Oct 08, 2024  
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year] 
    
2024-2025 Graduate Catalog [Current Academic Year]

Schools, Society and Violence [M.A.]

Location(s): In-person/hybrid


The Sociology, Criminology, and Anthropology, and Teacher Education Departments offer this interdisciplinary master’s degree for students pursuing advanced studies in conflict, crime, and cooperation in the school context. Students will understand theoretical concepts, methodological techniques, and the application of substantive interdisciplinary knowledge, enabling them to analyze, understand and effectively intervene to reduce harmful relational and institutional practices in school settings. Essential dimensions of the program include a thesis or non-thesis requirement through which students demonstrate the ability to integrate and apply relevant knowledge to address a particular dimension of the problem of school violence.

Objectives

Program graduates will be able to demonstrate the following:

  1. Through written and oral forms, the ability to analyze complex problems associated with school violence;
  2. An understanding of the larger social, historical, economic, and ideological context producing violent social relations within schools;
  3. Competence in qualitative and quantitative research methods; and
  4. The ability to create positive solutions to school violence.

Program Admission


Admit Terms and Deadlines

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis; students may start the program in the Fall or Winter. See Application Deadlines.

Minimum Graduate School Requirements

For full admission, applicants must have 1) Earned a four-year baccalaureate degree from a regionally accredited U.S. institution or an equivalent degree from a non-U.S. institution, 2) a minimum cumulative undergraduate grade point average of 2.7 on a 4.0 scale, or 3.0 in the last half of the undergraduate program. Conditional admission may be available to applicants not meeting minimum admission requirements.

Program Requirements

Applicants must also meet the following program requirements. Requirements may be more stringent than the minimum graduate school requirements.

  • Submit a letter of interest describing the applicant’s career goals and reasons for pursuing this master’s degree
  • Submit two letters of recommendation that address the applicant’s professional commitment, experience, and potential

Application

Your application will be submitted using GradCAS, a Centralized Application Service (CAS) hosted by Liaison. After reviewing the admission requirements, please review the application instructions  and select the appropriate application.

- Go to 2023-2024 GradCAS to apply to a program beginning in Summer 2024, Fall 2024, or Winter 2025.

- Go to 2024-2025 GradCAS to apply to a program beginning in Summer 2025, Fall 2025, or Winter 2026.

Domestic Applicants Within the application, follow the instructions to submit an official transcript from all previously attended institutions.

International Applicants Before applying, applicants must review the international application/process deadlines at emich.edu/international as they may differ from general program requirements.

For additional information regarding the application process, please see Graduate Admissions or International Admissions.

Department Information


Sociology, Anthropology, and Criminology 712 Pray-Harrold, 734.487.0012

Julian Murchison, PhDDepartment Head

Advisor Information


Brian Sellers, PhD, 712 Pray-Harrold, 734.487.0012

Degree Requirements: 31 hours


The M.A. in Schools, Society and Violence requires the completion of 31 hours of coursework to be distributed among required courses, elective courses, and thesis or non-thesis courses as follows:

Restricted Electives: 6 hours


Select six credit hours of restricted elective coursework in consultation with the graduate coordinator. Any graduate-level SOCL, CRM, ANTH, or SFCE course is eligible for elective credit (except for those counted as required courses). With approval from the graduate coordinator, students may select courses outside the department to satisfy this requirement.

Thesis/Non-Thesis: 6 hours


Students must complete the requirements for one of the following tracks.

Non-Thesis Track: 6 hours


Students must complete two courses that deal with either methodological, substantive, or theoretical issues in schools, society, and violence. Students should see the graduate coordinator for a list of available courses. Courses selected in consultation with Graduate Advisor. 

Thesis Track: 6 hours


As per Graduate School guidelines, students must complete a thesis on a subject determined in consultation with their departmental thesis committee. The student’s departmental thesis committee must approve the completed thesis per departmental guidelines. To assist with completing the thesis, students must complete the following hours.

Critical Graduation Information


Each graduate student is responsible for fulfilling the requirements or equivalents of the Eastern Michigan University catalog in force at the time of their initial registration or a subsequent catalog, including the one in effect at the time of their graduation.

Master’s degree requirements must be completed within six (6) years of first enrollment in the master’s degree program.

In the event a student does not complete the master’s degree requirements within six years of the date of their original registration, the student may be required to have their credits re-evaluated by the academic department(s) of their degree in keeping with catalog requirements in force during the year of their graduation.

The following are minimum requirements for all master’s degrees awarded by Eastern Michigan University. Some programs require more than the minimum in one or more areas below.

  • A master’s degree must require a minimum of 30 credit hours.
  • No more than six credits of independent study courses and no more than 12 credit hours of special topics and independent study courses combined may be applied to a graduate degree.  
  • Residency Requirement:
    • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 36 or fewer required hours, at least 24 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere). 
    • For students admitted to master’s degree programs of 37 or more required hours, at least 30 new graduate hours beginning the semester of acceptance and enrollment into the degree program must be earned at EMU. Minimum degree hours must still be met for graduation. The remaining program requirement hours may be met through transfer or prior degree credit (EMU or elsewhere).
    • Residency and enrollment in multiple programs: Students enrolled in multiple master’s/specialist degree programs must have 24 unique credit hours in each degree program.
  • Only credits from one completed graduate certificate may be applied to a master’s or specialist degree in a relevant field of study, as determined by the Graduate School and with the approval of the degree-granting academic department, and be included in the residency hours above.
  • Students must maintain a 3.0 cumulative GPA in all graduate-level courses taken at EMU and in their program of study to remain in good academic standing and be eligible for graduation. Students do not need to be registered for classes during the semester of graduation.
  • The Graduate School does not permit the use of undergraduate courses (499 and below) to meet degree requirements on graduate programs of study.
  • Some master’s programs require a thesis; others require a special project or internship; others require students to pass a final exam. See the Graduate School website for Thesis and Dissertation Manuals, all forms, and information about research and human subject approval. Every completed thesis or dissertation must be submitted to Digital Commons. Any form of graduate student work submitted to Digital Commons must first be approved by a faculty advisor and the Graduate School.