Entry requirementsEntry Requirements A UK 2:1 honours degree or its equivalent if outside the UK. English language standard: 7.00 IELTS or equivalent.
Academic titleMSc Criminology & Criminal Justice
Course descriptionProgramme
The MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice provides an excellent path to the advanced study of criminology. The MSc is suitable both for students who have studied criminology at undergraduate level and for those who are new to the subject. All members of teaching staff are active researchers and teaching is research informed. Core components of the degree include courses in theoretical criminology, in criminal justice and penal process, in data collection and in criminological research methods. Specialist options include policing, cybercrime, gender, punishment and social theory.
Learning Outcomes
Students who complete the MSc have the opportunity to acquire a more sophisticated understanding of major contemporary debates in criminology in both its theoretical and applied aspects, and to achieve enhanced understanding and skills in research practice and method.
How You Will Be Taught
The courses that you take will be taught by seminar. Students are expected to prepare in advance by reading the required materials and by reflecting on the issues to be discussed. For the dissertation you will have a supervisor from whom you can expect guidance and support, but the purpose of the dissertation is to allow you independently to design and conduct a piece of research and analysis.
Edinburgh is an exciting environment in which to study criminology and criminal justice, and on this MSc (Master of Science) postgraduate degree programme you will be able to study with criminology staff who have expertise in a wide range of topics, from the theoretical to the applied. Staff teaching on the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree include Professor Richard Sparks (Director of the MSc), Dr Lesley McAra, Dr Richard Jones, Alistair Henry, Dr Anna Souhami, Susan McVie, Dr John Crichton and Dr Andy Aitchison. Edinburgh has a particular focus of research on 'punishment and society', broadly understood, and on youth crime and justice, policing and crime prevention, cybercrime, and comparative criminal justice. See below for further details about postgraduate scholarships.
MSc course modules expected to be available in 2008-9 include:
* Media and Crime
* Police and Policing
* Youth Crime and Justice
* Cybercrime
* Crime, Justice and Public Policy
* Mental Health and Crime
* Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice
* Theoretical Criminology
* Criminological Research Methods
* Criminal Justice and Penal Process
You may take the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice either full-time (over one year) or part-time (over the course of two years). It provides an excellent way to study criminology at an advanced level. The MSc postgraduate degree is suitable whether you have studied criminology at undergraduate level or are new to the subject. The degree is also suitable whether you are coming directly from an undergraduate degree, or will be taking the Masters degree as part of your ongoing professional development (for example, as a practitioner in criminal justice, police, security, or social work).
How taking the MSc degree will help your career
The MSc degree offers a proven career development opportunity. This postgraduate degree (equivalent to an MA, Master of Criminology, MS, or taught MPhil degree) gives you the opportunity to become knowledgeable about important specific areas of criminology, study with expert staff, be intellectually stimulated, and gain a valuable qualification that is attractive to future employers. Former graduates of the MSc degree have gone on to successful careers and employment in a wide range of fields, including at the Home Office, Scottish Government, UK Ministry of Defence, government agencies worldwide, as prison governors, in policing and law enforcement, at offender counselling agencies, drug treatment centres, crime prevention, welfare and charitable organisations, in the legal profession (including as prosecutors), at criminal intelligence agencies, and in the media. Many MSc graduates have progressed to jobs as researchers. Many others have progressed to academic careers at universities.
The degree provides comprehensive training in criminology, criminal justice and research methods, and offers an excellent foundation for those interested in undertaking subsequent doctoral research. Whatever your career destination, you will graduate with a valuable Masters degree from a university with a distinguished history and an excellent reputation and ranking: the University of Edinburgh was founded in 1582 and today has a high ranking globally - see for example the THES-QS World University Rankings 2007.
Studying criminology at Edinburgh
Edinburgh Law School, Old College, EdinburghThe MSc degree is very well established, offering you the opportunity to study with expert criminology staff, in the company of a talented group of students drawn from around the world. The MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Edinburgh is one of the leading such degrees in the UK. As a student taking the MSc degree, you will be based in the Law School. Facilities in the Law School to which you will have access include the Law Library (containing an excellent collection of criminology books, journals, reports, and other materials), lecture theatres, seminar rooms, three computer labs, specialist computer programs, and wireless access to the Internet.
The Law School organises a range of seminars, lectures, workshops and conferences throughout the year that you will be able to attend, including a seminar series run by the Centre for Law and Society featuring guest speakers from other universities. The University of Edinburgh is a central partner in The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. Organisations such as the Scottish Association for the Study of Offending, and The Howard League (Scotland), regularly host lectures in Edinburgh, many of which are held here in the Law School. Together, these features mean that Edinburgh offers you a wide of range of events and resources to enhance your studies. The External Examiner for the MSc degree is Professor Ian Loader of Oxford University.
The MSc degree provides you with a foundation in criminology and criminal justice in the first semester, and then offers a range of optional, more specialist courses in the second semester. In the final part of the degree you will write a dissertation on an approved specialist topic of your choosing. An exciting part of the degree programme is the way in which you progress through it. From general to specialist courses, and from taught programmes to small supervised research projects and onto the dissertation, you are encouraged to become more independent as you progress through the degree.
The dissertation offers you the opportunity to specialise in a topic in which you have a particular interest, under the guidance of an experienced supervisor. The topics addressed in some previous students' dissertations give you an idea of just a few of the numerous areas in which it is possible for you to specialise: Youth justice in Scotland and Canada; penal populism and the role of the media; electronic evidence and cybercrime; prison regimes in Ireland and Scotland; anti-social behaviour in schools; juvenile justice in India; cyber-fraud; governance, security and terrorism; and the future of restorative justice. Whatever your particular area of interest, we can advise on how best to develop this into a Masters criminology dissertation research topic.
Globalisation means that crime, criminal justice, and criminology are all becoming increasingly international. International journals such as Criminology, the British Journal of Criminology, the European Journal of Criminology, the African Journal of Criminology and Justice Studies, the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Criminology, and the Asian Journal of Criminology, are becoming ever-more important. In the course of obtaining this Masters degree - from a prestigious university with an excellent international reputation - you will study theories, practices, skills and policies of international relevance. This means that, whether you come from the UK, Europe, or overseas, you will graduate with invaluable skills and knowledge. Whether you study policing, media, mental health and crime, theoretical criminology, cybercrime, or youth justice, you will learn criminology that is useful across the world. The Edinburgh MSc features study of novel aspects of criminal justice and crime control found in Scotland, England and Wales, Europe, and the rest of the world. Whatever your future occupation, your Edinburgh MSc degree will stand you in good stead throughout your career.
Accommodation and living in Edinburgh
The Law School is based in the University of Edinburgh's historic Old College, centrally situated within the beautiful city of Edinburgh. You'll be just a few minutes' walk from Edinburgh Castle and Princes Street (see Google Maps for our location in Edinburgh). Old College is part of the central University campus, and is very close to the Student Union, University Library, and George Square. You'll be studying in one of the best and most interesting areas of the city - in the heart of the Old Town, a vibrant area full of activity.
For more information on what's available in Edinburgh, see the Rough Guide travel guide website, or The List events guide. (Of the printed guides, the best is probably Edinburgh (Rough Guide Directions) (2nd edn, 2008).) And of course, by living in Edinburgh you will be in a great position to enjoy the world-famous Edinburgh Festivals, including the Fringe, International Festival, Film Festival, Book Festival, and Hogmanay (New Year's Eve) celebrations. Travel to and from Edinburgh is easy. Edinburgh has excellent rail links, and the main railway station, Edinburgh Waverley, is just a short walk from the Law School. Edinburgh Airport also offers excellent quick and direct air links to London and to Europe, which means it's easy to travel here, to return home during vacations, and for family and friends to come and visit.
Single students from outside the EU are guaranteed University of Edinburgh post-graduate accommodation (see the University's Post Graduate Accommodation web pages for further details and conditions), and many other students can be accommodated as well. Edinburgh has a huge range of private properties available for student rent for those preferring to live in private accommodation, which means that finding a suitable place to live is usually very straightforward