This course is distinctive because it includes elements of international criminology, restorative justice and research training. The strong focus on restorative justice reflects a view of criminal justice found on several continents.
The course is flexible. You can choose the taught path, the restorative justice path or the research route.
We’re a forward-thinking, innovative law school. Our research helps shape global policy. We do what we do to empower people, to protect people and improve people’s lives.
The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) ranks us joint tenth in the UK, with Oxford and Warwick. Ninety per cent of our research was judged world-leading or internationally excellent.
We offer a wide range of law and criminology courses. Our leading criminology courses are delivered by internationally-renowned academics within our Centre for Criminological Research; one of the four original criminological centres of excellence in the UK.
Uniquely among English Russell Group law schools, we also offer the opportunity for you to complete both the academic and vocational stages of qualifying as a solicitor in our Centre for Professional Legal Education.
Our graduates include CEOs, lawyers, partners in big corporate firms, judges and barristers. Others are solicitors, academics, politicians and policy makers or work in criminal justice or at the Home Office.
Many of our graduates become legal practitioners. But you can use your postgraduate training in different ways, including business, policy development, teaching or research. Our staff can support you in whichever path you choose, having a wealth and variety of experience across all these areas.
Your course will give you the opportunity to meet and engage with professional organisations. And our excellent careers service will support you from the outset, helping you to identify your strengths and plan your next move. At the School of Law we also have an in-house careers adviser, offering specialised advice to Legal Practice Course, Graduate Diploma in Law and other postgraduate students who wish to pursue a career in the legal profession.
Many of our academics are internationally respected for their research. Their groundbreaking work informs what we teach.
Our research groups cover a lot of ground, including criminology, commercial law and law in its international context. You’ll benefit from their expertise and that of their professional contacts. Your course will equip you with an in-depth knowledge of your chosen area of law or criminology. Our Legal Practice Course is highly regarded. It will provide you with all the skills and knowledge you need to enter the legal profession in England or Wales.
We have our own courtroom, a dedicated postgraduate computer room and quiet study space. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building so you can easily access the library’s online collections. Our students can also access our e-resources from anywhere in the world.
Taught path:
A choice of several modules including:
For details of our Research Pathway please see http://www.sheffield.ac.uk/law
Teaching takes place through seminars. You’ll be assessed on your essays and a dissertation.
The Institute of Criminology and Criminal Justice aims to provide a stimulating and relevant postgraduate degree programme taught by internationally recognized scholars and researchers. Students have the opportunity to exit the programme with either an LLM in Criminal Justice or an LLM in Criminology and Criminal Justice, depending on optional modules undertaken.
The Institute’s particular strengths lie in the following areas: policing; transitional justice; critical criminology; sex offending; young people, crime and justice; community safety; prisoner reintegration; and restorative justice. Staff members have strong links with local criminal justice agencies and community organisations as well as extensive comparative and international expertise, providing for a unique student experience. The programme takes an interdisciplinary approach to the study of crime and justice and draws on original staff research. Modules are rooted in relevant theoretical frameworks with a strong criminological focus and provide students with methodological training in addition to supporting the development of critical analysis and other transferable skills. Through the dissertation students can explore a wide variety of criminological and criminal justice topics.
The programme is delivered through a series of taught modules and culminates in the submission of a dissertation on an original topic.
http://www.law.qub.ac.uk/schools/SchoolofLaw/Study/PostgraduateTaught/llm-criminal-justice/
Criminal Justice Processes
Theoretical Criminology
Dissertation of 15,000-20,000 words
Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
Transitional Justice
Crime, Justice and Society
Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights
Criminology Methods 1
Criminology Methods 2
Approaches to Legal Research
This course is directed at students seeking a short, tailored programme in criminology, criminal justice and restorative justice as well as practitioners and policy-makers in these fields who may wish to deepen their knowledge and understanding of recent domestic and international developments.
The Certificate will suit people who wish to gain expert, relevant and up-to-date information about contemporary and emergent theoretical, empirical and policy-related developments in
these fields, with a particular emphasis on the comparative aspects of these developments.
You’ll take fewer modules than classmates studying toward the MA International Criminology. The PG Certificate allows you to choose four taught modules from the MA programme, with the option to study on a full or part-time basis.
Upon successful completion, you also have the option to apply for transfer to the MA International Criminology, with the completed modules counted towards the masters degree.
We’re a forward-thinking, innovative law school. Our research helps shape global policy. We do what we do to empower people, to protect people and improve people’s lives.
The 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) ranks us joint tenth in the UK, with Oxford and Warwick. Ninety per cent of our research was judged world-leading or internationally excellent.
We offer a wide range of law and criminology courses. Our leading criminology courses are delivered by internationally-renowned academics within our Centre for Criminological Research; one of the four original criminological centres of excellence in the UK.
Uniquely among English Russell Group law schools, we also offer the opportunity for you to complete both the academic and vocational stages of qualifying as a solicitor in our Centre for Professional Legal Education.
Our graduates include CEOs, lawyers, partners in big corporate firms, judges and barristers. Others are solicitors, academics, politicians and policy makers or work in criminal justice or at the Home Office.
Many of our graduates become legal practitioners. But you can use your postgraduate training in different ways, including business, policy development, teaching or research. Our staff can support you in whichever path you choose, having a wealth and variety of experience across all these areas.
Your course will give you the opportunity to meet and engage with professional organisations. And our excellent careers service will support you from the outset, helping you to identify your strengths and plan your next move. At the School of Law we also have an in-house careers adviser, offering specialised advice to Legal Practice Course, Graduate Diploma in Law and other postgraduate students who wish to pursue a career in the legal profession.
Many of our academics are internationally respected for their research. Their groundbreaking work informs what we teach.
Our research groups cover a lot of ground, including criminology, commercial law and law in its international context. You’ll benefit from their expertise and that of their professional contacts. Your course will equip you with an in-depth knowledge of your chosen area of law or criminology. Our Legal Practice Course is highly regarded. It will provide you with all the skills and knowledge you need to enter the legal profession in England or Wales.
We have our own courtroom, a dedicated postgraduate computer room and quiet study space. Wi-Fi is available throughout the building so you can easily access the library’s online collections. Our students can also access our e-resources from anywhere in the world.
Students will choose four from the following:
Teaching in each module takes place through fortnightly seminars. Modules will be assessed by 3,000 words of written work, normally in the form of an essay.
This pathway draws upon Birmingham Law School's research strengths in International Law, International Humanitarian Law, Criminal Law and Justice, and Human Rights, enabling students to develop expertise in a wide range of relevant International law subjects.
Students can study modules in international, transnational and European criminal law and justice alongside more nationally rooted specialisms and a breadth of human rights modules. Through our long-standing dedicated counter-terrorism modules, and those focusing upon specific theoretical or practical criminal justice issues (ranging from restorative justice to mentally disordered offenders) as well as our specialist human rights modules, we offer our students a unique opportunity for broad study and in-depth specialisation.
For those seeking a deeper understanding of the increasingly global structures which govern criminal justice as well as the finer issues challenging criminal justice structures, this course offers a unique learning opportunity and is an excellent choice for those seeking legal opportunities around the world.
In our research at Birmingham Law School we increasingly encounter the challenges of internationalised legal problems, regionalised or globalised criminal justice intervention and enforcement and the severe challenges posed to human rights by them. In developing this course we set out to encourage students to explore these with us.
Alongside the intellectual challenge, we also recognise a distinct increase in employment opportunities arising beyond the traditional jurisdictions of lawyers, let alone criminal justice professionals. By undertaking a combination of the modules available on this pathway, our students will become uniquely knowledgeable of dynamic, vital and growing aspects of international law theory and practice.
Birmingham's LLM pathways have been designed to provide in-depth analysis of important legal topics. Modules are all 20 credits in value, comprising 10 two-hour seminars to enable students to develop significant expertise in each area of law.
Birmingham offers small-group teaching on the LLM, and students opting for popular modules with large groups of students will receive (where possible) additional teaching time: classes will be split into two separate seminar groups so as to provide an equal opportunity for class interaction compared to those in smaller modules.
The LLM course last 12 months, running from September to September. All LLM pathways follow the same basic structure:
The LLM pathways enable you to develop expertise in a range of subjects. You will acquire a systematic understanding of these along with a critical appreciation of the problems that arise in these fields. You will be encouraged to demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge together with a practical understanding of how established research techniques are used to create and interpret knowledge.
Law School induction
At the start of the course there is a comprehensive welcome and induction programme designed to help you settle in and gain an understanding of the Birmingham LLM. You will familiarise yourself with the various ways in which we can support you throughout the year to ensure that your LLM course is an exciting and rewarding experience.
Students can register for modules before arrival as well as at the start of the academic year. As part of the induction process you will get the opportunity to learn more about the various modules available and make choices that correspond to your interests.
Studying part-time
All the LLM pathways may be taken part-time and completed over a period of two years. This mode of study is particularly suitable for barristers and solicitors who wish to combine professional practice with university-level study, gaining CPD points in the process.
Classes for part-time students on the LLM will be scheduled between 9am-6pm and students will typically have between 2-4 hours of teaching each week. Fees are the same as for full-time study but are split over two years.
International students
For students from outside the UK, there will be an opportunity during induction to familiarise themselves with the English legal system, as it forms the basis for the modules on offer. The English for International Students Unit provides a range of support in reading and writing academic English.
The MSc Criminal Justice Policy provides an opportunity to apply the concepts and theoretical perspectives from criminology, sociology, law and psychology to the subjects of crime, social order and criminal justice institutions.
It will provide you with the intellectual tools, from theory, empirical research, and policy analysis, to engage with current debates within criminology and criminal justice, such as restorative justice and increasing rates of incarceration. You will also learn to use historical and comparative perspectives to understand current trends. The teaching is provided by internationally renowned criminologists in the Departments of Social Policy, Law and Sociology.
You will consider challenging questions such as: How can we explain the significant crime drop seen in most Western nations in recent decades? What can government or other agencies do to reduce fear of crime? Should people go to prison for punishment or as punishment? Will reduced government spending on the police lead to an increase in crime? How can political economy and cultural analysis account for variations in penal policy across states?
You will also be able to attend the Mannheim Centre for Criminology’s seminar series and events, which are run in association with the British Society of Criminology Southern Branch. These provide an opportunity to hear about scholars’ current research as well as meet informally with speakers, other criminologists, and criminal justice professionals.
On graduation, most students move into careers in the criminal justice professions, academic or policy research in criminology and criminal justice, and policy work in governments or charities.
Further information on graduate destinations for this programme
The Master of Criminology programme is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of crime, public response to crime and, specifically, criminal justice in Europe and beyond.
The programme is characterised by a strong link between education and research, an explicitly international orientation, and a comparative approach, with special attention to the cross-border character of criminality.
General subjects include criminological theories and models of law enforcement, psychology, law and criminal justice, youth criminology and juvenile justice, and research methods. The programme also offers cutting-edge courses on international police and judicial cooperation, political crimes and transitional justice, restorative justice, terrorism, and organised and corporate crime – research fields in which our Leuven Institute of Criminology (LINC) professors are internationally renowned experts.
LINC is the most recent institutional incarnation (2007) of the criminological tradition in Leuven, which began with the establishment of the School for Criminology in 1929. Excellence in criminology continues today, combining solid research with a deep commitment to society structured within ten research lines. LINC is composed of 11 professors and more than 70 assistants and fellows involved in criminological research and education.
Prospective students should possess:
Goals
Final terms
Knowledge: The graduates need 1) to obtain specialized and more in-depth theoretical insights into the criminology; 2) to know facts concerning the developments and (the possible solutions for) problems in policy and practice of institutions that are involved in dealing with criminality. 3) to have specialized knowledge of recent developments in the field of methodology that allows to examine the problems from a point of legal and empirical-criminological view.
Skills: The graduates must be able to make an autonomous contribution in the development in the search to solutions for complex social and individual questions on the field of crime and the treatment of crime. More specifically: to be able to formulate relevant challenges for further criminological research; to observe, detect and analyze the large variables and indicators; to collect information independently; to comment and report in a methodically founded statement; can possibly function in (multidisciplinary) surroundings with eye for its own input and the guarantee of its quality.
Attitude: the graduates need to develop a discerning mind and recognize the importance of theoretical, methodological and moral reflection, both to guarantee the quality of policymaking as the quality of the own vocational practice. From an ethical notion the students develop further sensitivity for the tensions which occur at the treatment of crime and (in)security, at the individual, institutional and social level on the one hand and between these levels on the other hand.
The programme is intended to prepare students for research and professional employment in national and international policy and operational agencies in the fields of criminal justice and victim assistance.
Graduates find employment in the domains of:
This programme caters for those interested in law generally but who have not yet identified a particular area of speciality. Thus, this programme allows for flexibility and choice.
Students can construct their own programme of law studies drawn from the full range of courses on offer. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy masterclasses from guest speakers/lecturers.
At Master’s-level, there will be two compulsory elements, five electives and a dissertation. The compulsory classes are: Legal Research (20 credits) (already taught in the Law School) Dissertation (60 credits) (again, a standard element already provided for in the school).
Because of the general nature of the course, there will be no requirement for designated core modules.
It's expected that students will elect to take modules from the existing LLM/MSc within the Law School.
Compulsory classes
Elective classes
Classes are subject to availability year on year.
The course is taught through a mix of the following:
Assessment will be through a mix of exams and assessments that may be written or practical, depending on the subject.
The course is intended for anyone wishing to demonstrate a commitment to contentious law in public and private international and commercial legal contexts. The taught part of the programme includes modules which reflect the three main forms of dispute resolution process, namely adjudication (litigation and arbitration), alternative dispute resolution (ADR – principally mediation), and negotiation.
This course differs from the International Commercial Law LLM course which is primarily concerned with non-contentious aspects of commerce (modules include competition law, trade, and insurance).
Class sizes are, in general, quite small, and you will be able to mix with students on other Masters courses at Westminster Law School.
The course provides an opportunity for in-depth study of the substantive and procedural issues involved in the field, and also the acquisition of skills involved in some of the processes. It is centrally concerned with law and other rules (international and commercial) which are applicable in adjudication and also in the other dispute resolution processes.
In addition to taught modules, there is also the Dissertation module which provides an opportunity for developing a specialist knowledge of a small area of the field, which might lead to a publishable article.
The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.
Other approved modules such as International Commercial Litigation and Private International Law might be made available depending on demand and the Head of Westminster Law School’s approval.
Core modules
Option modules
This course is designed to benefit a wide range of individuals, including graduates progressing towards PhD programmes; practising lawyers; other practitioners such as arbitrators, civil servants, diplomats, insurers, journalists, judges, linguists and mediators; and commercial directors and managers.
The course is ideal for anyone with a gap year between career stages, and for anyone from the European Union and other countries wanting to improve their English for career purposes.
This programme is known for its grounding in a social justice model of inclusive community and educational practice and is relevant for a variety of professionals working in community organisations and schools, and those concerned with disability advocacy and rights.
Studying the Master of Disability and Inclusion Studies (MDInS) you'll gain a stronger understanding of social life and the differences between us, and challenge current approaches used in the education sector and beyond.
The programmes takes on an interdisciplinary approach which draws from education, psychology and social science.
As a graduate, you'll demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of concepts, issues and debates in the area of disability studies, particularly in your own research. Thinking critically and creatively, you will evaluate current issues, research and advanced scholarship in the field of disability studies and work proactively to develop professional relationships with others in the field.
Complete coursework at a pace that suits you – part-time while you work, or full-time over 18 months.
The Faculty of Education offers a postgraduate study award to associate teachers in recognition of their work in supporting the Faculty’s initial teacher education programmes and students. More information on Associate Teacher Postgraduate Study Award
Students are required to complete 180 points and there are three options regarding how study can be planned.
Required
Research Methods/Research
OR
OR
And at least one from:
Optional
Other papers can be substituted with approval. These may include 15 and 30 point papers from other discipline areas such as Psychology, Sociology/Social Policy, Cultural Geography and Women's Studies. The MDInS Programme Advisor will assist you in developing your programme of study.
Study for your specialist masters degree at a University ranked 13th in the UK for Law.
