specific knowledge synthesis methodology.

This has an overview of different types of knowledge synthesis methodologies. 

• April 30: You must have your supervisor’s approval for your topic, research question(s), and knowledge synthesis methodology by this date
  • This means you will have to do background reading in your area of interest prior to April 30 to determine where gaps in knowledge synthesis exist
  • Make sure to get your supervisor’s guidance before beginning your search for a topic, knowledge synthesis methodology, and research question!
  • Note that while the KSP does not require a formal proposal (as would the thesis), you still need to get your supervisor’s approval in writing (email is okay) for your topic, research question(s), and knowledge synthesis methodology before beginning your KSP. Not gaining your supervisor’s approval before starting your KSP may mean that you have to start over or redo significant portions of the work. 

• May 1 – August 31
  • Once you have your supervisor’s approval for your topic, research question(s), and specific knowledge synthesis methodology, it will be time to schedule a joint meeting with the Criminal Justice subject librarian, Brianne Selman, and your supervisor.
  • Ms. Selman has expertise in knowledge synthesis methodologies and will provide assistance with respect to the more technical and literature searching aspects of your KSP. Note that her assistance will be limited to these aspects (e.g., she will not review drafts of your work).
    • You will typically have three meetings with her, and during your first meeting, she will outline the scope of her help, and what she anticipates the content of these three meetings being about.
  • The details regarding what your next steps should be after meeting with Ms. Selman will depend on the specific KSP you are undertaking. You will need to discuss this with your supervisor to determine what benchmarks you need to complete and when. However, generally speaking, this period of time will be spent on refining and undertaking your literature search, and possibly beginning to engage in the synthesis aspects of your KSP.

Year 2 – Fall Term:

In your second year, you will take at least one of your remaining two classes in the Fall semester, but it may be possible to take both depending on course offerings.

You will also continue to work on your KSP, though not as intensely as you had over the Year 1 spring/summer term, particularly if you are taking two classes.

As noted in the previous section, what you need to do and when you need to do it by is going to depend on your specific project. Given this, you will need to discuss with your supervisor timelines, deadlines, and benchmarks for your project.

This term will primarily be spent engaging in the synthesis and analysis aspects of your KSP.

Year 2 – Winter & Spring/Summer Terms:

If you only completed one of your remaining two classes in the Fall, you will complete your final class during the winter term.

The Winter and Spring/Summer terms will be spent finishing your KSP. The Winter term is when you will likely begin the more intensive writing phase of your KSP.

Similar to what was noted in previous sections, you will need to discuss timelines, deadlines, and benchmarks with your supervisor given that what needs to be done will depend on what your specific KSP is. You will also need to be in discussion with your supervisor and seeking their advice throughout the writing process.

Your supervisor will normally provide feedback on two drafts of your KSP prior to you submitting the final version for grading

• You will need to discuss with your supervisor the deadlines for submitting these drafts and their expected turnaround time, but you should expect that it may take a few weeks for them to provide feedback on each draft
• KSPs will vary in length, but will typically range between 50 - 60 pages (not inclusive of reference list, tables, etc.)

You will also give a presentation on your final paper. The last date by which the presentation may be given is August 15 (but we encourage students to present earlier if they are able to do so!)

• You will need to discuss with your supervisor what their availability for a presentation is like well in advance of this deadline
• You also need to consult with your supervisor about what you should include in your presentation
• Presentations may be given in person or online (or as a hybrid); you should discuss with your supervisor which option is best.
• The presentation will be open to Criminal Justice faculty and current M.A. students and your supervisor will distribute your KSP via email at least 7 calendar days in advance of your presentation
• Your presentation should be approximately 20 – 25 mins long
• After you present, there will be time for questions from your supervisor and second reader, and then from other faculty and the students

KSP Assessment & Grading

You should ask your supervisor what they will be looking for when assessing your specific KSP. Because all KSPs will be different, what you need to have in your own KSP may differ from that of other students.

KSPs will vary in length, but will typically range between 50 - 60 pages (not inclusive of reference list, tables, etc.)

The paper will represent the bulk of your work, but you can think of the presentation as a complementary aspect to the written document. Thus, the paper and the presentation are assessed as a whole and you will receive an overall grade. The presentation provides an additional opportunity to demonstrate mastery of your KSP in addition to what is contained in the written document itself.

Once you have given your presentation, you will receive a grade that is assessed by your supervisor and a second reader. The second reader will be a faculty member in the Criminal Justice Department and is typically only involved at the assessment stage. Once your KSP is in progress, you and your supervisor can discuss which faculty member may be a good fit to approach about acting as second reader, based on their areas of expertise.

You will receive a letter grade based on the following scale:

A+       96 – 100%                   A         88 – 95.99%                A-        83 – 87.99%

B+       75 – 82.99%                B         70 – 74.99%                C+       65 – 69.99%               

C         60 – 64.99%                D         50 – 59.99%                F          0 – 49.99%

You may be wondering if it is possible for you to finish the KSP earlier than in two years. If this is a goal of yours, you should discuss this with your supervisor to see if it is feasible based both on the nature of your project as well as their availability.

• Please note that finishing early does not mean that your tuition and fees will be reduced. Whereas you paid tuition and fees on a per-course basis as an undergrad, the M.A. is considered a program and so you would need to pay the full program fees regardless of when you finish your degree requirements

Part-time students will take 4 years to complete their degrees. You should read the previous section with information for full-time students, as the requirements are the same for part-time students, it is just the deadlines and timing that differ.

Coursework

With respect to coursework, part-time students must take at least one course in each of the Fall and Winter semesters until they are finished their coursework, and you would normally take your four required core courses before taking any electives.

If you would like to take more than one course in the Fall and Winter semesters, you are able to do so, but please note that finishing in fewer than 4 years will unfortunately not decrease the amount of fees Graduate Studies will require you to pay.

We do not offer any graduate classes in the Spring/Summer semester. However, if you wish to get your coursework completed sooner, you may be able to take courses in the Spring/Summer semester through other programs at U°ÄÃÅÍõÖÐÍõÂÛ̳ or at other institutions (e.g., University of Manitoba; Athabasca University) through the Western Deans agreement. You can speak to the Graduate Chair for further details.

Timelines

As noted earlier, you will need to read the sections for full-time thesis students for details regarding the requirements for each aspect, but the following timeline provides a summary of what you will be doing in each term, and any deadlines:

Part-Time Thesis Students  

 Part-Time KSP Students 

This is done in two steps. The first step is to complete the departmental form requesting support for continuance. You must complete the form, sign, and send it to your supervisor. They will fill out their part and send it to the Graduate Program Chair.

Once your request has been evaluated, the Graduate Program Chair will email to let you know whether it has been approved. If it is, they will ask you to fill out the Thesis Writing Term or Continuance Term application form (as applicable) required by Graduate Studies.

Note that as the Graduate Chair’s signature is required on all the forms, you should not wait till the deadline to get the departmental form submitted to your supervisor.

Deadlines:

After your supervisor has reviewed a draft of your ethics application and given their approval to proceed, you will submit a completed draft of your ethics application to the Departmental Ethics Committee for review and feedback before submitting it to the University Human Research Ethics Board. Note that per the instructions from the Research Office there is a form you will have to get your supervisor to sign and you will submit this as part of your application.