After successful completion of the qualifying examination, the student submits a core area proposal to the Ph.D. committee via the graduate director defining a subject area within the curriculum (a "core area"). While the possible core area topics are not restricted, there are certain guiding criteria in choosing one. It should not be so broad as to constitute a field of study in itself, e.g., juvenile offenders, violence, organized crime, etc. It should also, at the other extreme, not be so narrow as to be but a tiny segment of a field of study, e.g., treating juvenile sex offenders in New Jersey, preventing date rape, or mob infiltration of the Teamsters Union, etc. While broad enough to have a research literature of its own, it should not be so broad as to make infeasible the student's ability to master that literature. The core area should be one in which the student has sufficient interest as to envision it as a possible foundation for dissertation research and/or as a possible research agenda for the future. Upon approval of the core area proposal, the dean appoints three faculty members to work with the student to establish a study and examination plan. The student is then evaluated on his or her command of the core area material. The evaluation format is an eight-hour essay examination.
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