Masters Degrees (Youth Justice)

Our Youth Justice, Community Safety and Applied Criminology Masters fills a two-fold gap in current academic provision. It provides experienced practitioners with the opportunity to apply academic knowledge to, and critically analyse and assess, the context in which they work.

If you have a limited knowledge of criminal justice, the course offers a detailed understanding of the agencies in the criminal justice system, their functions and responsibilities. You can take up to a third of the course as an internship within a criminal justice agency.

The flexibility of the course also allows you to complete up to a third of the course through work based learning.

We expand your awareness of the social and political context of working with offenders.In-depth analysis includes 'what works' and the concept of risk assessment; key criminological theories including cultures of punishment; the legal and organisational context of crime; mediation and reparation schemes; victims and victimology; community safety; mental health issues; the history and development of youth justice; the problem of youth and youth as a problem; and drug misuse and drug-related crime.

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The MSc Crime and Justice provides an understanding of issues relating to crime and the criminal justice system, enhancing your career in this and related fields. Tuition draws upon the expertise of research staff in the University’s well established Centre for Criminology.

You will examine a range of crimes and criminal behaviour, the context of crime and responses to it. In addition to core areas of study, you can choose modules and/or pathways to suit your career development. You will explore an area of interest to you, through a 20,000-word dissertation, and gain a thorough grounding in qualitative and quantitative research methods – invaluable skills for any profession that includes planning, analysis and evaluation.

On the Substance Misuse pathway, you will study a range of criminological modules and a module on drug interventions. This specialist module provides an insight into the nature and extent of substance misuse and responses to it, including prevention, treatment, harm reduction and enforcement. Your dissertation will be related to substance misuse.

On the Youth Justice and Offender Management pathway, you will study the contexts in which offenders come into contact with the criminal justice system. The work of relevant agencies and systems that engage with those at risk of offending are also considered. Your dissertation must be related to youth justice and offender management.

See the website http://courses.southwales.ac.uk/courses/230-msc-crime-and-justice

What you will study

- Criminological theory
Explore the philosophical foundations of criminological theory and the way in which it relates to general social theory. You’ll examine the social and political contexts within which the various criminological theories have developed.

- Criminal justice – theory and practice
Learn about the general theories, principles, and models of criminal justice within a national and international context. You’ll examine the key institutions and processes that deliver criminal justice, and evaluate the interplay between them.

- Approaches to criminological research
Gain an understanding of the ways in which criminological research is designed and conducted. You’ll be given a broad overview of both qualitative and quantitative approaches to research in criminology and criminal justice and will learn about the relationship between theories and methods.

- Criminological research in practice
Develop your understanding of the ways in which criminological research is designed and conducted, putting into practice both qualitative and quantitative approaches considered in ‘Approaches to Criminological Research’.

- Dissertation
A significant piece of research into an appropriate area of study.

Optional modules include:
- Violence and Homicide
- Policing in a Global Age
- Drug Interventions (specified for Substance Misuse pathway)
- Youth Justice and Offender Management (specified for Youth and Offender Management pathway)

Learning and teaching methods

You will learn through lectures, seminars and tutorials. Certificate (PgCert) and Diploma (PgDip) stages are taught in group sessions.

Teaching on the MSc Crime and Justice takes place in the evenings and at weekends specifically to enable you to continue to work alongside your studies.

Work Experience and Employment Prospects

This course provides the knowledge and skills to pursue careers in the criminal justice system, such as the police, courts, prison, probation services and youth offending services. You could also choose a career in government organisations such as the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, Welsh Government and local authorities. Graduates also go on to careers within voluntary agencies such as offender rehabilitation, victim support, community safety, and drug treatment services. It is also an excellent basis for further research at MPhil and PhD levels.

Assessment methods

Assessment methods include essays, critiques, written examinations, multiple choice tests, and oral and poster presentations. The MSc award requires a dissertation of around 20,000 words on an individual piece of research, which may be work-related.

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IN BRIEF:

• Gain a critical and comprehensive overview of the contemporary criminal justice process
• Excellent opportunities to interact with criminal justice practitioners, both on and off campus
• Boost your career within Criminal Justice through enhancing your knowledge in this area and developing your reflective skills
• Part-time study option
• Work/industrial placement opportunity
• International students can apply

COURSE SUMMARY

This unique course views the criminal justice process as a set of decision points involving numerous agencies working singly or jointly.

It provides you with comprehensive, up-to-date, information while exploring in detail some key contemporary transformations in the field (digitalisation, partnership working, internationalisation, privatisation and accountability).

It is aimed at criminal justice practitioners, or those intending to work in this field. Our strong and growing links with local and regional criminal justice agencies support a critical and reflective approach to the workings of criminal justice.

COURSE DETAILS

MSc The Criminal Justice Process will lead you to:

1. Develop a systematic understanding of the criminal justice process.
2. Gain a critical awareness of key transformations in the contemporary criminal justice process.
3. Acquire the analytical skills required to formulate original and innovative analyses of the contemporary criminal justice process.
4. Develop critical reflection on the nature, linkages and accountabilities of key roles in the criminal justice process.

The course has both full-time and part-time routes, comprising three 12-week semesters or five 12-week semesters, which you can take within one year, or 30 months, respectively.   

TEACHING

All modules except the Dissertation and Criminal Justice Placement/Project are delivered via blended learning, combining some three-hour evening sessions on campus with distance learning activities (e.g. online reading, discussion board, webinars). Classes frequently use case studies as the focus for discussion. Lecturers provide key overviews of each topic. Students use classroom or online group discussions and questions-and-answers to explore each week’s topic. Where appropriate, experienced practitioners will join the session as visiting instructors.

All modules are supported by the virtual learning environment (Blackboard), which allows students to access learning materials remotely, participate in discussion boards and webinars, and access lists of recommended readings. The vast majority of the latter are available through the Library in electronic form and can be retrieved remotely.

Students opting to write a dissertation are supported by a designated supervisor. Students opting to undertake the Criminal Justice Placement/Project are supported by an on-site supervisor in the corresponding agency and by an academic supervisor on campus.

ASSESSMENT

You will be assessed through written assignments (66%) and dissertation (33%) or project (25%) and oral presentation (8%)

EMPLOYABILITY

Criminal justice practitioners who obtain this qualification will typically use it as a credential for promotion within their organisation.  

Recent graduates can use this qualification to support their applications for employment in the criminal justice system.

CAREER PROSPECTS

This course will suit you if you are planning to seek promotion within the criminal justice agency in which you currently work, or are seeking to change employment within the sector.  

Recent graduates can use this qualification to support their applications to the wide variety of organizations involved in the criminal justice process: police, private security companies, victim and court services, probation, the prison service, youth offending services, treatment and intervention programmes.

LINKS WITH INDUSTRY

We are proud of the growing links we have established with our Criminal Justice Partners – experienced practitioners from all segments of the criminal justice system who support our teaching at all levels. These practitioners provide invaluable guidance on new procedures and policies in criminal justice, contribute to our classes as guest instructors, and host site visits for students. They ensure that our teaching is up-to-date, closely linked to developments in the sector, and critically informed by their professional perspectives and experiences.

FURTHER STUDY

Further study beyond the MSc would involve a research degree (either an MPhil or PhD). The Directorate of Social Sciences has numerous research-active staff, several of whom specialise in topics relating to criminology and security. (See http://www.salford.ac.uk/nmsw/academics for detailed information.) We welcome applications for research degrees and can support a wide variety of projects relating to the criminal justice process.

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The course was one of the first to take an internationally comparative perspective across a broad range of criminology and criminal justice issues. It is designed to meet the needs of three groups of potential students: those requiring a thorough research training specialising in criminology and criminal justice; those who are interested in pursuing criminology and criminal justice to an advanced level; and practitioners in the criminal justice field who wish to expand their horizons from national to international levels. The programme components consist of a generic research module (The Research Process) for training in qualitative and quantitative research methods in the Social Sciences, specialised training in Applied Research Criminology and a module on international case studies in Criminology, which allows students to incorporate their particular research interests and areas of enquiry in comparative criminological and criminal justice research. The MA includes a 20,000 word dissertation.

Structure
The course aims to provide advanced training in research and analysis, linking theoretical awareness with empirical studies in criminology and criminal justice. The taught element of the course is studied by both MA and Diploma students and consists of core research training and theory modules, plus a module focussing on international and comparative criminological and criminal justice research. MA students who successfully complete the taught element proceed to the research dissertation.

Core modules:

The Research Process
Comparative Criminological Research
Key Issues in Crime and Justice
Empirical studies:

Applied Research in Criminology
MA students also take part in the fortnightly lecture series of the School of Social Sciences. Visiting speakers and Bangor staff present topics related to social policy, criminology and sociology.

Research Dissertation
The dissertation is a piece of independent research where you are expected to apply your research skills to a specific criminological or criminal justice topic. You will conduct this work with academic guidance provided by your supervisor who will be a member of the criminology and criminal justice team. Examples of successful MA dissertations in the past include:

Youth crime: high spirits or a criminal act
Sex offenders in the community
Human trafficking
An Englishman’s home is his castle
’Get out of jail free’ – malingered psychosis in prison populations
Research Interests of the Criminology and Criminal Justice Team
Youth homelessness and crime
Institutional child abuse
Critical approaches to law, crime and criminology
Sociology of law
Public opinion on crime and criminal justice
Penal policy
Rural criminology
Lay judges and jurors
Procedural justice
Popular legal culture, including film and TV
Victimology
Islamic extremism and terrorism
Trust in courts, police and the legal profession
Teaching and assessment methods
Teaching occurs via lectures, seminars and tutorials given by research experts in the School of Social Sciences. The team of lecturers employs the concept of ’active learning’ by students. Assessment methods include essays, assignments, presentations and a 20,000 word dissertation.

Careers
The course prepares for a wide range of employment including:

Law-enforcement agencies: the police, customs, the prison service
Public administration: including crime prevention units, offender management, general administration, international institutions
Political associations, work for members of parliaments, for lobby groups related to the criminal justice system and to issues of social justice broadly conceived
Research institutes, researching criminological and sociological issues
Academic institutions such as universities

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The Social Justice and Education MA will help students to identify, examine and understand key sociological and philosophical perspectives on social justice, including issues of race, class, gender and sexuality and education. Participants will explore the personal and political dimensions of social justice concerns and develop their professional, practical and research skills in this area.

Degree information

This programme provides students with the opportunity to address, in a unique way, the complex links between social justice and education, focusing on key current policy and political debates about the role of education. They will also be able to develop, extend and reflect on their own professional interests, concerns and practice and how to address pressing issues of social justice in their everyday profesional and personal lives. Through their engagmeent with cutting edge research in this area they will learn tools for fighting for social justice and transformation in the educational areas relevant for them.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

The programme consists of two core modules (60 credits), two optional modules (60 credits) and a dissertation (60 credits), or a report (30 credits) and a third optional module (30 credits).

Core modules
-Sociology of Education
-Understanding Education Research

Optional modules
-Gender, Sexuality and Education
-Rights and Education
-Understanding Educational Policy
-Sociology of 'Race' and Education
-Theoretical Foundations of Educational Ideas
-Gender, Education and Development
-Values, Aims and Society
-Students can also choose from a wide range of Master's-level optional modules across the UCL Institute of Education offering.

Dissertation/report
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 20,000 words or a report of 10,000 words.

Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a mixed mode, including face-to-face evening sessions and interactive online learning in a combination of teaching and learning styles. Sometimes a conventional lecture-based approach is taken, with the aim of providing an overview of the field. Lectures are usually followed by open discussion or group work. At other times a seminar format is adopted involving, for example, group discussion of set reading, a video or an introductory presentation. Assessment is through coursework essay assignments, plus submission of a report or dissertation.

Careers

Graduates of this programme are currently working across a broad range of areas. Some are leaders, managers, teachers and practitioners in the compulsory education sector across international contexts. Many are working as professionals in NGO organisations specialising in social justice across many countries such as Chille, Japan, Canada and the UK. Graduates can also be found working as civil servants and goverment officials. In addition, many find places in the higher education sector including across a range of professional roles, as researchers, and as university lecturers worldwide.

Employability
Students develop the capacity to:
-Reflect critically on debates concerning education and social justice across diverse contexts.
-Understand the ways in which knowledge forms, and is formed by, education politics, policy, practice and research .
-Consider the implications of theory, research and analyses about social justice in education and how it can impact their own future practice and professional development.
-Use oral and written communication skills in order to make arguments, examine evidence and creatively advance social justice and education.
-Understand processes entailed in social science and philosophical research and conduct their own unique research in the area of social justice and education.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The Department of Education, Practice and Society at UCL Institute of Education (IOE) is home to an interdisciplinary grouping bringing together high-quality teaching and research in the sociology, philosophy and history of education, international development, post-compulsory and vocational education and higher education.

The Social Justice and Education MA is taught by world-leading sociologists and philosophers within the department who have expertise in theory, research methods, policy analysis and impacting social change. They are experts in issues such as equality and human rights, gender, 'race', sexuality, youth, disability and social class. Those teaching are active researchers and will introduce the latest research and developments in their fields.

This programme explores sociological and philosophical perspectives on social justice and equalities and also explores processes of social transformation and change. Key issues debated include understanding and responding to social and educational disparities in international contexts. The programme equips students with essential theoretical and methodological research skills for critically engaging with social justice issues including understanding power relations from various perspectives. The MA attracts a diversity of both home and international students thus providing excellent educational and professional networking opportunities.

Students gain invaluable opportunities to study with leading scholars and a cohort of internationally diverse students across the IOE MA cluster in sociology, social justice and policy studies in education.

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*Individual modules are also available as short courses, which can be combined into the large qualifications.

This programme provides an ideal route for practitioners working with young people, including youth workers and those who manage them, enabling them to develop an advanced understanding of the issues involved in managing work with young people. It is designed for those who wish to further their understanding of these issues at postgraduate level and who already have (or do not require) a professional qualification in Community and Youth Work.

Course structure

Core Modules

-Youth Policy and Practice (15 credits)
-Professional and Personal Development (30 credits)
-Management in Community Settings (30 credits)
-Practitioner Research and Dissertation (60 credits)

Optional Modules

Typical modules outlined below are those that were available to students studying this programme in previous years.
-Community Analysis (15 credits)
-Community Policy and Practice (15 credits)
-Crime, Justice and the Sex Industry (30 credits)
-Drugs, Crime and Society (30 credits)
-Gender, Violence and Abuse (30 credits)
-Policy Related and Evaluation Research (15 credits)
-Qualitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits)
-Quantitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits)

To study the PG Certificate in Managing Youth Work Practice you will be required to take Management in Community and Youth Work and Youth Policy and Practice plus one 15 credit optional module.

To study the PG Diploma in Managing Youth Work Practice you will be required to take Management in Community and Youth Work, Youth Policy and Practice and Professional and Personal Development plus 45 credits from the optional modules.

Learning and Teaching

The MA Managing Youth Work Practice is designed for a range of professionals working with young people including youth workers and those who manage them, who wish to undertake related advanced study. It is ideal for those wishing to develop their understanding of the management of this work especially for those who already have or do not require a professional qualification in Community and Youth Work. It is offered through both a full time and part time route however, this summary refers to the full time route with the part time options being individually tailored to accommodate work patterns of those students already employed in profession practice. The programme is delivered through a range of lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, reflective practice seminars, research seminars and study visits.

Within an ethos of Informal Education our teaching and learning incorporates a range of methods which reflect this and time is allocated to provide a balance between tutor-led and self-directed learning.

Typically, taught sessions provide students with academic input on a particular area of the professional disciplines of youth work and reflect the diverse range of settings within which the management of practice takes place. Drawing from relevant literature and legislation and acknowledging the related range of professional skill, competence and understanding, issues are identified for discussion and draw from historical and contemporary contexts. Seminars provide the opportunity for students to discuss and debate the issues, to share ideas and experience, broaden their understanding and test out their knowledge gained through the taught sessions and independent study. Classroom learning provides students with the latest research and critical theory on the subject area.

The MA Managing Youth Work Practice provides the student with a learning opportunity within which they can apply and test understanding, knowledge and skills related to the managerial roles and responsibilities of their practice settings. A critical examination of the relationship of theory and practice is central to this. The programme is assessed through continual assessment using a range of methods including written assignments, reflective journals, individual and group presentations so there is an expectation that students will undertake independent study to prepare and plan for their classes, through reading relevant literature and legislation, journals and drawing on their current and previous practice experience.

This programme is part of the School of Applied Social Sciences and is significantly involved with the Centre for Social Justice and Community Action at Durham University, as well as being a partner in many collaborative pieces of research and professional practice developments. There are therefore many events and initiatives which the students are encouraged to attend such as extracurricular training, research seminars and workshops to broaden their understanding and deepen their knowledge of wider issues related to their professional discipline.

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Childhood and Youth is a growing field of inquiry across the social sciences. This MSc offers an opportunity to study in one of the UK's leading centres for childhood and youth based research.

This course is aimed at practitioners, policy makers and postgraduate students who want to develop their knowledge of childhood and youth and consider what it means to conduct research with children and young people at an advanced level.

It offers the opportunity to examine leading theories, methodologies and research evidence in order to understand the relationship between the conceptualisation of childhood, methodological approaches to researching with children and young people and the social impact of childhood policies and practices in a variety of social and cultural contexts and across the young life course.

Distinctive features

A distinctive feature of this programme is that two of the modules are taught as a cluster of stand-alone, day-long workshops, each focusing on cutting-edge policy and research issues. These workshops are especially designed for practitioners and policy makers who want to enhance their substantive or methodological knowledge on key areas of childhood and youth policy and practice. They also provide the opportunity for students on the full programme to engage with contemporary issues and debates through a more focused and practical lens, with leading specialists in the field.

The programme also offers exciting opportunities for you to work in an interdisciplinary social science environment and to benefit from a breadth of substantive, theoretical and methodological expertise with leading childhood and youth scholars. Members of our Childhood and Youth Research Group operate at the forefront of public policy debates, advising and steering at local and national levels on a range of contemporary issues (e.g. 'sexualisation', 'domestic violence', 'adoption') and drawing on their own research.

Structure

The course can be completed in one year with full-time study or in two years by part-time study.

A 20-credit module comprises 200 hours of study, including about 30 hours of contact time, and the MSc as a whole, 1800 hours of study.

The MSc in Childhood and Youth comprises up to three 20-credit specialist modules in childhood and youth, two 30-credit modules in social science theory and research methods, and one 60-credit supervised dissertation on a childhood and youth topic of your choice.

For a list of modules for the FULL-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/childhood-and-youth-msc

For a list of the modules for the PART-TIME route, please see website:

http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/taught/courses/course/childhood-and-youth-msc-part-time

Teaching

Our teaching is research-informed and led by researchers and scholars in one of the foremost childhood and youth studies research groups in the UK. The programme benefits from being located in an inter-disciplinary environment so that in parts of the course, you will come into contact with staff and students from other subject areas and, in other parts of the course, with staff and students in the same substantive area.

Modules employ a diverse range of teaching including lectures, seminars, group and individual tutorials, and independent guided study. All modules within the programme make use of Cardiff University’s Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) Learning Central, on which you will find course materials, links to related materials and information on assessment.

Assessment

Modules are assessed by a combination of essays, reports, reviews and presentations.

Career Prospects

Graduates from this programme will have a theoretical, methodological and substantive foundation from which they can critically evaluate how contemporary social structures, institutions, media, policies and practices impact upon children and young people's everyday lives.

This makes the programme suitable if you wish to work in child and youth-focused research, policy and advocacy roles in the private, public and voluntary sector, both nationally and internationally. It also provides a good foundation for those wishing to go on to further training in a variety of professional fields involving work with children and young people, such as education, health and social care, family policy, youth work, justice, international development and charity work.

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The opportunity to study Criminal Justice and Criminal Law at an advanced level is a particular strength of the LLM at the University of Leeds.

This programme will enable you to develop a sophisticated knowledge of current issues in criminal justice, criminology and criminal law in the UK, Europe and across the globe. It combines cutting-edge compulsory modules with a wide range of optional modules allowing you to tailor your degree to your own particular interests.

Throughout the course we’ll encourage you to:

• examine critical issues in criminal law
• explore the complex and dynamic nature of the criminal justice process
• understand the mechanics of the research process
• consider the rights of individuals within criminal justice processes.

This programme is offered within the dynamic Centre for Criminal Justice Studies (CCJS), an internationally-recognised research centre that provides an active and multi-disciplinary environment, whose members are committed to high-quality teaching in criminal justice, criminology and criminal law. The CCJS also excels in the production of research that is empirically rich, conceptually sophisticated and policy relevant. Research is interdisciplinary and often international in its reach. The University of Leeds recognises CCJS as one of its key 'peaks of research excellence'.

CCJS academics have conducted research for a range of external funding bodies including the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Nuffield Foundation, the Home Office, the Youth Justice Board, the Leverhulme Trust, the European Commission, the National Probation Service and others. Since 2001, CCJS members have been awarded research grants totalling over £10 million. Such projects sustain the established profile of the Centre as a pre-eminent research unit and ensure that our teaching is at the cutting edge of contemporary academic and policy debates.

The CCJS has an Advisory Board with more than twenty members who hold senior positions within local criminal justice and partner organisations, including the police, the judiciary, the probation service, prisons and the courts. Our strong links with the local criminal justice community bring valuable benefits for our students.

Course content

Compulsory modules studied throughout the year will introduce you to fundamental principles, theories, concepts and approaches in the fields of criminal law and criminal justice. You’ll also explore and examine the intricate and complex relationships and dynamics between criminological theory, research and practice, and the impact of criminal justice processes on individuals and social groups, often in the wider context of social and political change.

These modules will also enable you to hone your critical and analytical abilities and your legal research and writing skills, which you’ll be able to demonstrate in your dissertation – an independent piece of research on your chosen topic.

If you study with us, you’ll also benefit from our academic skills programme. This 10-week programme runs alongside your taught academic programme, and is specifically designed to meet the needs of home and international students in the School of Law. It allows you to refine and develop the academic and transferable skills to excel during your taught postgraduate programmes, as well as prepare for professional roles after graduation.

Our optional modules will give you the opportunity to gain specialist knowledge in topics that interest you. An indicative list of optional modules is provided below.

If you are a part-time student, you’ll take four compulsory modules in your first year. You’ll then take the compulsory dissertation module and your chosen one or two optional modules in your second year.

Course structure

Compulsory modules

• Criminal Justice Processes 30 credits
• Contemporary Criminological Theory and Approaches 30 credits
• Dissertation Criminal Law/Criminal Justice 60 credits
• Central Issues in Criminal Law 15 credits
• Postgraduate Legal Research Skills 15 credits

Optional modules

• Policing 1: The Nature of Contemporary Policing 15 credits
• Policing 2: Accountability of Policing 15 credits
• Security and Justice 30 credits
• European Human Rights 15 credits
• Cyberlaw: Regulation of Cyberspace 15 credits
• Globalisation and Crime 15 credits
• International Human Rights 30 credits
• Global Justice 30 credits
• Advanced Racism and Ethnicity Studies 30 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Criminal Justice and Criminal Law LLM Full Time in the course catalogue

For more information on typical modules, read Criminal Justice and Criminal Law LLM Part Time in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

Our compulsory and optional modules are taught through a range of weekly seminars, lectures and workshops.

You’ll need to prepare for your seminars and lectures, undertaking any exercises that might be prescribed in advance. Independent study is integral to this programme – not just to prepare for classes but to develop research abilities and other critical skills.

The LLM Degrees Director will be your personal supervisor and will support you throughout the programme.

Assessment

You’ll be assessed using a variety of methods but for most modules you’ll be required to write an essay of up to 4,500 words at the end of each module. You’ll also be expected to write a final dissertation.

Career opportunities

This programme is particularly suited to those who wish to pursue a career in public service, the private sector, the voluntary sector, or any other arena where success is built upon higher-level skills and advanced knowledge of criminal justice, criminology and criminal law issues.

Recent graduates have gone on to do a PhD and work in academia and in research outside academia both in the UK and overseas. Other alumni hold senior positions in criminal justice organisations including police and probation services, the prison service, and youth justice services, as well as in the private and voluntary sector, both in the UK and abroad. Some graduates have been awarded promotions following successful completion of the programme.

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Examine real-life case studies to piece together the inner workings of serious crime, and the methods used to police it. You’ll gain the skills and knowledge needed for many careers in criminal justice, such as the Police, youth justice, the Home Office or border agencies.

Overview

Focusing on serious crime, you’ll explore the practice and theory of criminal activities, including how crime is detected and policed, methods of social control, and sanctions.

By examining different theoretical standpoints, you’ll form an understanding of various Western legal and social traditions and how they compare to each other.

You’ll investigate issues such as organised illicit trade and criminal enterprise, using case studies of criminal activities including financial crime, human trafficking, and violence prevention.

Our modules will let you specialise in other areas of interest too, such as the nature of violence, terrorism, and policing transnational crime.

Most of your teaching will take place in research-seminar format to allow you to develop critical thinking, but your learning will also be supported by lectures, guest speakers and debates. You’ll have a chance to contribute to our research seminar series, and take part in our annual criminology study trips abroad.

And if you need advice, our experienced teaching staff will always be available to help you.

Teaching times: Mondays and Thursdays from 3-5pm (full-time); trimester 1 Mondays 2-5pm and trimester 2 Thursdays 2-5pm (part-time, September starts) or trimester 2 only Thursdays 2-5pm (part-time, January starts)

Course duration: 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time (September starts); 15 months full-time or 28 months part-time (January starts)

See the website http://www.anglia.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/criminology

Careers

This course will prepare you for many criminal justice-related careers, such as the immigration and border agencies, the Police, the Prison Service, the National Probation Service, youth justice, the Home Office, the court system, violence prevention or social policy and research.

Modules

Core modules:
Organised Illicit Trade
Terror as Crime
Major Project

Optional modules:
Violence in Context
International Institutions and Policy
Policing Transnational Crime

Assessment

You’ll show your progress through a combination of essays, presentations, case studies and portfolio work.

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WHAT IS THE PROGRAMME?

This is a unique and innovative interdisciplinary programme taught through subject areas that include law, anthropology, english, history, philosophy, politics, psychology, sociology and the creative arts. Module choice within the programme will permit you to build your own personalised portfolio of knowledge and learning within the area of conflict transformation and social justice. You will be taught by academics and practitioners whose expertise is both national and global and who offer research-led teaching in areas of conflict such as South/Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Southern Europe, South America and Northern Ireland.

HOW ARE WE DIFFERENT?

This MA provides the opportunity to undertake study across the Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences and beyond. You will be able to choose modules across ten disciplines and will benefit from an enriched, interdisciplinary learning environment. You will engage with core theories, concepts, issues and debates within conflict transformation and social justice, as well as with modes and forms of conflict and the legal and human rights aspects of conflict transformation and social justice.
Students will critically examine the key conceptual, moral, legal, political and cultural issues that define conflict and its relationship to transformation and social justice. Study will be framed by a core module that will draw together the various disciplinary approaches and methods. Those methods will also be taught via bespoke training modules within the Faculty’s postgraduate taught programme.

This interdisciplinary environment may provide a gateway to PhD research.

PROGRAMME DETAILS

Students are required to complete THREE compulsory taught modules:
Global Concepts and Practices of Conflict Transformation and Social Justice (20 CATS), Conducting Research in Conflict Transformation and Social Justice (20 CATS), and Making Knowledge Work (20 CATS), as well as the triple-weighted dissertation (60 CATS).

The remaining 60 CATS points will be taken via module choice from the following Schools: English, Creative Arts, Law, Politics, International Studies and Philosophy, History and Anthropology, Psychology and Sociology, Social Policy and Social Work. Students must pass all taught modules equating to 120 CATS points before being able to complete a dissertation.

The taught modules are delivered during two 12 week semesters

A student cannot take more than 40 credits in any School. Where a student wishes to take more than 40 credits in a particular School, it is recommended that they apply for the Masters programme in that School.
Within each stream students must take modules from at least two Schools.

STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAMME

The optional modules are structured into three streams. You will be able to specialise in one stream that will permit you to explore different disciplinary approaches to and perspectives on related and overlapping subjects.

Stream 1: Conflict Transformation
In Stream 1, you will be able to focus on conflict via reading across definitions, forms, expressions and manifestations of conflict, conflict transformation and social justice. This could include, for example exploring notions such as terrorism, territoriality, behaviouralism, performance, scale, ethnicity, gender, environmental resource competition, youth and class.

Stream 2: Asserting Social Justice, Inclusion and Rights
Stream 2 will give you the opportunity to link skills development to the understanding of conflict transformation via a human rights and/or social justice frame. The Stream relates to rights of assembly, human rights abuse, social injustice, environmental conflicts, disempowerment and social, gendered, youth-centred and other exclusions.

Stream 3: Religion, Society, Peace-building and Conflict
In Stream 3 you will work on understanding religion/faith-based coexistence and inter/intra faith approaches to peace-building that relate to the concepts of ‘peace via religion’, ‘peace without religion’ and ‘peace with religion’. The practice of religious/faith based approaches will be taught around the importance of faith in conflict transformation, religion/faith-based NGO examples and approaches.

Full details on the course can be found in our course booklet: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/isctsj/filestore/Filetoupload,470694,en.pdf

SPECIAL FEATURES

Only global MA programme on conflict transformation and social justice.
Only MA programme in the field to be interdisciplinary across all the humanities and social sciences in order to offer a fully rounded and multilevel analysis of the subject whilst offering optional modules for specialisation.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

A list of FAQs are available to assist you by clicking here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/isctsj/StudyWithUs/MastersinConflictTransformationandSocialJustice/FrequentlyAskedQuestions/

BE PART OF AN INTERDISCIPLINARY LEARNING EXPERIENCE

Learn more about the Institute here: http://www.qub.ac.uk/research-centres/isctsj/AboutUs/

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This programme critically addresses a range of key issues and debates relating to crime and the criminal justice system. Students have the opportunity to develop in-depth understanding of crime, deviance and criminal justice from critical theoretical, policy, legal, political and practical perspectives. Addressing issues of historical and contemporary concern such as terrorism, prostitution, legal and illegal drugs, crime in the night time economy, forced migration, gender and crime, domestic violence, crime prevention, punishment, policing, youth crime and justice, law enforcement and the use of new technologies. Students study issues of theoretical and social importance with lecturers who are international experts in their fields.

Course Structure

Students take a range of taught modules primarily in the first two terms of the academic year. Students also undertake a module on research design which enables students to develop a research proposal for their dissertation.

Core Modules:
Theorising Crime and Criminal Justice (30 credits)
-Apply theories of crime and justice to topical issues
-Theory and practice of criminal justice
-Analysis of contemporary politics
-Governance of criminal justice

Perspectives on Social Research (15 credits)
-Introduction to social scientific research
-Establishing cause and interpreting meaning in social sciences
-Essentials of quantitative and qualitative research in social science research

Research Design and Progress (15 credits)
-Formulating research questions
-Ethical review procedures
-Research proposal design, evaluation, and development
-Conversational analysis in practice
-Qualitative interviewing.

Dissertation (60 credits)
-A dissertation of up to 15,000 words.

Optional Modules:
Typical modules outlined below are those that were available to students styuding this programme in previous years. Choose modules to the value of 60 credits, listed below (60 credits)
-Gender, Violence and Abuse (30 credits)
-Drugs, Crime and Society (30 credits)
-Crime, Justice and the Sex Industry (30 credits)
-Cybercrime and cybersecurity: (30 credits)
-Sociology of Forensic Science (30 credits)
-Statistical Exploration and Reasoning (15 credits)
-Qualitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits)
-Quantitative Research Methods in Social Science (15 credits)

You will also have the opportunity to take a range of modules from other programmes within the Faculty such as those associated with the MSc in Risk and Security.

Learning and Teaching

The MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice is a 1 year full-time programme which may also be taken part-time. The programme’s core consists of a 60 credit dissertation module, one 30 credit module on Criminological Theory, one 15 credit module on Theories of Social Research and one 15 credit module on Research Design. Students are also required to undertake 60 further credits of modules from within SASS or other related departments which may be taught in a variety of ways.

Core teaching on the programme falls primarily within the two 10 week terms, the second of which commences one week prior to the Undergraduate Term. Depending on module choice students may receive between 6 and 8 hours of tuition per week in either or both of these terms.

The programme is taught according to a variety of approaches. Modules such as ‘Theorising Crime and Criminal Justice’ operate a standard 2 hour session within which lecturing, seminar discussion, workshops or presentations may take place. Modules such as ‘Perspectives on Social Research’, ‘Quantitative Methods’ and ‘Qualitative Methods’ operate a weekly lecture series followed by seminar discussion. Other modules such as ‘Statistical Exploration and Reasoning’ operate computer-based practicals.

Following completion of teaching in terms 1 and 2, the ‘Research Design’ module allows for 4 day long workshops. Reflecting on the process of research design, the module supports the student in formulating the research question for their dissertation.

The MSc programme is research-led at its core. The compulsory module 'Theorising Crime and Criminal Justice' links explicitly with the research activities of the criminology staff; the module ‘Crime Violence and Abuse’ links with the current research activities of the School’s research group of the same name; and ‘Drugs, Crime and Society’ is taught by an internationally renowned expert in the field . Students subsequently undertake a 60 credit dissertation on a topic of their choice supervised by staff who are actively researching in a relevant area. While this module is intended to afford an opportunity for a significant piece of independent and original research, it includes up to four hours of regular supervision which takes place typically from the end of term 2. Students will also participate in two one-hour workshops convened by a supervisor and usually alongside others researching in similar areas.

While teaching is intensive, particularly in terms 1 and 2, it is intended that the programme presents options for part-time study. Consequently, teaching is undertaken where possible in timetable slots which take place late in the afternoon.

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Youth and community work is a unique and value-based practice that seeks to support and foster the development of young people and the wider community to enable all to reach their full potential. Underpinned by strong values of social justice Youth and Community Workers seek to critically analyse the social world and nurture the development of others through collaborative and creative practice leading to social change.

The main aim of the MA in Youth and Community Work with JNC professional qualification is to develop skilled, innovative and reflective practitioners, who are able to engage and develop positive relationships within communities, which lead to education and discovery. Through practice workers will demonstrate a clear commitment to promoting participation and empowerment, equality, partnership working and to the personal, social and political development of those involved.

This new MA Youth and Community Work programme has been designed in partnership with service users and leading professionals employed in the field. This collaboration ensures teaching is current and reflective of today’s youth and community work agenda preparing you effectively for a successful career.


Curriculum

This course is delivered through a full-time (1 year) or part time (2 years) route and will provide you with a blend of academic and practice-based learning to develop both your theoretical understanding and experience through two professional practice placements. Students will build a solid foundation in youth and community work through an exploration of the theoretical frameworks of informal education and community development along with advanced studies examining key youth and community work methods and settings, contemporary issues, youth development, welfare and social policy.
- Youth Work Theory and Practice (20 Credits)
- Practice Placement 1: Linked to Youth Work Theory and Practice, Community Empowerment for Social Change (20 Credits)
- Critical Themes and Issues Influencing Contemporary Practice (20 Credits)
- Managing Youth and Community Work (10 Credits)
- Advanced Research Seminars (20 Credits)
- Dissertation Preparation and Research Methods (10 Credits)
- Practice Placement 2 (20 Credits)
- Dissertation (60 Credits)

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This course offers a flexible, yet coherent, programme of study, with a professional qualification in youth and community development work upon graduation, which enables successful graduates to practice as a qualified health/youth and community development worker in the UK.

Both MA programmes are suitable for staff in local authorities, the NHS, voluntary and third sector who use group work, informal learning and activity, outreach and community work especially those working with young people and adults often labelled as hard to reach.
•Youth and community staff are engaged in professional practice, research, consultancy and teaching
•Professionally validated by the National Youth Agency (NYA) and recognised by the Joint Negotiating Committee (JNC). Also endorsed by England Standards Board for Community Development Work
•An opportunity to study at an advanced academic and professional level
•High quality practice-related modules enabling practitioners and clients to achieve planned change through the process of education, development and practice-orientated research
•Develops innovative, progressive practitioners who reflectively engage with concepts and practices of social justice and equality

The course consists of four core modules, one core field placement module, and three specialist modules taken from a list of some 11 modules. You may then seek to exit with a PG Dip, or remain on the course to complete your dissertation for an MA. All core modules and most option modules are launched during one of two block teaching weeks held each year (usually in October and February). Attendance at launch days is compulsory.

These are supported by a wide variety of written material, individual and corporate tasks. You are required to engage in a number of online seminars in each module. You are required to identify a supervisor who will primarily support your field practice, but may also provide a dialogue partner to discuss wider issues arising from the course. You will complete a minimum of 592 hours of field practice, of which 442 hours will be based in your own workplace and 150 hours must be outside of your employing agency.

Core Modules include: •Issues of Health and Well-being; •Theory and Practice of Youth Work; •Theory and Practice of Community Development; •Health and Social Research Methods 1; •Field Practice; •Management of Services and People .

Specialist modules include: Designing, Delivering and Assessing Learning; Supervision in Youth and Community Development; Social Exclusion, Disaffection and Youth Work; Faith and Community Development; Global Issues in Youth and Community Development; Mental Health; Peer Health Learning; Managing Race and Diversity; The Negotiated Module; Anti-Oppressive Practice; Young People, Active Citizenship and Participation.

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This programme provides an exciting opportunity to develop professional practice that is supported by an in-depth theoretical understanding for those working in a wide range of careers with young people and communities. The programme attracts practitioners from a wide range of contexts and countries, enabling learning in an internationally-comparative context. At the same time, it enables students to become professionally validated by the National Youth Agency (with JNC recognition) for practice in the UK. Learning on the programme incorporates reflective professional approaches to informal education which enable the development of young people and communities. These are integrated together with wider critical learning on shaping the wider social, political and organisational context in which such practice takes place. The programme combines academic study on taught modules, two periods of fieldwork practice and students conducting their own choice of research with support from experienced researchers. The fieldwork practice placements enable students to develop their practice within local agencies (e.g. local charities and non-governmental organisations) with supported from experienced supervisors. Find out more about the programme from staff and students by watching our short videos.

Course structure

Core modules:
-Community Policy and Practice (15 credits)
-Youth Policy and Practice (15 credits)
-Professional and Personal Development (30 credits)
-Management in Community Settings (30 credits)
-Research in Professional Practice (45 credits)
-Fieldwork Practice Development 1 (15 credits)
-Fieldwork Practice Development 2 (30 credits)

Students are required to pay for travel costs to and from their fieldwork practice placement.

Academic learning is assessed through 3,000 word essays, fieldwork reports, self-assessment, oral presentation and a 10,000 word research report. There are no examinations. To gain a Durham University MA, you must gain 180 credits at Masters level (pass mark 50%)..

Learning and Teaching

The programme is delivered through a range of lectures, seminars, tutorials, group work, reflective practice seminars, research seminars, fieldwork practice and study visits.

Within an ethos of informal education, our teaching and learning incorporates a range of methods which reflect this and time is allocated to provide a balance between tutor-led and self-directed learning. The programme is taught as part of a group of programmes, which attract practitioners from a wide range of contexts and countries, enabling learning in an internationally-comparative context, whilst including a particular focus on UK policy and practice.

Typically, taught sessions provide students with academic input on a particular area of the professional discipline of community and youth work and reflect the diverse range of community and youth settings within which practice takes place. Drawing from relevant literature and legislation and acknowledging the related range of professional skill, competence and understanding, issues are identified for discussion, drawn from historical and contemporary contexts. Seminars provide the opportunity for students to discuss and debate the issues, to share ideas and experience, broaden their understanding and test out their knowledge gained through the taught sessions and independent study. Classroom learning provides students with the latest research and critical theory on the subject area. Two assessed periods of fieldwork practice offer opportunities for learning in practice settings related to community and youth work.

The MA Community and Youth Work provides the student with a learning opportunity within which they can apply and test understanding, knowledge and skills related to professional roles and responsibilities in practice settings. A critical examination of the relationship of theory and practice is central to this.

Core modules are structured to enable students to attend university for teaching on an average of one day per week (part time) or two days per week (full time), so that their study can fit around other commitments that they may have.

The programme is assessed through continual assessment using a range of methods including written assignments, reflective journals, individual and group presentations, and assessed fieldwork practice. There is an expectation that students will undertake independent study to prepare and plan for their classes, through reading relevant literature and legislation, journals and drawing on their current and previous practice experience.

The Community and Youth Work Programme is part of the School of Applied Social Sciences and is significantly involved with the Centre for Social Justice and Community Action at Durham University, as well as being a partner in many collaborative pieces of research and professional practice developments. There are therefore many events and initiatives that students are encouraged to attend, such as extra-curricular training, research seminars and workshops to broaden their understanding and deepen their knowledge of wider issues related to the professional discipline.

Other admission requirements

Applicants with substantial professional experience may be admitted by concession without an upper second class honours degree, providing that they have demonstrated an ability to undertake Masters level work. All applicants for this programme have to pass an informal interview, which can be conducted either in person in Durham or via telephone/webcam. This will also give applicants an opportunity to find out more about the programme from a member of the teaching team and have any questions answered. If potential applicants have any queries about the entry criteria or programme before making an application, we are happy to respond to informal queries at any stage and to discuss the programme with you.

Admission is subject to satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service Enhanced Disclosure check being undertaken upon an offer of a place being made, to assess whether applicants have any previous convictions that prevent them from working with vulnerable people. The cost of a DBS check is currently £44.

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This course is for experienced youth and community development work practitioners seeking to further develop their knowledge and understanding of their practice and the rapidly changing contexts in which they work. It is also suitable for staff in local authorities, the NHS, voluntary and third sector who use group work, informal learning and activity, outreach and community work, especially those working with young people and adults often labelled as hard to reach. This very flexible distance learning course can be studied part-time or full-time. It attracts staff from across the UK from a variety of settings such as parenting education, youth work, children’s centres, sexual health roles, drug abuse, housing and homelessness, youth offending, mental health, community development and domestic violence.

This course enables the development of innovative, progressive practitioners to reflectively engage with concepts and practices of social justice and equality.
•Suitable for qualified practitioners, with a flexible study course allowing study alongside work
•D MU holds an international reputation in the field of youth and community development
•Staff are engaged in professional practice, research, consultancy and teaching, providing you with teaching that is relevant, current and applicable to recent initiatives
•Provides an opportunity to study at an advanced academic and professional level
•High quality practice-related modules enabling practitioners and clients to achieve planned change through the process of education, development and practice-orientated research
The course consists of three core modules:
•Health and Social Research Methods;
•Theory and Practice of Community Development;
•Theory and Practice of Youth Work

You will study up to five other modules depending on your chosen pathway. There are three pathways:
•The generic pathway offers the greatest flexibility
•The research pathway includes taught modules in research methods and advanced research methods, plus a 90 credit dissertation. You will consider practice-based, evaluative and academic modes of research
•On the management pathway you are required to take three management modules and complete a management-focused dissertation

You will take a number of specialist modules, these include:
First semester modules:
•Negotiated Module (15 credits) allows you to formulate, present and implement an individual proposal in an area of professional relevance and interest
•Managing Services and People (15 credits) increases self-confidence and performance as a manager of people and projects within a youth work and community development environment
•Anti-Oppressive Practice (15 credits) analyses concepts of oppression, discrimination and inequality and develops effective anti-oppressive and anti-discriminatory practice
•Health and Social Research Methods 2 (15 credits) is focused on critical deconstruction of approaches to research and evaluation.
Second semester modules:
•Health and Well-being (15 credits) introduces key concepts of health and well-being in the context of youth work and community development
•Optional modules x 2 (select from a varied list of specialist modules)
•Dissertation (60 or 90 credits)
•There are several specialist optional modules available in each of the semesters, although some are only available biennially.

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