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2024-2025 Academic Calendar | York University Faculty of Graduate Studies

Socio-Legal Studies

Posted on 17 August 2022

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LocationEmail AddressProgram Website
Ross Building S756slstprog@yorku.cayorku.ca/gradstudies/slst/

The Master of Arts in Socio-Legal Studies is one of the first of its kind to be offered within Canada. This unique program was developed in response to the growing recognition of the urgent need for graduate level education in this new and important field. The program is carefully constructed to cover foundation areas of legal knowledge, regulation, human rights and social justice.

The program is designed to give students the knowledge and skills to enter the areas of human rights, immigration, social policy, and transnational governance. Graduates of the program acquire an appreciation of law, justice, and rights that not only transcends conventional disciplinary boundaries, but also engages with the complexity of emerging legal regimes in Canada and internationally. The specially designed curriculum is created to enable master’s students to complete the program in only one year.

The PhD in Socio-Legal Studies is the first doctoral program in Canada in interdisciplinary legal studies that is not based in a law school. While the academic foundation for the program rests on the contributions of scholars from a number of different disciplines, its scholarship can be distinguished from these disciplinary approaches by its greater attention to theory, methods, and substantive areas that focus on law and legal regulation as prime objects of investigation.

Research and teaching in this graduate program are organized around three core fields. These fields reflect the diverse teaching and research of socio legal studies, and the strong analytical and theoretical orientation of the program, while allowing for student research in a variety of substantive topic areas:

Central to this field is the recognition that law and society are mutually constitutive, that is, law is not an external force to which society is subject, but rather represents a dynamic set of codes, practices, categories and deliberations that both shape and are shaped by broader social, political, and economic logics, contexts and relations. This field also comprises theoretical perspectives on the relationship between law and society informed by sociology, history, philosophy, economics, anthropology, political science and psychology.

Analysis of contemporary modes of security, regulation, and governance, their intersections with various forms of law, and their role in shaping individual and collective practices, identities and fortunes through designations of illegality, criminality and disorder. Included within this field is a wide range of substantive areas including, but not limited to: transnational policing; financial crime; immigration and borders; and police, courts and corrections.

Studies of the variations of law across time, place and culture. Included are various approaches to the social history of law and legal regulation, as well as the analysis of indigenous forms of law, human rights regimes and both national and transnational forms of regulation and policing.

Admission Requirements

MA

PhD

The Graduate Program in Socio-Legal Studies seeks a high calibre of students. To be considered for admission as a Master of Arts candidate a student must have completed an honours degree program or equivalent from a recognized postsecondary institution, with an academic average of no less than a B+ over the last two (2) years of academic work.

In consideration of satisfactory studies and/or other relevant experience, letters of recommendations three (3), sample of written work (maximum 25 pages) and a statement of interest (maximum 500 words) will also be taken into account.

Proof of language proficiency is required for applicants who do not meet one of the following criteria:

  1. Their first language is English; OR,
  2. They have completed at least two (2) years of full-time study at an
    accredited university in a country (or institution) where English is
    the official language of instruction.

A minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 600 (paper based) or 250 (computer based) or York English Language Test score of Band 1 or equivalent is required.

Applicants for the PhD program must have a master’s degree with a minimum B+ average from a recognized university, with a
minimum B+ average, or the equivalent, in a relevant social science or humanities program (e.g., sociology; criminology; law and society; political science; women’s studies; history; philosophy).

In addition, all applicants must:

  1. submit a recent research paper or report to indicate ability in writing and research.
  2. submit a statement of interest providing evidence of commitment to advanced work in socio-legal studies. The statement should include a discussion of the applicant’s background, interests, skills, and career goals, along with a proposed program of study.
  3. submit three letters of reference.
  4. for students whose first language is not English, have a minimum Test of English as a Foreign Language score of 600 (paper based) or 250 (computer based); or York English Language Test score 1.

Applicants are assessed on the basis of academic achievement and potential and/or demonstrated capacity for advanced work in an applied area. The submitted research paper or reports and the statement of interest provide a basis for evaluating that potential.

Students enrolled in the York University Socio-Legal Studies master’s program wishing to apply to the doctoral program must do so through the admissions office. Students must have completed the MA before entering the PhD program.

All incoming MA and PhD students are assigned (based on common research interests) a faculty advisor who provides advice on program requirements (including course selection) and, most importantly, assists students in selecting permanent supervisors and supervisory committees. This formal advisory function is intended to help ensure a smooth transition from the initial point of entry into the program to the establishment of a full supervisory committee.

Degree Requirements

MA

PhD

MA Degree by Major Research Paper

The program is offered on a full-time basis only and the recommended time of completion is one year. Candidates for the MA degree must satisfactorily complete the following requirements:

Students must successfully complete eighteen (18) course credits as follows:

a) Required Courses (9 credits):
Socio-Legal Studies 6000 3.0: Law and Social Theory;
Socio-Legal Studies 6005 3.0: Advanced Research Strategies in Socio-Legal Methods; and,
Socio-Legal Studies 6100 3.0: MA Major Research Seminar.

b) Elective Credits (9 credits):
Students must successfully complete nine (9) elective course credits from the program’s approved courses. With the permission of th Graduate Program Director, a maximum of 6 elective credits may be taken in another graduate program.

Candidates are required to write a major research paper on an approved topic. Papers should be comprised of original material of a scholarly nature, demonstrating that the student is capable of independent research and critical analysis and must be of publishable quality. As a research project, the major research paper is generally narrower in scope, less complex in methodology and/or less ambitious in data gathering and analysis, than a thesis. Students are required to submit a proposal for their major research paper by the end of their second term—a version of which will be presented to their fellow students in the context of the Major Research Paper Seminar. The major research paper should be approximately 50 double-spaced pages (i.e., 10,000 words) in length. The paper is supervised by a core faculty member from the program. Upon completion, the paper will be read and evaluated by the supervisor and another reader selected from among the graduate faculty.

In addition, students must attend twelve (12) lectures as part of the program’s Speaker Series.

The MA program shall be completed on a full-time basis. Entry is fall term.

The expected degree completion time for full-time master’s students is 3 terms; part-time students are expected to complete within 6
terms. For those students who complete degree requirements earlier than 3 terms, they must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of 3 terms of full-time study. All requirements for a master’s degree must be fulfilled within 12 terms (4 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time master’s student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.

PhD

Candidates for the PhD degree must fulfil the following requirements, in addition to the completion of a dissertation.

Students must successfully complete eighteen (18) course credits as follows:

a) Required Courses (9 credits):
i) Socio-Legal Studies 6000 3.0: Law and Social Theory;
ii) Socio-Legal Studies 6005 3.0: Advanced Research Strategies in Socio-Legal Methods;
iii) Socio-Legal Studies 7100 3.0: Dissertation Proposal Seminar (offered every other year).

MA students who advance to the PhD (conditional on their acceptance into the PhD program) are not required to repeat the core theory and methods courses. These courses are replaced by 6 elective credits. Students coming from other universities must complete the core theory and methods courses.

b) Elective Credits (9 credits):
Students must successfully complete nine (9) elective credits from the program’s approved courses. With the permission of the Graduate Program Director, a maximum of 6 elective credits may be taken in another graduate program.

In addition, students must attend twelve (12) lectures as part of the program’s Speaker Series.

a) Theory Requirement
The purpose of the theory examination is to prepare the student to develop the breadth of knowledge necessary to teach an introductory course in Socio-Legal Studies.

Fulfillment of the theory requirement is met through an oral examination. The oral exam is expected to be 90 – 120 minutes in length. Students are responsible for a reading list of twenty books (or equivalent), of which ten to fifteen are to be selected from the program’s common list and the remainder from a list of works in the student’s area of interest. The reading list is chosen in consultation with, and approved by, the students’ comprehensive committee.

b) Substantive Requirement
The area of specialization and the readings to be reviewed are decided by the student in consultation with their committee. Fulfillment of the substantive requirement is met through written work followed by an oral defence. The written work can take two forms:

i) A review of research in an area of specialization that is related to the dissertation. The reading list is comprised of 20 books or equivalent. After reading the approved list for the substantive comprehensive, the student, in consultation with the comprehensive committee, submits 3 to 5 questions based on the readings to her/his comprehensive committee. The comprehensive committee selects 2 of these questions, which may be revised as the committee sees fit. These questions are given to the student on an agreed-upon date. The essays are due two weeks later, and respond to the questions posed.

Each essay (approximately 20 pages each) should demonstrate an understanding of the relevant literature, the different theoretical approaches used to interpret empirical research and an awareness of major debates in this site of research as well as major gaps in theory and research.

OR

ii) An outline of an advanced undergraduate course in a chosen area to include: an academic rationale for the organization of the course providing broad coverage of the field; a rationale for the particular selection of topics; and a list of twenty-four two hour lecture sessions, with readings to accompany each session. Also, students write the full text of a lecture on one of the topics in the course, to be chosen in consultation with the comprehensive committee. This written lecture should be approximately 25-30 pages.

The substantive comprehensive, whether completed as option (i) or (ii), will be subject to an oral defence, to be scheduled within 2 weeks of receiving the essay or course & lecture. The defence is expected to be 90 to 120 minutes in length.

A comprehensive requirement is considered passed if no more than one member of the committee casts a negative vote.

Doctoral dissertations shall be on a topic approved by the student’s supervisor and supervisory committee, and shall include submission and approval of a dissertation proposal, including appropriate ethics review and approval, in accordance with Faculty and program requirements and procedures.

Acceptable dissertation formats in the graduate program are monograph or manuscript-based. The doctoral dissertation must embody original work conducted while in program, and must constitute a significant contribution to knowledge. It should contain evidence of critical understanding of the relevant literature. The material embodied in the dissertation should merit publication.

Students must consult with the Graduate Program Director regarding the formation of their three-person supervisory committee. Students will normally have a supervisor on record by the end of term five.

The PhD program shall be completed on a full-time basis. Entry is fall term.

The normal expectation of students is that they complete their coursework, speakers series requirements and comprehensive examinations within their first two years and complete their doctoral proposal by the end of term seven (the first term of year three). The program expects students to complete their dissertation (including an oral defence) by the end of the fourth year. In total, the PhD should take four years.

Doctor of Philosophy students must register and pay fees for a minimum of the equivalent of six terms of full-time registration. All requirements for a doctoral degree must be fulfilled within 18 terms (6 years) of registration as a full-time or part-time doctoral student in accordance with Faculty of Graduate Studies’ registration policies.