Masters Degrees in Criminological Anthropology

MSc Forensic Anthropology is designed to enable graduate students to develop skills in a variety of areas, which concern the processing, analysis and identification of human remains. This postgraduate course provides intensive training in developmental anatomy and osteology, forensic anthropology methods and theory, forensic taphonomy in theory and practice, crime scene investigation and the law, research methods and expert witness and presentation skills. The course has a focus on both domestic forensic anthropology work (e.g. UK and US) and forensic anthropology in the context of international humanitarian work and international criminal investigation.

UCLan’s postgraduate Forensic Anthropology course is the only forensic anthropology/osteology MSc in the UK to be based within a dedicated forensics department with state-of-the-art Crime Scene Investigation practical labs as well as excellent resources in Forensic Biology and Chemistry.

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT AND ASSESSMENT

We have a dedicated MSc Forensic Anthropology laboratory and radiography facilities with the full range of teaching casts as well as an extensive collection of experimentally induced projectile, blunt and sharp force trauma. We have an archaeological skeletal collection consisting of some 120 individuals from two sites, one late Medieval and one Victorian. UCLan’s TRACES facility for decomposition and taphonomic experimentation is located nearby and many students choose to conduct MSc dissertation research projects as part of the long term research agenda into estimating time since death. Staff members teaching the course are also active in research and consultancy.

Assessment is based on a combination of coursework and examination and includes an MSc dissertation project. Students are encouraged to present their research findings at international meetings.

OPPORTUNITIES

Graduating from this course, you will be well placed to undertake further research at the doctoral level, take up jobs in forensic anthropology laboratories, or to participate in human remains excavations.

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Join one of the top sociology departments in the UK and further your understanding of the tensions, interactions and networks that dictate how societies are organised. You contribute to the thinking that guides organisations such as the Home Office, Amnesty International and the United Nations.

You explore some of the most important and significant debates in contemporary social theory, learning to think analytically about theoretical questions. You discover the importance of social theory in developing a politically engaged understanding of concepts such as post-structuralism, feminism and actor-network theory, focusing on topics such as:
-The history of digital piracy
-Sociology of human rights
-Media and criminology
-Gender and sexuality
-Citizenship

You also develop the skills needed to make your own contribution to the field, gaining a critical and coherent perspective on empirical research and examining the key assumptions and ideological underpinnings of qualitative and quantitative research.

Our Department of Sociology was rated top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014), and we consistently receive strong student satisfaction scores, including 96% overall student satisfaction in 2015.

Our expert staff

We are a large and friendly department, offering a diverse range of research interests and with staff members who are committed to teaching, research and publication that covers a broad geographical spectrum.

Many have worked at the local level with local authorities, justice councils, community partnerships and charities. Others have worked at a national and international level with bodies like the United Nations, the European Commission’s Expert Group on Public Understanding of Science, Amnesty International, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Home Office and national non-governmental organisations.

Specialist facilities

-Dedicated postgraduate support facilities
-Our renowned off-campus Graduate Conference takes place every February
-A unique Student Resource Centre where you can get help with your studies, access examples of previous students’ work, and attend workshops on research skills
-The Sociology common room is open all day Monday-Friday, is stocked with daily newspapers, magazines and journals, and has free drinks available
-Links with the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which conducts large-scale survey projects and has its own library, and the UK Data Archive, which stores national research data like the British Crime Survey
-Our students’ Sociology Society, a forum for the exchange of ideas, arranging talks by visiting speakers, introducing you to various career pathways, and organising debates

Your future

A good sociology course, especially one from a recognised centre of excellence like Essex, opens many doors.

This course provides excellent preparation for further academic study, and many of our postgraduates go on to successful academic careers, both in the UK and overseas.

Others have established careers in non-governmental organisations, local authorities, specialist think tanks, government departments, charities, media production, and market intelligence.

We work with the university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

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Discover how to turn raw data into useful information which can tell us about how people work. You learn how to gain an understanding of society through carrying out case studies, surveys, and observational research.

Our MA Sociological Research provides a strong foundation in doing empirical research, encompassing both qualitative and quantitative methodologies. We offer you advanced study of research design and of specific research techniques and their evaluation. In the process you also acquire a critical appreciation of empirical research methodology.

Graduates of this course will understand the connection between theory and empirical methodology, and be able to produce, evaluate and effectively communicate research findings. You explore topics including:
-Debates in contemporary social theory
-The theory and methods of qualitative interviewing
-Quantitative data analysis
-Sociological research design

This is a broad-based research training which is indispensable if you wish to proceed to a PhD. This course has ESRC Doctoral Training Centre accreditation, which means that it can form part of a 1+3 funding opportunity worth up to £21,575 for talented postgraduates.

Our Department of Sociology was rated top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014), and we consistently receive strong student satisfaction scores, including 96% overall student satisfaction in 2015.

Our expert staff

We are a large and friendly department, offering a diverse range of research interests and with staff members who are committed to teaching, research and publication that covers a broad geographical spectrum.

Many have worked at the local level with local authorities, justice councils, community partnerships and charities. Others have worked at a national and international level with bodies like the United Nations, the European Commission’s Expert Group on Public Understanding of Science, Amnesty International, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, the Home Office and national non-governmental organisations.

Specialist facilities

-Dedicated postgraduate support facilities
-Our renowned off-campus Graduate Conference takes place every February
-A unique Student Resource Centre where you can get help with your studies, access examples of previous students’ work, and attend workshops on research skills
-The Sociology common room is open all day Monday-Friday, is stocked with daily newspapers, magazines and journals, and has free drinks available
-Links with the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which conducts large-scale survey projects and has its own library, and the UK Data Archive, which stores national research data like the British Crime Survey
-Our students’ Sociology Society, a forum for the exchange of ideas, arranging talks by visiting speakers, introducing you to various career pathways, and organising debates

Your future

This course offers invaluable training if you seek future employment in a wide range of social research occupations. You will develop key employability skills including; thinking analytically, research design, essay writing, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and interviewing skills.

You are provided with excellent preparation for further academic study, and many of our postgraduates go on to successful academic careers, both in the UK and overseas.

Others have established careers in non-governmental organisations, local authorities, specialist think tanks, government departments, charities, media production, and market intelligence.

We work with the university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

-Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
-Interviewing and Qualitative Data Analysis
-Texts and Documents (optional)
-Ethnography (optional)
-Topics in Contemporary Social Theory
-Sociological Research Design
-Dissertation

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Forced migration is a global phenomenon and an area of increasing concern in Europe and beyond. On this course you will study the multiple factors associated with refugee crises and the economic, political, social, cultural, and environment pressures which lie behind the search for asylum. 

A distinctive feature of this course is that it considers the perspective and experiences of the people forced to flee conflict, generalised violence, and human rights violations. It highlights social, cultural and community responses to people in search of sanctuary in the contexts of restrictive border practices. It encourages informed understanding about contemporary conflicts, forced displacement and human security. 

Although the majority of refugees are in countries of the developing world, structures of exclusion are most fully developed in the post-industrial societies, notably within Europe.

The course highlights problems associated with limitations of asylum rights in the European states and the climate of hostility towards refugees from countries outside Western Europe. It also considers alternative, positive, approaches to asylum rights. 

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Our research expertise centres around three themes: Identities, the Sociology of Health and Life Sciences and Social Transformations. Our research tradition covers sociology, social policy and social anthropology. We have strengths in the fields of family studies, health studies, political economy, sexuality, citizenship, and youth and student lives.

Our MPhil projects cover a wide spectrum of contemporary sociology including:
-Bodies, identities and experiences
-Culture and material life
-'Development' and the global south
-Emotions and intimacy
-Environment and society
-Imagining pasts and futures
-Sexualities and gender
-Sociology of ethics
-Sociologies of health and life sciences
-Sociology of law
-Visual and aesthetic cultures

Each of these themes represents the expertise of a member of staff actively engaged in sociological research.

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This course examines rapidly changing issues such as drug trafficking, terrorism, human trafficking, illegal arms trading and financial crime that are major areas of concern for politicians and policy makers and an increasingly important area of research.

This award provides an advanced programme in a new and rapidly changing area of study. During recent decades transnational crime has become a major area of concern for politicians and policy makers and an increasingly important area of research. Its context is the growth of global anxiety regarding activities such as drug trafficking, terrorism, human trafficking, illegal arms trading and financial crime which appear either to be on the increase or are assuming new and increasingly global forms.

In this award we intend to examine this phenomenon in terms of its recent emergence and further development, its historical precedents at a global level, typical forms and law enforcement responses, and the way in which transnational organised crime is typically represented by news and broadcasting media. Our intention is to provide you with a rigorous and critical education in this area which will provide you with the basis for both further study and for seeking employment in professional careers related to the award.

Course content

You will study a range of modules which cover the history, theory and analysis of transnational organised crime as well as providing a very wide range in-depth case study regarding both organised criminal groups and the global activities which they engage in.

This typically includes phenomena as diverse as international terrorism, drug trafficking, illegal arms deals, the smuggling of radioactive material, human trafficking, the global sex trade, racketeering, trading in human organs, counterfeiting of documents and identities, extortion and many different forms of state and corporate crime.

Modules studied
-Crimes against Humanity: State Crime, War Crimes and Transnational Terrorism
-Trafficking: The Illegal Trade in People, Goods and Services
-Crimes of the Powerful: Corporate, White Collar and Financial Crime
-Transnational Justice & Organised Crime
-Research Based Dissertation

Graduate destinations

The MA provides a curriculum which is suited to those seeking employment or further study in relation to careers in law enforcement, policing, customs and excise, the security industry, international governmental and non-governmental institutions, national foreign, security or defence ministries, and internationally oriented organisations of many types.

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There is a national and international need for professionals who can apply a critical and scientific approach to their forensic practice, and who want to have a broad understanding of the various interrelated disciplines of forensic medicine and science. This programme answers that need and provides theoretical and practical knowledge of the forensic medical sciences, and will train you to critically evaluate and interpret forensic medical and scientific evidence.

The unprecedented programme will cover a wide range specialist topics under the umbrella of the forensic medical sciences, coupled with the opportunity to carry out research in a specialist area.

We also offer you the opportunity to further your career prospects within your own professional specialty. This programme should be regarded as an intermediate level for pathologists and forensic medical examiners who will be expected to progress to specialist exit level exams, through their respective academic colleges.

Programme outline
Core modules:

Clinical Aspects of Forensic Medicine (two modules)
Forensic Pathology (two modules)
Module Options:

Legal and Ethical Issues Relevant to Forensic Medicine and Science
Forensic Toxicology I and II
Forensic Identification I and II.
Research project

Laboratory-based or a critical dissertation (four modules)

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Since the Al-Qaeda attacks on the United States in September 2001, there has been a dramatic shift in the nature, study and practices of global politics. Against a background of intensifying economic, political, cultural and military globalisation, there is now a heightened awareness of terrorism and international crime as threats to global security.

The Terrorism, International Crime and Global Security MA degree identifies the features of these respective threats and explores the challenges to national and global governance, human rights and ethics, criminality and regionalism. This course examines the character of these contemporary global threats, considers specific case studies, and contributes to the debate over how to respond intellectually and in practical policy to these major threats to global security in the post-9/11 world.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?

-Provides learners with an integrated security perspective
-Combines traditional militarised security concerns with contemporary threats of terrorism, international crime, and non-traditional security
-Provides the opportunity to develop the necessary analytical tools to critically explore the global security environment of the new century
-Among the first course of its kind to offer an integrated approach to studying the increasingly prevalent themes of terrorism, international crime and global security
-You will obtain a critical awareness of the complex and inter-connected diplomatic, legal and economic dimensions of these threats, as well as an understanding of counter-terrorist and counter-crime policies, strategies and operational responses at local, national and global levels

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

This dynamic and innovative course is aimed at both UK and international students and offers the opportunity to be studied on a full-time and part-time basis. Field trips are an integral part of the course, which will include visits to EU agencies and international NGOs.

The Terrorism, International Crime and Global Security MA degree course is among the first of its kind to offer an integrated approach to studying terrorism, international crime and global security. UK and International Competitive internships will be offered to the most motivated students.

The course comprises three mandatory topics designed to establish the core agenda of the course in terrorism, international crime and global security, and six core-option subjects from which you must study at least two.

The topics included in the course are delivered as interactive and multimedia workshops. They blend case studies, practical illustrations and theoretical analysis. Each session is designed to encourage interaction and debate. This concept is equally applicable to the numerous extra-curricular activities organised to complement the subjects.

Within all sessions, we draw on our own research experience and this ensures some lively debates and reassurance that there is no ‘right way’ of undertaking research. The course team ensures that you have extensive tutorial access to discuss your relationship with the course’s subject matter and their own intellectual development and to provide structure to their studies.

The key themes of this Masters degree are addressed in courses three core subjects:
-International organized crime
-International terrorism
-Threats to global security

You then have the opportunity to supplement these compulsory subjects with optional units, broadening your understanding of the concept of global security. Typical choices include:
-Counter crime and terrorism (study trip)
-Governance for security in the developing world
-Post-colonial African politics
-Gender and international human rights
-Case study: analysing primary sources
-Trafficking in human beings

In parallel to studying the above subjects, students also design, research and write a 15,000 word Masters dissertation addressing a topic of their own choice.

HOW WILL THIS COURSE ENHANCE MY CAREER PROSPECTS?

The MA in Terrorism, International Crime and Global Security is designed for those seeking to put current security debates into some sort of academic context. In terms of career advancement, the course offers generic skills and professional development that have seen past graduates go on to jobs within:
-International NGOs
-Civil service
-Private sector
-Management
-Journalism

In this sense, the degree is not designed to promote any one specific vocation. However, the issues studied would be of particular interest to those wishing to start, or advance, a career in:
-The armed forces
-The police force
-International agencies such as the United Nations or the European Union
-Other international NGOs

GLOBAL LEADERS PROGRAMME

To prepare students for the challenges of the global employment market and to strengthen and develop their broader personal and professional skills Coventry University has developed a unique Global Leaders Programme.

The objectives of the programme, in which postgraduate and eligible undergraduate students can participate, is to provide practical career workshops and enable participants to experience different business cultures.

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Forensic art encompasses a wide range of subjects, notably facial anthropology and identification, such as two and three-dimensional facial reconstruction, craniofacial superimposition, post-mortem depiction, composite art and age progression.

This highly innovative one-year taught Masters course will encompass all these fields, employing highly specialised tutors from scientific backgrounds alongside experienced forensic art supervisors.

Why study Forensic Art at Dundee?

Forensic Art is the presentation of visual information in relation to legal procedures. A forensic artist may aid in the identification or location of victims of crime, missing persons or human remains, and may facilitate the identification, apprehension or conviction of criminals.

Forensic artists require technical and conceptual art skills alongside comprehensive medical and anatomical knowledge. The course provides training and expertise at the cutting-edge of the forensic art profession

What's so good about studying Forensic Art at Dundee?

You will benefit from the facilities of a well-established art college, whilst appreciating the newly-refurbished laboratories, a dedicated library and access to human material in a modern medical science environment.

The award-winning staff in the Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification (CAHID) are amongst the most experienced in the UK in the fields of human identification, forensic anthropology, craniofacial identification and the study of the human body. The core remit of the Centre is the study of anatomy and staff deliver high quality anatomy teaching at all levels, via whole body dissection which allows students to develop a sound knowledge of the human body.

The Centre was awarded a prestigious Queen's Anniversary Prize for Higher Education in November 2013. Presented in recognition of 'world class excellence', the Queen’s Anniversary Prizes are among the most highly-regarded awards for the UK’s universities and colleges.

Teaching & Assessment

Teaching methods include traditional and online lectures, practical workshops in the studio and dissecting room and small group discussions. These encourage debate around theoretical research-based solutions to current practical problems.

The MSc will be taught full-time over one year (September to August).

How you will be taught

The course is delivered using traditional methods including lectures, practical studio sessions and small group discussions with an encouragement into debate and theoretical solutions to current problems.

What you will study

This highly innovative one-year taught MSc will encompass these fields, employing highly specialised tutors from scientific backgrounds alongside experienced forensic artists.

Semester 1 (60 credits)

In semester 1 the focus is on the study of anatomy through dissection, prosection study, illustration and facial sculpture and applying this to life art practice. Students will also be introduced to research methods and digital media.

Anatomy 1 - Head and Neck (15 credits)

Anatomy 2 - Post Cranial (15 credits)

Life Art (10 credits)

Digital Media Practice (10 credits)

Research Methods (10 credits)

Semester 1 may be also taken as a stand-alone PGCert entitled ‘Anatomy for Artists’.


Semester 2 (60 credits)

Forensic Facial Imaging, Analysis and Comparison (25 credits)

Forensic Art (25 credits)

Medical-Legal Ethics (10 credits)

On successful completion of Semesters 1 and 2 there is an exit award of a Postgraduate Diploma in Forensic Art and Facial Identification.

Semester 3 (60 credits) - dissertation and exhibition resulting from a self-directed project undertaken either at the university or as a placement.

How you will be assessed

A variety of assessment methods are employed, including anatomy spot-tests; oral and visual presentations; portfolio assessment of 2D/3D image acquisition and of artwork; written coursework and examination, such as forensic case reports.

Careers

This programme aims to provide professional vocational training to underpin your first degree, so that you can enter employment at the leading edge of your discipline. Career opportunities in forensic art are varied and will depend on individual background and interests.

In forensic art, potential careers exist within the police force and overseas law enforcement. Possible careers include:

Police art & design departments producing law enforcement documents, image enhancement, CCTV surveillance, image collection, staff posters and presentations.
SOCO/CSIs in UK or overseas law enforcement agencies
Facial composite practitioner and witness interview expert in police force
Archaeological artist working with museums, institutes and exhibitions
Facial identification services
Medico-legal artwork
Freelance art applications
Special effects and the media/film world
Academia – teaching or research
PhD research

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This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive insight of the field of firearms, ammunition and ballistic investigations.

Who is it for?

The course offers students a wide range of different experiences with unique facilities available to no other university in the UK. 

The MSc in Forensic Ballistics course usually has around 10-15 students per year. Students come from a wide range of backgrounds, usually with a science or forensic science first degree. Many students come from abroad, especially Europe, Africa and North America. 

Why this course?

The MSc Forensic Ballistics course is part of the MSc Forensic Programme which is formally accredited by The Chartered Society for Forensic Sciences.

The course is highly practical and hands-on, aiming to produce a clear understanding of how firearms and ammunition function, the science of ballistics, the role of the forensic firearms examiner and how the forensic evidence produced in gun crime can be used to help resolve issues in relation to criminal and civil law.

The course consists of a one-week period of introductory studies followed by academic instruction in modular form. Most modules are of five days duration, interspersed with weeks devoted to private study. Students are required to take eight core modules and choose three elective modules based on their particular background, future requirements or interests. This is followed by a four-month research project and either a thesis or literature review and paper.

Informed by Industry

Made up of serving Forensic Practitioners from different disciplines.

Accreditation

The Forensic Modular Masters Programme at Cranfield Forensic Institute is accredited by The Chartered Society of Forensic Sciences.

Course details

Students are required to take nine core modules and choose three elective modules based on their particular background, future requirements, or interests. This is followed by a four-month research project and thesis.

Individual project

The individual project takes four months from April to July. The student selects from a range of titles, or may propose their own topic. Most are practically or experimentally based using Cranfield’s unique facilities.

Assessment

By written and practical examinations, continuous assessment, project presentation and viva voce.

Your career

Prepares you to practice as a professional expert witness in forensic ballistics, within forensic laboratories, police departments, government bodies and non-governmental organisations. It is also a necessary introduction that could lead into conducting research at PhD level in the subject.

If you would like to request a visit to Cranfield Defence & Security where you will be able to meet one or more members of the course team and see some of the facilities, please let me know and we will arrange for a member of the course team to contact you to make arrangements - Professor Andrew Shortland - Head of Centre for Cranfield Forensic Institute [email protected]

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What methods are used to discover how people behave, what they believe and what opinions they hold? What sort of sampling techniques are needed to access different types of population? What is the best way to design a questionnaire?

Our MSc Survey Methods for Social Research will provide answers to these questions and more, preparing you for a professional career in social, academic or market research. Central to our course is an emphasis on practical learning and experience, so you undertake a short work placement in one of a number of professional research organisations.

You explore topics including:
-Sampling
-Questionnaire design
-Analysis of survey data
-Management of the survey process

This course has ESRC Doctoral Training Centre accreditation, meaning it can form part of a 1+3 funding opportunity worth up to £18,000 for talented postgraduates. Our University is one of only 21 ESRC-accredited Doctoral Training Centres in the UK.

Our Department of Sociology was rated top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014), and we consistently receive strong student satisfaction scores, including 96% overall student satisfaction in 2015.

Our expert staff

We are a large and friendly department, offering a diverse range of research interests and with staff members who are committed to teaching, research and publication that covers a broad geographical spectrum.

Many have worked at the local level with local authorities, justice councils, community partnerships and charities. Others have worked at a national and international level with bodies like the United Nations, the European Commission’s Expert Group on Public Understanding of Science, Amnesty International, The Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, The Home Office and national non-governmental organisations.

Specialist facilities

-Dedicated postgraduate support facilities
-Our renowned off-campus Graduate Conference takes place every February
-A unique Student Resource Centre where you can get help with your studies, access examples of previous students’ work, and attend workshops on research skills
-The Sociology common room is open all day Monday-Friday, is stocked with daily newspapers, magazines and journals, and has free drinks available
-Links with the Institute of Social and Economic Research, which conducts large-scale survey projects and has its own library, and the -UK Data Archive, which stores national research data like the British Crime Survey
-Our students’ Sociology Society, a forum for the exchange of ideas, arranging talks by visiting speakers, introducing you to various career pathways, and organising debates

Your future

This course is invaluable training if you seek future employment in a wide range of social research occupations. You will develop key employability skills including; thinking analytically, research design, essay writing, quantitative and qualitative data analysis and interviewing skills.

You are provided with excellent preparation for further academic study, and many of our postgraduates go on to successful academic careers, both in the UK and overseas.

Others have established careers in non-governmental organisations, local authorities, specialist think tanks, government departments, charities, media production, and market intelligence.

We work with the university’s Employability and Careers Centre to help you find out about further work experience, internships, placements, and voluntary opportunities.

Example structure

-Introduction to Quantitative Analysis
-Panel Data Methods
-Introduction to Survey Design and Management
-Applied Sampling
-Survey Measurement and Question Design
-Dissertation
-Dealing with Survey Non-response (optional)

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Taking a unique approach to studying investigative practices, this MSc equips you with knowledge and skills for the many fields which demand high levels of professional investigation expertise.

• Advance your investigative career in law enforcement, finance, health and safety, social services and many other sectors
• Develop the skills you need to conduct serious and complex investigations from beginning to end
• Study for a qualification which reflects the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) occupational standards
• Choose specialist options in areas such as cybercrime, financial crime and organised crime to build on your knowledge of mainstream investigations
• Learn from an influential team of researchers and practitioners who draw upon more than a century of professional experience in investigation
• Study full time or part time to suit your personal circumstances.

Innovative and stimulating, this course combines academic rigour and practical experience to nurture high-calibre, confident and forward-thinking investigation professionals.

A broad appeal

This MSc is designed to appeal to graduates from traditional academic backgrounds as well as serving investigation professionals from across the world. We welcome applicants with substantial and relevant professional experience who may not have an undergraduate degree or equivalent qualification.

Meeting professional standards

Ensuring greater professionalism in investigation procedures is crucial to meet public expectations for effective and efficient policing and justice. This MSc helps investigators to extend their skills while enabling the organisations that rely on investigations to enhance their performance.

The course has been introduced at a time when professionalisation in policing is a commonly agreed target of all police forces, the College of Policing and the National Crime Agency. In developing this programme, we have aligned it to initiatives such as the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP), which is jointly sponsored by the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing.

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Forensic Archaeology involves the use of archaeological principles and techniques for the location, recovery, and interpretation of evidence for past events within the constraints of the criminal justice system. It utilises both field and laboratory skills in the investigation of serious crime, missing persons, human rights and mass disasters. These skills range from searching for and excavating clandestine graves to the international investigation of crimes against humanity.

The course provides invaluable background knowledge in archaeological and forensic sciences required for criminal and human identification cases, integrating archaeological, anthropological and investigative disciplines. The course is delivered by leading practitioners who will develop and enhance your employability.

Our forensic archaeology course is unique in that it provides you with the opportunity to work with specialist equipment independently and provides you with a wealth of practical exercises simulating forensic scenarios, such as locating graves and managing an airplane crash. The course is also supported by a crime scene house, analytical labs, with extensive osteological rooms, skeletal collections, survey, excavation and geophysical equipment, geographic information systems (GIS), spatial information and cartographic suite.

Core units:
Forensic Archaeology
Advanced Forensic Archaeology
Principles & Methods in Human Osteology
Professional Practice in Forensic Science
Research Project

Optional units (1 of):
Human Functional Anatomy
Marine Environment, Heritage & Spatial Planning
Principles & Methods in Zooarchaeology
Techniques of Archaeological Recovery & Recording

And 1 of:
Advanced Zooarchaeology
Crime Scene Management
Humans, Animals & Diet

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Our Forensic Anthropology course is concerned with the application of biological anthropological techniques to the analysis of human skeletal remains within a legal context and provides a vital suite of expertise and skills that can be applied to answer both modern and archaeological questions.

Specialist anthropological skills can contribute, not only to our understanding of the past, but also to the effective investigation of serious incidents in the modern world, particularly murder, genocide and human rights violations within the constraints of the criminal justice system. Such skills have also proved increasingly useful in recent years in the wake of mass disasters, both natural and man-made.

This course was previously called Forensic Osteology.

Core units:
Bodies of Evidence-Skeletal Changes Before & After Death
Crime Scene Management & Forensic Science
Human Functional Anatomy
Principles & Methods in Human Osteology
Professional Practice in Forensic Science
Research Project

Optional units (Choose 1):
Forensic Archaeology
Techniques of Archaeological Recovery & Recording

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This MSc, designed by a panel of academic departments, industrial partners and law enforcement and security agencies, introduces students to the fundamental knowledge, core expertise and advanced, evidence-driven methodological tools and approaches required to understand, analyse, prevent, disrupt and detect organised crime and terrorism.

About this degree

Students develop an understanding of how science, engineering and a variety of professional disciplines can contribute to tackling organised crime and terrorism. By the end of the programme, they will be able to apply appropriate scientific principles and methods to security problems, think strategically to develop and implement countermeasures, and appreciate the complexity involved in the design and implementation of organised crime and terrorism threat-reduction technologies.

Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.

Students are required to complete five core modules (75 credits), three optional modules (45 credits), and a dissertation (60 credits).

A Postgraduate Diploma comprising five core modules (75 credits) and three optional modules (45 credits), and which may lead to the MSc, is offered.

Core modules

• Perspectives on Organised Crime
• Perspectives on Terrorism
• Foundations of Security and Crime Science
• Designing and Doing Research
• Quantitative Methods

Optional modules

Students choose three of the following:

• Qualitative Methods
• Crime Mapping and Spatial Analysis
• Investigation and Detection
• Cybercrime
• Intelligence Gathering and Analysis
• Risk and Contingency Planning
• Introduction to Cybersecurity
• Prevention and Disruption
• Terrorism (UCL Political Science, not available for distance learning students)

NB: places for optional modules are awarded on a first-come first-served basis.

Dissertation/report

All MSc students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of 10,000 words.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through a combination of lectures, seminars, tutorials, projects and laboratory classes. Student performance is assessed through laboratory and project reports, unseen written examination, coursework, presentations, and the research project and dissertation.

Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Countering Organised Crime and Terrorism MSc

Careers

This unique linking of organised crime and terrorism, and the study of methodologies that can practically tackle both of these areas, means that this MSc holds appeal for employers across a broad range of industries.

Recent career destinations for this degree

• Police Officer, Metropolitan Police Service
• Threat Assessor, Imperial Protective Service
• Criminal Intelligence Analyst, Avon and Somerset Constabulary
• Field Intelligence Officer, West Mercia Police
• Intelligence Analyst, Cambridgeshire Constabulary

Employability

This programme equips students with the knowledge to develop operational strategies to counter organised crime and terrorism. This unique linking of organised crime and terrorism, and the study of methodologies that can practically tackle both of these areas, means that this MSc holds appeal for employers across a broad range of industries.

Each year we ask our graduates to tell us about their experience of the programme and their career after leaving UCL and we include some real-life graduate profiles on our website.

Careers data is taken from the ‘Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education’ survey undertaken by HESA looking at the destinations of UK and EU students in the 2013–2015 graduating cohorts six months after graduation.

Why study this degree at UCL?

The UCL Jill Dando Institute, of which UCL Security & Crime Science is the core component, is the first research institution in the world devoted specifically to reducing crime through teaching, research, public policy analysis and by the dissemination of evidence-based information on crime reduction.

This MSc programme is delivered by experienced practitioners and researchers working in counter-terrorism, intelligence, law enforcement, risk assessment and security technology. It boasts a unique multidisciplinary platform, being the only postgraduate programme of its kind in the world taught in a faculty of engineering sciences, integrating the cutting-edge of the social and engineering sciences in the security domain.

Our graduate students come from varied backgrounds; many are practitioners and are encouraged to contribute their experience in and out of the classroom.

Research Excellence Framework (REF)

The Research Excellence Framework, or REF, is the system for assessing the quality of research in UK higher education institutions. The 2014 REF was carried out by the UK's higher education funding bodies, and the results used to allocate research funding from 2015/16.

Learn more about the scope of UCL's research, and browse case studies, on our Research Impact website.

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