Criminology and Criminal Justice
Master
In Oxford
Description
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Type
Master
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Location
Oxford
About the course
A stimulating and demanding programme, involving intensive learning in small groups, the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice will equip you with an advanced understanding of crime and criminal justice, comprising courses in criminological theory, the study of criminal justice, and training in research design and methodology.
Facilities
Location
Start date
Start date
Reviews
Subjects
- Communication Training
- Full Time
- Part Time
- University
- Law
- Design
- Options
- Supervisor
- IT Law
- Criminology
- IT
Course programme
The MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice is offered on both a full-time (one-year) and part-time (two-year) basis. The degree and expectations for both modes of study are equally rigorous. Part-time students take their classes with the full-time students, but spread over two years to accommodate work and personal circumstances.
The MSc is comprised of three components (the timings refer to the full-time course, please see the part-time MSc webpage for details of the part-time course):
Compulsory courses
Three compulsory courses run weekly during the first two terms. A fourth compulsory (but non-examined) course is run weekly in the third term
Criminological TheoriesIn the first term, this course develops understanding of the organising categories and central claims of a range of modern criminological perspectives of crime and social control. It will equip you to recognise the main problems, questions, dichotomies and ideas that have shaped modern criminological thought, and to understand the nature of ‘theory’ and ‘explanation’ within criminology. Part-time students take this course in the first term of their first year of study.
Understanding Criminal JusticeThe second compulsory course offers you a thorough grounding in the criminological understanding of criminal justice/penal institutions and processes. The core themes of classic research on these processes are introduced, before you are introduced to contemporary issues and controversies in criminal justice and punishment. The course introduces you to competing theoretical perspectives on the criminal justice process and encourages you to think about the role of the state/criminal law in the regulation of human behaviour and the place and limitations of criminal justice interventions in producing safe societies. This course runs in the second term; part-time students can choose to take this compulsory course in the second term of either their first or second year of study.
Research Design and Data CollectionThis compulsory course, which runs in the first term, is focused on the challenges and the opportunities that different methods of data collection have for validity and reliability of data. Methods include experiments and quasi-experiments; questionnaires and survey research; field research, and the collection of written documents. The scientific method, theory testing and research design will also be discussed. Ethical concerns are given special emphasis. Part-time students take this course in the first term of their first year of study.
Communication Skills for CriminologistsThis final compulsory course runs in the third term. Once a week, for the first 6 weeks, academics, practitioners and researchers from the University and beyond will present to the class. Each week, a different small group of the MSc cohort will take responsibility for hosting the seminar (under the guidance of the tutors). By the end of the 6 weeks all of the MSc cohort should have had the chance to take on one of these ‘communication’ roles.
During the final two weeks the cohort will work together to organise a two-day conference at which each MSc student will make a short presentation on their dissertation topic (work in progress), and other students will be expected to ask questions and make helpful comments. The presenters will also receive feedback on their communication and presentation skills from the tutors.
Optional subjects
Full-time students will take five optional modules over the first and second terms of the year. Part-time students take a total of five options across the two years of study. Option courses run for eight weeks in each term. Recent option modules have included:
- Race and Gender
- Sentencing
- Public and Private Policing
- Research Methods
- Prisons
- Comparative, Criminal Justice, Security and Human Rights
- Politics of Crime Control
- Criminal Justice, Migration and Citizenship
- Crime and the Family
- Victims and Restorative Justice
- Transitional Justice
- Risk, Security and Criminal Justice
- The Death Penalty
- Youth Justice
- Theorising Punishment
Please note that not all options run every year.
As a full-time student, you will be expected to spend around 40 hours studying each week during term, and to undertake some further study during vacations. During the first two terms you will be advised to divide your time between the core course and your other courses as follows:
- At least 10 hours per week preparation for the core course
- At least 8 hours per week preparation for each option/compulsory course
- 4.5 to 6 hours per week in seminars (90 minutes for each course)
Part-time students will be expected to commit to a proportional workload.
Dissertation
In addition to the options you take, you will write a dissertation during the third term. Part-time students will write their dissertations in the third term of their second year, but will be encouraged to start planning their dissertation from their first year. The dissertation will be researched and written independently, with only minimum guidance from your dissertation supervisor. This is also supported by a compulsory but non-assessed course, Communications Skills for Criminologists, attended by both full-time and part-time students.
AssessmentIn addition to the dissertation submitted at the end of Trinity Term there are two unseen examinations, one following the Criminological Theories course and one following the Understanding Criminal Justice course.
Research methods courses are examined by means of an assessment to be submitted at the end of the relevant term. These courses also have some term-time assignments which are assessed on a pass/fail basis.
All other options are examined by means of an assessed essay, also to be submitted at the end of the term in which the option runs.
SupervisionThe allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Centre for Criminology and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Centre for Criminology.
Graduate destinationsGraduates from the programme have recently gone on into the following areas:
- research careers
- government departments and criminal justice agencies
- voluntary organisations in the crime and justice field
- international organisations, such as the UNODC.
Changes to this course and your supervision The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. In certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study. Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment. For further information, please see our page on changes to courses.
Other courses you may wish to consider If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below. These courses may have been suggested due to their similarity with this course, or because they are offered by the same department or faculty.
All graduate courses offered by the Centre for Criminology
Criminology DPhil
Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc
All graduate courses offered by the Faculty of Law
Bachelor of Civil Law BCL
Criminology DPhil
Criminology and Criminal Justice MSc
Intellectual Property Law and Practice PGDip
Law DPhil
Law MPhil
Law and Finance MSc
Magister Juris MJur
Socio-Legal Research MPhil
Socio-Legal Studies DPhil
Taxation MSc
Oxford 1+1 MBA programme
This course can be studied as a part of the Oxford 1+1 MBA programme. The Oxford 1+1 MBA programme is a unique, two-year graduate experience that combines the depth of a specialised, one-year master’s degree with the breadth of a top-ranking, one-year MBA.
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Entry requirements
Criminology and Criminal Justice