Criminology & Criminal Justice

Addressing the roots of crime at all levels of society to meaningfully achieve justice and support those harmed by crime are significant policy and practice challenges. These challenges increasingly take place in a globalised offending landscape which demands transnational thinking.



The MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice will immerse you in cutting-edge knowledge, techniques and approaches. It is designed to generate critical thinkers and skilled practitioners who are equipped to improve criminal justice outcomes, effectively challenge harmful crime trends at a regional, national and international level and tackle complex social issues like marginalisation, inequality, and impunity.



If you want to open-up new career horizons, the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice is your professional gateway.



Work placement / study abroad

The Criminology and Criminal Justice team have strong research and industry links with a range of public, private, voluntary and community organisations and can help to facilitate internships opportunities for students who wish to gain practical work experience during or after the course.



Revalidation

The University regularly ‘refreshes’ courses to make sure they are as up-to-date as possible.



In addition it undertakes formal periodic review of courses in a process called 'revalidation’ to ensure that they continue to meet standards and are current and relevant.



This course will be revalidated in the near future and it is possible that there will be some changes to the course as described in this prospectus.

Year one

• Foundations of Social Science Research

• Victims and Restorative Justice

• Global Landscapes of Crime and Justice

• Contemporary Perspectives on Risk and Security

• MSc Criminology Dissertation



Optional Modules

• Social Action for Peace and Justice: A Community Development Approach

• Critical Perspectives on Punishment

• Survey and Quantitative Methods

• Qualitative Research Methods

Applicants must have a second class honours degree or better in Social Sciences, Humanities, Law or a cognate discipline from a university of the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, or from a recognised national awarding body, or from an institution of another country which has been recognised as being of an equivalent standard.



Where an applicant has substantial and significant experiential learning, a portfolio of written evidence demonstrating the meeting of graduate qualities (including subject-specific outcomes, as determined by the Course Committee) may be considered as an alternative entrance route.



English Language Requirements

English language requirements for international applicants

The minimum requirement for this course is Academic IELTS 6.0 with no band score less than 5.5. Trinity ISE: Pass at level III also meets this requirement for Tier 4 visa purposes.



Ulster recognises a number of other English language tests and comparable IELTS equivalent scores.

The full-time MSc lasts one calendar year with full-time students normally required to be on campus for five to six hours per week, over two days, during Semester One (Sept-Jan) and Semester Two (Jan-May). Dissertations are conducted during Semester Three (June-Sept).



The part-time MSc lasts two to three years and students would be expected to be on campus one day per week. It takes 5/6 semesters of study to complete the part-time programme.

Start Date: September 2025

Career options

Completing the MSc in Criminology and Criminal Justice opens up a range of unique career opportunities. Graduates go on to careers in areas such as law enforcement and regulation, victim support, offender rehabilitation, restorative practice, community development, corporate compliance, forensic auditing, criminal justice research, crime prevention (including designing-out crime), cybercrime, advocacy, and policy making. The knowledge, skills and techniques developed by MSc students are transferable across sectors and regions placing them in a strong position within a globalised job market.



Employability is also enhanced through the provision of advanced research methods training, practice, training and opportunities to apply criminological theory to real life policy and practice scenarios. These skills equip students to pursue careers across all sectors in a wide range of areas, including human rights, criminal justice, social justice, compliance, law, education, conflict resolution and psychosocial interventions among others.