Criminology

Entry requirements

Applying with prior qualifications

• An undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK undergraduate honours degree (normally a 2.2 or above)

Applying with non-standard entry qualifications/experience

• Applicants without such qualifications will be considered on an individual basis but will be required to demonstrate how their experiences and knowledge would enable them to study this course at Masters level in their Personal Statement.

No references are required when applying for this course.

Months of entry

September

Course content

This Criminology Masters course gives you the opportunity to gain a critical and informed understanding of criminology, by exploring the debates at the forefront of the field. There is a particular emphasis upon the practical realities, uncertainties, complexities and solutions available for criminal justice and crime reduction.

This Masters degree draws upon the expertise of staff with established reputations in the field. Tutors have a wide range of research interests and they are actively involved with the Nottingham Crime Research Unit and the Centre for the Study and Reduction of Hate Crimes, Bias and Prejudice. These specialist units are located within the Department and conduct high quality applied criminological and criminal justice research.

The course offers a distinctive theoretical and policy aspect of the subject. On completion of the course you'll graduate with an extensive vocationally relevant and and policy-orientated knowledge of crime and responses to crime, drawing on examples from across the world. You'll also develop a critical awareness of the current philosophical, theoretical and methodological problems, debates, and insights that shape the discipline.

The emphasis on policy is specifically designed to offer a more vocationally relevant course of Masters-level study that will be more pertinent if you are seeking a policy-orientated career in the Home Office, government office of the regions, local government and crime and disorder reduction partnerships.

The Criminology team regularly invites renowned experts and professionals to the University to provide an insight into their specialist knowledge and experiences. Past speakers have included Superintendent Paul Giannasi, Programme Manager of the Cross-Governmental Hate Crime Strategy and Len Jackson OBE, Interim Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.

The modules are specifically designed to reflect current development and thinking in the field of Criminology.

Delivery and assessment

The teaching and learning on the course will involve a mixture of lectures, workshops, enquiry-based learning and an individual dissertation / project. All students will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide both pastoral and academic support throughout their study. This role will switch to their dissertation supervisor during the final module. You'll be encouraged to be proactive in your engagement with these processes and you'll be introduced to your tutor (and a range of other teaching staff) during a comprehensive induction event which will be organised for you before the course begins.

Assessment will be carried out through a combination of Assessed essays (including reports, reflective reports), Policy papers, presentations, case studies and a dissertation.

Career opportunities

This course will prepare students to go on to pursue a range of professional careers in criminal justice related work in either the statutory, commercial or community voluntary sectors. The acquisition of specific criminological knowledge, along with a wide range of transferable skills such as the ability to conduct and evaluate research, will be invaluable for those seeking employment in the fast-expanding field of policy evaluation.

The course will also enhance the career opportunities of those currently working in the field and will be particularly valuable to students seeking employment in criminal justice agencies operating at central, regional and local government levels, for example:

• Home Office
• police forces
• local government
• crime and disorder reduction partnerships and their equivalencies throughout the world.

Other graduates may pursue opportunities to become researchers or academics working in the subject area of criminology in higher education. The course will also serve as an effective launching pad for those students wishing to study for a doctorate.

Careers and job application advice is available to all our postgraduate students and is provided on a one-to-one basis by our School employability team, supported by the university-wide careers service.

Information for international students

As an international school, we are committed to enhancing our cultural and intellectual diversity. We therefore like to encourage applications from students across the world who feel we can offer them the educational opportunities they are seeking at postgraduate level.

Fees and funding

The School of Social Sciences is delighted to announce the availability of a number of competitive Scholarships for our Masters courses. Please visit our website to find out more.