External summary

The MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice degree provides education and training at postgraduate level in the academic field of criminology. The field involves the study of the causes of crime, and of social responses to crime including but not limited to policing and criminal justice. The discipline includes an intellectual and academic role (to better understand crime and/or responses to crime); but may also include a policy/advisory or advocacy role (to inform social policy and/or public debate or to promote certain approaches).

The University of Edinburgh has the second oldest established Chair of Criminology in the UK (the first being at the University of Cambridge). Criminology at Edinburgh has long featured a twin commitment to both theoretical and empirical research. The University of Edinburgh is a central partner in The Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research. Organisations such as the Scottish Association for the Study of Offending, and The Howard League (Scotland), regularly host lectures in Edinburgh, many of which are held in the Law School. The Law School organises a range of seminars, lectures, workshops and conferences throughout the year which Masters students are able to attend. Together, these features mean that Edinburgh offers you a wide of range of events and resources to enhance your studies.

The aim of the degree is to provide comprehensive training in criminology, criminal justice and research methods. It offers an excellent foundation for those interested in undertaking subsequent doctoral research; those who work (or intend to work) in the criminal justice system or related areas.

Educational aims of programme

The aims of the degree are to provide Masters-level training in:

• Criminological theory, including explanations of crime and of responses to crime; criminal justice practices and policies in domestic and international contexts; and criminological research findings
• Criminological literature, including familiarity with, and understanding of, key and classic studies, as well as of contemporary criminological research; key sources, including how to locate and use them; and literature search, research and review techniques
• Social science research methods, especially in their application to criminology and criminal justice research; the development of knowledge and skills needed to become an effective researcher in the field; ethical, personal and practical challenges of conducting criminological research
• Analysis of criminological data, research findings, and problems; summarizing, comparing, interpreting and explaining material; advancing of arguments supported by data or theories; the uses of criminological evidence in debates over criminal justice policies and social policies bearing upon crime, insecurity, social order and social justice

Programme outcomes: Knowledge and understanding

On successful completion of the degree you will be able to:

• evaluate crime or criminal justice policy measures in the light of relevant theories or research findings

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in research and enquiry

Graduates of the degree will be able to:

• locate relevant criminological publications
• assess the merits (such as the authority and reliability) of different materials
• analyse existing criminological research
• apply relevant criminological research methods
• synthesise criminological theories or findings
• identify and address research problems
• conduct research ethically

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal and intellectual autonomy

On successful completion of the degree you will be able to:

• independently identify relevant research problems and topics

• find and analyse existing research in areas of criminology not previously studied

• advance arguments, based on theories and research findings

• modify arguments, models, methods or approaches in response to new information

• conduct small-scale independent research in areas of criminology not previously studied

• reflect on your own learning practices and techniques, and incorporate feedback

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in communication

On successful completion of the degree you will be able to:

• present research findings in a clear and logical manner
• summarise criminological theories, findings or data clearly in writing
• use criminological terminology correctly
• explain research project aims to relevant partners, managers or research subjects
• prepare written materials using word-processing software
• create a clear and concise presentation using presentation software

Programme outcomes: Graduate attributes - Skills and abilities in personal effectiveness

On successful completion of the degree you will be able to:

• work autonomously
• balance certainty and uncertainty of belief or knowledge in order to pursue criminological enquiry effectively
• structure your time and activities in relation to the nature of the task and to self-imposed and externally imposed deadlines
• identify research areas of particular personal interest
• use personal interest to inform and be informed by research enquiry
• analyse disparate areas of criminological enquiry with confidence

Programme outcomes: Technical/practical skills

Graduates will be able to:

• use standard computing software (word-processing; email; web browsers; presentation software)
• use specialist search engines or databases to conduct searches to find relevant materials
• locate library materials
• locate materials in electronic databases
• identify specific research topic for investigation
• design a small-scale research project to enquire into a given research question

Programme structure and features

Exit Awards

Progression to the dissertation and award of the LLM degree will be decided, in line with the University’s Taught Assessment Regulations, by a Board of Examiners administered in the School of Law and composed of staff teaching on the degree.

Specifically, the normal conditions for progression and exit awards are as follows:

In order to progress to the masters dissertation candidates must:

• attain at least 80 credits with a pass at masters level or more in each of the separate elements and

• be awarded an aggregate pass at masters level for the 120 credits of study examined at the point of decision for progression and

• have no course mark below 40% in any 40-credit course, and no more than one course mark below 40% in any 20-credit course

Students who do not meet the criteria for progression but who receive a pass at diploma level or more in 80 credits and an aggregate pass at diploma level for the 120 credits of study are eligible to receive the Diploma.

In order to be awarded a masters degree candidates must:

• have satisfied the requirements for progression, as laid out above, and

• attain 60 credits, by achieving a pass at masters level for the dissertation.

Any student who meets the criteria for progression but who then does not pass the dissertation is eligible to receive the Diploma.

Students can also exit with a postgraduate certificate on achieving 60 credits from taught elements.

Programme Structure

You may take the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice either full-time or part-time. The full time route is 12 months and the programme consists of core and optional course modules taken over the first and second semester; a research project (which forms part of the module in Criminological Research Methods); and a dissertation, which is planned and written over the summer.

To complete the degree you must take and pass all of the core modules listed below:

• Criminal Justice and Penal Process

• Criminological Research Methods

• Theoretical Criminology

• Research Skills in the Social Sciences: Data Collection OR Core Quantitative Data Analysis

Additionally, you should choose a further two modules from the options available (please note that not all of the courses listed below will necessarily be available each year; however, please also note that additional course choices may be available):

• Cybercrime

• Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice

• Media and Crime

• Mental Health and Crime

• Penal Politics

• Police and Policing

• Surveillance and Security

• Youth Crime and Justice

To progress to the dissertation stage of the degree, you will normally need to take and pass all the core courses, together with your two chosen optional course modules.

Dissertation

The dissertation is the point at which students progress from the structured study via taught courses to independent self-structured study under the guidance of academic staff. The dissertation is a maximum of 10,000 words. Any student who meets the criteria for progression but who then does not pass the dissertation is eligible to receive the Diploma.

Promoting social responsibility, sustainability and equality and diversity

Social responsibility

The MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice seeks to contribute to the advancement of knowledge in a complex, multilayered and in parts, fast-changing area of scholarship and governmental policy and practice.  Criminal justice issues are strongly imbued with important ethical issues and dilemmas that have great relevance to the public interest. By enabling and encouraging students to become critically aware and to develop autonomous views and arguments on these issues, through innovative techniques and a strong emphasis on reflection and critical analysis, this programme is capable of embedding the University’ core objective of increasing awareness of social responsibility questions in its specific area.

Sustainability and equality and diversity

This MSc programme seeks to deploy a variety of teaching techniques ranging from face-to-face seminar contact to one-to-one dissertation supervision to the utilisation of electronic and online library, communication and research resources.  The overarching goal is to ensure flexibility, autonomy and self-reliance in students’ learning while at the same time preserving and enhancing high teaching and learning standards: it is envisaged that this blended approach to teaching and learning will secure strong results in terms of the sustainability and good use of resources in the delivery of the programme; it will also ensure that a diverse student audience will be able to attain its learning outcomes by taking the utmost advantage of the teaching and learning opportunities offered.

Teaching and learning methods and strategies

The range of teaching and learning methods used on the programme, including opportunities for feedback.

All courses on the programme are taught in seminar discussion groups.  Class sizes range from 5-25 students and seminars generally last for two hours.  Students are expected to prepare for these seminars in advance by reading the materials prescribed in class hand-outs and by reflecting upon the issues which will be critically discussed in the seminar.  Seminars may include large group discussions, small group work exercises and group and/or individual presentations.  Interaction with course staff, course organisers and fellow students throughout seminars, in which active participation is a prerequisite, ensures that students get ongoing feedback on their contributions to the class and opportunities to reflect on their learning.  The programme also includes a supervised dissertation to which students progress after satisfactorily completing the taught courses.  All students are allocated an individual supervisor with relevant academic experience in their chosen area of study.  Supervision is designed to assist students in identifying and refining an appropriate academic research project, to support their programme of research activity, and to empower them to take lead responsibility for their research.  Students receive ongoing feedback and must reflect on their progress through their one to one supervision meetings. 

Facilities (e.g. library; IT or any other distinctive facilities provided within the School)

The University of Edinburgh library has one of the largest and most important collections in Britain. It has some two million items including the latest publications, key texts, and rare books. The Law School has its own library within Old College, well stocked in most important fields of law. The library of the Europa Institute, housed alongside the Law Library, is an outstanding European Documentation Centre. Within walking distance from the Law School is the National Library of Scotland which also possesses an important legal collection accessible to postgraduate students.

Postgraduate students have access to the extensive computing facilities provided by the Law School. The School maintains a number of computer labs, all of which are available for the exclusive use of postgraduate students. Wireless network access is available in many parts of the Law School including within the Law Library and Lecture Theatres. Postgraduate students have extensive access to online legal research facilities including electronic journals, LexisNexis and Westlaw. Additional computing facilities (including a laptop loan service for flexibility of learning) are available in the University's Main Library and via the University's Computing Services.

The School is proud to boast a brand new Moot Court Room, which is installed with all the latest IT and audio facilities, giving all students who participate in mooting competitions and exercises a flavour of practice in a real court situation.

The School runs an Innovative Learning Week in February of the second teaching semester every academic year. Innovative Learning Week suspends regular academic activity and instead organises creative and stimulating events, which are designed to provide alternative experiences and opportunities for both academic and practical skills development.

Innovative Learning Week runs across four days with a varied selection of activities offered by academics in the School of Law, local practitioners and organisations, and expert student support services within the University.  The programme normally includes a very wide range of activities designed to explore different ways of engaging with legal and skills-based topics.  These have included: theatre group work; photography competitions; quantitative statistics workshops; film series with academic commentary; mock interviews with legal professionals; mooting; guided court observation exercises; and historical walking tours of the city.  The programme also includes social events and activities through which students can relax and network with fellow students and members of staff.  

Assessment methods and strategies

There will be some variation amongst the courses as to the modes of assessment as differing courses in the MSc programme will test different competencies and aptitudes.  One semester courses (20 credits) are assessed either by one essay that counts for 100% of the grade or by a combination of essay and another form of assessment (such as a take-home exercise, an annotated bibliography, a poster, a response to a policy consultation, or an assessment completed in class).  The Criminological Research Methods course is assessed by way of an individual Powerpoint presentation.

The School provides targeted, timely and useful feedback to students on their performance in a number of ways:

The School is always looking to improve the quality and helpfulness of its feedback to students, and takes seriously the comments on feedback provided anonymously in class questionnaires and via the annual Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey.

Student feedback and evaluation is a valued input to curriculum and programme review and development within the school and students are asked to complete evaluation forms on each course they take.  Student representatives are elected at the start of every year and represent the study body throughout the period of the programme of study.  As postgraduates students have access to the resources and facilities of the Institute of Academic Development at the University.  The Institute offers a range of workshops and training sessions including essential communication skills, information technology skills, time management, project management, decision-making and much more.

Career opportunities

The School is dedicated to ensuring all students are academically and socially prepared and are responsible and ethical citizens.  We offer training events and support for all our postgraduate students in both academic and key life skills.  The current employment market is a difficult and competitive one but we aim to ensure our students are independent thinkers with practical skills, giving them an advantage over their peers.

The Careers Service offers expert advice on careers options, searching for careers, CV writing and preparing for interviews.  This support can be tailored for students from the School of Law. 

The research component of the degree requires students to undertake small research projects.  During the Criminological Research Methods course students meet with local practitioners (which in previous years have include the police, local government services, local charitable agencies such as SACRO) who provide opportunities for students to develop policy and practice-relevant projects.  Further professional networking opportunities are provided throughout the programme as students are exposed to professional and practitioners communities through the knowledge exchange and seminar programmes of the Scottish Association for the Study of Offending, the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research and the Scottish Institute for Policing Research.  The School of Law has strong relationships with all of these bodies and actively encourages student participation at their events.

Employment opportunities for students graduating from this programme include:

• Doctoral and academic research

• Research roles in government and/or criminal justice institutions

• Crime analyst roles in criminal justice agencies

• Policy work and practice within criminal justice and related agencies (such as the police, prosecution services, prisons, services working with victims/offenders, local government services such as community safety or public protection partnerships)

• Government and civil service

• Independent and private sector consultancy and/or research 

Other items

The School and its research centres actively organise frequent events including seminar and lecture series, conferences, research training, workshops and fairs.  We strongly encourage all our postgraduate students to attend these events as well as getting involved with their organisation.

The Edinburgh Student Law Review is the first of its kind in Scotland.  Managed and written entirely by the School’s student body, it aims to provide a forum for law students to engage in a more analytical approach to the study of law.  Students from all levels and legal disciplines are encouraged to submit articles, case notes and updates which are published in the Review each year.

The School of Law and Edinburgh University are committed to providing pastoral support for postgraduate students.  The Director of Postgraduate Studies, the Programme Director and postgraduate office staff act as points of first contact and can advise students on the extensive network of services that exist throughout the University.  Additional language training and support is available for international students through the English Language Training Centre at the University.  The International Office provides broader support and advice on living and studying in Edinburgh to this constituency of students. The Student Disability Service offers guidance and support for students experiencing difficulties or suffering from impairments covered by the Equality Act, and the Edinburgh University Students’ Association, run by and for students, offer a broad range of services to support students’ well-being at the University.  The University’s Accommodation Services can also help students finding appropriate accommodation in the city.