MA Criminology & Criminal Justice

Why study MA Criminology & Criminal Justice at BU?

• Develop advanced analytical knowledge and understanding of criminological theory and criminal justice processes and outcomes, informed by current practice and research
• Advance your leadership and practice skills to align with requirements from current employers in criminal justice
• Conduct an independent piece of critical research in a related area of your choice
• Develop advanced research skills for critically examining complex problems, suitable for theoretical and practical application
• Consider criminology and criminal justice from a global perspective
• Advance your knowledge of crime and criminology under the tutelage of our research-active teaching staff, bringing research and professional practice into the classroom environment.

What can you achieve with a Master’s criminology degree?

Whether you are already working within policing or criminal justice and want to develop your career opportunities, are keen to build upon an undergraduate degree, or if you are looking to start a career in this area, this Master’s degree will provide you with the knowledge, skills and understanding you need. The degree also prepares you for future postgraduate research.

We are looking for applicants who:

• Have an interest in crime, the causes of crime and how society respond to criminality, such as the relationships between victims and offenders and the impact of racism and classism on the justice system;
• Wish to develop and build upon both practical and applied skills in criminological theory and social science research methods;
• Are keen to explore the reasons behind types of offending, offender behaviour and the justice systems’ response to offending;
• Are intellectually curious as to how policy and practice intersect within criminal justice sectors;
• Want to embark upon a programme of study that offers the opportunity to do your own real-world research on a topic of your choosing.

On this course, you will be taught by a range of staff with relevant expertise and knowledge appropriate to the content of the unit. This will include senior academic staff, qualified professional practitioners, demonstrators, technicians and research students. You will also benefit from regular guest lectures from industry.

This course has been created as part of a co-ordinated suite of social sciences courses. We also have a number of undergraduate level courses in the following specialisations: BA (Hons) Criminology, BA (Hons) Criminology with Law, BA (Hons) Criminology with Psychology, BA (Hons) Sociology & Criminology, BA (Hons) Sociology, BA (Hons) Sociology & Social Anthropology.

Programme specification

Programme specifications provide definitive records of the university’s taught degrees in line with Quality Assurance Agency requirements. Every taught course leading to a BU Award has a programme specification which describes its aims, structure, content and learning outcomes, plus the teaching, learning and assessment methods used.

Whilst every effort is made to ensure the accuracy of the programme specification, the information is liable to change to take advantage of exciting new approaches to teaching and learning as well as developments in industry. If you have been unable to locate the programme specification for the course you are interested in, it will be available as soon as the latest version is ready. Alternatively please contact us for assistance.

This degree will support the career development of those already working within policing or criminal justice related areas as well as providing the base for those looking to start a career in this area. It will provide you with the knowledge, skills and understanding you need for a range of roles in policing, the prison and probation services, youth justice, criminal justice, social services, government and the civil service.

The degree also prepares you for future postgraduate research by incorporating theoretical and methodological skills and the production of a final dissertation piece.