Criminology and Criminal Justice MA

The MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice is designed to meet the needs of three groups of potential students.

Students requiring thorough research training specialising in criminology and criminal justice.

Students who are interested in pursuing academic study of criminology and criminal justice to an advanced level.

Practitioners in the criminal justice field who wish to expand their horizons from national to international levels.

The programme components consist of two generic research modules for training in qualitative and quantitative research methods in the Social Sciences, as well as specialised training in criminology and criminal justice. Modules cover criminological theories and their application, the work of the police and the courts, inter- and transnational crime, and crime in the media. The programme allows students to incorporate their particular research interests and areas of enquiry. This masters degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice includes a 20,000 word dissertation.

Our academic team have a range of research interest, some of these include

Youth homelessness and crime Institutional child abuse

Critical approaches to law, crime and criminology

Sociology of law

Public opinion on crime and criminal justice

Penal policy

Rural criminology

Lay judges and jurors

Procedural justice

Popular legal culture, including film and TV

Victimology

Trust in courts, police and the legal profession

Careers

The course prepares for a wide range of employment including:

Law-enforcement agencies: the police, customs, the prison service

Public administration: including crime prevention units, offender management, general administration, international institutions

Political associations, work for members of parliaments, for lobby groups related to the criminal justice system and to issues of social justice broadly conceived

Research institutes, researching criminological and sociological issues

Paid jobs with charities working with juveniles at risk, prison leavers etc.

Academic institutions such as universities

A single or joint honours degree of at least 2(ii) classification in Criminology, Sociology, Law, Political Science, Social Studies, Social Policy, or a related academic discipline.

Applications from candidates who have relevant professional experience in lieu of a bachelor degree will also be considered. All applicants in this category will be invited for interview.