MA Criminology

Year of entry: 2024

Course unit details:
Dissertation (MA Criminology)

Course unit fact file
Unit code CRIM62000
Credit rating 60
Unit level FHEQ level 7 – master's degree or fourth year of an integrated master's degree
Available as a free choice unit? No

Aims

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 methods

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.

 

Knowledge and understanding

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

Intellectual skills

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

Practical skills

Dissertation planning, research design, critical analysis

Transferable skills and personal qualities

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

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Dissertation 100%

Feedback methods

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

Study hours

Independent study hours
Independent study 600

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Nico Trajtenberg Unit coordinator

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