COURSE CURRICULUM

The first year of the Social and Public Policy MA with a focus on law and justice combines core and optional modules to provide a thorough grounding in policy, legal frameworks, and social research. Compulsory modules include the Dissertation, allowing students to undertake an independent research project and develop skills in critical analysis, research design, and academic writing. Central Issues in Criminal Law and International Criminal Law explore key legal principles, international standards, and contemporary challenges in criminal justice. Criminal Justice Processes and Public Administration: Policy, Planning and Development in a Globalised World examine the practical and organisational aspects of governance, policy-making, and service delivery. Research Strategy and Design, Postgraduate Legal Research Skills, and Policy and program Evaluation equip students with methodological and analytical tools for investigating social and legal issues, while Social Policy Debates encourages critical engagement with contemporary societal challenges. Optional modules allow students to tailor their learning to their interests, choosing from topics such as Rethinking Policing, Cyberlaw, Comparative Human Rights Law, Globalisation and Crime, Inequalities, Law and Justice, and International Human Rights, among others. These modules provide interdisciplinary perspectives on law, social justice, governance, and global policy, enabling students to develop the knowledge, analytical skills, and practical expertise necessary for careers in research, public policy, law, human rights, and related fields addressing complex social and legal issues in national and international contexts.