Curious about studying Criminal Law and Criminal Justice MAat Birkbeck, University of London? We've gathered all the key details—entry requirements, modules, fees, and more. Hear from real students by checking out reviews, or take the next step by booking an open day to explore it for yourself.
MA - Master of Arts
Online
Full Time
Oct 2026
1 Year
Our MA/LLM Criminal Law and Criminal Justice is grounded within legal, criminological, policy and humanities perspectives to offer you a unique opportunity for advanced study of criminal law and criminal justice. On successful completion of this course, you can decide whether you would like to receive an MA or an LLM so that your chosen award is based on your own needs, career path and area of specialism. Why choose this course? This course is ideal if you have a keen interest in criminal law and criminal justice and want to learn in a stimulating, flexible, learning environment. It brings together students from a range of backgrounds, including those with pre-existing knowledge or experience, who wish to advance their existing career and specialise in this area, as well as those with a desire to carve out a new career path. You will be taught by leading academics in criminology, criminal justice and law and active researchers at the Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research (ICPR), who are at the forefront of generating new knowledge on contemporary criminal justice issues, including in policing and the policed, courts and the judicial process, prisons and the use of imprisonment, and fraud and digital technologies. What you will learn Compulsory modules on this course will provide you with: an introduction to theoretical perspectives on the relationship between criminal law and criminal justice deep insights into cutting-edge debates and a range of contemporary issues in criminal law and criminal justice advanced knowledge of modern criminal law. You will also have the chance to choose option modules from a diverse list spanning law, criminology, social policy and the humanities, so you can tailor your studies to your interests and future career goals. How you will learn Learning is through lectures, seminars and tutorials, alongside your independent work. Throughout the course, you will have various opportunities to develop skills relevant to your career, such as through conducting an independent research project with support from a specialist supervisor. You will be able to choose between full- and part-time study. This course has an evening timetable with classes taking place in the evening, allowing you to pursue other activities and commitments during the day. This course is part of our Birkbeck Flexible Master’s UK, which gives you the choice of how you want to study - on campus, online or via flexible learning, which combines both. If you require a Student visa to study in the UK, you will only be able to apply for the on-campus study option for this course. Online and flexible options will not be available to you because they may affect the conditions of your visa.
This module introduces you to a range of contemporary issues and debates within the field of criminal law and criminal justice. It does not pursue a ?first-to-last encounter? model of criminal justice studies, nor does it purport to be an exhaustive analysis of criminal justice issues and institutions. In the span of one term any attempt to do so would not satisfy the needs of postgraduate study, where the emphasis is on developing deeper understanding and new skills that will enable you to undertake more rigorous inquiry. For this reason, the course is organised through a set of case studies, with each topic chosen because of its substantive significance to the field and to showcase the world-leading research expertise of Birkbeck staff. Together the seminars examine various aspects of the contemporary criminal justice institutional landscape, policy and practice from a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives.
This module aims to provide a state-of-the-art training in the advanced study of modern criminal law. You will gain a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the history and theories of modern criminal law. The module has a humanities focus, and enables the interdisciplinary study of modern criminal law.
This module aims to provide a state-of-the-art training in the advanced study of modern criminal law. You will gain a comprehensive and up-to-date knowledge of the history and theories of modern criminal law. The module has a humanities focus, and enables the interdisciplinary study of modern criminal law.
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