Criminology and Criminal Justice

Criminology and criminal justice engages with a vast range of historical and contemporary issues. In a field that is constantly evolving, experts have become adept at changing their approach to keep pace with new and emerging forms of crime.

The MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice critically addresses key issues and debates relating to crime and the criminal justice system. Exploring issues such as terrorism, sex work, legal and illegal drugs, forced migration, law enforcement, cybercrime and the use of new technologies you will develop an in-depth understanding of crime, deviance and criminal justice from critical, theoretical, policy, legal, political and practical perspectives.

You will study issues of theoretical and social importance, learning from practitioners, lecturers and researchers who are international experts in their fields. The module ’Criminology: Theory and Critical Issues' links directly with the research activities of the criminology staff while ‘Gender Violence and Abuse’ links with the current activities of the Department’s research group of the same name.

The course will suit those from a wide range of disciplines, who are interested in pursuing a career in the field and those with a professional background in criminal justice who are keen to take their skills to the next level.

Course structure

Core modules:

Criminology, Theory and Critical Issues provides an advanced education in the application of a range of theoretical approaches to the study of crime and criminal justice. These theories of crime and justice are then applied to a range of topical issues including: gender, crime and justice; policing, prisons and punishment; sexual violence and abuse; youth justice; human rights; border crime and transnational justice; cyber-crime, nightlife and alcohol-related violence, and forensics.

Researching Society, Policy and Practice develops your critical understanding of main approaches and methods of social research, and the skills used in this area. The module makes particular reference to the use of research in social welfare practice settings within an ethical framework, exploring areas such as research questions, sampling, methods of data collection and analysis, and interpretation.

The 15,000-word Dissertation gives you the opportunity to explore and write about a suitable subject of your choice under the guidance of a supervisor, and to use the techniques developed in the research modules. It enables you to demonstrate your capacity for independent thought, critical thinking and analysis.

In recent years, optional modules have included:

• Gender, Violence and Abuse
• Prisons, Crime and Justice
• Social Policy and Society
• Participatory Action Research
• Public Sociology: Theory and Practice
• Policy Related and Evaluation Research
• Quantitative Methods and Analysis
• Qualitative Methods and Analysis
• Computational Social Science
• Placement
• Communities, Civil Society and Social Justice
• Education and Social Inequality
• Interdisciplinary Perspectives and Practices Across Social Research
• Global Environmental Law
• International Protection of Human Rights
• A relevant module from Durham Law School
• A language module