COURSE CURRICULUM

The MSc Criminology course provides advanced knowledge of crime, criminal justice systems and contemporary criminological issues while developing strong research and analytical skills. The Criminal Justice module explores procedures, processes, power and politics within the justice system and examines how criminal justice institutions operate in historical and modern contexts at local, national and international levels. The Criminological Theory module introduces classical, modern and contemporary criminological theories and explains how social, political and economic changes have influenced the development of criminology over time. Through the Criminology in Context module, you investigate real-world criminological issues such as rehabilitation, social harm and crime prevention while learning how research methods are used to analyse these challenges from different theoretical perspectives. The Social Research Methods module develops advanced skills in qualitative and quantitative research, helping you understand research design, data collection, ethical considerations and the relationship between theory and evidence. The Dissertation Project forms a major part of the programme, allowing you to choose a specialist research topic, develop a research question and complete an independent study under the supervision of an academic expert. Throughout the course, you gain expertise in criminological theory, criminal justice policy, research methodology and critical analysis, preparing you for careers in policing, probation services, prisons, youth justice, victim support, community safety, government agencies, research organisations and further doctoral study in criminology or related disciplines.