Criminology MSc

At York St John University we have a passion for, and commitment to, social justice. Through research, we aim to have a positive impact on our community by challenging prejudice and inequality and promoting a fairer society. This is a theme that will run throughout this Criminology MSc course.

You will also learn essential skills, training and research methods that are highly desired by employers. You will learn how to analyse all forms of social information and have the opportunity to complete training courses in related software such as Nvivo and ArcGiS.

You will have a significant level of independence as you study, pursuing the areas of research that interest you the most and negotiating your own projects. You will be supported by our staff who have their own research specialisms. We will provide you with 1 to 1 support in designing your own project, whilst guiding you through your research and thesis writing. Topics you may choose to focus on include:

• Social inequalities
• Technology
• Social justice
• Migration
• Gender
• Cultural criminology
• Principles of law
• Investigating serious crimes
• Communities and partnership working

How you will study

You can study this postgraduate course full time or part time. This allows you to fit your studies around other commitments.

If you choose to study full time the course will take 1 year to complete. You will study:

• 3 compulsory modules
• 2 optional modules
• 1 independent project

If you choose to study part time the course will take 2 years to complete and the modules will be split across both years.

You can find out which modules are available in each term in the Course Specifications.

Modules

Teaching and learning

The modules on this course are built around the expertise and interests of our active researchers. This means that you will be taught by experts in the topics you are learning about. You will learn through a range of methods including:

• Group and individual tutorials
• Small group work
• Discussions
• Library-based research
• Independent study

We want you to be at the centre of your learning. We will support you to develop your own voice as you join a body of research and to find the areas you are most interested in.

You will have the opportunity to engage in research including taking paid work in research projects or producing research for publication, alongside contributing to a postgraduate research conference.

Our teaching draws on both our research and professional experience. This means your learning is informed by the most current thinking in the subject area. You can find out more about our research and backgrounds by visiting our staff pages.

Assessment

You will receive ongoing feedback throughout your course. You will be assessed through a range of approaches including:

• Written and presentation elements
• Debates
• Podcasts
• Report writing

These assessment methods are designed to help you develop a range of skills that will help you as you transition into the working world or go on to continue your academic studies at doctoral level.

Qualifications

International Students

If you are an international student you will need to show that your qualifications match our entry requirements.

Information about international qualifications and entry requirements can be found on our International pages.

If English is not your first language you will need to show that you have English Language competence at IELTS level 6.0 (with no skill below 5.5) or equivalent.

International entry requirements

Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL)

If you do not have traditional qualifications, you might be able to provide evidence of professional experience in the subject as an alternative way to meet the entry requirements. This is called Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL). Appropriate references and records of employment would need to be presented to support your case for admission. 

Terms and conditions

Our terms and conditions, policies and procedures contain important information about studying at York St John University. You can read them on our Admissions page.

UK 2024 - 2025 entry

The tuition fee for 2024 entry to this postgraduate course is:

• £8,000 for full time study
• £4,000 per year for part time study

These costs apply to all UK, Jersey, Guernsey and Isle of Man students.

Postgraduate loans are available to help you pay for your master’s course. Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

Funding opportunities

International 2024 - 2025 entry

The tuition fee for 2024 entry to this postgraduate course is:

• £11,300 for 1 year of full time study
• £5,650 for 2 years of part time study

These costs apply to all students living outside the UK.

Due to immigration laws, if you are an international student on a student visa, you must study full time. For more information about visa requirements and short-term study visas, please visit the International Visa and Immigration pages.

Find out more about funding your postgraduate studies.

International Fees and Funding

Tuition fees

Alumni Scholarships

If you are alumni of York St John University we have scholarships available to help you continue your studies.

Scholarships for alumni

Additional costs and financial support

Course-related costs

While studying for your degree, there may be additional costs related to your course. This may include purchasing personal equipment and stationery, books and optional field trips.

Accommodation and living costs

View our accommodation pages for detailed information on accommodation and living costs.

Where could Criminology MSc take you?

This degree could lead you to a career directly related to Criminology, such as working in policing or probation. You might also look for work in areas such as policy and research. It will also prepare you for further academic study at doctoral level. You will learn the skills and knowledge that are in high demand from employers on this course. Gain technical skills such as how to use software for research including SPSS, ArcGIS, Stata, Qualtrics and NVivo. The skills you will learn will be useful in your professional career working to improve systems, organisations and society as a whole.

This will give you an advantage in careers such as:

• Criminal justice agencies (police, prisons, probation, national security agencies)
• Local and central government
• Charities and the third sector

Stand out from the crowd with postgraduate study.

Far fewer people have postgraduate degrees than undergraduate qualifications. This gives you something extra to set yourself apart in a competitive graduate job market. Those with a postgraduate qualification will earn an average of £6,500 a year more than those with only an undergraduate degree. (Department For Education Graduate Labour Market Report 2022)

Our careers service, LaunchPad, provides career support tailored to your ambitions. Through this service you can access:

• Employer events
• LinkedIn, CV and cover letter sessions
• Workshops on application writing and interview skills
• Work experience and volunteering opportunities
• Personalised career advice

This support does not end when you graduate. You can access our expert career advice for the rest of your life. We will help you gain the experience and confidence you need to succeed.