Modules
You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Practical Criminological Research
Develop an advanced understanding of the processes and issues of social research. Drawing upon the philosophical underpinnings which are central to research methodologies, this module will encourage you to consider the relationship between theory, methods and data and to critically consider the need to balance theory with conducting research on real issues in the real world. This module will help you gain a coherent understanding of the decisions researchers make when deciding which research methods to use and to develop practical skills in using a variety of research methods. You will also be able to develop a sound understanding of ethical and practical issues in designing, conducting and analysing research.
Justice and Control in the 21st Century
The module examines the institutions, practices and processes that make up the criminal justice system. Your study will focus on policing, the penal system and the probation service, youth justice, gender and masculinities, analysing the social, economic and political factors that underpin these institutions and their impact on particular groups. There has been much discussion about the criminal justice system and the apparent failure of key institutions to deliver justice, protect the public and punish criminals. This module explores these themes in a critical way, considering the influence of social, economic and political factors that shape the agencies within the criminal justice system, and the administration of criminal justice.
Current Criminological Concepts
You will be introduced to explanations of crime suited to the current times in which we live. It will build on the criticisms levelled at 20th-century theoretical frameworks and move forward to familiarise you with the latest 21st-century frameworks currently in use and/or under development. The module will place these emerging frameworks in the contexts of today's mutating crime and criminal markets alongside current transformations in contemporary political economy, culture, social theory, psychoanalysis and philosophy.
Illicit Markets
You will develop the knowledge, understanding and skills to research criminal markets in the twenty-first century. You’ll be introduced to the field of global crime, critically engaging with debates about the criminogenic effects of global network capitalism. Emphasis will be placed on the relationship between globalisation, technology, political economy and increases in illicit flows of goods and services. The module will also explore global and local criminal marketplaces in these goods and services, both online and offline. You’ll have the opportunity to acquire expert knowledge on the illicit pharmaceutical trade, drawing on cutting-edge research, before critically exploring one of these criminal markets in more depth and detail.
Dissertation
You will demonstrate your awareness and skills in research and evaluation, and your ability to integrate, synthesise and critique criminological content, concepts and research methodologies through the production of a research-based dissertation. You'll complete a piece of empirical or theoretical research and write a dissertation on a criminological topic of your choice.
