Course description
Description
The course was one of the first to take an internationally comparative perspective across a broad range of criminology and criminal justice issues. It is designed to meet the needs of three groups of potential students: those requiring a thorough research training specialising in criminology and criminal justice; those who are interested in pursuing criminology and criminal justice to an advanced level; and practitioners in the criminal justice field who wish to expand their horizons from national to international levels. The programme components consist of a generic research module (The Research Process) for training in qualitative and quantitative research methods in the Social Sciences, specialised research training in Comparative Criminology and Criminal Justice, Legal Research and a module on international case studies in Criminology, which allows students to incorporate their particular research interests and areas of enquiry in comparative criminological and criminal justice research. The MA includes a 15,000 word dissertation.
Modules
Core modules:
* The Research Process
* Comparative Criminological Research
* Legal Research Methods
* Key Issues in Crime and Justice
Empirical studies:
* International Case Studies in Criminology
Research dissertation
The dissertation is a piece of independent research where you are expected to apply your research skills to a specific criminological or criminal justice topic. You will conduct this work with academic guidance provided by your supervisor who will be a member of the criminology and criminal justice team. Examples of successful MA dissertations in the past include:
* Youth crime: high spirits or a criminal act
* Sex offenders in the community
* Human trafficking
* An Englishman’s home is his castle
* 'Get out of jail free’ – malingered psychosis in prison populations
Research Interests of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Team
The research interests of current staff 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
Teaching and assessment methods
Teaching occurs via lectures, seminars and tutorials given by research experts in the School of Social Sciences. Assessment methods include essays, assignments and a 15,000 word dissertation.
Careers information
Our graduate students have gone on to a range of successful careers both in academia in teaching and research and more widely in the Police Force, the Probation Service and support organisations such as CAIS.
