Crime Typologies equips you with an understanding of the similarities and differences in offending behaviours. The module will consider historical explanations of crime before exploring current social, biological and individual explanations for deviant behaviour. Youth offending and the transition into adult offending will be subject to analysis as you differentiate between distinctive types of crime. You will also explore the relationship between groups and an individual who offends, for example gang membership. The purpose of this approach is to encourage you to view crime as a series of categories rather than as a single entity.

Dissertation enables you to focus upon a significant piece of investigative enquiry in an area of interest, from conceptualisation through to completion. The module will develop your skills as an independent learner who is able to manage a project over an extended period of time. Critically evaluating existing research and theoretical perspectives to identify a gap in research knowledge, you will be expected to justify the choice of methodology and underpinning theory, analyse the impact of the research project and appraise the ethical considerations encountered during your research. The module is assessed by the production of a 10,000-12,000 word thesis.

Management of Offenders provides an opportunity to critically investigate the criminal justice system of England and Wales and assess how different aspects of this system impact on the effective management of offenders. The module will offer insights into criminal justice practice and its intersection with theory. You will critically appraise this theory and assess its rationale and effectiveness at various stages of the criminal justice system. The role of broader aspects of practice and intervention, such as how media, politics and policy impact on the effective management of offenders, will be examined. Various forms of bias and barriers within the criminal justice system will also be interrogated, with a focus on how they can impact upon the effective management of offenders.

Offending and Risk enables you to develop the theoretical knowledge and understanding of the processes underlying criminal behaviour. The module will examine risk and protective factors through a focus on individuals, families and peers, and neighbourhood and community domains. The individual domain will include psychological, psychosocial, biological and cognitive characteristics. You will also consider the impact of offending and offending programmes and gain the skills required to plan community projects to prevent re-offending and to promote individual and collective wellbeing.

Pathways to Desistance recognises that although there are many theories relating to the causes of criminal activity, the routes out of offending (or processes of desistance) are not properly understood. The module equips you with a detailed contemporary understanding of how and why people stop offending. It will draw on patterns of desistance which are inherent in criminological and sociological understandings of offending behaviour. You will consider what constitutes desistance and critically explore the application of desistance theory to practice.

Research Methods introduces you to the research process including the philosophical fundamentals of both quantitative and qualitative traditions and a range of research methodologies. The module will enable you to demonstrate the ability to critically appraise a range of research methodologies and plan a small-scale empirical project in your chosen discipline, as well as gaining awareness of the theoretical and practical implications of undertaking such a study.

The Social and Economic Contexts of Crime explores the complex links between the social and economic realities that shape crime. The module also examines how crime and offenders are defined and responded to. You will investigate the interplay between ideology, political agendas, religion, technological developments, media, economic status, and social and psychological factors. While the module’s primary focus will be on the UK, international comparators will occasionally be used to further illustrate how differing social and economic realities alter how countries respond to crime within their borders. The impact of countries’ actions and how they can influence responses beyond their jurisdiction, both within other nations and in a global context, will also be considered.

The course will be based in the Department of Law and Criminology with effect from September 2022 entry.

HUG4048 Dissertation (60 credits) replaces HUG4007 Dissertation (60 credits) as a compulsory module.

Tuition fees for full-time study on this MSc are £6,120 for UK and EU students and £13,250 for international students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2020/21.

Tuition fees for part-time study on this MSc are £34 per credit for UK and EU students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2020/21, i.e. £680 per 20 credit module. 180 credits are required to complete a Masters degree.

Tuition fees for full-time study on this MSc are £6,300 for UK students and £13,500 for international students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2021/22.

Tuition fees for part-time study on this MSc are £35 per credit for UK students enrolling on the programme in academic year 2021/22, i.e. £700 per 20 credit module. 180 credits are required to complete a Masters degree.

Tuition fees for EU students enrolling on postgraduate courses in academic year 2021/22 are still to be announced. If you are a prospective EU student, you are advised to check this page regularly and once the position has been confirmed we will update this information.

The University may administer a small inflationary rise in part-time postgraduate tuition fees in subsequent academic years as you progress through the course.