Full-time: 12 monthsPart-time: 24 months
Full-time: £10,200 *
Part-time: £5,100 per year *
Full-time: £14,790 *
Part-time: £7,395 per year *
From October 2019
Northampton Square
This degree is for independent, critical thinkers who want to work, or are working, within criminal justice or want to undertake further research. Many of our students have undergraduate criminology degrees, and come from universities across the world. Often they want to continue their learning or specialise within a specific subject area. Students also come from other science, humanities and legal backgrounds and from within the criminal justice system. Research methods form a key component of the programme so having an interest in data collection and analysis is valuable.
“To understand crime in the 21st century you have to have specialist criminological knowledge. We don’t just focus on the criminal act; we look at the societal reaction to crime and the cultural narratives that exist around it. At City we will encourage you to develop your criminological imagination but also to use it.”
Professor Eugene McLaughlin
The programme is run by the Centre for City Criminology.
At City we believe crime is multi-dimensional, which is why this MSc course brings the victim into focus, not just the offender. The criminal mind is complex and our understanding of it matters – not just to the individual, but also to their family, the community and wider society at large.
We live in a criminogenic global society; one that is producing new forms of crime, and new criminal opportunities. City’s Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc course unpicks the power of the criminological imagination within this society.
This is not a Masters that focuses purely on criminal justice or crime control – instead we emphasise cutting-edge theoretical analysis and methodological training, so you can research the contemporary significance of crime and see how it can be a powerful marker of social and institutional change.
Originally part of City’s MA in Human Rights, this degree offers a distinctive perspective on the relationship between criminology and human rights violations. It is global in outlook because, by its nature, crime is transnational and is taught by eminent criminologists who author the books that appear on reading lists across the country.
Here are some of the questions the course poses:
Applicants will normally have an upper second-class honours degree or international equivalent. We also encourage applications from students with significant professional experience in a field of employment or research related to criminology and criminal justice.
Don’t meet the entry requirements? INTO City, University of London offers a range of academic and English language programmes to help prepare you for study at City, University of London. You’ll learn from experienced teachers in a dedicated international study centre.
These programmes are designed for international students who do not meet the required academic and English language requirements for direct entry. To prepare for this degree course, learn more about the Graduate Diploma in Social Sciences and the Arts programme.
City works in partnership with Kaplan International College (KIC) London to provide preparatory courses for international students. Pre Masters courses at KIC London offer comprehensive support to students wishing to complete their postgraduate study at City. Progression to this degree is guaranteed if you complete the KIC London Pre-Masters course at the required level.
If you are applying with an overseas degree, the following is an indication of international equivalents of an upper second class degree from a UK institution. Please note these figures are intended as a guide only and individual applications will be assessed on a case by case basis.
If your first language is not English, the following qualification is also required:
Don’t meet the English language requirements? INTO City, University of London offers English language programmes to help prepare you for study at university. These intensive and flexible courses are designed to improve your English ability for entry to degree courses.
International Students (EEA and Non EEA) coming to study in the UK, may need to apply for a visa or entry clearance to come to the UK to study. The way that you apply may vary depending on the length of your course. There are different rules for:
For more information see our main Visa page.
Applications for 2020 are now open:
Apply for MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice (Full Time)
Apply for MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice (Part Time)
When applications open you will be expected to provide:
Academic references are not required when you submit your application. However, the admissions tutor may request them at a later date to help make a decision on your application.
Applicants are encouraged to apply online and either upload or email scanned copies of their supporting documents for convenience.
If you require a hard copy of the application pack (containing an application form and reference forms) then please email your name, address and the name of the programme to the Programme Administrator along with your request.
If you have any enquiries please contact:
Department of Sociology
School of Social Sciences
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB
Still have questions? Read our FAQs for this course.
* Fees in each subsequent year of study (where applicable) will be subject to an annual increase of 2%. We will confirm any change to the annual tuition fee to you in writing prior to you commencing each subsequent year of study (where applicable).
MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice at City, University of London
In this film alumna Lisa Casali explains how her experience at City helped her secure her role as a Case Manager at Criminal Justice charity Only Connect.
When it comes to studying criminology, London is an amazing facility. It is one of the most sociologically diverse laboratories offering a wide range of accessible resources. From the myriad centres of policy, justice and media to the endless range of public events, at City you can become a researcher in a global city. As part of the University of London you can also become a member of Senate House Library for free with your student ID card.
We offer a variety of accommodation options and support services for postgraduate students.
Read more about our postgraduate halls.
Our Accommodation Service can also help you find private accommodation.
We offer a free language course for City, University of London students.
Course timetables are normally available from July and can be accessed from our timetabling pages. These pages also provide timetables for the current academic year, though this information should be viewed as indicative and details may vary from year to year.
Please note that all academic timetables are subject to change.
We offer an extensive support network during your time here at City, University of London – from Learning Support (including disability support) and counselling to financial and career advice – leaving you free to enjoy every opportunity campus life has to offer.
Find out more about the different types of student support available.
Chat to our current students and read their blogs to gain an insight into studying at City and learn more about our undergraduate and postgraduate courses.
To make sure that you can begin or continue your studies with us during the COVID-19 pandemic, we have reviewed and adapted our courses to ensure a safe learning environment for our students and staff. We have modified the way some of our courses are delivered, with many programmes being made available online.
Contact us to find out more about how our programmes will be delivered.
We will teach you through a combination of lectures, interactive workshops and seminars, in the first and second term (September-April). This is supplemented by insight from visitors, whether external criminologists or practitioners. There are many opportunities to ask questions, debate your ideas and present your own evidence around particular arguments.
Students are encouraged to use their dissertation research to explore the spaces of criminal justice and to network with potentially useful contacts. London is the ideal environment to seek out both venerable institutions and cutting edge initiatives.
The majority of postgraduate sociology modules are assessed by coursework. However, if you choose to study some modules outside of the department you may have different assessment methods so please check this carefully. You will need to gain a minimum pass mark of 50% in all assessment components.
The dissertation marks the point in the course where you begin to take hold of your research and let your criminological imagination come into play. The dissertation (of 15,000 words) accounts for one third of the total marks for the Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc degree. By the end of the first term you will have to start considering your dissertation topic. You may already know you area of focus, but we offer guidance and support through dissertation workshops.
You will take two 30-credit compulsory core modules, one 15 credit elective core module, and either one 30-credit or two 15-credit elective modules. Your choice of elective modules will hone your degree towards your own area of interest. In the final part of the course you take part in a dissertation workshop and produce a dissertation over the summer period.
The first module, ‘Analysing crime’ makes up the course’s theoretical base. You then research contemporary developments in criminal justice and penal policy within the second core module. At this point in the course you get to choose from a number of elective modules covering diverse topics including the dark side of media notoriety and celebrity, and the criminal mind. All these modules draw on the School’s research strengths making them unique to City.
This core module offers an advanced introduction to the study of contemporary crime, deviance and control. It explores key issues and debates within criminology (relating to theory, research, policy and practice) and considers the possible futures of the criminological enterprise.
This core module focuses on recent developments in criminal justice and penal policy. Outlining the complex process through which policy is made, it explores a number of key controversies relating to prison, probation and judicial policy.
Delivered by experts in the field, this core module will introduce you to the main research methods used in the social sciences (both quantitative and qualitative), and will provide you with the skills to formulate, design and carry out a small piece of research for your dissertation.
NB: Elective module choices are subject to availability and timetabling constraints.
The programme specification contains more information on how the course is organised, the requirements for progression for each part and credits required for awards.
The Criminology and Criminal Justice course is taught by internationally recognised experts and prepares you for careers across the public, private and voluntary sectors.
From research to policy development and from the security services to the criminal justice system and victim support, you will have a wealth of employment options once you graduate. Previous graduates are now working in:
Applications for 2020 are now open:
Apply for MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice (Full Time)
Apply for MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice (Part Time)
When applications open you will be expected to provide:
Academic references are not required when you submit your application. However, the admissions tutor may request them at a later date to help make a decision on your application.
Applicants are encouraged to apply online and either upload or email scanned copies of their supporting documents for convenience.
If you require a hard copy of the application pack (containing an application form and reference forms) then please email your name, address and the name of the programme to the Programme Administrator along with your request.
If you have any enquiries please contact:
Department of Sociology
School of Social Sciences
City, University of London
Northampton Square
London
EC1V 0HB
Still have questions? Read our FAQs for this course.
Find out more about City and all our postgraduate degree programmes.
