MA Criminology / Course details

With the guidance of an assigned supervisor, students are asked to  produce one of the following:

1. A critical, original and thorough review of literature and research on a specified area.
2. A research proposal. This will include a critical review of the literature and a research proposal detailing methods, ethical considerations and limitations of the proposed study.
3. A small piece of qualitative or quantitative empirical research – only to be attempted if agreed to be feasible in an initial meeting (in February) with the assigned supervisor (this format will be rare for the MA student pathway) or
4. Secondary analysis of an existing qualitative or quantitative dataset (eg BCS or other data held by ESDS) – Likewise, this must be agreed in an initial meeting in February and will be rare on the MA pathway.

Teaching and learning across course units consists of: (1) preparatory work to be completed prior to teaching sessions, including readings, pre-recorded subject material and online activities; (2) a weekly whole-class lecture or workshop; (3) a tutorial; and (4) one-to-one support via subject specific office hours.

Students will understand the core elements of research design, as well as developing specialist expertise on a self-selected area of criminology.

Develop capacity to formulate research questions, plan research designs, and conduct original literature-based or empirical research.

Dissertation planning, research design, critical analysis

Evidence-gathering, literature reviewing, critical thinking, creativity, writing

Students receive written feedback in the text of the dissertation as well as commentary at the conclusion of the dissertation.