MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice

Programme description

This programme provides a platform to learn about and engage with the latest criminological research and apply this to current theory, practice and debate in this interdisciplinary field. This MSc is suitable both for those who have studied criminology at undergraduate level and for those who are new to the subject.

As a student on this programme you will be part of our vibrant community of active researchers, international scholars and local practitioners in criminology and criminal justice. You will have ample opportunity to draw from our academics’ research, which is both theoretical and empirical and makes a difference to the world both locally and globally.

You will benefit from top-quality training in criminological research methods and skills, essential both for the further study of criminology (we have a strong cohort of criminology PhD students, some recruited from this MSc) and for employment in the criminal justice field.

Programme structure

You must complete 180 credits of study – 60 credits are taken in the compulsory dissertation and the remaining 120 credits are taken in taught courses. You will be taught by and study with members of the Law School academic community.

You are expected to prepare in advance by reading the required materials and by reflecting on the issues to be discussed, and your participation in classes will be assessed.

For the dissertation you will have a supervisor from whom you can expect guidance and support, but the purpose of the dissertation is to allow you to independently design and conduct a piece of research and analysis.

Please note that due to unforeseen circumstances or lack of demand for particular courses, we may not be able to run all courses as advertised come the start of the academic year.

Learning outcomes

Students who complete the MSc have the opportunity to acquire a more sophisticated understanding of major contemporary debates in criminology in both its theoretical and applied aspects and to achieve enhanced understanding and skills in research practice and method.

Career opportunities

Graduates from this MSc programme have gone on to a wide range of careers, including working with offenders and victims, for various agencies including police, prisons/correctional services, governmental and non-governmental agencies, academic and research institutions.

Recent graduates have gone on to work as policy officers, researchers and asylum decision makers.

Entry requirements

2019 entry: A minimum UK 2:1 honours degree or its international equivalent. Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

2020 entry: A minimum UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, in law or a social science subject.

Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

English language requirements

All applicants must have one of the following qualifications as evidence of their English language ability:

• an undergraduate or masters degree, that was taught and assessed in English in a majority English speaking country as defined by UK Visas and Immigration
• IELTS: total 7.0 (at least 6.5 in each module)
• TOEFL-iBT: total 100 (at least 23 in each module)
• PTE(A): total 67 (at least 61 in each of the "Communicative Skills" sections)
• CAE and CPE: total 185 (at least 176 in each module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components

Degrees taught and assessed in English must be no more than three years old at the beginning of your degree programme. Language tests must be no more than two years old at the beginning of your degree programme.

For more than 300 years, Edinburgh Law School has been rooted in the open and interdisciplinary traditions of Scots law. We are a fully comprehensive law school that effects civic change both locally and globally.

Based at the heart of the city in the historic and recently refurbished Old College, we are a world-leading law school shaped over many centuries by our values and beliefs, commitment to excellence, and the passion and achievements of our staff, students, and alumni.