Overview

This is a multidisciplinary Master’s degree that will facilitate an informed understanding of crime from different perspectives within social and psychological sciences.

The course strikes a necessary balance between the ‘social’ and ‘psychological’ for an informed understanding of the ‘science of crime’. On the one hand are the predominantly individualistic perspectives of the disciplines of psychology; on the other are the social-contextual perspectives of social scientific disciplines informing criminology (e.g. sociology, political science, anthropology). In both cases, the course is underpinned by an appreciation of the multifaceted nature of the idea of justice in its different manifestations – criminal, social, political, environmental.

It is not only designed to enhance your intellectual understanding of the science of crime but seeks to equip you for professional level career paths in the state, private and ‘third’ sectors thanks to innovative modules and a dissertation that allows you to specialise in a subject of your choice under individual supervision.

Why study MSc in Criminology and Criminal Psychology?

The MSc focuses on the key theoretical and empirical dimensions that are central to understanding the individual, group and societal nature of crime. Drawing on a wide variety of social scientific and psychological traditions, this engaging and fascinating degree gets to the heart of the meaning, causes and responses to crime and criminal behaviour.

You will learn to systematically apply theories and concepts from criminology and psychology to understand historical and contemporary debates relating to criminal activity. You will also develop your ability to utilise an empirical evidence-base to understand how crime is researched and theorised. Central to this captivating degree is an explicit grounding of understandings of crime on conceptualisations of justice – criminal, social, political, environmental etc. This concern for fully understanding meanings of justice opens the possibility for explorations of crime to the fullest.

Your future career

The multidisciplinary nature of the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Psychology will facilitate the command of the conceptual, theoretical and empirical dimensions of this fascinating degree, thus providing you with a broad informed knowledge base. The breadth of assessment methods on the course have been specifically selected to maximise your transferable skills. This combination of substantive course specific knowledge and transferable skills will notably enhance your professional level employability prospects and provide the foundation for further, higher level, graduate studies.