Master Internazionale in Ricerca Avanzata in Criminologia (IMARC)

IMARC is a 2-year interdisciplinary research program in international criminology offered by two universities, focusing on the critical, cultural, and global dimensions of border crossing, security, and social justice. IMARC aims to address the need for internationally oriented and interdisciplinary trained researchers who can offer original insights and analyses as well as innovative, effective, and ethical solutions to advance both policy and practice and academic research. The overall program provides students with an opportunity to study a broad range of substantive criminological issues whilst simultaneously providing a robust theoretical foundation within which students can develop deeper analytical and critical thinking.

As a research-intensive master’s program, there is also a strong emphasis on providing students with training in a variety of research approaches and methodologies and an extended dissertation. Because these issues cross-disciplinary, cultural, and national boundaries, the labor market will increasingly need employees who can think, communicate, and act across borders. International companies and universities demand professionals with this knowledge. IMARC facilitates a program for a multidisciplinary group of students who, on the one hand, want to develop knowledge, skills, and expertise around the themes of migration, security, and social issues and who, on the other hand, want to develop more research skills and have more time for research. IMARC aims to train students for the professional field at NGOs, (semi) public authorities, international private companies, and research institutes within Europe and beyond.

The study program in a nutshell

We offer:

• Critical theoretical and practical perspectives on border crossing, security, and social justice.
• Qualitative and quantitative criminological research skills. One year is allocated to the curriculum for conducting research. In this way, the program meets the research ambitions of excellent students who want to grow into research positions.
• Engagement in research and being open-minded to reflect and respond to new developments and current discussions in criminology and the work field of borders, security, and social justice.
• The program brings together learning, research, and practices through collaboration with already well-established partners among which governments, NGOs, corporate actors, and other Universities, contribute to the employability of our students.
• Participation in international conferences, twice a year with students from other universities (Common Sessions).
• You will have the possibility to attend a joint master's program devoting special attention to research mobility and intercultural exchange.
• Upon successful completion of the Joint Master’s Programme, you will be awarded a double degree: the national degree of the university where you spent at least one semester.

The International Master’s in Advanced Research in Criminology (IMARC) is the only existing 2-year programme in criminology that focuses on border crossing, security and social justice. The joint programme is offered by three different Universities in Europe.

The Universities involved in the programme, all have an ample, albeit different research and teaching expertise in the field of criminology, with special regards to the border crossing, security and social justice. The main aim of the Strategic Partnership is bringing this expertise together and developing a balanced and innovative curriculum with a number of common activities and courses (mainly in the field of global criminology, research methods and transferable skills) and optional courses in order to provide the possibility to follow different tracks. ln addition, IMARC will include innovative, interactive teaching methods, in which the strengths of both face-to-face student-lecturer contact, informal learning and social media are optimised.

• Erasmus University Rotterdam, Erasmus School of Law, Criminology Department (coordinator) (the Netherlands)
• Ghent University, Department of Criminology, Criminal Law & Social Law (Belgium)
• University of Kent, School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research (UK)