Masters Degrees in Criminal Law

The Kent LLM (and associated Diploma programme) allows you to broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of law by specialising in one or more different areas.

Following a specialisation in International Criminal Justice enables you to develop a critical understanding of the operation of international and transnational criminal justice, particularly in contexts that are perceived to be controversial or in a state of evolution. You learn about the main legal instruments and institutions that provide for international co-operation and prosecution of international, transnational and national crime and the impact of human rights and combine this with critical reflection of the broader context and of the effectiveness of law.

There is co-operation with the MA in Criminology, run by the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research. In addition to available law options, you may choose one module from the MA in Criminology. This includes modules on terrorism and sociological theories of violence and gender and crime in a globalised world.

You are also encouraged to participate in the activities of the Kent Centre for Critical International Law (CeCIL).

International Criminal Justice will be of particular interest to those who work, intend to work, or have an interest in the fields of international and transnational criminal justice, criminal justice and human rights more broadly.

Studying for a Master's in Law (LLM) at Kent means having the certainty of gaining an LLM in a specialist area of Law. The Kent LLM gives you the freedom to leave your choice of specialism open until after you arrive, your specialism being determined by the modules you choose.

About Kent Law School

Kent Law School (KLS) is the UK's leading critical law school. A cosmopolitan centre of world-class critical legal research, it offers a supportive and intellectually stimulating place to study postgraduate taught and research degrees.

In addition to learning the detail of the law, students at Kent are taught to think about the law with regard to its history, development and relationship with wider society. This approach allows students to fully understand the law. Our critical approach not only makes the study of law more interesting, it helps to develop crucial skills and abilities required for a career in legal practice.

The Law School offers its flagship Kent LLM at the University’s Canterbury campus (and two defined LLM programmes at the University’s Brussels centre). Our programmes are open to non-law graduates with an appropriate academic or professional background who wish to develop an advanced understanding of law in their field. You study within a close-knit, supportive and intellectually stimulating environment, working closely with academic staff. KLS uses critical research-led teaching throughout our programmes to ensure that you benefit from the Law School’s world-class research.

National ratings

In the Research Excellence Framework (REF) 2014, research by Kent Law School was ranked 8th in the UK for research intensity. We were also ranked 7th for research power and in the top 20 for research output, research quality and research impact.

An impressive 99% of our research was judged to be of international quality and the School’s environment was judged to be conducive to supporting the development of world-leading research.

Course structure

You can tailor your studies to your particular needs and interests to obtain an LLM or Diploma in a single specialisation, in two specialisations jointly, or by choosing a broad range of modules in different areas of law to obtain a general LLM or Diploma in Law.

As a student on the LLM at Canterbury, your choice of specialisation will be shaped by the modules you take and your dissertation topic. To be awarded an LLM in a single specialisation, at least three of your six modules must be chosen from those associated with that specialisation with your dissertation also focusing on that area of law. The other three modules can be chosen from any offered in the Law School. All students are also required to take the Legal Research and Writing Skills module. To be awarded a major/minor specialisation you will need to choose three modules associated with one specialisation, and three from another specialisation, with the dissertation determining which is your 'major' specialisation.

For example, a student who completes at least three modules in International Commercial Law and completes a dissertation in this area would graduate with an LLM in International Commercial Law; a student who completes three Criminal Justice modules and three Environmental Law modules and then undertakes a dissertation which engages with Criminal Justice would graduate with an LLM in Criminal Justice and Environmental Law.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of this specialisation stream. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation and student demand. Most specialisation streams will require you to study a combination of subject specialisation modules and modules from other specialisation streams so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

LW843 International Human Rights Law

LW846 International Criminal Law

LW886 Transnational Criminal Law

LW924 European Union Criminal Law and Procedure

Assessment

The postgraduate programmes offered within the Law School are usually taught in seminar format. Students on the Diploma and LLM programmes study three modules in each of the autumn and spring terms. The modules normally are assessed by a 4-5,000-word essay. Students undertaking an LLM degree must write a dissertation of 15-20,000 words.

Programme aims

This programme aims to provide:

1. LLM: The opportunity to develop (a) expert knowledge and a sophisticated understanding of particular areas of law; (b) advanced research, writing and oral communication skills of general value to postgraduate employment.
PGDip: The opportunity to develop (a) expert knowledge and a sophisticated understanding of particular areas of law; (b) written and oral communication skills of general value to postgraduate employment.

2. LLM: A sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key principles of law and policy and influential ideas, theories, assumptions and paradigms of particular areas of law.
PGDip: A sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key principles of law and policy and influential ideas, theories, assumptions and paradigms of the subjects studied.

3. LLM & PGDip: A degree of specialisation in areas of law and policy chosen from the LLM option streams available and an opportunity for students to engage with academic work at the frontiers of scholarship.

4. LLM & PGDip: A critical awareness of the operation of law and policy, particularly in contexts that are perceived to be controversial or in a state of evolution.

5. LLM: The skills to undertake supervised research on an agreed topic in their specialisation and to encourage the production of original, evaluative analysis that meets high standards of scholarship.

6. LLM & PGDip: Critical, analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied to a wide range of contexts.

7. LLM & PGDip: The skills of academic legal research and writing.

8. LLM: A sophisticated grounding in research methods.

Careers

Employability is a key focus throughout the University and at Kent Law School you have the support of a dedicated Employability and Career Development Officer together with a broad choice of work placement opportunities, employability events and careers talks. Details of graduate internship schemes with NGOs, charities and other professional organisations are made available to postgraduate students via the School’s Employability Blog.

Law graduates have gone on to careers in finance, international commerce, government and law or have joined, or started, an NGO or charity.

Kent has an excellent record for postgraduate employment: over 94% of our postgraduate students who graduated in 2013 found a job or further study opportunity within six months.

Information about the internship programme for LLM students can be found on the Kent Law School Employability blog - http://blogs.kent.ac.uk/klsemployability/postgraduates/llm-internships/

Learn more about Kent

Visit us - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/visit/openday/pgevents.html

International Students - https://www.kent.ac.uk/internationalstudent/

Why study at Kent? - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/why/

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The Kent LLM (and associated Diploma programme) allows you to broaden and deepen your knowledge and understanding of law by specialising in one or more different areas.

This specialisation is designed for people who already work, or intend to work, within the criminal justice system, whether for the police, probation service, prison service or other organisations, or those with an interest in such matters. It covers criminal law and procedure in the UK, internationally and comparatively. It examines criminal justice systems from a range of perspectives, including the management of organisations, human rights, the psychological and sociological causes of criminal behaviour and social and economic perspectives.

There is close co-operation with the MA in Criminology run by the School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research. Students on the LLM and MA can take modules from both programmes. Criminology has specialists in many areas including criminological theory, research methods, youth crime, gender, cultural criminology and terrorism.

Studying for a Master's in Law (LLM) at Kent means having the certainty of gaining an LLM in a specialist area of Law. The Kent LLM gives you the freedom to leave your choice of specialism open until after you arrive, your specialism being determined by the modules you choose.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/114/criminal-justice

About Kent Law School

Kent Law School (KLS) is the UK's leading critical law school. A cosmopolitan centre of world-class critical legal research, it offers a supportive and intellectually stimulating place to study postgraduate taught and research degrees.

In addition to learning the detail of the law, students at Kent are taught to think about the law with regard to its history, development and relationship with wider society. This approach allows students to fully understand the law. Our critical approach not only makes the study of law more interesting, it helps to develop crucial skills and abilities required for a career in legal practice.

The Law School offers its flagship Kent LLM at the University’s Canterbury campus (and two defined LLM programmes at the University’s Brussels centre). Our programmes are open to non-law graduates with an appropriate academic or professional background who wish to develop an advanced understanding of law in their field. You study within a close-knit, supportive and intellectually stimulating environment, working closely with academic staff. KLS uses critical research-led teaching throughout our programmes to ensure that you benefit from the Law School’s world-class research.

Course structure

You can tailor your studies to your particular needs and interests to obtain an LLM or Diploma in Law in a single specialisation, in two specialisations jointly, or by choosing a broad range of modules in different areas of law to obtain a general LLM or Diploma in Law.

Your choice of specialisation will be shaped by the modules you take and your dissertation topic. To be awarded an LLM in a single specialisation, at least three of your six modules must be chosen from those associated with that specialisation and your dissertation focusing on that area of law. The other three modules can be chosen from any offered in the Law School. All students are required to take the Legal Research and Writing Skills module. To be awarded a major/minor specialisation you choose three modules associated with one specialisation, and three from another specialisation, with the dissertation determining your 'major' specialisation.

For example, a student who completes at least three modules in International Commercial Law and completes a dissertation in this area would graduate with an LLM in International Commercial Law; a student who completes three Criminal Justice modules and three Environmental Law modules and then undertakes a dissertation which engages with Criminal Justice would graduate with an LLM in Criminal Justice and Environmental Law.

Modules

The following modules are indicative of this specialisation stream. This list is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation and student demand. Most specialisation streams will require you to study a combination of subject specialisation modules and modules from other specialisation streams so that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas that interest you.

LW871 Policing

LW846 International Criminal Law

LW886 Transnational Criminal Law

LW924 European Union Criminal Law and Procedure

Assessment

The postgraduate programmes offered within the Law School are usually taught in seminar format. Students on the Diploma and LLM programmes study three modules in each of the autumn and spring terms. The modules normally are assessed by a 4-5,000-word essay. Students undertaking an LLM degree must write a dissertation of 15-20,000 words.

Programme aims

This programme aims to provide:

1. LLM: The opportunity to develop (a) expert knowledge and a sophisticated understanding of particular areas of law; (b) advanced research, writing and oral communication skills of general value to postgraduate employment.
PGDip: The opportunity to develop (a) expert knowledge and a sophisticated understanding of particular areas of law; (b) written and oral communication skills of general value to postgraduate employment.

2. LLM: A sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key principles of law and policy and influential ideas, theories, assumptions and paradigms of particular areas of law.
PGDip: A sound knowledge and systematic understanding of the institutional structures, key principles of law and policy and influential ideas, theories, assumptions and paradigms of the subjects studied.

3. LLM & PGDip: A degree of specialisation in areas of law and policy chosen from the LLM option streams available and an opportunity for students to engage with academic work at the frontiers of scholarship.

4. LLM & PGDip: A critical awareness of the operation of law and policy, particularly in contexts that are perceived to be controversial or in a state of evolution.

5. LLM: The skills to undertake supervised research on an agreed topic in their specialisation and to encourage the production of original, evaluative analysis that meets high standards of scholarship.

6. LLM & PGDip: Critical, analytical and problem-solving skills that can be applied to a wide range of contexts.

7. LLM & PGDip: The skills of academic legal research and writing.

8. LLM: A sophisticated grounding in research methods.

Careers

Employability is a key focus throughout the University and at Kent Law School you have the support of a dedicated Employability and Career Development Officer together with a broad choice of work placement opportunities, employability events and careers talks. Details of graduate internship schemes with NGOs, charities and other professional organisations are made available to postgraduate students via the School’s Employability Blog.

Many students at our Brussels centre who undertake internships are offered contracts in Brussels immediately after graduation. Others have joined their home country’s diplomatic service, entered international organisations, or have chosen to undertake a ‘stage’ at the European Commission, or another EU institution.

Law graduates have gone on to careers in finance, international commerce, government and law or have joined, or started, an NGO or charity.

Kent has an excellent record for postgraduate employment: over 94% of our postgraduate students who graduated in 2013 found a job or further study opportunity within six months.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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With over 30 years of expertise, LSBU Law has shaped the professional futures of thousands of law students.

This LLM course covers the concepts and enforcement of international criminal law, It focuses on international crimes that fall under the jurisdiction of international criminal courts and tribunals (genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression). The core principles, law, and institutions of international criminal law are contextualised against international law and human rights, and international humanitarian law.

You'll study the following subset categories of International Law:International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law and Humanitarian Law by exploring the contours of the duty to prosecute those who commit international crimes. And, focus on the application of domestic and international law to the question of jurisdiction over international criminal activities, including universal jurisdiction of national courts.

The course explores the procedural aspects of international cooperation in criminal matters, with particular attention to extradition and problems associated with obtaining evidence from abroad.

Modules

International criminal law
International criminal procedure and practice
International law and human rights
Research methods
Dissertation

Plus two options from:

International humanitarian law
International human rights and development
Terrorism
Case management
Advocacy
Migration and development

Assessment

Content, knowledge and understanding is assessed through coursework, or coursework, presentations and on-line assessments.

Assessment methods reflect the development of legal skills within particular modules, for example the advocacy presentation within the Advocacy Module and the Case study within the Case Management Module. Oral assessments assess your ability to effectively and critically research, evaluate, write and present a coherent legal analysis of a particular issue drawing upon relevant law reform proposals, assessing conflicting interpretations of the International Criminal Law and proposing new hypotheses relevant to the topic being assessed.

Coursework

Coursework can take many forms (based on the practical or theoretical content of the module) including essays and reports. Typically coursework pieces will be 6,000 words in length. Students will explore a topic covered in depth, providing a critical, practical, insight into the topic analysed.

Professional links

A number of Visiting Professors and Lecturers will teach on the course. All are leading practitioners with a national reputation in the fields of international criminal law and human rights.

Recent guest lecturers:

• Ko Aung, Burma Human Rights Campaigner;
• Joel Bennathan, QC, Barrister;
• Sir Geoffrey Bindman, Solicitor;
• Imran Khan, Solicitor;
• Roger Smith, Director of Justice.

Employability

New international criminal law:

This programme is particularly relevant if you're looking for careers in the new international criminal law institutions such as the International Criminal Court or in agencies with rapidly increasing criminal justice competencies such as the UN or the EU.

You'll acquire in-depth knowledge of international criminal law and procedure, international human rights law and international humanitarian law. You'll have the necessary knowledge and skills to practice international criminal law before international tribunals or national courts.

This LLM will appeal to you if you're interested in the increasing trend in international human rights law to criminalize and prosecute mass human rights atrocities, both in domestic courts and international tribunals, like the International Criminal Court.

Non-governmental organisations:

Other graduates may embark on careers in non-governmental organisations, such as Amnesty International or Human Rights Watch, or in the area of international legal practice. The LLM is also highly relevant for law graduates and criminal law practitioners both from the UK and abroad. Moreover it is particularly relevant for graduates from Commonwealth Common Law jurisdictions, wishing to study international criminal law and practice while developing their legal and professional knowledge and skills in the field of international litigation.

The LLM aims to produce reflective practitioners, capable of using their professional experience in combination with theoretical insights to contribute to public debate on international criminal justice policy and practice.

LSBU Employability Services

LSBU is committed to supporting you develop your employability and succeed in getting a job after you have graduated. Your qualification will certainly help, but in a competitive market you also need to work on your employability, and on your career search. Our Employability Service will support you in developing your skills, finding a job, interview techniques, work experience or an internship, and will help you assess what you need to do to get the job you want at the end of your course. LSBU offers a comprehensive Employability Service, with a range of initiatives to complement your studies, including:

direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

• Direct engagement from employers who come in to interview and talk to students
• Job Shop and on-campus recruitment agencies to help your job search
• Mentoring and work shadowing schemes.

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This programme is designed to help students become experts in the areas of International Law that directly concern the human person - International Criminal Law & International Human Rights Law - whilst mastering the discipline of International Law of which they are part. In addition to the foundational courses in Legal Research Methods and Public International Law, students will be required to study International Criminal Law, International Human Rights Law and write a dissertation on a topic within the International Criminal Law or International Human Rights Law. The remaining courses can be chosen from a range of relevant options.

Through carefully designed course work and varied teaching approaches, students will acquire the intellectual open-ness, technical expertise and critical thinking abilities that are necessary for effectiveness in a globalising world. The programme will equip students to respond effectively to the wide range of intellectual and professional challenges facing those working on legal issues concerning the human person in International Law. The LLM in International Law (specialising in International Criminal Law & International Human Rights Law) will equip them to deal with both case work and policy making.

Employment Opportunities
Employment opportunities for graduates of the programme will include work with international law firms, international organisations such as the United Nations, World Bank, World Trade Organisation and European Union, international courts and tribunals, ‘think tanks’ and research centres, non-governmental organisations and government (eg. Ministries of Justice and Foreign Affairs). Having taken one of our programmes, there will, of course, also be possibilities for academically inclined students to pursue careers in teaching and research.

Compulsory Modules:

Legal Research Methods
Public International Law
International Criminal Law
International Human Rights Law
Dissertation on a topic within International Criminal Law or International Human Rights Law
Optional Modules (choose 2):

European Human Rights Law
Children’s Rights in Domestic and International Law
International Law of Armed Conflict
Dealing with the Legacies of the Past
Structure
January intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of January to June and September to January and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.

September intake: Taught modules are undertaken in the period of September to June and will involve the study of 120 credits. The dissertation (or equivalent) is valued at 60 credits and is undertaken during the period of June to September.

Teaching will mostly be seminar-based which will promote group and individual interaction, which also ensures that every individual student is encouraged to contribute to discussions. Seminar-based teaching enables lecturers and students to discuss issues and investigate topics in greater depth, and develops critical thinking and solution-based learning skills in students; whilst also allowing the course teachers to monitor closely each individual’s progress. Emphasis will be placed on the use of virtual learning through the mechanism of the Blackboard computer-assisted learning system and databases such as Westlaw and LexisNexis. Throughout all modules, comparative elements with other legal systems will be emphasised.

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How are international and transnational crimes prevented, investigated and prosecuted? Is criminal law an effective tool in the present context of globalized criminality?

These questions will constitute some of criminal law's biggest challenges for the years to come and are the focus of the Global Criminal Law LLM track, which explores the application of criminal law - both substantive and procedural - in the context of global criminality, such as organized, transnational and international criminality.

This track offers you the two-fold opportunity to study substantive and procedural criminal law from a comparative and international perspective but also to specialise in the study of specific criminal behaviour: organised and financial crimes, cybercrimes and international crimes.

Why in Groningen?

This programme has a strong focus on the application of criminal law in a globalised and internationalised context. It thus draws from comparative criminal law and international criminal law as well as from rules regulating international cooperation in criminal matters to explore particular types of global criminality: organised and financial crimes, cybercrimes and international crimes.

Job perspectives

The programme is specifically tailored to train students into becoming well-equipped legal professionals with both academic skills and practical knowledge of criminal law. Graduates can apply their specialized understanding of substantive and procedural criminal law in domestic, regional and international contexts. In particular, the programme meets the requirements of a career within int. organizations and judicial institutions as well as within inter-governmental and nat. government agencies.

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Security is a major contemporary preoccupation; criminal law and criminal justice are key responses. This postgraduate degree in criminal law and criminal justice offers an exciting, challenging and distinctive opportunity to undertake advanced study in these areas.

The central focus of the programme is the interface between criminal law and criminal justice. It offers a theoretically informed and multidisciplinary course of study. In addition to studying the now established critical and theoretical perspectives relevant to criminal law and criminal justice, the programme also has a humanities focus, which offers an opportunity to explore and engage with cutting-edge scholarship in criminal law and criminal justice studies.

The programme is delivered by staff from the School of Law, the Institute of Criminal Policy Research at Birkbeck, and a range of visiting international scholars and practitioners.

Why study this course at Birkbeck?

Designed for students who are passionate about criminal law and criminal justice, who want to face new challenges, and who are interested in exploring and developing new critical perspectives on major contemporary national and international debates.
Flexible learning, studying in the evening, makes it particularly attractive to legal and criminal justice professionals and practitioners.
The School of Law is an internationally recognised centre for critical and interdisciplinary legal research. It provides an exciting and innovative environment for a wide range of research with a strong theoretical and policy focus. The School is the home of Birkbeck Law Press and publishes Law and Critique: The International Journal of Critical Legal Thought.
The School of Law is also the home of the Institute for Criminal Policy Research. Mike Hough and Paul Turnbull, its co-directors, lead a team of outstanding researchers. They bring a wealth of knowledge to the Master's programme, participating in core and specialist modules and providing dissertation supervision.
We use technology, such as electronic learning environments, to enhance teaching and learning. Birkbeck Library has an extensive teaching collection of books, journals and electronic resources in law and related disciplines, such as economics, politics and sociology. For example, it provides access to over 17,000 electronic journals, which are available online 24 hours a day. Find out more about our teaching and learning resources.
You can also take advantage of the rich research collections nearby, including those of the Institute of Advanced Legal Studies, Senate House Library, the British Library of Political and Economic Science (LSE Library) and the British Library.

Our research

Birkbeck is one of the world’s leading research-intensive institutions. Our cutting-edge scholarship informs public policy, achieves scientific advances, supports the economy, promotes culture and the arts, and makes a positive difference to society.

Birkbeck’s research excellence was confirmed in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework, which placed Birkbeck 30th in the UK for research, with 73% of our research rated world-leading or internationally excellent.

We are among the top 10 law schools in the UK and in the top 3 in London in the Times Higher Education 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF) rankings, while our research environment was judged conducive to producing research of the highest quality.

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This programme draws upon Birmingham Law School’s long standing research strengths in the areas of criminal law and criminal justice. Criminal Law is concerned with the most potentially invasive assertion of authority by the state: if you fail to comply with the law you will be punished. This programme provides a holistic analysis of the criminal process through an analysis of the law, its philosophical underpinnings and its operation in practice.

Students can study to attain a broad overview of criminal justice processes or specialise in particular aspects as diverse as underpinning theories, policing, health aspects of criminal justice or indeed international aspects of law enforcement co-operation. Many modules have been created and are taught by leading scholars of the particular field and students benefit from close contact with researchers.

For those wishing to gain in-depth understanding of criminal law and criminal justice, this course offers the opportunity for broader or deeply specialised study within an innovative research-led teaching environment which benefits from BLS’s longstanding stature in this field and our staff’s dedication to ensuring it lives on; also in our LLM graduates.

At Birmingham Law School we research into topics as diverse as the ever widening net of criminalisation and (at least quasi-) criminal justice processes, to money saving tactics and their effect on the very philosophy which underpins our criminal law and justice system, the justice which emerges from it and effects.

These specialisations flow into the modules on this LLM which will allow you to study the five separate objectives used in enforcement of Criminal Law; retribution, deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation and restitution taught. All of these are subjects of great debate and controversy across all jurisdictions and students benefit from debating these informed by and in exchange with our broad range of experts.

About the Birmingham Law School

Birmingham Law School has a long tradition of producing cutting-edge research that has real-world impact and informs the challenging and exciting learning environment our students experience. As a community of world-leading scholars, teachers and students, Birmingham Law School continues to make an important contribution to our understanding, teaching, and practice of law. In 2016 it was named as one of the world’s Top 100 law schools in the QS World Rankings.
We provide an expansive range of programmes, for both undergraduate and postgraduate studies and employ a range of approaches in our teaching and our research, from the theoretical and doctrinal to the empirical and applied. Our research is recognised on a global stage, and our academics are frequent participants in legal debates and contribute to the policy-making process.
We provide students with more than just a degree, and enable them to develop the skills required to enhance their employability. Our Centre for Professional Legal Education and Research (CEPLER) presents our students with opportunities to increase their knowledge of law in action through Pro Bono and Mooting as well as the 50+ legal specific career events CEPLER organises annually. CEPLERs work is one of the many things that have led to Birmingham being recognised as the University of the Year for Graduate Employability in the Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2016.

Funding and Scholarships

There are many ways to finance your postgraduate study at the University of Birmingham. To see what funding and scholarships are available, please visit: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/funding

Open Days

Explore postgraduate study at Birmingham at our on-campus open days.
Register to attend at: http://www.birmingham.ac.uk/postgraduate/visit

Virtual Open Days

If you can’t make it to one of our on-campus open days, our virtual open days run regularly throughout the year. For more information, please visit: http://www.pg.bham.ac.uk
 

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Programme description

This programme will provide students with an advanced understanding of contemporary debates in criminal law and criminal justice.

It is suitable for students who have studied law at undergraduate level and wish to develop their understanding of criminal justice in particular.

It prepares students for further work in this area, whether professional or academic.

Programme structure

This programme offers a range of courses across the fields of criminal law and criminal justice from an international perspective, allowing you to tailor a programme to suit your interests.

The programme structure for 2017/18 is currently being finalised. You will take a total of 120 credits in taught courses, 60 in each semester, which may include the following:

General Principles of Criminal Law
Current Issues in Criminal Law
International Criminal Law
Criminal Justice and Penal Process
Global Crime and Insecurity
Cybercrime
Police and Policing
Responding to Global Crime and Insecurity
Sexual Offending and the Law

You will also complete a 10,000 word dissertation worth 60 credits.

Learning outcomes

Having completed the programme, students will emerge with an understanding of contemporary debates in criminal law theory and doctrine, the ability critically to analyse existing practice and new developments in this and related subjects, and advanced-level skills in legal research and analysis.

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This programme is based in the UCD Institute of Criminology, the only centre of its kind in Ireland. Crime and punishment are issues of central importance to society and by bringing academic rigour to their examination the Institute contributes to the achievement of national priorities.

See the website http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/llmincriminologycriminaljustice/

Your studies

Students select their own modules from a list that includes: Crime and Society; Advanced Criminological Theory; Victims and International and Transnational Crime. You will also complete a supervised dissertation. The programme provides students with the opportunity to study subjects outside the School of Law, such as History, Sociology and Computer Science.

On completion of your studies, you will have:
- a deep understanding and knowledge of Criminal Justice and Criminology;
- identified legal and policy trends in criminal justice and their impact;
- developed advanced legal research skills;
- increased your ability to communicate the results of research; and,
- an increased ability to identify and analyse problems from a legal perspective.

Studying abroad

The School affords its students the opportunity to spend a semester abroad as part of the Comparative, International and European Law (CIEL) Graduate exchange programme with our partner Universities in Belgium, France, Germany, the Netherlands and Spain. Students participating in the programme will have their dissertations jointly supervised by staff in UCD and in the institution which
they are visiting. Successful completion of the semester abroad will lead to the award of a Certificate in Comparative, International and European Law.

Your future

A specialisation in criminology and criminal justice will be of interest to graduates who want to work in one of the criminal justice agencies and to those working in prisons, probation, policing and the courts. This specialisation will equip you with a head start for a career in criminal law and the criminal justice system.

Features

The Institute of Criminology offers a wide range of modules for the Masters programmes. Modules of especial interest to those undertaking this programme include

- Coercive Confinement provides an overview the incarceration of individuals during the first fifty years of Irish independence, examining accounts of life within institutions whilst offering an explanation for the system’s longevity and the reasons for its decline.

- Crime and Society maps trends in crime and victimisation and relates strategies of crime control to wider societal factors such as a country’s political priorities, policy-making infrastructure and media culture.

- Punishment, Prison and Public Policy examines the response to crime since the mid-1990s which has been characterised an emphasis on prison expansion and explores some of the dilemmas that confront prison systems everywhere.

- Victims reflects on recent initiatives designed to assist victims and help them to participate more fully in the criminal justice process to discuss the rich body of knowledge about victimisation and its remedies.

CIEL

Any student admitted to an LLM programme in the Law School also can apply on a competitive basis to spend their second semester at one of our sister Law Schools:
- University of Antwerp
- Maastricht University
- The University of Mannhein
- Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Barcelona
- Universite de Toulouse 1 – Capitole

Students must score 6.5 in IELTS or 90 in the internet TOEFL exams in the relevant language of instruction (English, French or German). Spaces are allocated on a competitive basis. Students who are accepted onto this programme graduate with an LLM and are awarded a certificate in International and Comparative Law (CIEL).

Careers

This programme is well- suited to those interested in legal practice, public service, or any other career where success is built upon the ability to understand, analyse and respond to developments in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

We have an excellent Careers Development Centre here at UCD, designed to help you with information regarding future employment or studies. UCD hold a number of graduate events throughout the year including a dedicated law fair at which at which many of the big Law firms will be in attendance. The School of Law has a dedicated careers advisor on it’s Academic staff, Dr. Oonagh Breen, and a staff member from the careers office will be in attendance at the School of law on a number of occasions throughout the academic year. To see the full range of services offered by the careers office go to http://www.ucd.ie/careers/

See the website http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/llmincriminologycriminaljustice/

Find out how to apply here http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduateprogrammes/llmincriminologycriminaljustice/apply,80087,en.html

Scholarships

The University and UCD Sutherland School of Law have a list of scholarships that are open to Irish, EU and International applicants.
For further information please see http://www.ucd.ie/scholarships
International students may wish to visit: http://www.ucd.ie/international

Why you should choose UCD

In the state-of-the-art UCD Sutherland School of Law, graduate students engage in advanced study with internationally renowned specialists to develop the transformative potential of law.

The School is ranked by the authoritative QS World University Rankings as Ireland's number one law school and amongst the world's 100 leading law schools. Students benefit from the School’s strong links with university partners; businesses; NGOs; and, domestic, EU and international governments.
We place particular emphasis on the quality and breadth of our graduate programmes across Diploma, Masters and Doctoral levels. Our graduate degrees are available on a full-time or part-time basis, beginning in either January or September.
We also offer part-time Diploma programmes and single subject certificates with the possibility of securing CPD points and building study up to achieve diploma or masters awards.

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Take advantage of one of our 100 Master’s Scholarships to study Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology at Swansea University, the Times Good University Guide’s Welsh University of the Year 2017. Postgraduate loans are also available to English and Welsh domiciled students. For more information on fees and funding please visit our website.

The Department of Criminology at Swansea University has run a successful MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology since 1997. Students of the Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology will have the opportunity to learn about crime, the criminal justice system and cutting edge themes in criminology from leading experts in the field. The MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology specialises in the application of criminological knowledge to the workings of the Criminal Justice System and this is strongly reflected in the exciting range of diverse and cutting-edge modules on offer.

The MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology focuses mainly on the application of knowledge to the operation of the criminal justice system, reflecting the policy/ practice orientation of members of the staff team.

Whether you are a practitioner working in the criminal justice system, a researcher wishing to gain a firm foundation for a research degree in an ESRC recognised Doctoral Training Centre, or an undergraduate aspiring to a career in criminal justice, our Masters-level degree in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology is for you! The MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology offers you:

• an up-to-date and high quality programme which includes some of the most important theory and research in criminal justice and criminology
• an opportunity to develop your ability to apply criminal justice and criminological knowledge to research and the operation of the criminal justice system
• an opportunity to develop and apply research methods knowledge and skills
• enhanced employability for those wishing to pursue a career in the criminal justice system and for those interested in an academic or research career

Modules

Modules on the MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology typically include:

• Ethics and Philosophy of Social Research
• Quantitative Methods
• Qualitative Methods
• Case Studies in Applied Social Research
• Data Visualisation
• Crime, Drugs and Alcohol
• Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice
• Applied Criminal Justice
• Understanding Policing
• Youth Justice: Research, Policy & Practice
• Criminal Justice System in England and Wales
• Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of Children
• Human Trafficking

Careers and Employability

The MA in Applied Criminal Justice & Criminology will open the door to a range of careers, including: Local Government, Police Force, Prison Service, Social Work, Victim Support, Teaching, and Probation Service to name a few. Enhancing your career prospects whilst studying on this course, you will have a wealth of opportunities to take advantage of in order to boost your CV and form important employment links for the future.

Additional Information

Every student is allocated a Personal Tutor who offers academic and pastoral care throughout the student’s stay in Swansea. Several lecturers invite senior criminal justice practitioners, managers, and policy makers to deliver lectures on key aspects of criminal justice policy and practice. The Department of Criminology also ensures that MA in Applied Criminal Justice & Criminology students participate in social events through the Criminology Society which organises events that give students opportunities to socialise and meet others in the Department of Criminology. There may also be placement and research internship opportunities available to students (subject to availability). Research internships provide opportunities for students to observe practices in a criminal justice agency and then produce their dissertation on a topic that is relevant to the work of the agency.

Student Quotes

- Christie Owen, MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology graduate 2010 -11

“There are a range of different modules covering a broad spectrum of subjects. Helpful tutoring means that those who have not studied Criminology previously will find the subject easy to pick up. There are plenty of approachable staff and lecturers to seek advice if you are unsure. Lectures are well structured with scope for debate with your peers and lecturers, as well as informative media such as videos and power point presentations. There is continuous mentoring while completing dissertations, with supervisors engaging well with students and aiding them in making it more manageable. Supervisors are continuously available to answer any questions or solve any problems that arise while writing such a large piece of work. The library services are also extremely helpful, with access to many books, journals and the internet with a room specifically for postgraduates which is very much needed during busier periods.

The Masters degree in Criminology encouraged me to pursue a career in the Prison Service. After graduating I was offered a position following my first interview and the course has given me skills to use in my new position.”

- Peter Doyle, MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology graduate

Retired Detective Chief Inspector and Senior Investigating Officer Peter, from Kenfig near Porthcawl, had specialised in Homicide and Serious Crime Investigation and has an extensive background in Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) investigation.

“The course was challenging for me as I do not possess a first degree – a particular challenge was writing in an academic style. I overcame the challenges by applying practice and more practice – plus support from those within the College and my family. I believe the key is not worrying about every mistake you make but learning from them instead.

“I chose Swansea University because it has an excellent reputation for criminology studies and I also worked in Swansea for many years as a police officer. It was a great honour to meet people on my course from such a wide spectrum and of all ages – this was very inspiring, I was made to feel welcome by everyone involved.”

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Criminal Justice is a one-year Master’s at the renowned Leiden Law School at Leiden University. The programme focuses on criminology, criminal law and their mutual relationship. It is unique in its cross-national and multidisciplinary scope.

Visit the website: http://en.mastersinleiden.nl/programmes/criminal-justice/en/introduction

Course detail

Criminal Justice is a one-year Master’s programme at the renowned Leiden Law School at Leiden University. This programme focuses on legitimacy and effectiveness of criminal justice systems around the world and the challenges they face in a globalising world. Applying a comparative perspective, criminal justice systems are analysed regarding their ability to deal with crimes that take place both within and beyond their national borders. Transnational crimes like human trafficking and terrorism increasingly demand coordinated criminal justice responses on a European or international level. The comparative study of criminal justice institutions therefore includes the study of supra-national bodies.

Comparative and multidisciplinary perspectives

The Criminal Justice Master distinguishes itself by its international comparative perspective, analysing criminal justice systems, legislation and policies in common law and civil law countries. The programme is unique both in its comparative and multidisciplinary focus. Students from all over the world with different backgrounds, such as Criminology, Social sciences, Law, Political sciences, and Philosophy, critically engage themselves with important questions in small-scale groups. Leiden Law School is located in two beautifully renovated national monuments in the historic heart of the medieval city of Leiden. Leiden is the place to study Criminal Justice because of its vicinity to the Hague: international city of peace and justice.

Purpose

Due to the Criminal Justice Master’s unique multidisciplinary and comparative perspective, graduates gain a deep understanding of the dynamics against which criminal justices processes take place. As the program provides students with a broad and solid background in the realm of Criminal Justice, they are widely deployable in a variety of national and international institutions. At the same time, they are offered plenty of space to pursue their own specific topics of interest through various practical assignments.

Format

This programme is interactive and taught in small groups resulting in compelling discussions with students from all over the world with different disciplinary and (legal) cultural backgrounds. As a result, you will benefit from an extremely rich and interactive learning environment. Another advantage is that the academic staff in this Master has close ties with the relevant Criminal Justice issues in practice. Apart from following lectures, you will also participate in fieldtrips to Dutch and international institutions such as the Netherlands’ Council of State, Europol and the European Parliament.

Careers

The Criminal Justice Master’s programme offered by the Leiden Institute of Criminal Law and Criminology is the gateway to an exciting national or international career. The programme is optimally designed to suit requirements for professional positions. Possible career perpectives are:

- Consultant for municipalities, NGO’s or other national or international organizations that deal with international crime and safety issues
- Policy maker for actors in the criminal justice system or government
- Policy maker for international organizations that deal with crime control
- Academic researcher

How to apply:

http://en.mastersinleiden.nl/arrange/admission

Funding

For information regarding funding, please visit the website: http://prospectivestudents.leiden.edu/scholarships

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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.

Key benefits:

• Gain a critical and comprehensive overview of the criminal justice process
• Enjoy excellent opportunities to interact with criminal justice practitioners, both on and off campus
• Develop the reflective skills that will help you perform more effectively in a criminal justice career

Visit the website: http://www.salford.ac.uk/pgt-courses/the-criminal-justice-process

Suitable for

Practitioners working in the criminal justice system, and associated agencies, wishing to further their knowledge and understanding of the contemporary criminal justice process. Also graduates with degrees in criminology, law or associated disciplines who are planning to work in the criminal justice system.

Programme details

MSc The Criminal Justice Process will lead you to:

• Develop a systematic understanding of the criminal justice process.
• Gain a critical awareness of key transformations in the contemporary criminal justice process.
• Acquire the analytical skills required to formulate original and innovative analyses of the contemporary criminal justice process.
• 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.

Format

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.

Module titles

• Processing Criminal Justice
• International Criminal Justice
• Digital Criminal Justice
• Human Rights and Criminal Justice
• Investigating Homicide
• Dissertation
• Criminal Justice Placement/Project

Assessment

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

Career potential

This course will help you progress your career within the criminal justice field.
Graduates of this course can secure roles in the wide range of organisations involved in the criminal justice process. They can go on to jobs in the police, private security, victim and court services, probation, the prison service, youth offender services, and treatment and intervention programmes.

How to apply: http://www.salford.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/applying

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Interested in criminal law? Want to focus your legal skills towards working at an international level? Then LLM International Criminal Law is perfect for you! We cover the key concepts in enforcing international criminal law, looking particularly at crimes falling under the jurisdiction of international criminal courts and tribunals. This includes genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression. You'll learn valuable practical skills to become a specialist international lawyer, including conducting mediation and negotiation in an international law setting and acting as an advocate presenting legal arguments before an international forum.

As well as focusing on a specialist area, we will also help you develop an awareness and critical understanding of commercialism in the legal sector, understanding the law in practice and legal ethics. You'll gain everything you need to work in international law, opening your career options and enhancing your skills for future employment. Take your love of law to the next level by gaining expertise in international criminal law.

Course outline

All students will begin by engaging in a critical appraisal of relevant research methods to achieve competence in project planning and academic writing, an awareness and critical understanding of commercialism in the legal sector, understanding the law in practice and legal ethics. Students will be trained on how to prepare written advice to clients, how to draft court pleadings, conduct mediation and negotiation in an international law setting, and act as an advocate and present legal argument before an international forum.

There are no exams to worry about - assessments are made through essays, presentations, advocacy exercises and professional portfolios. The research project is a significant piece of research which students will undertake with support from supervisors. The focus of this project must be on an area of their specialisation and must be completed within 15,000 words.

Graduate destinations

The LLM qualification can help career development in the legal sector (including for those practicing law in commercial and business fields) as well as the Business and Management industry, helping promotion to middle and senior management. To meet the constant evolution of global business law development, we offer the opportunity to gain the qualification in one year.

Other admission requirements

For non UK degree programmes, the University will utilise the NARIC database to determine its equivalence to a UK honours degree. Applicants presenting non-standard qualifications with substantial legal practice and law related experience may be invited for an interview to present their experiential learning. If an applicant's first language is not English, he or she must be able to demonstrate oral and written fluency in English. Working or studying in an English-speaking environment will usually be sufficient to demonstrate an acceptable competence. Otherwise applications for admission must be accompanied by a certificate of competency in the English language from a recognised institution or programme. English language requirements for non-English-speaking students are a minimum IELTS score of 6.5 or a minimum TOEFL score of 600, or equivalent.

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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.

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This course is one of the few LLM courses with a specific focus on criminal law and procedure.

Course overview

Are you looking for a thorough knowledge of criminal law and procedure in order to support your career plans? Our specialist postgraduate legal training is particularly relevant for those who are looking for higher-level roles within the legal profession, police, probation service, prison service and HM Revenue and Customs. Our Master of Laws will add to your credentials in an area in which you already practise or are proposing to work. The Law Department at Sunderland is well-respected and was ranked 'internationally excellent' in the Latest Research Excellence Framework (REF).

You will undertake two core modules: ‘Criminal Law: Theory and Doctrine’ and ‘Law, Society and the State’. You will also choose a further two options that match your particular career ambitions and intellectual interests.

Your Masters dissertation is an opportunity to develop rigorous research skills and to explore a topic that you negotiate with your tutors. We provide expert supervision, drawing on our own research and the latest academic approaches and evidence base.

Our teaching methods include weekly three-hour workshops. You will be expected to prepare thoroughly, respond to new ideas and contribute to vibrant and thought-provoking sessions.

Course content

The course mixes taught elements with self-directed research. You can negotiate the topic of the dissertation to reflect your personal interests and career aspirations.

Modules on this course include:
-Advanced Legal Skills (30 Credits)
-International Perspective in Law (30 Credits)
-International Human Rights Law (30 Credits)
-Legal Research Project (30 Credits)
-Dissertation (60 Credits)

Teaching and assessment

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods which include weekly three-hour workshops. These are interactive and require a high level of preparation. The research project and dissertation are supervised by your tutor.

Compared to an undergraduate course, you will find that this Masters course requires a higher level of independent working.

Facilities & location

The University of Sunderland has excellent facilities for law students including a purpose-built mock courtroom and specialist collections of books and resources.

Course location
This course is based on the banks of the River Wear at the Sir Tom Cowie Campus at St Peter’s. It looks out over the River Wear and is less than a mile from the seaside.

Mock courtroom
We are one of the few universities in the UK to have a mock court that allows you to develop advocacy skills and apply legal knowledge in a realistic environment. The mock court is also used for mooting competitions. It’s one of the features that ranked Sunderland second in the UK for Course Satisfaction and Student Satisfaction with Teaching (source: The Guardian University Guide 2014).

Law Library
The Law Library, which is located within the St Peter’s Library, offers an excellent selection of books. There is also a range of electronic sources of information such as Lexis and West Law.

University Library Services
The University boasts a collection of more than 430,000 books with many more titles available through the inter-library loan service. There are nearly 9,000 journal titles, mostly in electronic format. Each year the University invests around £1 million in new resources.

IT provision
When it comes to IT provision you can take your pick from hundreds of PCs as well as Apple Macs in the David Goldman Informatics Centre and St Peter’s Library. There are also free WiFi zones throughout the campus. If you have any problems, just ask the friendly helpdesk team.

Learning environment
Sunderland offers a vibrant learning environment with an international dimension thanks to the presence of students from around the world. At the same time, the University is fully plugged into relevant professional organisations, with strong links and an exchange of ideas and people.

Employment & careers

This LLM course equips you with advanced skills and knowledge in a specialised area of law. As a result, you will have an important edge when applying for roles in the Crown Prosecution Service, police, and prison or probation services. Salaries of law graduates are among the highest of all graduates.

You will also be better equipped for applying for training contracts or pupillages if this is appropriate to your career stage. In addition, a Masters degree will enhance opportunities in academic roles or further study towards a PhD.

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