Criminology MA
About this course
This Criminology Masters course gives you the opportunity to gain a critical and informed understanding of criminology, by exploring the debates at the forefront of the field. There is a particular emphasis upon the practical realities, uncertainties, complexities and solutions available for criminal justice and crime reduction.
This Masters degree draws upon the expertise of staff with established reputations in the field. Tutors have a wide range of research interests and they are actively involved with the Nottingham Crime Research Unit and the Centre for the Study and Reduction of Hate Crimes, Bias and Prejudice. These specialist units are located within the Department and conduct high quality applied criminological and criminal justice research.
What you’ll study
The course offers a distinctive theoretical and policy aspect of the subject. On completion of the course you'll graduate with an extensive vocationally relevant and and policy-orientated knowledge of crime and responses to crime, drawing on examples from across the world. You'll also develop a critical awareness of the current philosophical, theoretical and methodological problems, debates, and insights that shape the discipline.
The emphasis on policy is specifically designed to offer a more vocationally relevant course of Masters-level study that will be more pertinent if you are seeking a policy-orientated career in the Home Office, government office of the regions, local government and crime and disorder reduction partnerships.
The Criminology team regularly invites renowned experts and professionals to the University to provide an insight into their specialist knowledge and experiences. Past speakers have included Superintendent Paul Giannasi, Programme Manager of the Cross-Governmental Hate Crime Strategy and Len Jackson OBE, Interim Chair of the Independent Police Complaints Commission.
The modules are specifically designed to reflect current development and thinking in the field of Criminology.
Approaches to Criminological Theory and Research Methods
This module is designed to develop your ability to apply relevant approaches from a range of advanced methodological and theoretical perspectives in order to conduct research into criminology and criminal justice relate issues.
Contemporary Criminal Justice Policy and Practice
This module provides you with an opportunity to critically reflect on your in-depth knowledge and systematic understanding of criminal justice practice. It focuses on professionals working in the criminal justice sector drawn from the statutory, voluntary and community and private sectors and critically evaluates their respective roles in criminal justice policy and practice. For those of you who are working, or who have worked, in the criminal justice field you can utilise this specialised work experience to make sense of a range of practical issues. If you do not have experience of this type you will still be able to assess the nature of work done in such environments through the use of current examples of criminal justice practice.
Work-Based Research Project
This module will give you the opportunity to make sense of the relationship between academic research and the practicalities of working in the criminal justice sector.
Crime, Community and Neighbourhood
This module is designed to enhance knowledge and understanding of the link between place and crime, and to analyse the extent to which neighbourhood effects shape the narrow and wider determinants of patterns of crime within different communities. Although taking the urban sociology perspective of the Chicago School, and subsequent developments within environmental criminology, as an initial explanatory framework for understanding crime, the module seeks to introduce you to the much wider and specialised literature on neighbourhood and place which sits within the field of social, economic and political geography.
The module also adopts a novel and cutting-edge perspective to conventional approaches to environmental criminology by examining the geography of crime from the perspective of spatial variations in the response of public service organisations to crime as well as the more traditional perspectives that focus upon the socio-demographic, economic, and morphological and community-based determinants of crime.
Sentence Management in the Criminal Justice System
This module focuses on the important role of offender management in the context of crime reduction initiatives, paying particular attention to the National Offender Management Service and National Offender Management Model. It demonstrates that managing offenders has become more complex over recent years. In large part this can be attributed to the growth and inter-connectivity of organisations – statutory or otherwise – that are employed to ensure that offenders are effectively managed.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
Q&A - MA Criminology
How you're taught
Study and support
The teaching and learning on the course will involve a mixture of lectures, workshops, enquiry-based learning and an individual dissertation / project. All students will be assigned a personal tutor who will provide both pastoral and academic support throughout their study. This role will switch to their dissertation supervisor during the final module. You'll be encouraged to be proactive in your engagement with these processes and you'll be introduced to your tutor (and a range of other teaching staff) during a comprehensive induction event which will be organised for you before the course begins.
Assessment methods
Assessment will be carried out through a combination of assessed essays (including reports, reflective reports), policy papers, presentations, case studies and a dissertation.
An active research environment
Tutors have a wide range of research interests and they are actively involved with the Nottingham Crime Research Unit. These specialist units are located within the Department and conduct high quality applied criminological and criminal justice research.
In-sessional English language support
In-sessional English language support classes are available to all international (non-EU) students studying on degree courses at NTU. There is no extra charge for these classes.
Careers and employability
This course will prepare you to go on to pursue a range of professional careers in criminal justice related work in either the statutory, commercial or community voluntary sectors.
Throughout the course you'll enhance your life long learning skills and personal development in a manner that enables you to adopt an independent and reflective approach to your learning and to contribute to crime reduction and community safety. The acquisition of specific criminological knowledge, along with a wide range of transferable skills such as the ability to conduct and evaluate research, will also be invaluable for those seeking employment in the fast-expanding field of policy evaluation.
The course will also enhance the career opportunities of those currently working in the field and will be particularly valuable to students seeking employment in criminal justice agencies operating at central, regional and local government levels, for example:
- Home Office
- police forces
- local government
- crime and disorder reduction partnerships and their equivalences throughout the world.
Other graduates may pursue opportunities to become researchers or academics working in the subject area of criminology in higher education. The course will also serve as an effective launching pad for those students wishing to study for a doctorate.
Previous graduates have gone on to pursue careers as:
- Police officers
- Probation officers
- Intelligence analysts
- Operational support officers
- Enquiry management and insights associates
- Crisis support workers
- Project coordinators
*Data extracted from the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2020/21, surveying graduates 15 months after finishing their degree.
Employability team
Our expert Employability team will work closely with you at every stage of your career planning, providing personal support and advice. You can benefit from this service at any time during your studies, and for up to three years after completing your course. Find out more about the service.
Campus and facilities
You’ll mainly be studying in the Chaucer and Newton buildings, at the centre of our vibrant City Campus. As well as a range of classrooms and lecture theatres, the facilities including a mock prison cell, banks of open-access PCs, social spaces for either quiet study or busy group work.
NTU’s City Campus has everything you’ll need to stay busy between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our stylish Students’ Union building and two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets for every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; performance and rehearsal spaces for musicians; and much, much more!
Take a few steps off campus and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. It’s stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure. Enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.
Take our virtual tour to get a real feel for the campus.
Entry requirements
Applying with prior qualifications
- An undergraduate degree equivalent to a UK undergraduate honours degree (normally a 2.2 or above)
Applying with non-standard entry qualifications/experience
- Applicants without such qualifications will be considered on an individual basis but will be required to demonstrate how their experiences and knowledge would enable them to study this course at Masters level in their Personal Statement.
No references are required when applying for this course.
NTU may admit a student with advanced standing beyond the beginning of a course, through an assessment of that student's prior learning, whether it is certificated or uncertificated. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available to these prospective students, such as recognising experiential learning or transferring to a similar course at another institution, otherwise known as credit transfer.
All prospective students who wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning should initially contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need any more help or information, please contact us at Ask NTU or call +44 (0)115 848 4200.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form
You will need one of the following:
- Bachelors degree grade 2.2 or equivalent qualification.
International qualifications
We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:
Postgraduate preparation courses (Pre-Masters)
If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Pre-Masters courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:
English language entry requirements
You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
Fees and funding
Fees for September 2025
| Study route | Home (UK students) |
|---|---|
| Full-time | £8,750 |
| Part-time | £4,375 (for Year One*) |
*Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.
Funding your studies
Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there's no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.
There are numerous sources of funding available for postgraduate students, both from external sources such as the Government and funding bodies, and from the University.
There are two main costs involved with postgraduate study: the cost of your tuition fees which is paid directly to the University, and living expenses such as accommodation, travel and food.
You might be able to get a scholarship to help fund your studies, We award scholarships to those students who can demonstrate excellent achievement, passion and dedication to their studies.
Please take a look at our postgraduate fees and funding page for information about sourcing grants, bursaries and scholarships, and much more.
Getting in touch
For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.
Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494
Fees for September 2025
| Study route | International / EU students |
|---|---|
| Full-time | £17,850 |
| Part-time | £8,925 (for Year One*) |
*Please note that if you are considering a course that runs over more than one year, the tuition fee stated is for the first year of study. The course fee for the second year may be subject to annual review.
Scholarships
We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.
Living costs
Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:
Paying fees
Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
How to apply
All applications to this course can be made through our NTU Applicant Portal.
If you are interested in joining us in September 2025, this course will be open for applications through the applicant portal from September 2024.
Writing your application
Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember, we can only make a decision based on what you tell us. Make sure you include as much information as possible, including uploading evidence of results already achieved, as well as a personal statement.
You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU in our postgraduates’ guide.
All applications welcome
We welcome applications from prospective students with a range of qualifications and experience, and all are assessed on an individual basis. Applicants who do not meet the standard entry criteria can still be considered providing they have relevant experience to compliment any qualifications. All applicants will need to apply through our NTU Applicant Portal.
If you're applying without prior qualifications, you'll need to submit comprehensive details of your achievements with evidence to substantiate your claim (any documentation can be uploaded to the My Documents section of the Applicant Portal). This type of application will be considered with respect to the University’s provision for ‘accreditation for prior experiential learning’. Decisions regarding the accreditation of prior learning are a matter of academic judgement.
Keeping up to date
After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process - so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Open days
The School of Social Sciences holds open events throughout the year. Come along and learn more about our courses, speak to programme leaders and find out about studying with the School.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or support, you can call our Admissions Team on +44 (0)115 848 4200, or contact us at Ask NTU.
Good luck with your application!
Apply online through our NTU applicant portal.
Application advice
Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example. After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.
Writing your personal statement
Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:
Would you like some advice on your study plans?
Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.
- Complete this simple form to keep in touch with the International Office.
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