MRes Criminology

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
Master of Research (MRes)
Duration
1 year
Entry requirements

We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.

When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.

Full entry requirements

How to apply
Apply online

Course options

Full-time Part-time Full-time distance learning Part-time distance learning
MRes Y Y N N

Course overview

  • Study at a university ranked in the top 10 in the UK for Criminology (The Guardian Ranking by Subject 2021).
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Study Criminology at The University of Manchester

Open days

The University organises open days every year in June, September, and October.

These are an opportunity to find out about the course, meet students and staff, tour the campus, and learn about accommodation, finance, and facilities.

If you receive an offer, we will invite you to a visit day where you learn about the School, teaching and learning, study opportunities and student life.

Fees

For entry in the academic year beginning September 2024, the tuition fees are as follows:

  • MRes (full-time)
    UK students (per annum): £13,500
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £26,500
  • MRes (part-time)
    UK students (per annum): £6,750
    International, including EU, students (per annum): £13,250

Further information for EU students can be found on our dedicated EU page.

The fees quoted above will be fully inclusive for the course tuition, administration and computational costs during your studies.

All fees for entry will be subject to yearly review and incremental rises per annum are also likely over the duration of courses lasting more than a year for UK/EU students (fees are typically fixed for International students, for the course duration at the year of entry). For general fees information please visit: postgraduate fees . Always contact the department if you are unsure which fee applies to your qualification award and method of attendance.

Self-funded international applicants for this course will be required to pay a deposit of £1000 towards their tuition fees before a confirmation of acceptance for studies (CAS) is issued. This deposit will only be refunded if immigration permission is refused. We will notify you about how and when to make this payment.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

Contact details

School/Faculty
School of Social Sciences
Contact name
School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
Telephone
+44 (0) 161 804 9198
Email
Website
https://www.socialsciences.manchester.ac.uk/criminology/
School/Faculty

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview

We require a UK bachelor's degree with a First or Upper Second classification or the overseas equivalent, in any discipline.

When assessing your academic record we consider your degree subject, grades you have achieved and the standing of the institution where you studied your qualification.

English language

Applicants whose first language is not English should meet the following language requirements:

  • IELTS Academic test score of 7 overall, including 7 in writing with no further component score below 6.5
  • TOEFL IBT 100 with 25 in writing and no further score below 22 in each section. TOEFL code for Manchester is 0757
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) score of 76 overall, with 76 in writing and no further score below 70

Pre-Sessional English Courses

We will consider applicants who do not meet these scores but you may be required to complete a pre-sessional English language course at the University of Manchester prior to the start of the course.

To be considered for a pre-sessional English language course for this programme we require the following minimum IELTS (Academic) scores:

6 Week Pre-Sessional Course : IELTS 6.5 overall with 6.5 in writing and no more than one sub-skill of 6.0.

10 Week Pre-sessional Course : IELTS 6.0 overall with 6.0 or above in each sub-skill 

If you have not yet completed your current academic study and are interested in studying a pre-sessional course, you must hold an IELTS for UKVI (Academic) test certificate to ensure that you are eligible for a separate visa for the English language course.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Applicants from Majority English-speaking countries

If you are a national of a   majority English-speaking country   (or have studied for a full bachelor's degree or higher from one of these countries) you may be exempt from submitting further evidence of English language proficiency.

Other international entry requirements

We accept a range of qualifications from across the globe. To help international students, the university provides specific information for many individual countries. Please see our  country-specific information page   for guidance on the academic and English language qualifications which may be accepted from your country.

Application and selection

How to apply

Advice to applicants

Please note, due to the high volume of applications we receive the course may close before the advertised deadline and as such, early application is advised.

If you meet our entry requirements but we are unable to make you an offer you may be placed on a waiting list. Candidates on a waiting list will receive an offer only if places become available.

Re-applications

If you applied in the previous year and your application was not successful you may apply again. Your application will be considered against the standard course entry criteria for that year of entry. In your new application you should demonstrate how your application has improved. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

Course details

Course description

The MRes in Criminology course provides you with the advanced theoretical, conceptual and methodological expertise and skills necessary to undertake and critically evaluate criminological, socio-legal and criminal justice research.

Combining core research skills with specialist criminology and criminal justice teaching from research-active staff, this course encourages you to critically examine the theoretical foundations that underpin applied criminological research.

The course also provides formal, comprehensive, multi-disciplinary training in research methodologies and transferable employment related skills, for those interested in applying for a PhD and/or planning a professional research career in the voluntary, public or private sectors.

The MRes is an Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and North West Social Science Doctoral Training Centre (NWSSDTP) recognised foundation course for research training.

This is an essential first step if you wish to undertake doctoral research as part of the 1+3 PhD in Criminology programme, which qualifies towards ESRC and NWSSDTP funding.

Aims

  • To meet national and regional demands for new research and policy-oriented competencies in criminology or socio-legal studies.
  • Provide advanced, systematic and critical knowledge of research methods and theoretical arguments in criminology or socio-legal studies which are at the forefront of the subject area in a vibrant research context.
  • Offer a course that integrates a grounding in research methodology and that provides an understanding of the implications for policy.
  • Offer you the opportunity to develop your understanding of the key theoretical and epistemological debates within the subject area and to assist you to engage in theoretical debates at an advanced postgraduate level.
  • Provide a formal, comprehensive, and multi-disciplinary training for you in research methodology and transferable employment-related skills.
  • Prepare you for PhD-level research careers in academic life or as professionals in government and voluntary agencies.
  • Contribute to the national need for skilled social science researchers in criminological, socio-legal and related matters.
  • Train you to appreciate the relationship between research and the implementation and operation of policy and practice in the implementation of justice.
  • Provide you with the tools for further research or study in criminology or socio-legal studies.

Special features

This acclaimed course has ESRC recognition as a Foundation Course for Research Training and is an essential step if you wish to progress onto doctoral studies or pursue a career in research in the public or voluntary sectors.

Teaching and learning

This course is taught by an interdisciplinary team of experts using a variety of delivery methods: lectures, workshops, student-led presentations and debate, group work and individual research.

Coursework and assessment

Most course units are assessed by 3,500 word essay or by essay and presentation.

Course unit details

To meet the requirements of the taught element of the course, you must take course units totalling 120 credits. This is normally through eight 15-credit course units, with 60 credits taken each semester. You take five core units.

The availability of individual optional course units is subject to change (due, among other factors, to staff availability to deliver the course units in any given year). Information that is sent to you in August about registration onto the course, will clearly state the course units that are available in the academic year ahead.

In addition, if you pass the taught element of the course and are permitted to progress to the research element of the course, you must also submit a dissertation between 12,000-15,000 words, worth 60 credits.

Part-time students take four out of the five compulsory course units in the first year, and then take the other one in year two. The remaining 60 credits of optional course units are selected and taken accordingly over the two years. 

For the Dissertation:

  • Supervised summer dissertation of 12,000-15,000 words.

For exit awards:

  • If you fail to pass the 180 credits necessary to attain the final degree of MRes, you can leave the course with the award of Postgraduate Diploma by passing 120 credits at a pass mark of 40%. You can also qualify for the Postgraduate Certificate by passing 60 credits at the pass mark of 40%.
  • If you do not fulfil the criteria for passing the taught element of the course at masters' level of 50%, will not be permitted to progress to the dissertation element of the course, and will leave the course with the highest award that the credits that have been passed will allow.

Course unit list

The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

TitleCodeCredit ratingMandatory/optional
Dissertation (MRes Criminology) CRIM64000 60 Mandatory
Advanced Theoretical Criminology CRIM70501 15 Mandatory
Evaluating Policy & Practice CRIM70542 15 Mandatory
Data Analysis with R & RStudio CRIM70821 15 Mandatory
Qualitative Research Methods CRIM71361 15 Mandatory
Research Design SOCY60401 15 Mandatory
PG Crime Mapping: an introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis CRIM60142 15 Optional
White-Collar, Corporate and Environmental Crime CRIM61142 15 Optional
Necrocriminology: Human Remains and Mass Violence. CRIM70102 15 Optional
Drugs: Markets, Policies and Consumption CRIM70572 15 Optional
Prisons: Exploring the Carceral World to the UK CRIM72212 15 Optional
Research Strategy and Project Management SOCY60412 15 Optional
Quantitative Evaluation of Policies, Interventions and Experiments. SOST70172 15 Optional
Creating a Sustainable World: Interdisciplinary Applications of the Sustainable Development Goals UCIL60312 15 Optional
Displaying 10 of 14 course units

Scholarships and bursaries

We offer a number of postgraduate taught scholarships and merit awards to outstanding applicants and international students.

In addition, the Manchester Alumni Scholarship Scheme offers a £3,000 reduction in tuition fees to University of Manchester alumni who achieved a first-class bachelor's degree and are progressing to a postgraduate taught master's course.

For more information, see fees and funding or search the University's postgraduate funding database .

What our students say

Find out why our students chose Criminology at The University of Manchester in Student Spotlights .

Facilities

As a School of Social Sciences student, you are supported by first-class resources.

In addition to the networked study areas, you have access to one of the best-resourced academic libraries in the country, The University of Manchester Library .

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service. Email: dass@manchester.ac.uk

Careers

Career opportunities

This degree is designed to appeal to recent graduates looking to work for local or central government and criminal justice agencies, for example:

  • as a criminal intelligence analyst within the police;
  • probation;
  • voluntary sector and NGOs;
  • pressure groups;
  • think-tanks (such as The Howard League Reform Trust);
  • roles within the private sector.

The University also has its own dedicated Careers Service that you would have full access to as a student and for two years after you graduate. At Manchester you will have access to a number of opportunities to help boost your employability .