Philosophy of mind and cognition touches on some of the most profound questions about ourselves: What does it mean to have a mind? How is the brain related to the mind? What is consciousness? How can our mental states drive our actions? Do we have free will?
Traditionally, philosophy of mind is part of the analytical method in philosophy. Recently, however, a more phenomenological approach to typical questions in the philosophy of mind has provided a refreshing new look on old topics. Additionally, the advance of cognitive neuroscience is providing a new method to address old questions. Philosophy of Mind and Cognition in Nijmegen combines traditional analytical theorizing with insights from phenomenology and the empirical sciences.
In Philosophy of Mind and Science you study problems such as mental causation, phenomenal consciousness and the nature of mental state attribution from the viewpoint of neurophenomenenology and the embodied embedded cognition paradigm.
The research carried out in this section (‘cognitiefilosofie') covers a number of traditional topics: mental causation, perception of, for example, colour, phenomenal consciousness and qualia, theories of mind, mental content and the nature of folk-psychology.
These subjects are specifically addressed against the backdrop of the idea that cognition is essentially embodied. This is the basic premise of the 'embodied embedded cognition paradigm', the 'enactive' approach to cognition and specific body-based forms of neurophenomenology.
Three smaller research projects take place within this section: (1) 'The Bisected Mind', the idea that folk psychology can be regarded as an interpretation of body-based behavioural tendencies and tries to reconcile indeterminacy of mental state attribution with mental realism (Slors). (2) 'Phenomenal Consciousness and Mental Causation', which addresses the problem of the causal efficacy of phenomenal states as well as the possibility of a science of consciousness (van de Laar). (3) 'Colour Perception', which aims to reconcile different theories on the nature of colour and colour perception by developing the idea that the concept of colour is multi-layered, instead of monolithic (van Leeuwen).
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/philosophy/mind
Philosophy has a unique role within contemporary society. Unlike other academic disciplines, its subject matter is not limited to one set of questions, or one domain of investigation. Philosophers delve into all aspects of science and society. In order to do this, they must possess two essential skills, namely the ability to analyse complex issues logically and conceptually and the ability to document their conclusions in clear and persuasive language. Such skills are not innate. They require intensive training. The Research Master's programme in Philosophy constitutes the first professional step towards the acquisition of these skills.
This programme has been designed for people with the ambition to do research. Graduates tend to fall into three groups. A majority of the students continue their research within academia by applying for a doctoral programme in the Netherlands or abroad. We take particular pride in the fact that more than 75 percent of our graduates manage to obtain a PhD position within two years of graduating. A second group goes on to teach philosophy at secondary schools. And a third group enter research-related professions outside of education. Our graduates are also represented in journalism, science policy, and politics.
Philosophy has a unique role within contemporary society. Unlike other academic disciplines, its subject matter is not limited to one set of questions, or one domain of investigation. Philosophers delve into all aspects of science and society. In order to do this, they must possess two essential skills, namely the ability to analyse complex issues logically and conceptually and the ability to document their conclusions in clear and persuasive language. Such skills are not innate. They require intensive training. The Research Master's programme in Philosophy constitutes the first professional step towards the acquisition of these skills.
What makes this programme special?
The English-taught Research Master's programme in Philosophy is a two-year course that is meant for students of proven ability who wish to prepare for an academic career in philosophy. We offer the following to provide you with the best possible academic background:
- A combination of internationally acclaimed research and excellent teaching
- Research seminars in the history of philosophy, continental philosophy and analytic philosophy
- A broad range of specialisations in Philosophical Anthropology, Metaphysics, Philosophy of mind, Philosophy of language and Logic, Philosophical Ethics, Social and Political Philosophy and the History of Philosophy
- An emphasis on the training of research skills
- A personal supervisor who guides you throughout the programme
- An excellent preparation for post-graduate life by means of the specialised character of the Research Master's thesis, which is composed of a publishable article and of a PhD research proposal
- A high chance of obtaining a PhD position in the Netherlands or abroad
- An international climate.
See the website http://www.ru.nl/masters/philosophy/mind
This unique programme combines music psychology with neuroscience, focusing on both the biological and cognitive aspects of musical behaviour.
The MSc in Music, Mind and Brain (MMB) is highly interdisciplinary and draws on expertise from leading figures in the field, in areas ranging from music cognition, cognitive neuroscience, computational modelling, music education and music therapy.
As a student on the MSc, you will learn about topics in music psychology (from perception to cognition) and the cognitive neuroscience of music, and will acquire all the necessary skills to pursue your own high-quality research.
The programme benefits from good links with institutions such as the Institute of Education, the Royal College of Music, and the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery.
The Msc in Music, Mind and Brain was founded by Professor Lauren Stewart.
Current programme directors Dr Daniel Müllensiefen and Dr Maria Herrojo-Ruiz are joined by an expert teaching faculty, all of whom have international profiles within the fields of music psychology and/or the neuroscience of music.
Our Eminent Invited Speaker Series brings world-leading researchers to Goldsmiths to present their latest research to our students.
We offer a range of research projects, drawing on a variety of approaches: behavioural, computational, neuroscientific. Students are also invited to propose a project of their own choice, providing appropriate supervision can be offered.
If a student has a contact with an external supervisor, it may be possible to arrange for project supervision outside Goldsmiths with the involvement of a faculty member as co-supervisor. Examples of previous projects include:
Written examinations; written coursework (essays); oral presentations; research dissertation.
The programme will appeal to you if you are interested in pursuing doctoral research in this area or if you are already a music professional wishing to approach music scientifically.
Graduates from the Music, Mind and Brain programme have gone on to work in one of the following areas:
Other careers that would be informed by this programme include music therapy, neuro-rehabilitation, music consultancy and music and adverstising.
Find out more about employability at Goldsmiths.
This programme provides an intensive grounding in the philosophy of embodied cognitive science, its methodologies, research questions and techniques of research.
You will study among one of the world’s largest and most vibrant postgraduate communities in philosophy, alongside internationally recognised leaders in the study of mind, of language, and of situated and embodied cognition. By choosing this programme, you will be entering an increasingly popular field in which many large unsolved problems remain.
This programme comprises two semesters of taught courses followed by a dissertation of 8,000 words written at the end of the second semester. You will be assigned a dissertation supervisor with whom you meet to plan your reading and discuss your work.
Compulsory courses:
A wide range of optional courses is offered in the philosophy, psychology, language sciences, informatics and music subject areas. Options may include:
This programme will provide you with the training necessary to undertake research in philosophy of cognitive science, and ultimately to pursue a career in academic philosophy. You will also acquire an understanding of the central debates in the sciences of the mind today.
If you do not intend to follow an academic route, the study of philosophy helps to develop general intellectual abilities and enhance analytical, critical, interpretive and problem-solving abilities.
This innovative online programme allows you to take advantage of Edinburgh’s remarkable range of expertise in the core philosophical areas of epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of mind and cognitive science.
Thanks to our state-of-the-art e-learning software and extensive digital resources, you can gain a world-class graduate qualification without the expense of relocating. You will also benefit from the flexible structure of the programme, which will allow you to balance your studies with work and family commitments and to develop your own specialised interest under the expert guidance of our distinguished academics.
This programme is designed to offer you a thorough grounding in contemporary philosophical research, particularly in those core areas of philosophy where Edinburgh has particular strengths: epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of mind and cognitive science.
The programme is affiliated with the Eidyn Research Centre and draws on its cutting-edge research in core areas of philosophy.
This is an online only programme that will be taught through a combination of short video lectures, web discussion boards, video conferencing and online exercises.
You will have regular access both to faculty and dedicated teaching assistants, including one-to-one interactions. You will also interact with other students on the programme as part of a dedicated virtual learning environment.
You will study compulsory courses in philosophical methodology and the areas of epistemology, ethics, and philosophy of mind and cognitive science. Advanced option courses are available in these areas and in philosophy of science.
Students taking the full MSc will write a dissertation (8,000 to 10,000 words) on a research topic developed in consultation with their supervisor.
This programme is taught through a combination of short video lectures, web discussion boards, video conferencing and online exercises with regular interaction, one-to-one with teaching staff or with other students.
The MSc/PgDip/PgCert in Epistemology, Ethics and Mind aims to:
This programme would be an ideal foundation for further graduate work in philosophy.
The MLitt in Epistemology, Mind and Language is a one year taught postgraduate programme run by the St Andrews and Stirling Graduate Programme in Philosophy (SASP), taught by staff from both the University of St Andrews and the University of Stirling. It focuses on topics within epistemology, the philosophy of mind and the philosophy of language; with classes covering normativity, intentionality, representation, consciousness, rules, thought, and reason and rationality available.
The MLitt degree requires two semesters of full-time (or four semesters part-time) coursework, normally equivalent to four modules. Each module has a minimum contact time of 12 hours. The modules are taught as small group discussion seminars, with an average size of four to eight students in each group. Additionally, there may be class trips where relevant to the taught modules.
The assessment for the taught modules is based on coursework including:
The MLitt in Epistemology, Mind and Language can also be taken as a part-time programme. Students will be expected to take three modules per year over two years, working on the dissertation over two summers. For more information about part time study, please contact the SASP secretary by emailing [email protected].
The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2017–2018 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2018 entry.
On this programme you will explore issues in philosophy of mind and the cognitive sciences, such as the nature of intentionality, physicalism, philosophical issues concerning rationality and interpretation, and consciousness.
You will be taught by a vibrant community of philosophers, who pursue original research on a wide range of topics giving you expert supervision for your dissertation.
You will study six taught modules in total, three of which are core Philosophy modules:
Your remaining three modules are optional, and can be chosen from a range of modules in Philosophy. Up to 40 credits can be taken from outside the discipline, e.g. from the School of Psychology or the School of Computer Science.
Assessment
Modules are assessed by written assignment. You will also complete a 15,000-word dissertation, with support from a supervisor.
As well as the taught modules you take on this programme, you are encouraged to participate in our weekly Postgraduate Seminar and in the regular meetings of PhilSoc, so you'll be able to gain insight from a range of academics and peers from across the department.
Support with academic writing
As a postgraduate student in the College of Arts and Law, you have access to the Academic Writing Advisory Service (AWAS) which aims to help your transition from undergraduate to taught Masters level, or back into academia after time away. The service offers guidance on writing assignments and dissertations for your MA/MSc programme with individual support from an academic writing advisor via tutorials, email and the provision of online materials.
International students can access support for English Language development and skills through the Birmingham International Academy (BIA).
Your degree will provide excellent preparation for employment and this will be further enhanced by a range of employability support services offered by the University.
The University's Careers Network provides advice and information specifically for postgraduates that will help you to develop an effective career and skills development strategy, and to make the most of your time with us at the University. The College of Arts and Law also has a dedicated careers and employability team to deliver tailored programmes of careers events and local support.
You will have opportunities to: meet employers face-to-face at on-campus recruitment fairs; attend employer presentations and skills workshops; receive individual guidance on your job applications, writing your CV and improving your interview technique; and access to comprehensive listings of hundreds of graduate jobs and work experience opportunities.
You will also be able to access our full range of careers support for up to two years after graduation.
Postgraduate employability: Philosophy
Birmingham's Philosophy postgraduates develop a range of skills that are highly desirable in the job market, including: articulacy; precise analytical thought; clarity; rigour in formulating complex problems; and the ability to analyse and construct sound arguments.
Due to the transferable nature of their skills, Philosophy postgraduates traditionally enter a wide range of employment areas, from teaching and lecturing to publishing. Employers that graduates have gone on to work for include: BBC; Friends of the Earth; Birmingham Children?s Hospital; Highways England; and University of Birmingham.
The MSc in Evolutionary and Comparative Psychology is a full-time taught postgraduate programme run by the School of Psychology and Neuroscience. This distinctive programme tackles fundamental issues associated with the origins of human cognition via a wide range of
Over two semesters, students take four compulsory modules and 30 credits of optional module(s). The modules are taught through lectures, seminars, workshops and tutorials. Assessment comprises entirely of coursework; there are no exams. On average, class sizes range up to 80 students for lectures and 20 students for seminars.
The final three months of your course will be dedicated to a 15,000-word research project dissertation.
Further particulars regarding curriculum development.
The modules in this programme have varying methods of delivery and assessment. For more details of each module, including weekly contact hours, teaching methods and assessment, please see the latest module catalogue which is for the 2017–2018 academic year; some elements may be subject to change for 2018 entry
This international programme is offered by three of Europe's most prestigious centres of research and teaching in cognitive studies and neuroscience: UCL, Université Pierre et Marie Curie, and Ecole Normale Supérieure. Students design an individualised programme of study, exploring multidisciplinary perspectives.
Students develop an understanding of the cognitive sciences and neurosciences, and how mechanisms operating at the molecular, cell, network and system level affect normal brain function. They gain a working knowledge of modern methods for scientific and clinical investigation of the human nervous system, along with exposure to leading-edge research.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits in the first year of the programme at UCL.
The programme consists of up to six taught modules (at 15- or 30-credit weighting to a total value of 90 credits) a library project (30 credits) and a research project (60 credits).
Core modules
Optional modules
Students choose up to six modules from the following degrees:
Dissertation/report
All students undertake a library project which is assessed by a 5,000-word essay, and a laboratory research project which culminates in a 10,000-word dissertation and oral examination.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars and practical workshops. Lectures are supported by audio-visual aids and supplementary materials, including hand-outs, reading lists and references to original papers and/or reviews. Assessment is through coursework, examination, library project, research dissertation and oral examination.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Brain and Mind Sciences MSc
Students will graduate with a Master's from UCL, and an international university diploma (Master's level) from UPMC/ENS. Upon successful completion of the two-year joint MSc programme, students will be able to embark upon a successful career in their chosen field of research into the expression of human behaviour and its biological substrate.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
Students will design their own curriculum in both London and Paris, tailoring their studies to their own area of interest. The individualised nature of the programme attracts intellectually mature students who are confident enough to define their own research path. The opportunity to undertake original research in two centres of excellence makes the successful student more attractive to potential PhD supervisors, as evidenced by the fact that 90% of graduating students go on to full-time doctoral studies.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
Students on this programme benefit not only from the high-quality teaching and training available through the UCL Institute of Neurology, but also through our partners in Paris.
The programme is two years in length, with the first year spent in London and the second in Paris. Students will undertake two distinct research projects.
The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.
The following REF score was awarded to the department: Institute of Neurology
83% rated 4* (‘world-leading’) or 3* (‘internationally excellent’)
Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.
The Philosophy MA enables students to benefit from the acknowledged expertise of UCL's lively, close-knit intellectual community, and also access the stimulation and dynamism of London's wider philosophical community. The programme offers the flexibility for recent graduates in the subject to study chosen topics in greater depth.
The programme allows students to develop an advanced knowledge of problems in contemporary analytic philosophy, the history of philosophy and the study of value. It provides students with an understanding of a representative range of central philosophical debates and of the nature of philosophical problems, and encourages them to develop and defend their own viewpoint.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of two core modules (30 credits), six optional modules (90 credits) and a research dissertation (60 credits).
Core modules
These modules introduce students to graduate study in philosophy. Students will give short presentations on central topics and classic papers which form the basis of discussion.
Optional modules
Options may include the following:
Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project in any area of philosophy taught and approved by the department, leading to in a dissertation of 12,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is taught through a combination of seminars, lectures, and supervisions. Students' performance is assessed through examinations, presentations, coursework, and the dissertation.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Philosophy MA
Applicants for this programme may be eligible for a number of funding opportunities, including UCL graduate scholarships.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
Graduates of this programme have become successful lawyers, journalists, theatre directors and novelists among other careers. Those who perform sufficiently well on the MA can expect to pursue further research in philosophy in London or elsewhere.
Recent career destinations for this degree
Employability
The programme equips graduates with the skills to analyse complex ideas, develop independence of judgement and originality of thought, evaluate arguments rigorously, present views lucidly both orally and on paper, and question orthodox views. The programme provides an ideal basis for future academic study and many graduates proceed to research degrees in the UK and abroad.
Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.
The department has strengths in philosophy of mind, language, political and moral philosophy, metaphysics, epistemology and the history of philosophy.
Our students benefit significantly from our location in London, which is one of the international centres of philosophical activity. London is home of a number of renowned journals (Philosophy; Mind & Language; Proceedings of the Aristotelian Society) and hosts regular visiting speakers from across the world. Over 60 philosophers are active in London making it one of the largest and most varied philosophical communities in the world.
The Mind Lab by Unitec is proud to have partnered with Teach First NZ: Ako Mātātupu in delivering The Master of Teaching and Education Leadership. This programme aims to employ a collaborative and culturally responsive effort to develop exceptional teachers and inspirational leaders.
Are you a graduate from a high-need specialist teaching area and aim to be a registered secondary teacher? If so, the Master of Teaching and Education Leadership (MTEL) can help you get there.
Develop the skills and knowledge that will prepare you for the classroom in this comprehensive and practical Master's programme. As an MTEL student you’ll start with an initial intensive training programme. Following this you’ll begin a full-time teaching position in a secondary school for two years where you’ll learn as you go. Here you’ll teach while completing your Master's.
As a graduate of this programme you'll be able to:
The program is offered in English and leads to the Master degree in Cognitive Science. Students choose between two tracks:
Each track offers a selection of specialized courses, to allow students to tailor their training to their academic interests. The curriculum includes courses focusing on neurophysiological aspects of cognitive processes, the study of human behavior, and human-computer interaction.
Two characteristic features of this program are a close relationship between teaching and research practices & a constant interplay between biology-based and technology-based explorations of the human mind and brain.
The programme provides research-focused training with a varied, international group of faculty and researchers. All students are actively involved in developing research projects and have access to the laboratories during the Master’s course, thus gaining invaluable hands-on experience with cutting-edge research technologies. This includes functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS), magnetic encephalography (MEG), transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS), electroencephalography (EEG), eye tracking, cinematic motion tracking, psychophysics, computational modeling, & comparative cognition (animal models) for the CN track; and for the LMI track, machine learning technologies, like deep learning and multitask learning, will be applied to language understanding in interaction with other modalities.
The knowledge and skills gained during the Master’s course will most of all provide a foundation for advanced scientific research, but also prepare for professional applications in more applied settings.
The Master’s degree course in Cognitive Science is aimed at the acquisition of advanced theoretical and methodological knowledge in cognitive science through an interdisciplinary approach to the study of the mind-brain system and of human language through computational models. The perspective adopted is that of the interdisciplinary approach, which integrates the biological, technological and cognitive approaches in order to allow a better understanding of human action, focusing the educational intervention and other educational activities mainly on cognitive neuropsychology and on computational linguistics.
The curriculum is characterized by training experiences and significant research activities at highly qualified laboratories, both in the field of brain-imaging (fMRI, EEG, TMS, etc.) and in the field of natural language processing, also in order to achieve the implementation of the skills acquired. We also offer students the opportunity to attend training courses abroad as part of international exchange programmes and of numerous collaborations with foreign universities. The assessment of the competences acquired will take into consideration both the theoretical knowledge and the practical skills acquired by students, also in the context of integrated courses across multiple disciplines.
Graduates will be able to apply advanced skills in cognitive science using computational, observational and experimental methodologies in the study of the mind-brain system and computational linguistics. The course of study will also allow students to conduct research activities as part of the analysis and development of systems related to human cognitive performance, conducting empirical research and the development of neural and computational models of cognition. They can perform these tasks as independent professionals or also as consultants at public and private entities.
The Master's degree in Cognitive Science provides access to doctoral courses in the disciplines of cognitive science, both in Italy and in Europe and the United States. The CIMeC offers a PhD program in Cognitive and Brain Sciences.
Our flagship Philosophy programme offers excellent opportunities to enhance your learning among a large, vibrant and supportive postgraduate and research community at a university that has long been associated with some of the field’s most important thinkers, such as David Hume.
This programme provides an intensive grounding in philosophy, its methodology and techniques of research. It is the ideal programme to lead on to further research and study in philosophy as part of a PhD programme.
We will provide a broad advanced education in philosophy or a chance to specialise in any of our key areas:
This programme comprises two semesters of taught courses followed by a dissertation, which you will write at the end of the second semester and over the summer.
Most courses in the philosophy department are taught in small seminar groups that meet weekly. Assessment is by essays and a dissertation of 8,000 words.
At the dissertation stage, you will be assigned a supervisor with whom you meet to plan your reading and discuss your work.
Compulsory courses:
If you choose to follow a specialisation, the courses you choose will relate to that route. Options may include:
This is the ideal programme for deepening your involvement in philosophy, giving you a grounding in postgraduate work or developing an academic career in philosophy.
The study of philosophy helps develop general intellectual abilities and enhance analytical, critical, interpretive and problem-solving abilities.
This programme brings you into a postgraduate community with a very high academic job-placement record.
This Masters is especially designed for students who don't already have a Philosophy degree. It will provide you with an in-depth knowledge of analytic philosophy, including such core areas as metaphysics, ethics, social and political philosophy, the history of philosophy, philosophy of the mind and philosophy of mathematics and language. The MLitt is also exceptional in providing a fast-track route into a PhD in Philosophy.
The Philosophy MLitt has three components:
1. Introduction to Analytic Philosophy (40 credits)
2. A choice of four of the following courses (20 credits each):
3. A dissertation on a topic of your choice guided by individual support from an expert supervisor (60 credits).
Philosophy students at Glasgow receive rigorous and personalised training in problem solving skills, writing skills, presentation and research skills.
All these skills are widely applicable and recognised to be exceptionally valuable in a wide range of careers, including journalism, teaching, the Civil Service, local government, business, publishing, law, and the arts.
You will also be well equipped to carry onto a further degree in philosophy such as the PhD.
Our Philosophy MSc offers you the opportunity to work closely with our staff in courses based upon their own expertise and current research. It will introduce you to the cutting edge of recent developments in analytic philosophy, from the practical and applied, to the most theoretical end of the subject.
The degree consists of a choice of a choice of four semester-length courses across a range of philosophical topics, all driven by the cutting edge research of our professors and lecturers. There is also a 10-15000 word dissertation to be completed on a topic of your choice, supported by an expert supervisor over the summer.
We always offer the following courses:
Students may either choose two topics and complete both semester-length courses in that topic (e.g. Metaphysics A and B and Philosophy of Language A and B) or choose semester-length courses in several topics (e.g. Ethics A and B, Philosophy of Mind A and Political Philosophy B).
New courses are planned for 2016-17 (subject to approval) in the following topics:
History of Analytic Philosophy including Wittgenstein and Quine A (semester 1) and B (semester 2).
Philosophy students at Glasgow receive rigorous and personalised training in problem solving skills, writing skills, presentation and research skills.
All these skills are widely applicable and recognised to be exceptionally valuable in a wide range of careers, including journalism, teaching, the Civil Service, local government, business, publishing, law, and the arts.
This degree also provides an exceptional foundation for philosophical research at the doctoral level.
This degree is for independent, critical thinkers who want to work, or are working, within criminal justice or want to undertake further research. Many of our students have undergraduate criminology degrees, and come from universities across the world. Often they want to continue their learning or specialise within a specific subject area. Students also come from other science, humanities and legal backgrounds and from within the criminal justice system. Research methods form a key component of the programme so having an interest in data collection and analysis is valuable.
At City we believe crime is multi-dimensional, which is why this MSc course brings the victim into focus, not just the offender. The criminal mind is complex and our understanding of it matters – not just to the individual, but also to their family, the community and wider society at large.
We live in a criminogenic global society; one that is producing new forms of crime, and new criminal opportunities. City’s Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc course unpicks the power of the criminological imagination within this society.
This is not a Masters that focuses purely on criminal justice or crime control – instead we emphasise cutting-edge theoretical analysis and methodological training, so you can research the contemporary significance of crime and see how it can be a powerful marker of social and institutional change.
Originally part of City’s MA in Human Rights, this degree offers a distinctive perspective on the relationship between criminology and human rights violations. It is global in outlook because, by its nature, crime is transnational and is taught by eminent criminologists who author the books that appear on reading lists across the country.
Here are some of the questions the course poses:
We will teach you through a combination of lectures, interactive workshops and seminars, in the first and second term (September-April). This is supplemented by insight from external visiting criminologists, criminal justice charities, research agencies and, in some cases, retired criminals. This gives you the opportunity to ask questions, debate your ideas and present your own evidence around particular arguments.
During the dissertation phase of the degree you also have the chance to visit the Central Criminal Court (otherwise known as the Old Bailey) and in some cases undertake a prison visit. One student is currently in New York, researching the New York Police Department, as part of her dissertation on the stresses of being a police officer in 2016.
The majority of postgraduate sociology modules are assessed by coursework. However, if you choose to study some modules outside of the department you may have different assessment methods so please check this carefully. You will need to gain a minimum pass mark of 50% in all assessment components.
Dissertation
The dissertation marks the point in the course where you begin to take hold of your research and let your criminological imagination come into play. The dissertation (of 15,000 words) accounts for one third of the total marks for the Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc degree. By the end of the first term you will have to start considering your dissertation topic. You may already know you area of focus, but we offer guidance and support through dissertation workshops.
You will take three 30-credit compulsory core modules and two 15-credit elective modules. Your choice of elective modules will hone your degree towards your own area of interest. In the final part of the course you take part in a dissertation workshop and produce a dissertation over the summer period.
The first module, ‘Analysing crime’ makes up the course’s theoretical base. You then research contemporary developments in criminal justice and penal policy within the second core module. At this point in the course you get to choose from a number of elective modules covering diverse topics including the dark side of media notoriety and celebrity, and the criminal mind. All these modules draw on the School’s research strengths making them unique to City.
Core modules
Elective modules
NB: Elective module choices are subject to availability and timetabling constraints.
The Criminology and Criminal Justice course is taught by internationally recognised experts and prepares you for careers across the public, private and voluntary sectors.
From research to policy development and from the security services to the criminal justice system and victim support, you will have a wealth of employment options once you graduate. Previous graduates are now working in:
Taught Masters degrees in History, Art History, Philosophy and American Studies at Sussex, a top 20 University
