Global Criminology MA

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Course Overview

Attendance

UK Fees £4,750 *
International Fees £7,500 *
Alumni Discount See details
Duration 2 years

* Price per academic year

Course summary

The Global Criminology MA is designed to develop your knowledge and critical understanding of criminology as an interdisciplinary subject that incorporates legal, political and psychological, as well as social scientific approaches to the study of crime, deviance, criminal and social justice.

Led by academic experts in the area, this new course will focus on two themes – global criminology and critical criminology – giving you the unique opportunity to study the subject with both an international and critical focus. 

Global criminology is a relatively new and growing area of criminology that is at the forefront of developments in postcolonial, decolonial and southern theory. It is a specialist area of critical criminology, which explores issues of crime and justice within the context of power relations and structural inequalities such as class, gender, nationality, ethnicity, disability, age and sexuality.

Specialised option modules explore the two main areas of global criminology – comparative criminology and transnational criminology. Comparative criminology studies convergences and divergences in crime and justice between nations and regions. Transnational criminology explores the nature of organised, state and corporate crimes and the responses to organised crimes that cross borders. 

An option module in Convict Criminology, available to up to 16 students, will explore this emerging area of critical criminology. Convict Criminology focuses on the knowledge and standpoints of educated prisoners and former prisoners, which will be taught in prison and will include prison-based as well as University of Westminster Global Criminology MA students. You will also undertake a year-long Research Methods and Dissertation module, completing empirical research on a critical and/or global criminology issue of your choice.

Top reasons to study with us

  • Experience the unique opportunity to study a combination of local, global and critical criminology
  • Study in an inclusive atmosphere in which students feel comfortable to share their own knowledge and expertise, maximising the wide range of experiences of our diverse and international student body
  • Join an active research community and learn from our team of staff whose interests and expertise span areas including organised crime in Asia, global policing, Latin American prisons, state violence and sentencing practices, as well as external advisors working in criminal justice
  • Up to 16 students can gain invaluable insights into convict criminology, focused on the perspective of educated prisoners and former prisoners, whilst being taught in a prison classroom alongside inside learners

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of what you will study on this course.

In addition to taking five core modules, you'll choose two modules from the list of option modules below.

Core modules

The discipline of criminology traditionally focuses on “street crimes” committed by the poor and powerless such as shoplifting, burglary, robbery and selling illegal drugs in public. When looking at the causes and responses, criminology typically focuses on individual, group, family or community level factors, as well as the effectiveness of welfare and justice institutions such as local authority youth services, the police and prison systems. Critical criminology is a specialist area of the broader criminology discipline that investigates matters of crime and justice equally within the context of power relations and structural inequalities such as, class, gender, nationality, ethnicity, disability, age and sexuality. In this module, we’ll focus on the harms perpetrated by both states and corporations in private spaces, many of which are not prohibited under criminal laws or are criminalised under laws that are under-enforced.

This module looks at the theories and frameworks used by criminologists who take a global approach to the study of crime and justice. You'll focus on how law, crime and justice policies and practices differ between countries, and the extent to which what happens in one country is connected to what happens in another country. The module pays equal attention to criminological theories and concepts developed by researchers in both the global South as well as the global North.

In recent decades, policing practices have become more globalised and involved greater cooperation across borders. At the same time, policing has shifted away from a ‘law and order’ approach towards being more intelligence-led and framed around notions of both internal and global security. These two shifts have led to an increase in the actors, practices, technologies and referent objects involved in global policing and transnational security. This module draws on critical criminology, international relations (IR), sociology, anthropology and geography to critically investigate the actors, practices and technologies of global policing and security. You'll consider how different social and political issues such as mobility, global health, or digital technologies have become issues of policing and security, as well as what the political implications of these policing and security transformations are.

In recent decades, levels of pre-trial and immigration detention and imprisonment have increased across most of the world. While the physical conditions of detention have improved in many countries, most prisons still remain understaffed and offer little purposeful activity. This module investigates the worldwide use and abuse of the power to detain and imprison, the strategies employed by prison governors to manage their institutions, and the survival strategies employed by prisoners.

This module will extend and develop your competence in research design, data collection techniques and analytical skills in a range of diverse (qualitative, quantitative, and alternative) research methods. You’ll develop a conceptual, theoretical, and methodological understanding of these diverse research approaches. You’ll also develop research competencies by critically engaging with these diverse approaches, considering their strengths and limitations and by applying them in practice. You’ll employ advanced skills in practical activity-based learning, which will enable you to develop your understanding and analytical skills for each research approach. Learning will be delivered through lectures, seminars, and structured workshops, as well as individual supervision meetings. You'll also be expected to take significant responsibility for your own learning. The module is designed to provide you with advanced skills and understandings of research methods, so that you can produce a substantive and original piece of research.

Optional modules

Convict criminology is a former-prisoner-led research activist movement that started in the United States in the 1990s and reached the United Kingdom in the 2010s. This module will provide you with an insider perspective on crime and justice through the work of prisoners and former prisoners who are currently studying in higher education. You’ll also get the chance to study the work of established university scholars who have served prison sentences in the past. Since 2012 we have put together a convict criminology research group that has gone on to successfully initiate several higher education programmes that involve students working together with prisoners to study and co-author peer-reviewed academic papers and policy reviews.

This module is available to up to 16 students.

Gangs and the violence they commit have occupied social, political, and academic rhetoric for many years. Despite this, critical comparisons of gangs across the globe are still difficult to find. This module reflects on these gaps in knowledge and ensures students develop a critical and systematic understanding of global gangs. You’ll reflect on existing studies related to gangs, focusing mainly on work from the global North. Looking at gangs in the US and Western Europe, you’ll analyse the history of gangs and the ways in which gangs and the violence they commit have been born out of the ‘metropole’ (including social harm, feminist and cultural perspectives). You’ll then consider the limitations of these approaches, particularly in regard to gang research derived from the global South (including gangs in Asia, Africa and South America). These discussions highlight the problematic nature of existing gang research and the need to southernise and decolonise criminology in order to better reflect gangs across the globe. In the second part of this module you’ll reflect on the relationship between gangs and organised crime, drivers for violence as instrumental and alternative ways of conceptualising young people who become mixed up in the lowest levels of gangs and criminal enterprises. In doing so, you’ll develop a systematic understanding and critical awareness of discourse related to global gangs.

In recent decades private security companies have made inroads into the provision of criminal justice services such as the management of private prisons and the employment of private contractors patrolling public space. This has been a global phenomenon with the activities of the same private security corporation often spanning across both the global North and South. In this module you’ll examine the nature of privatisation and the factors that have led to its growth in recent decades. You’ll also consider the issues of legitimacy, efficiency and human rights which inevitably arise as a result of the privatisation of the justice system.

Terrorism and radicalisation have predominantly been studied according to state centric perspectives, which disregard any harm brought about by the state. This perspective has not only led to a partial examination of the root causes and consequences of terrorism, but in doing so has also dismissed the entities that have the most power to facilitate radicalisation and terrorism. This module will introduce you to the relationship between state crime, injustice, and radicalisation in the ‘war on terror’. It discusses how state crimes, including violations of International Humanitarian Law (IHR) and International Human Rights Law (IHRL) perpetuate global and national injustices, facilitate radicalisation, and uphold the socially constructed ‘war on terror’ debate. The module contributes to the diversification and decolonisation of criminology through its exploration and use of post-colonial perspectives. You'll be introduced to post-colonial perspectives as not only equally valid discussions surrounding the ’war on terror’, but through evidence are also encouraged to recognise the value of post-colonial perspectives in reducing the perpetuation of harm within the ‘war on terror’. These new perspectives will encourage you to consider how discourses are constructed and their value and importance in relation to policies and legislation.

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Programme specification

For more details on course structure, modules, teaching and assessment Download the programme specification (PDF).

To request an accessible version please email [email protected]

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Get in touch

Contact us for general course enquiries:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 EXT 65511
(Mon-Fri, 10am-3pm GMT)

[email protected]

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Join us at an open evening online or on campus. Get a feel for student life at the University of Westminster and talk to course leaders and our support teams.

Careers

The University’s Careers and Employability Service has built up a network of over 3,000 employers around the world, helping all our students explore and connect with exciting opportunities and careers.

Grow your network

Forge professional connections with peers and future colleagues.

Transferable Skills

Gain the knowledge and experience to work in sectors such as crime prevention, local government, the police and prisoner -support organisations.

Develop your CQ

Study in a globally diverse environment among students from across the world and develop your Cultural Quotient (CQ).

Industry Links

Our team delivers higher education projects in five prisons in and around London, where University of Westminster Criminology students are taught alongside prison staff and inmates who are also undergraduate or postgraduate students, giving them a new perspective and greater understanding of the criminal justice system. We also collaborate with a number of universities in South America to deliver prison education projects.

The teaching team benefit from strong links with a number of London-based NGOs, including the Prisoners Education Trust, Prison Reform Trust, Longford Trust and the Criminal Justice Alliance.

Job Roles

This course will prepare you for roles such as:

  • Charity/third sector worker
  • Civil Service roles
  • Local government officer
  • Police officer
  • Probation officer
  • Youth justice worker
  • Social researcher

Graduate Employers

Graduates from this course will benefit from a broad range of potential national and international career opportunities in the field of criminal justice, including third sector human rights, victim and offender support organisations, research institutes, and managerial positions in statutory agencies like police, probation, and prison services.

The academic knowledge and research skills that students gain by completing the course also puts them in a strong position to undertake higher level study such as a PhD.

Westminster Employability Award

Employers value graduates who have invested in their personal and professional development – and our Westminster Employability Award gives you the chance to formally document and demonstrate these activities and achievements.

The award is flexible and can be completed in your own time, allowing you to choose from a set of extracurricular activities. 

Activities might include gaining experience through a part-time job or placement, signing up to a University-run scheme – such as mentoring or teaching in a school – or completing online exercises.

Read more about our Westminster Employability Award.

Westminster Employability Award

Course Leader

Why study this course?

Fantastic Central London location

Based in our Regent Campus in central London, you’ll enjoy the benefits of studying in a major global city.

A supportive environment

We provide our students with the right environment, support and guidance throughout their studies to keep them motivated.

Unique insight

Our critical focus and links with London prisons provide a unique perspective with which to study crime and justice.

Entry Requirements

A minimum of a lower second class honours degree (2:2).

If your first language is not English, you should have an IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing and no element below 6.0.

Recognition of prior learning and experience

If you have previously studied at university level, or have equivalent work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your course at Westminster. For more information, visit our Recognition of Prior Learning page.

Application process

Visit our How to apply page for more information on:

  • the application process
  • what you need to apply
  • deadlines for applications

A minimum of a lower second class honours degree (2:2).

If your first language is not English, you should have an IELTS 6.5 with at least 6.5 in writing and no element below 6.0.

Recognition of prior learning and experience

If you have previously studied at university level, or have equivalent work experience, academic credit may be awarded towards your course at Westminster. For more information, visit our Recognition of Prior Learning page.

Application process

Visit our How to apply page for more information on:

  • the application process
  • what you need to apply
  • deadlines for applications

More information

Learn new skills

Volunteer and gain new skills

We offer a number of different volunteering opportunities for you to learn new skills, create connections, and make a difference in the community.

Develop your entrepreneurial skills

Our award-winning Westminster Enterprise Network offers industry networking events, workshops, one-to-one business advice and support for your start-up projects.

Get extra qualifications

We provide access to free online courses in Adobe and Microsoft Office applications, as well as thousands of specialist courses on LinkedIn Learning.

Fees and Funding

UK tuition fee: £4,750 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Paying your fees

If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.

Find out more about paying your fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

There is a range of funding available that may help you fund your studies, including Student Finance England (SFE).

Find out more about postgraduate student funding options.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

International tuition fee: £7,500 (Price per academic year)

When you have enrolled with us, your annual tuition fees will remain the same throughout your studies with us. We do not increase your tuition fees each year.

Find out how we set our tuition fees.

Paying your fees

If you don't wish to pay the whole amount of your fees at once, you may be able to pay by instalments. This opportunity is available if you have a personal tuition fee liability of £2,000 or more and if you are self-funded or funded by the Student Loans Company.

Find out more about paying your fees.

Alumni discount

This course is eligible for an alumni discount. Find out if you are eligible and how to apply by visiting our Alumni discounts page.

Funding

There are a number of funding schemes available to help you fund your studies with us.

Find out more about funding for international students.

Scholarships

The University is dedicated to supporting ambitious and outstanding students and we offer a variety of scholarships to eligible postgraduate students.

Find out if you qualify for one of our scholarships.

Additional costs

See what you may need to pay for separately and what your tuition fees cover.

Teaching and Assessment

Below you will find how learning time and assessment types are distributed on this course. The graphs below give an indication of what you can expect through approximate percentages, taken either from the experience of previous cohorts, or based on the standard module diet where historic course data is unavailable.  Changes to the division of learning time and assessment may be made in response to feedback and in accordance with our terms and conditions.

How you’ll be taught

Teaching methods across all our postgraduate courses focus on active student learning through lectures, seminars, workshops, problem-based and blended learning, and where appropriate practical application. Learning typically falls into two broad categories:

  • Scheduled hours: examples include lectures, seminars, practical classes, workshops, supervised time in a studio
  • Independent study: non-scheduled time in which students are expected to study independently. This may include preparation for scheduled sessions, dissertation/final project research, follow-up work, wider reading or practice, completion of assessment tasks, or revision
Year
1
18%82%
2
11%89%
Scheduled hoursIndependent study

How you’ll be assessed

Our postgraduate courses include a variety of assessments, which typically fall into two broad categories:

  • Practical: examples include presentations, podcasts, blogs
  • Coursework: examples include essays, in-class tests, portfolios, dissertation
Year
1
12%88%
2
16%84%
PracticalCoursework

Data from the academic year 2022/23

Research groups

Our research achieves real-world impact and we are proud to claim a rich and diverse profile of high-quality research and knowledge exchange in a wide range of disciplines.

Find out more about the following research groups related to this course:

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Supporting you

Our Student Hub is where you’ll find out about the services and support we offer, helping you get the best out of your time with us.

  • Study support — workshops, 1-2-1 support and online resources to help improve your academic and research skills
  • Personal tutors — support you in fulfilling your academic and personal potential
  • Student advice team — provide specialist advice on a range of issues including funding, benefits and visas
  • Extra-curricular activities — volunteering opportunities, sports and fitness activities, student events and more

Visit our student hub

Course location

Located on one of London’s most vibrant streets, our 309 Regent Street site houses our Humanities subjects and the Westminster Law School. Along with a city-centre location, the site boasts high-tech learning facilities, collaborative social spaces, gym facilities, and our Regent Street Cinema.

Our Regent Campus is made up of three locations – 309 Regent Street, Little Titchfield Street and Wells Street, all of which are just a five-minute walk from Oxford Street.

For more details, visit our locations page.

Contact us

Call our dedicated team on:

+44 (0)20 7911 5000 ext 65511

Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday

[email protected]

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Opening hours (GMT): 10am–4pm Monday to Friday

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