Course description

The MSc in Criminology will provide you with an in-depth theoretical and applied understanding of crime, deviance, offenders, and victims and will enable you to focus on your particular area of interest.

You will gain the knowledge and skills sought by the broad spectrum of agencies associated with the criminal justice process. The course will provide you with a thorough insight into the criminal justice system and develop your critical awareness of historical debates, theories and research in criminology and victimology. You will also examine the current political, economic and social context of relevant debates on crime in the UK and abroad.

This degree will develop your capacity for imaginative, rigorous and critical thinking. As well as gaining specific knowledge of the social processes of crime, criminalisation and the criminal justice system, you will strengthen your ability to understand and use different types of evidence. You will develop transferable skills that are highly sought after by employers, including the ability to present and develop a cohesive argument, communicate information to academic and non-academic audiences, conduct research and identify solutions to theoretical and research problems.

Teaching and learning

You will be taught through a combination of lectures and seminars where you will have the opportunity to discuss and clarify ideas with lecturers and fellow students. Some modules will also involve practical skills workshops or online tasks and interaction.

Our assessment strategy is coursework-based and provides you with opportunities to both consolidate and strengthen academic skills through assessments such as short written pieces, annotated bibliographies, essays and research exercises; whilst also completing tasks which develop the skills required in future employment.

Careers and employability

Our MSc in Criminology will equip you with a whole host of skills that will give you a head-start in today’s competitive job market. We work closely with the University’s Career Development Service to alert you to relevant opportunities.

Our graduates most often seek and secure employment in statutory criminal justice agencies (police, prisons, probation, national criminal justice and security agencies), forensic health settings, third sector agencies, local and central government (nationally and internationally) and social/policy research institutes. Moreover, each year approximately 10% of the cohort either secure or begin to consider opportunities for doctoral studies. Doctoral work often leads to employment in a research-related area or in an academic environment.

A postgraduate qualification from the University of Leicester is career changing. It can be the springboard to promotion with your current employer, the platform from which to launch a new career, or simply an aid to becoming more effective in your current role.

If you are already in employment, enhancing your career by studying at postgraduate level gives a clear signal to employers that you are committed to developing your skills and knowledge and have studied to a higher level. Postgraduate education at Leicester is a rewarding and enriching experience that enhances personal development.