MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice

You must take these courses:

• Theoretical Criminology (20 credits, must be taken in Semester 1)

  The aim of this course is to assist you in thinking theoretically about crime, criminal justice and social control, focusing in particular on the articulation between theoretical constructs, research strategies and claims to knowledge. We thus seek to provide clarification of the ways in which the theoretical resources of the social sciences can be brought to bear upon the phenomena of crime and criminality, their occurrence and distribution, and their contested character.
  This course is particularly suitable if you are interested in learning more about the causes of crime and why societies (including the public, politicians and the media) respond to crime the way they do.

• Criminological Research Methods (20 credits, must be taken in Semester 1)

  This course will equip you with knowledge of principles of research design and key methodological approaches towards the collection, analysis and presentation of research findings. It explicitly emphasises the key roles of theory in research and issues of politics, power, ethics and reflexivity that are so crucial to the research process. Seminars form the backbone of the course through which different research methods will be critically examined. Some of these seminars will require you to take the lead and present your emerging ideas on research to peers, invited criminal justice practitioners and academic staff.
  The course is an essential element of academic research training. Even if you do not wish to undertake further research it will equip you with the knowledge and experience to evaluate the research of others. If you do wish to undertake further research (whether in external organisations or as a PhD) the course will equip you with the kinds of knowledge, skills and experience to better undertake that work. The practical nature of the course also ensures that, regardless of your future professional aspirations, the course will be of value to you and to your personal and professional development.

You must take 20 credits of the following courses:

• Criminal Justice and Penal Process (20 credits)
  This course aims to provide you with critical insight of the institutions of criminal justice and to introduce some of the relevant policy frameworks, dilemmas and debates. The jurisdictions of Scotland and England and Wales will serve as the primary model for discussions, but an international, comparative approach is considered throughout. The course also has the aim of providing opportunities for you to practice the research skills necessary to explore and critically assess academic and policy research which informs current criminal justice approaches. You will have the opportunity to observe criminal courts in action and to carry out their own observations on criminal justice processes. By the end of this course you should be able to describe the conceptual functioning of criminal justice and penal institutions; critically analyse these institutions and explain the rationale of key developments in policy and practice.

• Global Crime and Insecurity (20 credits)

  The focus of the course is the definition, explanation and interpretation of global forms of crime, insecurity and injustice. This is tackled in a structure which examines issues of categorisation and definition first, before exploring a range of contexts in which crime and criminality may be researched, then examining particular forms of crime and finishing with questions of measurement and interpretation.
  The course focus is on policy and legal responses to international and global forms of crime, insecurity and injustice. This is tackled in a structure which examines issues a range of different policing, judicial and regulatory frameworks, with attention paid in each of these sessions to the underlying logic of the approach. Following this, various mechanisms through and contexts in which criminal justice policy might spread are examined. The course finishes with a case study of money laundering, but depending on the availability of staff, this could be replaced with any substantive crime issue which allows students the opportunity to draw together a number of the issues raised in earlier sessions.

You must take 60 credits of the following courses:

• Citizenship in Europe (20 credits)
  This aim of this course is to explore the multi-level governance framework for citizenship in Europe, looking at the national, sub-national and international/European levels at which law operates. The aim is to understand the classic notion of national citizenship in the context of developments such as European Union citizenship and the impact of supranational and international norms such as the ECHR, placing the law throughout in its wider political context.

• Current Issues in Criminal Law (20 credits)

  This course examines current issues, debates and trends in criminal law. It introduces important developments in criminal law and the criminal process; to the controversies and debates surrounding these developments; and to the broader changes that they represent in the criminal justice field. The course begins by exploring questions of criminalisation: the changing scope of the criminal law, and debates over what conduct should and should not be made criminal. It then turns to examine developments in the law relating to criminal procedure and evidence; and finally to sentencing and other consequences of criminal conviction. The precise content of the course will change year on year, in response to new developments. However, at least some topics from each of these areas will be covered in any given academic year.

• Police and Policing (20 credits)

  The Police and Policing course is designed to equip you with a broad, yet advanced, understanding of police organisations and key contemporary issues in policing, security and police research. The first half of the course gives some focus to understanding the 'police' organisation itself (public constabularies). The second half of the course examines 'policing' more broadly defined, with some particular focus on the expanded importance of the commercial sector and on global and transnational dimensions of contemporary policing.

• Prisons and Places of Confinement (20 credits)

  This course addresses the uses of imprisonment, and related forms of confinement, in modern societies. It introduces students to "classic texts" in the history and sociology of prisons and "total institutions", before turning towards a range of contemporary problems and policy dilemmas, such as the phenomenon of "mass incarceration", the role of international standards and litigation and variations in incarceration around the world. It concludes by raising questions concerning possibilities for penal change, including innovative, experimental and alternative developments, and the prospects for supporting change and desistance in planned environments. It thus enables you to participate in an informed and critical manner in debates on the futures of the prison and its role in human societies.

• Responding to Global Crime and Insecurity (20 credits)

  The focus of the course is on legal, political and policy responses to international and transnational forms of crime, insecurity and injustice. The course is delivered in two sections focusing first on transnational forms of organised crime and secondly on atrocity crime (broadly, those defined by international criminal law). A final session looks for contrasts and connections between these two parts.

• Sexual Offending and the Law (20 credits)

  This course will examine contemporary approaches to the law of sexual offences in comparative perspective. Topics to be covered can include, amongst others, the definition of rape, sex trafficking, the prosecution of sexual offences, sentencing and treatment of sex offenders, sex work, the proper extent of criminalisation of consensual sexual conduct, and evidential issues in the proof of sexual offences.

• Applied Criminological Research Methods (20 credits)

  This course applies theoretical issues of methodology and research design to the practice of empirical research. You will be introduced to the practice of qualitative and quantitative research methodologies, which you will employ through the design and conduct of your own, original research project. You will gain experience of the possibilities and dilemmas of research in practice, and an understanding of questions of politics, power and reflexivity that are central to research in practice. Through the presentation of your work you will also practice oral, visual and written communication skills to a range of lay and practice audiences. Please note, to take this course you must have taken Criminological Research Methods (LAWS11469) or a similar postgraduate course in social research methodology.

• Mental Health and Crime (20 credits)

  The aim of this course is to examine the relationship between mental health and crime and explore issues relating to the appropriate treatment of mentally disordered offenders in the criminal justice system. Different forms of mental disorder will be analysed (including psychotic illnesses, personality disorders and the mental health problems associated with substance misuse) and their links to crime evaluated.

• Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice (20 credits)

  The aim of this course is to examine crime and criminal justice policy and practice in relation to gender. The course will be organised around two case study topics. Each topic will be explored in detail over four weeks. 

Full programme details are available on the University Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study website.

View full programme and course information for the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice Degree

Students on the ESRC track must take and pass all of the compulsory courses listed below:

• Theoretical Criminology (20 credits, must be taken in Semester 1)

  The aim of this course is to assist you in thinking theoretically about crime, criminal justice and social control, focusing in particular on the articulation between theoretical constructs, research strategies and claims to knowledge. We thus seek to provide clarification of the ways in which the theoretical resources of the social sciences can be brought to bear upon the phenomena of crime and criminality, their occurrence and distribution, and their contested character.
  This course is particularly suitable if you are interested in learning more about the causes of crime and why societies (including the public, politicians and the media) respond to crime the way they do.

• Core Quantitative Data Analysis 1 and 2 (20 credits, must be taken in Semester 1)

  The course introduces key statistical ideas and methods for social and political research. It is designed for students who have little or no previous experience or knowledge of statistics, or even a phobia for numbers, or for those who feel they need a refresher course on the subject. The emphasis is on learning and understanding by doing, using 'real' data, rather than memorising formulae or rules of procedure. Each on-line learning module is supplemented by self-tests and activities to give students practice in the exploration and analysis of quantitative data using the SPSS software package, copies of which may also be provided free of charge to students for use on their own personal computers. In line with ESRC postgraduate research training guidelines, the aim of the course is to ensure that students are able to understand and use basic quantitative methods.

• Research Skills in the Social Sciences: Data Collection (20 credits, must be taken in Semester 1)

  Data Collection is concerned with the techniques and practices of doing empirical research. This course teaches professional competence in gathering information by talking to people, collecting documents, conducting surveys and observing social interaction. We cover a range of associated issues, including identifying and using different sources; recruiting and negotiating access to research respondents; formulating questions and managing interviews and focus groups; sampling populations and designing surveys; recording observations; research ethics, and analysing qualitative data.

• Research Design (20 credits, must be taken in Semester 2)

  The course provides an introduction to the main issues involved in designing social science research, and is intended for students from a wide range of social science disciplines. Research design calls for decisions about how the research should be carried out, about what kind of data should be collected and analysed, and about how inferences should be drawn if the aims of the research are to be realised. The researcher has to be able to demonstrate that conclusions drawn from the research are robust and well-grounded epistemologically and theoretically. The course does not provide training in research methods, or an exhaustive checklist of points that need to be considered when designing a research project. It concentrates instead on the strengths and weaknesses of different kinds of research design as they relate to the aims, objectives and theoretical underpinnings of any piece of research.

Additionally, you must choose a further two courses (40 credits) from the options available (please note that not all of the courses listed below will necessarily be available each year; however, please also note that additional course choices may be available).

• Police and Policing (20 credits)
• Mental Health and Crime (20 credits)
• Prisons and Places of Confinement (20 credits)
• Responding to Global Crime and Insecurity (20 credits)

You will also be required to audit Criminological Research Methods on a full Class and Assessment basis.

After successfully completing 120 credits of course you will progress onto the dissertation phase (60 credits) of the MSc.

Full programme details are available on the University Degree Regulations and Programmes of Study website.

View full programme and course information for the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice (ESRC Track)

Having successfully completed 120 credit points of courses within the LLM, you will be ready to move onto a single piece of independent and in-depth research. The 10,000 word dissertation allows you to focus on a preferred topic from within the field of criminology and criminal justice, normally based on a subject you have studied in one of your courses during the programme.

You will be assigned an academic dissertation supervisor who will provide you with support and guidance while you prepare and write your dissertation.

The dissertation is a challenging but rewarding endeavour, asking you to demonstrate a comprehensive grasp of the relevant literature and an ability to engage critically with a range of sources, drawing on the skills and knowledge you have developed during the course of the programme. Students are encouraged to show originality and evidence of independent thinking, whether in terms of the material used, or the manner in which it is presented.

The dissertation is written in the summer months (April to August) after the taught courses are successfully completed.

Richard Sparks is Professor of Criminology at the University of Edinburgh.  From 2014-17 he was Head of the School of Law and from 2006-16 was also a founding Co-Director of the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research.

Find out more about the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research

Richard's main research interests lie in the relationships between penal policies and democratic politics; the sociology of punishment (especially imprisonment); public responses to crime and punishment; and the uses, abuses and non-uses of criminological knowledge in shaping public policy on crime and punishment.  He is a member of the editorial boards of several journals including Punishment & Society, of which he was editor-in-chief 2000-2004. 

Find out more

Andy joined the criminology team at the Law School in 2012 having previously lectured in Social Policy, also at the University of Edinburgh. He has previously worked with the Home Office, analysing crime data on the English regions and Wales, and with Cardiff University evaluating a multi-agency robbery reduction initiative in central Bristol. He holds degrees from the University of Edinburgh and Cardiff University covering Criminology, Politics, and Modern History.

Find out more

Richard Jones is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology. He has published on topics including the electronic monitoring ('tagging') of offenders, access control, border controls, computer crime, penal populism, the media, airport security, the use of force in policing, and surveillance theory. His current research centres on security, surveillance, the sociology of punishment, theoretical criminology, cyber security and cybercrime.

Find out more

Alistair Henry is a Senior Lecturer in Criminology and an Associate Director of the Scottish Institute for Policing Research, where he leads the Police Community Relations Network. His main research interests currently lie in the field of policing. In particular, he is actively interested in issues of governance and accountability, local and community policing, crime prevention and community safety, and partnership working between the police, other criminal justice organisations and local government.

Find out more

Anna Souhami is Head of the Criminology Subject Area and Associate Director of the Scottish Centre of Crime and Justice Research.

Her research focuses on the culture and identity of criminal justice work, in particular in relation to policing, youth justice and policy making, and she specialises in ethnographic methodologies. Her current research is an ethnography of policing and social control in the remote Northern islands of Scotland.

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Susan is Chair of Quantitative Criminology within the School of Law. She has several major research roles within the School and plays a significant role with in the Scottish and UK research community. She is Director of the ESRC-funded Understanding Inequalities (UI) project which aims to create an innovative and ambitious programme of research on the causes, consequences and policy implications of social inequaltieis across different dimensions and spatial scales.  Susan is Co-Director of the Edinburgh Study of Youth Transitions and Crime, a prospective longitudinal study of youth offending based at the University of Edinburgh since 1998. She has responsibility for strategic management of the research programme and plays a key role in advancing statistical analysis of the data and publishing the results of the research. 

Find out more

We require a minimum 2:1 honours degree from a UK university, or its international equivalent, in law or a social science subject. Entry to this programme is competitive. Meeting minimum requirements for consideration does not guarantee an offer of study.

Supporting your application

• Relevant work experience is not required but may increase your chances of acceptance.
• Relevant professional qualifications will be considered.
• Preference will be given to those with grades above the minimum requirements due to strong competition for places on this programme.

International qualifications

You can check whether your degree qualification is equivalent to the minimum standard before applying.

Check your degree

Students from China

This degree is Band A.

Find out more about our postgraduate entry requirements for students from China

Postgraduate study in the field of law requires a thorough, complex and demanding knowledge of English, so we ask that the communication skills of all students are at the same minimum standard.

You must demonstrate a level of English language competency at a level that will enable you to succeed in your studies, regardless of your nationality or country of residence.

If you have already met our English language entry requirements for your programme at the time you apply, your application may be considered more competitive in selection than applications where you still need to take an English language test. 

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

Two year expiry

• IELTS Academic / IELTS Academic for UKVI and IELTS Academic Online: total 7.0 (at least 7.0 in the writing component and 6.5 in each other module)
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 100 (at least 25 in writing and 23 in each other module)
• Trinity ISE: ISE III with a pass in all four components
• PTE Academic: total 73 with at least 73 in writing and 65 in all other components. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT (Global and Digital): 8 overall with at least 8 in the writing component and 7 in each other component

Three and a half year expiry

• C1 Advanced, formerly known as Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE): 185 (at least 185 in writing and at least 176 in the other modules)
• C2 Proficiency, formerly known as Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE): 185 (at least 185 in writing and at least 176 in the other modules)

Your English language qualification must be no more than two years old from the start of the month in which the programme you are applying to study begins, unless you are using CAE/CPE, in which case it must be no more than three and a half years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins.

Degrees taught and assessed in English

We also accept an undergraduate or postgraduate degree, that has been taught and assessed in English, either:

1. In a majority English speaking country, as defined by UK Visas & Immigration (UKVI).

UKVI Majority English speaking countries

or

2. On our list of approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries.

Approved universities in non-majority English speaking countries

If you are not a national of a majority English speaking country, then your degree must be no more than five years old at the start of the month in which your programme of study begins.

Full details of the University's English language requirements are available on the University's website

Visit the University's English language requirements web page to find out more

Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes

We also accept satisfactory completion of our English for Academic Purposes programme as meeting our English language requirements. You must complete the programme no more than two years and one month before the start date of the degree you are applying to study.

Find out more about the University's Pre-sessional English for Academic Purposes

Your application may not be successful if you do not currently satisfy any of these requirements; alternatively, you may be offered a place conditional on your reaching the satisfactory standard by the time you start the degree.

English language support

The University runs a series of programmes for English Language Education, including a pre-sessional English Language Programme intended to strengthen your English Language skills before you start your programme of study.

Find out more about English language support offered by the University

Due to high demand, this programme operates a gathered field approach to admissions, with two application deadlines as noted below.

Each application round has a decision deadline, also listed below, but note that we may make offers to the strongest candidates on an ongoing basis, in advance of the published decision deadline.

We strongly recommend that you apply as early as possible, especially if you intend to apply for funding. Applications may close earlier than published deadlines if there is exceptionally high demand. If you are considering applying for our pre-sessional English Language programme, please make sure you apply in Round 1.

Please note that for an application to be reviewed, it must be a complete application by the deadline with all supporting documentation uploaded, including references and transcripts. English language documentation can be submitted later but if you have already met the English language entry requirements for your programme at the time of application, your application may be considered more competitive in selection than applications where an English language test still needs to be taken.

Selection deadlines

Deadlines for UK/Scotland fee status

After round 2, if there are still places available, applications will remain open only to applicants who are eligible for the UK/Scotland fee rate, including the EU/EEA Pre-settled Scotland fee status. Applications will remain open no later than 30 June 2025 and may close earlier than this if the programme becomes full, so we strongly recommend you apply as soon as possible.

If you apply with another fee status after 29 May 2025, your application will be rejected.

Please note that the deadline for meeting the conditions of an offer is 15 August 2025.

*Corrected from 20 June 2025

Applications are made online via the University Application Service, EUCLID.

Please follow the instructions carefully and make sure that you have included the following documentation with your application:

• You will need to submit a personal statement of around 500 words, outlining your academic history and relevant experience. 
  Guidance on writing your personal statement.
• Degree certificates showing award of degree.
• Previous academic transcripts for all past degree programmes (please upload the full transcript showing results from all years of study). If you haven’t yet graduated, you may be asked to upload an interim transcript for any degrees that you are currently studying.
• A reference in support of your application. The reference should be academic and dated no earlier than one year from the start of study on the LLM programme.
  Reference requirements
• Evidence of English language proficiency, if required.

If you are currently studying for your degree or you are not in a possession of an English test result you may still apply to the programme. Please note that it is your responsibility to submit the necessary documents.

Please be aware that applications must be submitted and complete, i.e. all required documents uploaded, by the relevant application deadline in order to be considered in that round. Your application will still be considered if you have not yet met the English language requirement for the programme.

View full detailed application guidance

Students at this University must not undertake any other concurrent credit bearing studies in this (or in any other) institution, unless the College has granted permission. The College must be satisfied that any additional credit-bearing studies will not restrict the student’s ability to complete their existing programme of study. Students will not be permitted to undertake concurrent degree programmes in any circumstances.

If you are studying at this or another institution just prior to the start of your postgraduate studies you must have finished these studies before the start of the programme to which you have an offer.

After your application has been submitted you will be able to track its progress through the University's applicant hub.

Application processing times will vary, however the admissions team will endeavour to process your application within four to six weeks of submission. Please note that missing documentation will delay the application process.

You will be informed as soon as possible of the decision taken. Three outcomes are possible:

• You may be offered a place unconditionally
• You may be offered a conditional place, which means that you must fulfil certain conditions that will be specified in the offer letter. Where a conditional offer is made, it is your responsibility to inform the College Postgraduate Office when you have fulfilled the requirements set out. 
  Please note that the deadline for meeting the conditions of an offer is 15 August 2025.
• Your application may be unsuccessful. If your application has not been successful, you can request feedback from us or refer to our guidance for unsuccessful applicants, which explains some of the common reasons we why we reach this decision.
  View the University's guidance for unsuccessful applicants

Deferring your offer

We do not normally offer deferrals, however, we may be able to make a very limited number of offers for deferred entry in exceptional circumstances.

View full guidance on deferral requests

The University’s terms and conditions form part of your contract with the University, and you should read them, and our data protection policy, carefully before applying.

University of Edinburgh admissions terms and conditions