MRes Criminology / Course details

Year of entry: 2024

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