Program Overview

Applied Criminology MA

Overview

The MA in Applied Criminology dynamically integrates theory and practice, embracing both learning in the classroom and in placement settings. The course encompasses a range of service user groups, and every effort is made to involve service users, carers, practitioners, and managers from across the criminal justice arena in the learning experience.

Key Features

• Develop the intellectual, critical, and analytical skills needed for understanding and applying criminological theories and concepts in practice
• Gain an in-depth understanding of the interactions between criminology and criminal justice, and the impact of public policy in certain areas, via different lenses and perspectives
• An innovative course taught by experts from criminological, legal, and psychological backgrounds with real-world experience in both research and practice
• Benefit from research-informed teaching, as well as strong links to wider criminal justice professions through your placement
• Strong relationships with organisations in the criminal justice system which offers you the opportunity to gain experience in the field of the criminal justice sector
• Placement opportunities designed to enhance your professional and personal skills, supporting you to apply what you have learned to gain hands-on experience with some of our most vulnerable and hard-to-reach populations in society

Entry Requirements

• A first degree gained at a 2:1 or above (or equivalent) in a similar subject discipline e.g., Criminology, Law, Psychology, Sociology or policing
• Any first degree gained at 2:2 or above with a relevant professional qualification and experience, including but not exclusively, Social Work, Police, Probation, Health and Education
• Significant experience of working within a criminal justice sector (i.e., substance use, youth support, courts etc.)
• Applicants who have obtained a 2:2 are encouraged to talk to the course leader as decisions will be made on an individual basis and contextual offers can be made

Course Content

Modules

• Applied Criminology Dissertation
• Professional Criminology Practice
• Applied Research Methods in Criminology
• Risk Management
• Current topics in Crime
• Complex Criminal Investigation
• Lived Experience, Equality and Diversity
• Leadership and Interpersonal Skills in Criminology

Teaching and Assessment

Teaching

• You are taught through a combination of interactive workshops, lectures, and seminars
• Interactive workshops take a variety of formats and are intended to enable the application of learning through discussion and small group activities
• Seminars enable the discussion and development of understanding of topics covered in lectures and are focused on developing subject-specific skills and applied individual and group project work
• Practice-based learning across the course provides direct experience of working with individuals associated with the criminal justice sector and within professional teams

Contact Time

• Your programme comprises seven taught modules with teaching and learning activities running across three semesters, and a dissertation
• Full-time students (starting in September) complete all seven taught modules across two semesters, plus the dissertation within a third semester in one academic year (12 months)
• Part-time students are expected to undertake around 6 hours of personal self-study per week
• In total, it is expected that as a full-time student you will be spending 37 hours per week engaged in study and placement

Independent Self-Study

• In addition to the contact time, you are expected to undertake around 12 hours of personal self-study per week if you are a full-time student
• Typically, this will involve completing online activities, reading journal articles and books, working on individual and group projects, undertaking research in the library and online, preparing coursework assignments and presentations, and preparing for examinations

Duration

• Full-time: 1 year
• Part-time: 2-3 years

Timetables

• Timetables are normally available one month before registration
• Please note that whilst we try to be as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week; and some classes can be scheduled in the evenings

Assessment

• The course provides opportunities to test understanding and learning informally through the completion of practice or ‘formative’ assignments
• Each module has one formal or ‘summative’ assessments which are graded and count towards the overall module grade
• Assessment methods include written examinations and a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios, performance, presentations and a final year independent studies project

Careers

• You will develop a range of skills on this course that should have an immediate and positive impact on your professional role
• For those who would like to start working in the areas of criminal justice, your increased knowledge and skill set should prepare you for future job applications in the arena
• For those already working in this sector, you will enhance your ability to critically reflect on your professional practice and make valuable contributions to service improvement

Fees and Funding

Full-time Tuition Fees

• The standard tuition fee for full-time home and EU students enrolling on MA/MSc/MBA/MRes courses in the academic year 2025/26 is £9,450 per year

Additional Costs

• Every course has day-to-day costs for essential books, stationery, printing and photocopying
• As part of the course, you will need to travel to placements and will therefore need to pay any associated costs
• You may be able to reclaim these travel expenses depending on your individual circumstances
• You will also be required to provide and pay for an Enhanced DBS check prior to placements on this course, which we advise you apply for as soon as possible, to avoid placement delays and to ensure this is transferable between organisations

Accommodation

• Finding the right accommodation is paramount to your university experience
• Our halls of residence are home to friendly student communities, making them great places to live and study
• We have over 1,000 rooms across our range of student halls
• With rooms to suit every budget and need, from our 'Traditional Halls' at £131 per week to 'Ensuite Premium Halls' at £228 per week (2025/26 prices)

Postgraduate Loans

• The Government will provide a loan of up to £12,471 if your course starts on or after 1 August 2024 per eligible student for postgraduate Masters study
• It will be at your own discretion whether the loan is used towards fees, maintenance or other costs

How to Apply

• Please make your application via our online application form
• If you have any questions, please contact the Admissions office on or

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