Criminal Investigation MSc

Program Overview

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MSc Criminal Investigation

Overview

The MSc Criminal Investigation is a postgraduate course designed to appeal to graduates from traditional academic backgrounds as well as serving investigation professionals. It combines academic rigour and practical experience to nurture high-calibre, confident and forward-thinking investigation professionals.

Meeting Professional Standards

Ensuring greater professionalism in investigation procedures is crucial to meet public expectations for effective and efficient policing and justice. This programme helps investigators to extend their skills while enabling the organisations that rely on investigations to enhance their performance.

Gain Practical Experience

You will build the skills you need to conduct serious and complex investigations from the start to the end of a case. This includes gathering initial information from wide-ranging sources, managing intelligence and preparing high-quality evidence for prosecution. There is also a strong focus on interviewing witnesses, victims and suspects using appropriate techniques.

Expertise to Inspire You

We draw upon a teaching team with more than a century of professional experience in investigation. You will be taught by influential academics who engage in a diversity of national and international research projects. This ensures your learning is enriched by the latest thinking and ideas.

Shaping a Better Society

We bring together researchers from across the disciplines of Law, Sociology, International Studies, Criminology and Policing in collaborations that are designed to have real-world progressive impact. We inform policy making, shape best practice and lead debates to help build a better society.

Our Facilities

Based at our modern and iconic building in the heart of Derby’s vibrant city centre, One Friar Gate Square creates the perfect environment for innovative and engaging teaching. This dedicated site offers unique opportunities for sharing knowledge, expertise and experience in all aspects of the legal and justice fields.

A Global Outlook

Our MSc Criminal Investigation is based upon the investigative context and principles of the UK. Most of these principles will be generally applicable to many countries, and as part of your studies, you may undertake comparisons of selected contemporary international approaches, informed by overseas partnerships.

What You Will Study

This course is made up of three stages - Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma and MSc.

Postgraduate Certificate

• Criminal Investigation 1: Principles of Investigation
  • Far-reaching scientific and technological developments have transformed criminal investigation practice and important steps are now being taken to professionalise the process. You will explore how practitioners carry out investigations with reference to intelligence and evidence gathering.
• Criminal Investigation 2: Victims and Witnesses
  • Treatment of vulnerable victims and witnesses has changed greatly over the past 20 years. This module follows an investigation through to trial, with case studies outlining potential pitfalls and solutions. Topics include identifying and protecting vulnerable victims and witnesses, pre-interview contact, multi-agency working, interviewing and pre-trial preparation.
• Applied Research
  • Developing the skills, knowledge and practical expertise to undertake advanced applied research at masters level. It will provide tuition in qualitative and quantitative research while considering the politics and ethics of research.

Postgraduate Diploma

• Criminal Investigation 3: Suspects
  • You will explore the process and context of criminal investigation, the underlying theories and the factors that influence approaches to it. This module delivers a real insight into how to question suspects and obtain a reliable account.
• Fundamentals of Financial and Digital Investigation (optional)
  • A platform that will assist you to systemically and critically assess any form of criminality or victimisation, identifying opportunities for integrated approaches utilising financial and digital information, intelligence and evidence.
• Financial Intelligence (optional)
  • Offering critical insight on how to develop financial intelligence as a standardised tool. It will focus on the context of the effective and ethical development, control and sharing of information, intelligence and evidence to support investigations.
• Digital Intelligence (optional)
  • Providing insight towards how to develop digital intelligence as a standardised tool. It will offer reflection on contemporary crime and victimisation, deconstruct the problem of 'cybercrime' into pre-existing categories of harm, and apply criminology and victimology insights to policy and practice.
• Investigation Domestic Abuse (Pathway)
  • Providing evaluation of the effectiveness of historic and contemporary criminal investigation techniques to prevent and detect domestic abuse. It will focus on the development of advanced knowledge of the challenges presented within such investigations, and critical analysis and evaluation of the agency, political and investigative responses.

MSc

• Independent Study
  • During this triple module, students will use their accumulated knowledge and intellectual skills to carry out a systematic inquiry and academically rigorous study of a significant topic of their choice relevant to the field of investigation. Under the supervision of one of our team of specialist researchers and drawing upon our considerable professional investigative experience, candidates will generate a masters level dissertation that can be used to showcase their skills and interests towards their current or future investigative role and organisation.

How You Will Learn

You will study via a mixture of lectures, seminars and group work. Some elements of the course may be delivered via e-learning through group discussion boards and electronic resources, this enabling some degree of flexibility for you to study when it is convenient for you.

There is also a focus on being reflective, encouraging you to think about how the course is helping you to improve your professional and career development.

Flexible Study Options

Alongside the one-year full-time route to the MSc, we also offer a two-year part-time route so that you can study at a time and pace to suit you. Many of the modules are taught in a block weekend format; one module will typically be the equivalent of one Friday, Saturday and Sunday session and pathways will typically be the equivalent of two block weekends.

How You Will Be Assessed

The emphasis is on continuous assessment across the course. You will compile portfolios of work to demonstrate the knowledge that you have acquired. Formative and summative assessment will include written assignments, presentations and group work.

Candidates who are completing the MSc stage will develop and submit for assessment an empirical dissertation research project on a relevant and topical challenge of choice.

Careers

Career destinations for our graduates include law enforcement, finance, social services, health and safety, benefit offices, insurance companies, and many other public and private sector organisations.

If you are already a serving investigation professional, this course enhances your continuing professional development – building on your existing experience and skills – while providing your organisation with new insights into investigation procedures. You will also develop and apply research and analysis skills to the standards of UK higher education accreditation at masters level.

The course has been mapped to the national occupational standards for criminal investigation. This means that, on successful completion of your MSc, you may claim Accredited Prior Learning (APL), which paves the way for you to pursue civilian roles related to criminal investigation. If you are a police officer, you may seek professional recognition for completing an MSc aligned with the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP).

Ongoing Careers Support

Our Careers and Employment Service will provide you with help, guidance and support from day one of your course – and for up to three years after you have completed your studies.

Entry Requirements

• At least a 2:2 from your first degree, or the equivalent.
• If your first degree is not in the Social Sciences or related subjects such as criminology, criminal justice, policing, sociology, psychology and economics, please contact the Programme Leader.
• If your first language is not English, you will need to evidence a proficiency in English (IELTS 6.5 with 5.5 in each skill area).
• We also welcome applicants who may not have an undergraduate degree (or equivalent) but who have substantial and relevant professional experience.

Fees and Funding

2025/26 (August 2025 - July 2026)

• UK
  • Full-time: £9,720 for the full course*
  • Part-time: £1,080 per 20 credits
• International
  • Full-time: £16,900 for the full course
  • Part-time: N/A

Additional Costs and Optional Extras

• Some nominal travel and subsistence costs relating to their involvement in voluntary placements or internships to support them in designing and conducting their dissertation research
• If dissertation is paper-based, then there are photocopying costs attached to printing information, consent forms, data collection instruments, and debriefing form. These pages are then multiplied by the number of research participants the student includes in their project
• Alternatively, students may elect to pursue electronic forms In this case, the students do not have the paper costs above but rather the subscription fee of £25-£35 per month
• Student membership with the Midlands Fraud Forum (MFF), which costs approximately £50-£60
• MFF Annual Conference in February each year as well as periodic masterclasses that tend to occur one per month
• There will be some nominal travel and possible subsistence costs.

International Student Scholarships

We have a range of scholarships and discounts available to international students which can be used together to offer a reduction in your tuition fees.

How to Apply

Please look at our application deadlines before you apply.

• UK students: Apply directly to the University.
• International students: Apply directly to the University.

If you'd like support with your application, you can contact one of our trusted local representatives.

Additional Information About Your Studies

• Teaching hours: Like most universities, we operate extended teaching hours at the University of Derby, so contact time with your lecturers and tutors could be anytime between 9am and 9pm. Your timetable will usually be available on the website 24 hours after enrolment on to your course.