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Criminology and Criminal Justice MA - 2019 Entry
Entry Year
2019
Duration
Full time 12 Month(s), Part time 24 Month(s)
Course Overview
The Criminology & Criminal Justice MA/LLM is distinct in covering a range of criminal justice and criminological debates. It enables you to engage in more specialised socio-legal studies and offers the opportunity to explore discourse on international human rights, criminal law and transitional justice. It opens doors to a wide range of careers.
Our Law School is home to the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice; these centres underpin our postgraduate teaching, which is research-led and research-informed. You will be taught by lecturers who are nationally and internationally renowned researchers.
The course of study is the same for the MA and the LLM apart from the final dissertation. Core modules are Crime & Criminal Justice in the 21st Century, Criminological Theory, and Criminological Research in Practice. You’ll also choose three from: International Criminal Law; International Human Right Law; International Terrorism and the Law; Gender, Sexualities and Human Rights; and Transitional Justice, Human Rights and Peace Building. You’ll complete your degree with either a Criminology or Criminal Justice Dissertation (MA), or a Law Dissertation (LLM).
Your postgraduate degree leads to research jobs in the Home Office, Probation Service, and Social Services, and to work with non-profit-making organisations, including the NHS, educational institutions and charities working with young offenders or victims of crime. You will develop the skills required to critically evaluate criminological research, which are highly prized by employers in both the public and private sectors. The analytical and communications skills developed through your studies are a real boost if you opt for a career outside of the criminal justice sector.
Course Structure
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
-
Crime and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century
The Crime and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century module introduces students to the nature and extent of crime and criminal justice policy in contemporary society. Students gain an overview of crime and cirminal justice statistics, with a critical understanding of how such statistics are socially constructed. They also gain an overview of current and recent trends in criminal justice policy, and an in-depth understanding of some of the key social dimensions of crime and justice (e.g. age, gender, race, social class) and some key criminological challenges for the 21st century (e.g. Cybercrime, Corporate Crime, Environmental Crime).
The module aims to:
-
Develop a critical understanding of the concepts (for instance, ‘crime’, ‘offender’ and ‘victim’) central to criminological study and their relationships to each other;
-
Foster a critical awareness of the role of power (including individual, corporate and political power) in defining crime, developing policies to deal with it and in labelling offenders and victims;
-
Identify, debate, analyse and understand emerging patterns of crime and criminal justice that look to characterise and dominate the early 21st century;
-
Critically study contemporary bases of crime and criminalisation and its intellectual and historical antecedents.
-
-
Criminological Research in Practice
The Criminological Research in Practice module presents cutting-edge research to provide students with insights into the realities of criminological research in practice, the process of research from inception of idea through development of research proposals (and applications for funding) and execution of fieldwork to dissemination of findings and contributions to development of theory and knowledge. Lectures showcase individual research projects, highlighting methodological (including practical and ethical) difficulties and how they are overcome, and the relationship between the research process and expanding the body of knowledge within the field of criminology.
The module aims to:
-
Develop a critical understanding of the realities of criminological research from project inception through to dissemination of findings.
-
Foster a critical awareness of experiencing unforeseen methodological, practical and ethical challenges in the research process and ways to overcome these.
-
Provide a working familiarity with a range of funding sources and how to apply to them.
-
Develop knowledge and understanding of cutting-edge developments in a selection of criminological topics.
-
-
Criminological Theory
The Criminological Theory module provides students with knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and theoretical approaches that have been developed, and are continuing to develop, in relation to crime, victimisation and responses to crime and deviance.
The module gives students the opportunity to further develop the critical, analytical and written skills necessary to conceptualize and explain criminological problems— as well the evaluative skills necessary to assess and put criminological theories into operation through research.
Core
-
International Criminal Law
What are the merits of international criminal justice? And what are the main challenges that present themselves in this area of law?
This module provides you with an opportunity to consider these key questions as you benefit from an introduction to substantive international criminal law.
You will explore the central theme of international crimes, deepening your understanding of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Within your analysis, you will address the role of international courts and tribunals, mixed and hybrid courts and tribunals, as well as developments in national courts.
This is your chance to critically engage with stimulating examples of prosecution and punishment, which are central to the subject of international criminal law. Your studies will be informed by the convenor’s cutting-edge research on transitional criminal justice and retrospective justice.
A combination of independent reading and regular seminars will provide you with a sound grasp of this fascinating legal discipline.
-
Dissertation (Criminology)
The Criminology Dissertation gives students the opportunity to further develop their practical skills relevant to the study of criminology that inform decisions about the design and application of research and the use of critical analytical perspectives on applied research in the field or in library based research. Students will engage in their own piece of research (empirical or library based) and produce a 15,000 word dissertation based on this.
-
LLM Gender, Sexualities and Human Rights
This module seeks to examine law in its social and cultural context, focusing specifically on its gendered context. It is socio-legal in emphasis. In other words, the module examines laws less for their own sake than for what they reveal about the role of law, and its operation in practice. In so doing, the module offers both theoretical and practical engagements with the law and assesses the contribution a feminist perspective can offer to understand socio-legal relations. The module will look, for example, at law’s theoretical underpinnings and its assumptions about the individual. The module will explore various areas of both public and private law and examine law’s role in challenging, creating or reproducing gender relations and the ways in which the law is used to reward and punish different forms of gendered and sexual conduct and identity.
-
International Terrorism and the Law
Terrorism continues to be one of the greatest global challenges we face in the pursuit of international peace, stability and security.
This is a stimulating module that explores concepts from many areas of the law, including civil liberties, international law, criminal justice and human rights.
In the course of your studies you will look at the legal definitions of terrorism – from a regional, national, and international perspective. And you’ll have the opportunity to use counter-terrorism case studies to examine specific aspects of preventative justice measures.
This is a fast-moving and unpredictable area of law, so the material that we cover may change in order to track the prevailing issues and latest developments. However, you will consider civil liberties alongside some of the contemporary challenges facing domestic and international legal systems.
The examination of the topics is carried out through a vigorous interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach – offering you greater understanding and appreciation of the subject matter.
Our prestigious Law School is home to some of the most highly-regarded international lawyers and research-active lecturers - you will benefit from their expertise as they teach on areas closely aligned with their own research interests.
-
Dissertation (Criminal Justice)
The Criminal Justice Dissertation gives students the opportunity to further develop their practical skills relevant to the study of criminal justice that inform decisions about the design and application of research and the use of critical analytical perspectives on applied research in the field or in library based research. Students will engage in their own piece of research (empirical or library based) and produce a 15,000 word dissertation based on this.
-
Transitional Justice, Human Rights and Peacebuilding
In this module you will be introduced to the area of law known as transitional justice, allowing you to gain an overview of the prevailing issues and challenges faced within the field. The module allows you to examine and critically assess the development and efficacy of various institutions and processes designed to deal with grave and systematic human rights violations in countries, which are in transition from conflict to peace. You will explore, compare and critically evaluate various forms of transitional justice and their impact and contribution to the wider context of international law, international relations and peace building.
-
International Human Rights Law
How do international laws protect, govern and shape your human rights?
This course provides an overview of the various rights that are protected through international instruments: civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
You will also be given a general introduction to regional and universal systems for human rights protection and promotion. This will focus on the UN human rights system but you will be encouraged to take a comparative view of regional human rights protection systems.
You will gain a substantive and procedural knowledge of human rights through the international system. And you’ll engage with some key debates in this legal arena, such as the development of human rights and the human rights obligations of non-state actors.
To get the most from this module, you will have some knowledge of general international law and have a law or social science background.
Our prestigious Law School is home to some of the most highly-regarded international lawyers and research-active lecturers - you will benefit from their expertise as they teach on areas closely aligned with their own research interests.
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
Key Information
Undergraduate Degree: 2:1 (Hons) degree (UK or equivalent) in any discipline.
If you have studied outside of the UK, you can check your qualifications here: International Qualifications
English Language: IELTS - Overall score of at least 6.5, with no individual element below 5.5
We consider tests from other providers, which can be found here: English language requirements
If your score is below our requirements we may consider you for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes
Pre-sessional English language programmes available:
4 Week Overall score of at least 6.0, with no individual element below 5.5
10 Week Overall score of at least 5.5, with at least 5.5 in writing and no individual element below 5.0
Funding: All applicants should consult our information on Fees and Funding; Faculty Scholarships and Funding; Law School Fees and Funding
Fees
Fees
| Full Time (per year) | Part Time (per year) | |
|---|---|---|
| UK/EU | £8,500 | £4,250 |
| Overseas | £17,500 | £8,750 |
The University will not increase the Tuition Fee you are charged during the course of an academic year.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year's duration, the tuition fees for subsequent years of your programme are likely to increase each year. The way in which continuing students' fee rates are determined varies according to an individual's 'fee status' as set out on our fees webpages.
What are tuition fees for?
Studying at a UK University means that you need to pay an annual fee for your tuition, which covers the costs associated with teaching, examinations, assessment and graduation.
The fee that you will be charged depends on whether you are considered to be a UK, EU or overseas student. Visiting students will be charged a pro-rata fee for periods of study less than a year.
Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12 month session, which usually runs from October to September the following year.
How does Lancaster set overseas tuition fees?
Overseas fees, alongside all other sources of income, allow the University to maintain its abilities across the range of activities and services. Each year the University's Finance Committee consider recommendations for increases to fees proposed for all categories of student and this takes into account a range of factors including projected cost inflation for the University, comparisons against other high-quality institutions and external financial factors such as projected exchange rate movements.
What support is available towards tuition fees?
Lancaster University's priority is to support every student in making the most of their education. Many of our students each year will be entitled to bursaries or scholarships to help with the cost of fees and/or living expenses. You can find out more about financial support, studentships, and awards for postgraduate study on our website.
Related Courses
- Criminal Justice and Social Research Methods : MSc
- Criminology : PhD
- Criminology and Criminal Justice : LLM
- Criminology and Social Research Methods : MSc
- Diplomacy and International Law : LLM/MA
- Diplomacy and International Law (Distance Learning) : LLM
- Diplomacy and International Law (Distance Learning) : MA
- Environment and Law : LLM
- Human Rights and the Environment : LLM/MA
- International Business and Corporate Law : LLM
- International Human Rights and Terrorism Law : LLM
- International Human Rights Law : LLM
- International Law : LLM
- International Law and International Relations : LLM
- International Law and International Relations : MA
- Law : LLM
- Law : MPhil/PhD
- Law : PGDip
- Law by Research : LLM
-
Course Overview
Course Overview
The Criminology & Criminal Justice MA/LLM is distinct in covering a range of criminal justice and criminological debates. It enables you to engage in more specialised socio-legal studies and offers the opportunity to explore discourse on international human rights, criminal law and transitional justice. It opens doors to a wide range of careers.
Our Law School is home to the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice, the Centre for Law and Society, and the Centre for Child and Family Justice; these centres underpin our postgraduate teaching, which is research-led and research-informed. You will be taught by lecturers who are nationally and internationally renowned researchers.
The course of study is the same for the MA and the LLM apart from the final dissertation. Core modules are Crime & Criminal Justice in the 21st Century, Criminological Theory, and Criminological Research in Practice. You’ll also choose three from: International Criminal Law; International Human Right Law; International Terrorism and the Law; Gender, Sexualities and Human Rights; and Transitional Justice, Human Rights and Peace Building. You’ll complete your degree with either a Criminology or Criminal Justice Dissertation (MA), or a Law Dissertation (LLM).
Your postgraduate degree leads to research jobs in the Home Office, Probation Service, and Social Services, and to work with non-profit-making organisations, including the NHS, educational institutions and charities working with young offenders or victims of crime. You will develop the skills required to critically evaluate criminological research, which are highly prized by employers in both the public and private sectors. The analytical and communications skills developed through your studies are a real boost if you opt for a career outside of the criminal justice sector.
-
Course Structure
Course Structure
You will study a range of modules as part of your course, some examples of which are listed below.
-
Crime and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century
The Crime and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century module introduces students to the nature and extent of crime and criminal justice policy in contemporary society. Students gain an overview of crime and cirminal justice statistics, with a critical understanding of how such statistics are socially constructed. They also gain an overview of current and recent trends in criminal justice policy, and an in-depth understanding of some of the key social dimensions of crime and justice (e.g. age, gender, race, social class) and some key criminological challenges for the 21st century (e.g. Cybercrime, Corporate Crime, Environmental Crime).
The module aims to:
-
Develop a critical understanding of the concepts (for instance, ‘crime’, ‘offender’ and ‘victim’) central to criminological study and their relationships to each other;
-
Foster a critical awareness of the role of power (including individual, corporate and political power) in defining crime, developing policies to deal with it and in labelling offenders and victims;
-
Identify, debate, analyse and understand emerging patterns of crime and criminal justice that look to characterise and dominate the early 21st century;
-
Critically study contemporary bases of crime and criminalisation and its intellectual and historical antecedents.
-
-
Criminological Research in Practice
The Criminological Research in Practice module presents cutting-edge research to provide students with insights into the realities of criminological research in practice, the process of research from inception of idea through development of research proposals (and applications for funding) and execution of fieldwork to dissemination of findings and contributions to development of theory and knowledge. Lectures showcase individual research projects, highlighting methodological (including practical and ethical) difficulties and how they are overcome, and the relationship between the research process and expanding the body of knowledge within the field of criminology.
The module aims to:
-
Develop a critical understanding of the realities of criminological research from project inception through to dissemination of findings.
-
Foster a critical awareness of experiencing unforeseen methodological, practical and ethical challenges in the research process and ways to overcome these.
-
Provide a working familiarity with a range of funding sources and how to apply to them.
-
Develop knowledge and understanding of cutting-edge developments in a selection of criminological topics.
-
-
Criminological Theory
The Criminological Theory module provides students with knowledge and understanding of the key concepts and theoretical approaches that have been developed, and are continuing to develop, in relation to crime, victimisation and responses to crime and deviance.
The module gives students the opportunity to further develop the critical, analytical and written skills necessary to conceptualize and explain criminological problems— as well the evaluative skills necessary to assess and put criminological theories into operation through research.
Core
-
International Criminal Law
What are the merits of international criminal justice? And what are the main challenges that present themselves in this area of law?
This module provides you with an opportunity to consider these key questions as you benefit from an introduction to substantive international criminal law.
You will explore the central theme of international crimes, deepening your understanding of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. Within your analysis, you will address the role of international courts and tribunals, mixed and hybrid courts and tribunals, as well as developments in national courts.
This is your chance to critically engage with stimulating examples of prosecution and punishment, which are central to the subject of international criminal law. Your studies will be informed by the convenor’s cutting-edge research on transitional criminal justice and retrospective justice.
A combination of independent reading and regular seminars will provide you with a sound grasp of this fascinating legal discipline.
-
Dissertation (Criminology)
The Criminology Dissertation gives students the opportunity to further develop their practical skills relevant to the study of criminology that inform decisions about the design and application of research and the use of critical analytical perspectives on applied research in the field or in library based research. Students will engage in their own piece of research (empirical or library based) and produce a 15,000 word dissertation based on this.
-
LLM Gender, Sexualities and Human Rights
This module seeks to examine law in its social and cultural context, focusing specifically on its gendered context. It is socio-legal in emphasis. In other words, the module examines laws less for their own sake than for what they reveal about the role of law, and its operation in practice. In so doing, the module offers both theoretical and practical engagements with the law and assesses the contribution a feminist perspective can offer to understand socio-legal relations. The module will look, for example, at law’s theoretical underpinnings and its assumptions about the individual. The module will explore various areas of both public and private law and examine law’s role in challenging, creating or reproducing gender relations and the ways in which the law is used to reward and punish different forms of gendered and sexual conduct and identity.
-
International Terrorism and the Law
Terrorism continues to be one of the greatest global challenges we face in the pursuit of international peace, stability and security.
This is a stimulating module that explores concepts from many areas of the law, including civil liberties, international law, criminal justice and human rights.
In the course of your studies you will look at the legal definitions of terrorism – from a regional, national, and international perspective. And you’ll have the opportunity to use counter-terrorism case studies to examine specific aspects of preventative justice measures.
This is a fast-moving and unpredictable area of law, so the material that we cover may change in order to track the prevailing issues and latest developments. However, you will consider civil liberties alongside some of the contemporary challenges facing domestic and international legal systems.
The examination of the topics is carried out through a vigorous interdisciplinary and multidisciplinary approach – offering you greater understanding and appreciation of the subject matter.
Our prestigious Law School is home to some of the most highly-regarded international lawyers and research-active lecturers - you will benefit from their expertise as they teach on areas closely aligned with their own research interests.
-
Dissertation (Criminal Justice)
The Criminal Justice Dissertation gives students the opportunity to further develop their practical skills relevant to the study of criminal justice that inform decisions about the design and application of research and the use of critical analytical perspectives on applied research in the field or in library based research. Students will engage in their own piece of research (empirical or library based) and produce a 15,000 word dissertation based on this.
-
Transitional Justice, Human Rights and Peacebuilding
In this module you will be introduced to the area of law known as transitional justice, allowing you to gain an overview of the prevailing issues and challenges faced within the field. The module allows you to examine and critically assess the development and efficacy of various institutions and processes designed to deal with grave and systematic human rights violations in countries, which are in transition from conflict to peace. You will explore, compare and critically evaluate various forms of transitional justice and their impact and contribution to the wider context of international law, international relations and peace building.
-
International Human Rights Law
How do international laws protect, govern and shape your human rights?
This course provides an overview of the various rights that are protected through international instruments: civil, political, economic, social and cultural rights.
You will also be given a general introduction to regional and universal systems for human rights protection and promotion. This will focus on the UN human rights system but you will be encouraged to take a comparative view of regional human rights protection systems.
You will gain a substantive and procedural knowledge of human rights through the international system. And you’ll engage with some key debates in this legal arena, such as the development of human rights and the human rights obligations of non-state actors.
To get the most from this module, you will have some knowledge of general international law and have a law or social science background.
Our prestigious Law School is home to some of the most highly-regarded international lawyers and research-active lecturers - you will benefit from their expertise as they teach on areas closely aligned with their own research interests.
Optional
Information contained on the website with respect to modules is correct at the time of publication, but changes may be necessary, for example as a result of student feedback, Professional Statutory and Regulatory Bodies' (PSRB) requirements, staff changes, and new research.
-
Crime and Criminal Justice in the 21st Century
-
Key Information
Key Information
Undergraduate Degree: 2:1 (Hons) degree (UK or equivalent) in any discipline.
If you have studied outside of the UK, you can check your qualifications here: International Qualifications
English Language: IELTS - Overall score of at least 6.5, with no individual element below 5.5
We consider tests from other providers, which can be found here: English language requirements
If your score is below our requirements we may consider you for one of our pre-sessional English language programmes
Pre-sessional English language programmes available:
4 Week Overall score of at least 6.0, with no individual element below 5.5
10 Week Overall score of at least 5.5, with at least 5.5 in writing and no individual element below 5.0
Funding: All applicants should consult our information on Fees and Funding; Faculty Scholarships and Funding; Law School Fees and Funding
-
Fees
Fees
Fees
Full Time (per year) Part Time (per year) UK/EU £8,500 £4,250 Overseas £17,500 £8,750 The University will not increase the Tuition Fee you are charged during the course of an academic year.
If you are studying on a programme of more than one year's duration, the tuition fees for subsequent years of your programme are likely to increase each year. The way in which continuing students' fee rates are determined varies according to an individual's 'fee status' as set out on our fees webpages.
What are tuition fees for?
Studying at a UK University means that you need to pay an annual fee for your tuition, which covers the costs associated with teaching, examinations, assessment and graduation.
The fee that you will be charged depends on whether you are considered to be a UK, EU or overseas student. Visiting students will be charged a pro-rata fee for periods of study less than a year.
Our annual tuition fee is set for a 12 month session, which usually runs from October to September the following year.
How does Lancaster set overseas tuition fees?
Overseas fees, alongside all other sources of income, allow the University to maintain its abilities across the range of activities and services. Each year the University's Finance Committee consider recommendations for increases to fees proposed for all categories of student and this takes into account a range of factors including projected cost inflation for the University, comparisons against other high-quality institutions and external financial factors such as projected exchange rate movements.
What support is available towards tuition fees?
Lancaster University's priority is to support every student in making the most of their education. Many of our students each year will be entitled to bursaries or scholarships to help with the cost of fees and/or living expenses. You can find out more about financial support, studentships, and awards for postgraduate study on our website.
-
Related Courses
Related Courses
Related Courses
- Criminal Justice and Social Research Methods : MSc
- Criminology : PhD
- Criminology and Criminal Justice : LLM
- Criminology and Social Research Methods : MSc
- Diplomacy and International Law : LLM/MA
- Diplomacy and International Law (Distance Learning) : LLM
- Diplomacy and International Law (Distance Learning) : MA
- Environment and Law : LLM
- Human Rights and the Environment : LLM/MA
- International Business and Corporate Law : LLM
- International Human Rights and Terrorism Law : LLM
- International Human Rights Law : LLM
- International Law : LLM
- International Law and International Relations : LLM
- International Law and International Relations : MA
- Law : LLM
- Law : MPhil/PhD
- Law : PGDip
- Law by Research : LLM
