Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology, MA

Crime, its causes, and how we should deal with it, are never far from the headlines, and expertise in these areas is increasingly valued by employers in government and other sectors. Studying our MA in Applied Criminal Justice and Criminology will equip you with the analytical, critical, methodological and ethical competencies that you’ll need to engage meaningfully with some of the most pressing global challenges facing society today. This programme is built around three core pillars: criminological theory, criminal justice policy and practice, and rigorous research skills development.

These pillars shape the content and delivery of the curriculum, ensuring that you can develop a deep, critical and applied understanding of crime and justice in contemporary society. Through this framework, the programme offers you an inclusive, engaging and research-led learning experience. You will be encouraged to understand key concepts within criminology, critically interrogating ideas, and assessing their capacity to explain criminal and deviant behaviour, while drawing on emerging knowledge from within the field.

The applied nature of this programme allows the course material and assessment to directly refer to the criminal justice system, and how it works as an institution, encouraging you to apply your subject knowledge directly to the existing reality of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. This is encouraged through the study of various key elements that form the criminal justice system, as well as practical assessments that are directly focused on impacting public policy and practice in this area. By bringing together this in-depth knowledge of crime and the criminal justice system, with the applied and practical nature of the programme, you will be enabled to develop the skills and knowledge you’ll need to enter a range of interesting and engaging careers.