The Committee on Law and Social Sciences offers an interdisciplinary graduate program leading to the Ph.D. degree in Justice Studies. The Ph.D. degree in Justice Studies integrates philosophical, legal, and historical approaches with social science training. The committee is interdisciplinary, and sets guidelines and supervises programs of study. Faculty from a number of academic units enable a student to tailor a course of study to fit individual needs and goals. The committee is composed of members from the Departments of Anthropology, Communication, Economics, Languages and Literatures, History, Management, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Recreation Management and Tourism, Religious Studies, Sociology, the College of Law, and the Schools of Justice Studies, Public Affairs, and Social Work. An executive committee, appointed by the dean of the Graduate College from this larger body of faculty, has the primary responsibility for the operation of the Ph.D. program.
DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY
The focus of the Ph.D. degree in Justice Studies is the study of law and justice in society and the creation of new knowledge. Subject matter includes assessing the impact of legal systems and other institutions on the distribution of rights, benefits, and burdens from diverse comparative and historical perspectives.
This interdisciplinary program aims to produce scholars whose research activities contribute to the knowledge and understanding of conflicts and dilemmas surrounding social change. Courses on the study of justice are a part of the curriculum of many academic disciplines, and academic books and journals increasingly stress issues of justice and injustice. In addition to the interdisciplinary programs featuring justice, students may enter academic programs that focus on gender, race, ecology, class, law, and public and business administration. Justice Studies graduates from the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program will have a strong theoretical background, interdisciplinary training in law, humanities, and the social sciences, and may possess the technical skills associated with both qualitative and quantitative research methodologies. These qualifications can provide graduates with the opportunity to successfully compete for a variety of positions in academic and justice-related fields.
Admission. Applications are reviewed on an annual basis by an admissions committee representing the Committee on Law and Social Sciences. Recommendations for admission are made by the director of the Executive Committee to the dean of the Graduate College. In addition to meeting minimum Graduate College admission requirements, each applicant must provide a statement of educational and career goals and the reasons for seeking the interdisciplinary Ph.D. in Justice Studies, a Graduate Record Examination test score or the Law School Admission Test score, a sample of written work, and three letters of recommendation, preferably from academic referees. Because of enrollment limits, candidates who meet minimum requirements cannot automatically be admitted.
Advisory Committee. An advisory committee consisting of at least three persons, a committee chairperson and two other faculty members, is appointed by the dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the director of the Committee on Law and Social Sciences. The advisory committee advises the student in developing a program of study and assumes primary responsibility for assessing the student’s progress in the program. The advisory committee prepares and evaluates the comprehensive examination.
Core Courses. Four core courses are required of all students in the program. The core courses are taken within the first three semesters of the student’s program of study. Each core course is interdisciplinary in nature, and, to the extent possible, team taught. The core courses are as follows:
| JUS 610 | Law and the Social Sciences (3) |
| JUS 620 | Justice Research and Methods (3) |
| JUS 640 | Theoretical Perspectives on Justice (3) |
| Approved doctoral-level analysis course (3) | |
| Total: 12 | |
Areas of Concentration. Students use elective courses to develop a specialization in an area relevant to justice studies from a law and social sciences perspective. The specialization is to be developed through consultation with the student’s advisory committee. Five areas of concentration have been established, based on the research and teaching expertise of participating faculty. These formalized concentrations are:
From these broad concentrations, students can develop areas of study emphasizing:
Students may develop other areas of study in consultation with their advisory committee. Courses are not limited to those departments and schools participating in the Committee on Law and Social Sciences.
Program of Study. Students who enter the program with a master’s degree in the social sciences, philosophy, a relevant interdisciplinary field, or a Juris Doctorate (J.D.), must complete a minimum of 54 semester hours of study beyond the master’s or J.D. degree. Applicants holding only the baccalaureate degree are required to complete 84 hours of graduate credit. As part of the overall program of study, each student must register for a minimum of 24 semester hours of research and dissertation credit. After students are admitted to the Ph.D. program, they must spend at least two consecutive semesters in full-time residence at ASU. At least 30 hours of dissertation and research hours must be taken at ASU.
Foreign Language Requirements. None.
Comprehensive Examinations. Upon completion of course work and before the start of dissertation research, the student is given a written examination in the core area and in the substantive area of concentration. The examination, with a written and optional oral component, is designed to evaluate the student’s accumulation of interdisciplinary knowledge and ability to communicate across disciplines. The comprehensive examination is developed and administered by the student’s advisory committee.
Dissertation Committee. The dissertation committee is formed after the student passes the comprehensive examination. Composed of at least three interdisciplinary faculty members, including the chairperson, the committee is approved by the dean of the Graduate College upon the recommendation of the director of the executive committee. The dissertation committee authorizes the title and content of the dissertation, advises the student throughout the research and writing of the dissertation, and conducts the oral defense.
Advancement to Candidacy. Ph.D. students will achieve candidacy status in a letter from the Graduate College dean upon (1) passing the comprehensive examination, and (2) successfully defending the dissertation prospectus.
Dissertation Requirements. The dissertation consists of a fully documented written analysis demonstrating an appropriate level of interdisciplinary skills and competence associated with a justice issue. Each student must register for a minimum of 24 semester hours of dissertation and research; 12 of these semester hours must be completed after candidacy.
Final Examinations. The oral examination in defense of the dissertation must be conducted by the student’s dissertation committee. A candidate must pass the final examination within five years after completing the comprehensive examination.
Concurrent Ph.D. in Justice Studies/J.D. Degree. The purpose of the concurrent Ph.D. in Justice Studies/J.D. degrees is to provide a rigorous education for highly qualified students interested in pursuing academic careers in law, law and the social sciences, or law and philosophy. In order to seek concurrent degrees, the prospective student must first gain separate admission to the College of Law and the interdisciplinary Ph.D. program in Justice Studies. The student must then obtain special approval to pursue concurrently the J.D. and Ph.D. degrees. No more than three students per year are permitted to pursue concurrent degrees.
RESEARCH ACTIVITY
Faculty making up the Committee on Law and Social Sciences are engaged in a variety of research activities. Faculty research interests are as follows: alternative organizations and social services; American and European women’s history; American Indian history; American Indian repatriation; bureaucratic power; comparative legal studies; corporate crime; corrections, including privatization and alternatives; domestic violence; ecological justice; economic models of crime; educational reforms for inner city schools; environmental law; environmental racism; ethics theory; European social institutions; feminist theories; gender and sexuality; gender justice; indigenous law; informal justice and dispute resolution; international law; judicial administration; judicial behavior; jurisprudence; justice for the physically challenged; justice and minority populations; juvenile justice and law; juveniles and status offenses; law and ecology; law and social control; logic of policy inquiry; migration and immigration; nature and law; official information and deviance; organizational ethics; philosophy and the law; political deviance; psychology,
Omnibus Graduate Courses: See omnibus graduate courses that may be offered.
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