Program Overview

MA Comparative Criminology

Overview

This Masters course allows you to explore many of the rich and varied components of comparative criminology through the focusing in turn on aspects of contemporary justice, social harms, violence, oppression, the penal system and its reform, transnational policing, and past and current controversies in the criminal justice system.

Why choose this course?

The course draws on the expertise of internationally established researchers based at the University of Wolverhampton. Each module is led by scholars who have published widely in many aspects of comparative criminology.

Course Modules

Year 1

• MA Comparative Criminology Dissertation
  • Module: 7CJ003
  • Credits: 60
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core
  • Description: The MA Comparative Criminology Dissertation aims to provide you with the opportunity to research an area of criminological/criminal justice interest in considerable depth, further develop your critical and analytical research skills, evaluate criminological evidence, argument and theory, undertake Masters-level independent study within the framework of dedicated staff supervision, further develop organisational, time-management and writing skills, and produce a substantial piece (15,000 word maximum) of original, independently researched work demonstrating considerable depth of enquiry into a criminological/criminal justice topic and competence in a range of critical, analytical, evaluative and synthesising skills in relation to criminological sources and methodological practices.
• Research Methods
  • Module: 7HS006
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Core
  • Description: This module will provide both a theoretical and as well as a more applied understanding of social and historical research methods. It will fuse sociological and historical methods, thereby providing you with the knowledge you need to adapt to new branches of enquiry that develop, and put you in a position to contribute to their development especially since many of them make considerable use of approaches developed by the field of sociology.
• Beyond Criminology: Victimisation and Social Harm
  • Module: 7CJ006
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Optional
  • Description: The module aims to provide students with a critical understanding of key issues within the discipline of victimology related to social harm or what is termed zemiology (e.g. violence, oppression and inequality).
• Contemporary Justice
  • Module: 7CJ005
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Optional
  • Description: This module will provide students with a critical understanding of a number of contemporary issues within criminology and criminal justice.
• Criminal Justice Ethics
  • Module: 7CJ004
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Optional
  • Description: Every action in the administration of justice is directed by the moral of a rule or policy, or by the moral judgement of the practitioner who implements it.
• Prisons and Penal Reform in Twentieth-Century England and Wales
  • Module: 7CJ002
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Optional
  • Description: This module will investigate the significant changes made to the English penal system throughout the twentieth century.
• Transnational Policing
  • Module: 7CJ009
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Optional
  • Description: This module will analyse the growth of Transnational Policing or the 'blue web'.
• Work in Context
  • Module: 7CJ007
  • Credits: 20
  • Period: 1
  • Type: Optional
  • Description: This module will give students the opportunity to gain experience of the day to day working of service providers and to apply their theoretical knowledge in these settings.

Potential Career Paths

An optional Work Placement module will allow students to experience work-based employment and activities. This module allows for both a practical application of many of the transferable skills gained during the course and a reflexive opportunity of seeing how the academic issues addressed on the course can be related to ‘real-life’ applications and processes.

Course Fees and Finance

• Location | Mode | Fee | Year
  • Home | Full-time | £10175 per year |
  • Home | Full-time | £10490 per year |
  • Home | Part-time | £5088 per year |
  • Home | Part-time | £5245 per year |
  • International | Full-time | £15950 per year |
  • International | Full-time | £16950 per year |

Entry Requirements

• A Bachelor of Arts Honours degree (2:2 or above) in a Humanities-based subject from a UK University or overseas equivalent, or a professional qualification and/or experience considered to be equivalent; to be verified by the Course Leader.
• You should also have a good standard of written and spoken English (IELTS 6.5 or equivalent).

Funding

• Postgraduate Loan (Home Fee Status): You may be able to get a postgraduate student loan from Student Finance England of up to £12,858 to help pay for a Master’s degree.
• Changes for EU students: The UK government has confirmed that EU students starting courses from 1 August 2021 will normally be classified as Overseas (International) students for fee purposes.
• Postgraduate Loyalty Discount: You can get 20% discount on a taught on-site postgraduate course if you’re a University of Wolverhampton Graduate.
• Self-funded: If you are paying for the fees yourself then the fees can be paid in 3 instalments: November, January and April.
• Sponsored - Your employer, embassy or organisation can pay for your Tuition fees: Your employer, embassy or organisation agrees to pay all or part of your tuition fees; the University will refer to them as your sponsor and will invoice them for the appropriate amount.
• Financial Hardship: Students can apply to the Dennis Turner Opportunity Fund for help with course related costs however this cannot be used for fees or to cover general living costs.
• Charitable Funding: You might also want to explore the possibility of funding from charitable trusts. Please contact Association of Charitable Foundations, Directory of Social Change or Family Aid. Most charities and trust funds offer limited bursaries targeted to specific groups of students so you will need to research whether any of them are relevant to your situation.