Criminal Justice MA

Study level: Postgraduate
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This interdisciplinary and practical course provides you with the opportunity to develop an advanced level understanding of the inter-relationship between law, justice and punishment.

Year of entry

2024-25

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Part-time

Duration

1 year full-time
2 years part-time
16-24 months (with professional experience)

Course code

AHT084

Start date

January 2025
May 2025


Course overview

Over the course of the programme you will be given the chance to develop social and cultural knowledge and research skills that are relevant to an increasingly global job market.

  • You will have the opportunities to understand real world debates about criminal justice, crime control and security, policing, penality and offender management
  • A key feature of this programme is its emphasis on developing practice-relevant skills in relation to enhanced subject knowledge
  • There is a strong emphasis on understanding criminal justice as a social complex where the personal, local, national and global collide.
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5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

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Ranked 11th Modern University in UK by the Times

The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025

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Ranked 8th for Overall Satisfaction in PTES

Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES) 2024

Why you should study this course

  • A multicultural and international approach: The syllabus addresses both current problems of crime and disorder facing diverse local communities, and concerns about transnational criminality and law enforcement.
  • Research-focused learning: You will be encouraged to view yourself as a social researcher in training and apply this in an individual final project.
  • A creative policy-focused programme: As part of the course you will develop proposals for policy and practice thereby providing opportunities for the acquisition of key leadership and strategic skills.
  • Innovation and digital fluency: Material concerning digital and communication technologies in law enforcement and criminal justice will provide opportunities for you to develop digital literacy and ICT skills.
  • The applied nature of the course makes it suitable for individuals working in relevant sectors who are seeking career and professional development.
  • The opportunity to undertake a professional experience option, see the 'What you'll study' section for more information.

What you'll study

The course comprises a suite of interconnected modules that explore a range of contemporary issues in the context of theories and research concerning law, crime and criminal justice.

Modules

With professional experience option

The professional experience opportunity2 enables you to apply for optional professional experience in semester 1, which, upon successfully securing an opportunity, will extend the duration of your master’s to either 16, 20 or 24 months. The professional experience provides an opportunity for you to develop expertise and experience in your chosen field with the aim of enhancing your employability.

Please note that the optional professional experience modules incur an additional tuition fee, which for 1 semester of professional experience is £1,333.33, for 2 semesters of professional experience is £2,666.67, and for 3 semesters of professional experience is £4,000.

Professional experience may also be subject to additional costs, visa requirements being met, subject to availability and/or competitive application. Professional experience opportunities are not guaranteed but you will benefit from the support of our Talent Team in trying to find and secure an opportunity. Find out more about the professional experience option.

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

The course aspires to create a flexible and personalised learning journey which will take advantage of opportunities for hybrid delivery. Teaching and learning methods will include campus-based and online lectures, seminars, workshops and one to one supervision on student projects.

There will also be opportunities for experiential learning and for group and collaborative work as well as self-directed study and supervised research. Digital technologies will be used to innovate course delivery such as using immersive learning technologies and virtual teaching spaces.

This course can be offered on a part-time basis. Whilst we would like to give you all the information about our part-time offering here, it is tailored for each course each year depending on the number of part-time applicants. Therefore, the part-time teaching arrangements vary. Request further information about part-time study.


Teaching contact hours

The number of full-time contact hours may vary from semester to semester, however, on average, it is likely to be around 10 contact hours per week in the first semester.

Additionally, you will be expected to undertake significant self-directed study of approximately 35 hours each week, depending on the demands of individual modules.

The contact hours may be made up of a combination of face-to-face teaching, individual and group tutorials, and online classes and tutorials.

As an innovative and enterprising institution, the university may seek to utilise emerging technologies within the student experience. For all courses (whether on-campus, blended, or distance learning), the university may deliver certain contact hours and assessments via online technologies and methods.

Since COVID-19, we have delivered our courses in a variety of forms, in line with public authority guidance, decisions, or orders and we will continue to adapt our delivery as appropriate. Whether on campus or online, our key priority is staff and student safety.


Assessment

The course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module.

Assessment methods include:

  • Group work
  • Presentations
  • Reports
  • Projects
  • Coursework
  • Individual Assignments
  • Roadmaps

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy aims to ensure that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards achieving the intended learning outcomes.


Entry requirements

Applicants should normally hold a good undergraduate degree (2:2), in a social science or humanities-related subject, or equivalent international grade/qualification (including degrees in other subjects), from a recognised university.

Students with any disability, illness or other circumstance which may affect their learning experience are actively encouraged to discuss any concerns with academic staff.

We recognise a breadth of qualifications, speak to one of our advisers today to find out how we can help you.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Alternatively, visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.5 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component area

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course. 

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.


Fees and funding

2024/25 tuition fees.

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man £9,350 | £13,350 (with professional experience) per year Request fee information
EU £9,350 | £13,350 (with professional experience) per year with EU Support Bursary**
£16,700 | £20,700 (with professional experience) per year without EU Support Bursary**
Not available
International £16,700 | £20,700 (with professional experience) per year Not available

For advice and guidance on tuition fees3 and student loans visit our Postgraduate Finance page.

We offer a range of international scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees3 cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing and re-assessments should you need them.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional overseas field trips or visits: £400+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.


Facilities

You will benefit from studying on our well-equipped, modern campus4.

Delia Derbyshire building

Delia Derbyshire Building

The Delia Derbyshire complex offers more space to learn, design and make, including a hyper-studio for students across all disciplines to collaborate on projects together, a gallery space and an events atrium.

A lawyer stands in a court room, with people behind we assume make up the jury, and two judges to his left

Routes into a Legal Career

Find out more about how Coventry University can kick start your legal career through our preparation courses.


mock prison cells

Prison cells

Two prison cells, one single and one double, are used to give a sense of the real-life experiences of inmates, and for role play learning. Have a look round our mock prison cell on our virtual 360 tour.

 


Careers and opportunities

Upon successful completion of this course you will be able to:

  • demonstrate advanced knowledge and critical understanding of established and current interdisciplinary debates in criminal justice
  • situate criminal justice problems and questions within diverse social, cultural and political contexts at local, national, transnational and global levels
  • apply criminological knowledge in an original and systematic manner, evincing a practical understanding of advanced research methodologies
  • systematically analyse complex criminological and penological problems and expound them effectively in robust, reflective, evidence-based research and scholarship
  • proactively select appropriate strategies to communicate findings and outcomes of research and study verbally, visually, digitally and discursively to specialist and non-specialist audiences
  • apply transferable skills of initiative, ethical responsibility, autonomy and self-efficacy to a range of employment and practice environments.

The course is intended for students who are looking to progress from undergraduate study in this subject (or a related discipline in humanities, social or political sciences) and for practitioners working in criminal justice and associated sectors seeking opportunities for career and professional development. This MA also readies you for the wider world of work in a culturally diverse global marketplace; highly transferable and timely skills enable graduates to capitalise on a job market increasingly defined by flexibility.

We’re committed to preparing you for your future career and giving you a competitive edge in the graduate job market. The university's dedicated careers and employability support, Talent Team, provide a wide range of support services to help you plan and prepare for your career.


How to apply

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