Designed for those who want to advance their understanding of youth issues, youth offending and social and criminal justice responses to young people, this programme focuses on developing critical analytical skills and enhancing the ability to assess policy and practice against international standards and benchmarks.
Targeted at practitioners, policy-makers and those interested in further academic study, it provides the opportunity to apply academic knowledge and critical analytical skills to practice and enhance understanding of young people's lives, the criminal justice system and the discourse of children's rights.
Given increased policy attention in the area of youth justice and strategies impacting on children and young people more generally, the programme reflects the concern to understand the needs and rights of children and young people and ground responses in evidence, best practice and international standards.
Course Details
20 CATS modules generally involve 20 contact hours per semester, 10 CATS modules generally involve 10 contact hours per semester. Contact hours often include a blend of face-to-face lectures/ workshops and online sessions. Students can choose some optional modules that are all face-to-face, all online or a blend of both.
Core modules:
Optional modules include:
WORLD CLASS FACILITIES
The programme offers students the opportunity to study criminology at an advanced level. The MA encompasses in-depth investigation of major theoretical and substantive issues in contemporary criminology from a critical perspective and within an international context.
Students aim to complete the MA award within 12 months of full-time study and 24 months of part-time study. Options also exist for students to defer the programme at intermediate stages with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma. The programme will appeal to those wishing to extend their knowledge of criminology, to explore alternative approaches/perspectives, and to broaden their understanding within an interdisciplinary, comparative and international context.
The MA will also be of interest to practitioners working in criminal justice; social care; crime prevention and community safety; youth offending and youth justice; forensics; child protection and victim support. These are also the career destinations for graduates. The MA programme follows the School's normal structure for level 7 degrees of core subjects, optional subjects and a dissertation.
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Year 1
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Year 2
Students are required to study the following compulsory courses.
Students are required to choose 30 credits from this list of options.
Taught courses are composed of lectures, seminars and workshops with group discussion and other class activities. Each course is assessed through the submission of two essays or reports of 3,500 words. Students are assigned an individual supervisor with whom they work closely on a topic of their own choosing, undertaking research and writing an extended 15,000-word research dissertation.
Employment opportunities in criminology continue to expand, here and abroad, with a huge variety of posts in criminal justice agencies such as the police service, probation service, prison service, Crown Prosecution Service and the magistracy. Posts are also available in social care, crime prevention, community safety, youth offending and youth justice, forensics, child protection and victim support.
Local and national government agencies and international governmental and non-governmental organisations also offer opportunities in policy research, public relations and specialist practice, such as working for UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI).
To ensure we deliver the best learning experience for our students, the structure and delivery of courses may change to reflect knowledge and industry standards. Course options illustrated here may not be available to all students and may not run every year.
Corporate and business crime presents one of the key contemporary challenges to society, not only in terms of the difficulties it poses to the criminal justice system, but also in relation to the wider social harm it furthers. The study of this highly relevant and rapidly developing area of criminological research prepares students to make a real contribution to shaping policy around corporate accountability and corporate control.
The combination of analytic criminological knowledge and applied research skills on this programme will equip you with a sophisticated understanding of current challenges and perspectives in the area of corporate crime and corporate responsibility, whilst also enhancing your understanding of the main theories and ideas within contemporary criminology.
The Masters in Criminology and Social Research (Corporate Crime and Corporate Responsibility) is aimed at graduates, professionals and practitioners with an appropriate first degree who have an interest in corporate crime or the fields of corporate ethics, governance and criminal behaviour.
It will also suit graduates and practitioners considering a PhD in this area; and practitioners and professionals in companies, business organisations, the criminal justice system and related government and voluntary agencies who wish to apply knowledge of criminology, corporate crime and corporate responsibility within their present position.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
The department supports students in finding three-to-four-week research placements during spring and summer vacation periods, and this approach has recently been supplemented to include strategies of support for students seeking a wider range of opportunities for professional development in the first-hand experience of research organisation – including such activities as part-time internships over longer periods, workplace visits, or shadowing research professionals.
This introduces further flexibility in a student-led process of professional development in light of increasing external pressures on students’ commitments and responsibilities. All, however, involve opportunities to consider issues in career development and professional skills.
The support process involves the department working closely with students on a one-to-one basis toward their goals and requirements, in association with the University’s Careers Service, to offer pastoral advice and support.
Organisations the department has worked with in the past have included the Office of National Statistics, Cabinet Office, HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Sussex Youth Offending team and Surrey Police.
In some cases, the work experience may also be with projects in academic contexts. Students seek experiential learning opportunities with the support of the department’s Senior Placement Tutor, and assistance from the Faculty Placement Office.
The MSc pathway in Corporate Crime and Corporate Responsibility will combine grounding in the discipline of criminology and training in the full range of qualitative and quantitative methods of social research with specialised understanding of the key issues attached to a criminal offending by corporate agents.
It is designed to meet the needs of students graduating from a first degree who have an interest in corporate crime, people who are currently employed and wish to apply knowledge of criminology, corporate crime and corporate responsibility within their present job, or those who wish to move into specialised research or practice in the fields of corporate ethics, governance and criminal behaviour.
The degree provides an ideal foundation to undertake a part-time or full-time PhD.
The degree is suitable for a wide range of students in terms of age, professional background, and current occupation and circumstances.
Because of this diversity of experience, students on the degree learn a great deal from each other, including at the residential Weekend Conference in the middle of the first semester, and the Day Conference at the end of the first semester.
The full-time MSc is taught over 12 months and the part-time course over 24 months. Students who do not wish to undertake the Masters dissertation can obtain the Postgraduate Certificate in Criminology and Social Research (Corporate Crime and Corporate Responsibility) after gaining 60 credits, or the Postgraduate Diploma after gaining 120 credits.
Students studying for the MSc in full-time mode are required to submit their dissertation during the academic year in which they commenced registration.
It is expected that students studying part-time will have obtained a minimum of 60 credits by the end of the first 12 months of registration in order to proceed into the second year.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Are you fascinated by criminology? Hoping to increase your suitability for higher level positions within the criminal justice sector? Southampton Solent University’s postgraduate criminology and criminal justice programme will help you to develop an advanced understanding of the contemporary issues and debates surrounding criminal justice institutions, crime and criminal punishment.
Students on Southampton Solent University’s postgraduate criminology and criminal justice programme study the core curriculum alongside a choice of two specialist units. This chance to specialise is important, helping students to orient their knowledge towards specific roles in the criminal justice sector.
This programme also encourages students to develop a range of transferable interpersonal and verbal communication skills through presentations, role-plays, debates, interviews and group work. These competencies are valued in a wide range of industries.
Enrichment activities and learning opportunities are available alongside the core curriculum, giving students the chance to learn from guest speakers, visit criminal justice organisations and network at industry events. These additional activities help to provide detailed insights into the criminal justice system and the careers it offers. Past speakers have come from the police, courts, prisons, probation services, youth justice services and cyber security firms.
The course team themselves have had extensive experience of the criminal justice system and its related disciplines, providing students with unique personal insights. The ties they have with the professional world have helped past students secure volunteer placements, temporary paid work, work shadowing weeks and internships.
With this internationally respected qualification, you’ll be well placed to pursue a variety of career opportunities. Past graduates have pursued careers in police management, international law enforcement, the National Offender Management Service, financial security and academia.
This master’s degree has been designed for criminology graduates or those who have an equivalent professional qualification.
The course is ideal for those who wish to pursue a career in criminal justice or who are currently working within this area.
We provide a stimulating learning environment and access to state-of-the-art resources to help you make the most of your time with us. Flexible spaces, Wi-Fi facilities and learning zones all contribute to our lively and contemporary study environment at Solent.
Suitable roles for graduates include:
The MSc provides a solid foundation for subsequent research at MPhil and PhD level.
We welcome regular guest lecturers who provide a detailed insight into working in the criminal justice sector and prospective career opportunities.
Recent speakers have included:
Past students have completed a wide range of interesting and informative placements with:
The combination of analytic criminological knowledge and applied research skills on this programme will equip you with a sophisticated understanding of the key challenges and perspectives in contemporary criminology.
The Masters in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Social Research is aimed at graduates and practitioners with an appropriate first degree who seek advanced knowledge about issues connected with crime, deviance, control, the criminal justice system and social research.
It will also suit graduates and practitioners considering a PhD in this area; and practitioners in the criminal justice system and related government and voluntary agencies who wish to develop their understanding of the wider issues connected to crime.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Students are encouraged to take up opportunities for experiential learning in workplace settings, providing extended opportunities for work experience and career development in professional research settings.
The department supports students in finding three-to-four week research placements during Spring and Summer vacation periods, and this approach has recently been supplemented to include strategies of support for students seeking a wider range of opportunities for professional development in the first-hand experience of research organisation – including such activities as part-time internships over longer periods, workplace visits, or shadowing research professionals.
This introduces further flexibility in a student-led process of professional development in light of increasing external pressures on students’ commitments and responsibilities. All, however, involve opportunities to consider issues in career development and professional skills.
The support process involves the Department working closely with students on a one-to-one basis toward their goals and requirements, in association with the University’s Careers Service, to offer pastoral advice and support.
Organisations the department has worked with in the past have included the Office of National Statistics, Cabinet Office, HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Sussex Youth Offending team and Surrey Police.
In some cases the work experience may also be with projects in academic contexts. Students seek experiential learning opportunities with the support of the Department’s Senior Placement Tutor, and assistance from the Faculty Placement Office.
The MSc in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Social Research (CCJSR) provides a thorough grounding in the discipline of criminology combined with advanced training in the full range of qualitative and quantitative methods of social research.
It is designed to meet the needs of students graduating from a first degree who have an interest in crime and the criminal justice system, people who are currently employed and wish to apply a knowledge of criminological research within their present job, or those who wish to move into a criminological research career.
The degree provides an ideal foundation to undertake a part-time or full-time PhD.
The degree is suitable for a wide range of students in terms of age, professional background, and current occupation and circumstances.
Because of this diversity of experience, students on the degree learn a great deal from each other, including at the residential Weekend Conference in the middle of the first semester, and the Day Conference at the end of the first semester.
The full-time MSc is taught over 12 months and the part-time course over 24 months. Students who do not wish to undertake the Masters dissertation can obtain the Postgraduate Certificate in Criminology, Criminal Justice and Social Research after gaining 60 credits, or the Postgraduate Diploma after gaining 120 credits.
Students studying for the MSc in full-time mode are required to submit their dissertation during the academic year in which they commenced registration.
It is expected that students studying part-time will have obtained a minimum of 60 credits by the end of the first 12 months of registration in order to proceed into the second year.
A distinctive component of the MSc is the opportunity to undertake a placement at a criminal justice agency or research institute for four weeks during the spring break. The practical experience and insights gained reinforce formal learning.
A residential weekend conference is attended by all programme members, PhD students and teaching staff in November.
This provides a less formal atmosphere for discussions concerning criminology, research and related themes; it includes lectures from eminent guest speakers and members of staff, seminars and small group discussions.
The Department also organises a day conference for MSc students at the University, with student presentations and guest speakers.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
The course aims to provide you with the knowledge, skills, values and academic approach to work in areas relating to Forensic Psychology.
During the course, you have the opportunity to gain consultancy skills by communicating knowledge to professional audiences, giving you real-world experience of working in the field. There are guest speakers from the field of criminal justice, and you gain experience in research skills, as well as learn about ongoing personal and professional development. The course covers the application of psychology to the professional field of Forensic Psychology through the following modules
While completing the course, you develop a range of core skills that are essential within the field of Forensic Psychology, and are also transferable to other areas of employment. Examples of such skills include critical thinking and evaluation, effective communication, critical self-reflection, working within relevant ethical and professional frameworks, and drawing on a range of techniques and research methods applicable to Forensic Psychology.
By delivering the course through blended learning, the course aims to provide flexible delivery of modules to facilitate students who may have other time commitments, or who may live further away from Sheffield, but still want to study at the university.
The course is not yet accredited by the British Psychological Society, but has been designed with the accreditation criteria in mind. We will be applying for accreditation in the near future.
The course is offered as a full-time (one year) or part-time (two years) blended learning course. You attend four block weeks of teaching on campus, with two weeks in trimester 1 and two weeks in trimester 2. You also complete a range of online activities before and after the block weeks of teaching.
Core modules
It is expected that graduates of the course will enter careers in
• the police service (crime analysts, police officers, police community support officers) • the Home Office (researchers) • youth offending service (appropriate adults, youth justice officers) • victim support work • drug and alcohol services • Security services (analysts) • charities (mental health support workers, researchers) • academia (research associates) • further study (PhD)
The MSc in Criminology and Social Research (Cybercrime and Cybersecurity) has been created to meet the growing market demand for enhanced knowledge and practice in the area of cybercrime and its control and helps address the current gaps in cyber skills recently identified as a ‘key challenge’ by the National Audit Office.
It offers the opportunity to work with leading theorists in the field of cybercrime and experts from the Surrey Centre for Cybersecurity – one of only 14 recognised as Academic Centres of Excellence in Cyber Security Research by GCHQ and the UK Government.
Building on our existing MSc in Criminology and Social Research, the programme will offer a particular focus into the areas of cybercriminality and cybersecurity to provide you with enhanced knowledge in this area and an increasingly wider range of related career options upon graduation.
The programme is aimed at graduates and practitioners who seek advanced knowledge about issues connected with cybercrime and cybersecurity, the criminal justice system and social research.
It will also suit graduates and practitioners considering a PhD in the area of cybercrime or cybersecurity, practitioners in the criminal justice system and related government and voluntary agencies who wish to develop their understanding of the wider issues connected to cybercrime.
This programme is studied full-time over one academic year and part-time over two academic years. It consists of eight taught modules and a dissertation.
Example module listing
The following modules are indicative, reflecting the information available at the time of publication. Please note that not all modules described are compulsory and may be subject to teaching availability and/or student demand.
Students are encouraged to take up opportunities for experiential learning in workplace settings, providing extended opportunities for work experience and career development in professional research settings.
The department supports students in finding three-to-four-week research placements during spring and summer vacation periods, and this approach has recently been supplemented to include strategies of support for students seeking a wider range of opportunities for professional development in the first-hand experience of research organisation – including such activities as part-time internships over longer periods, workplace visits, or shadowing research professionals.
This introduces further flexibility in a student-led process of professional development in light of increasing external pressures on students’ commitments and responsibilities. All, however, involve opportunities to consider issues in career development and professional skills.
The support process involves the department working closely with students on a one-to-one basis toward their goals and requirements, in association with the University’s Careers Service, to offer pastoral advice and support.
Organisations the department has worked with in the past have included the Office of National Statistics, Cabinet Office, HM Inspectorate of Prisons, Sussex Youth Offending team and Surrey Police.
In some cases, the work experience may also be with projects in academic contexts. Students seek experiential learning opportunities with the support of the department’s Senior Placement Tutor, and assistance from the Faculty Placement Office.
The MSc pathway in Cybercrime & Cybersecurity on the MSc Criminology and Social Research will combine grounding in the discipline of criminology and training in the full range of qualitative and quantitative methods of social research with specialised understanding of the key issues in cybercriminality and the cybersecurity measures being developed against this.
It is designed to meet the needs of students graduating from a first degree who have an interest in cybercrime, people who are currently employed and wish to apply knowledge of criminology and cybercrime within their present job, or those who wish to move into specialised research or practice in the fields of cybercrime and cybercriminality.
The degree provides an ideal foundation to undertake a part-time or full-time PhD.
The degree is suitable for a wide range of students in terms of age, professional background, and current occupation and circumstances. Because of this diversity of experience, students on the degree learn a great deal from each other, including at the residential Weekend Conference in the middle of the first semester, and the Day Conference at the end of the first semester.
The full-time MSc is taught over 12 months and the part-time course over 24 months. Students who do not wish to undertake the Masters dissertation can obtain the Postgraduate Certificate in Criminology and Social Research (Cybercrime & Cybersecurity) after gaining 60 credits, or the Postgraduate Diploma after gaining 120 credits.
Students studying for the MSc in full-time mode are required to submit their dissertation during the academic year in which they commenced registration.
It is expected that students studying part-time will have obtained a minimum of 60 credits by the end of the first 12 months of registration in order to proceed into the second year.
A distinctive component of the MSc is the opportunity to undertake a placement at a criminal justice agency or research institute for four weeks during the spring break. The practical experience and insights gained reinforce formal learning.
A residential weekend conference is attended by all programme members, PhD students and teaching staff in November.
This provides a less formal atmosphere for discussions concerning criminology, research and related themes; it includes lectures from eminent guest speakers and members of staff, seminars and small group discussions.
The Department also organises a day conference for MSc students at the University, with student presentations and guest speakers.
We often give our students the opportunity to acquire international experience during their degrees by taking advantage of our exchange agreements with overseas universities.
In addition to the hugely enjoyable and satisfying experience, time spent abroad adds a distinctive element to your CV.
Be at the cutting edge of research in health, social care & education at Anglia Ruskin University
Architecture, Humanities and Computing. Apply now to join the top university in London for student satisfaction!
