Course description
The Criminology subject area is situated within the Department of Law, Criminology and policing and builds on the successful Criminology undergraduate provision. The Department is small, friendly, and focused on providing students with a personalised, transformative student experience.
This course is uniquely designed to offer students a foundation of critical criminological knowledge through which concerns relating to matters of social justice, equality and diversity are examined, promote access to social justice for all within the criminal justice system and wider society.
This will equip students to be prepared for the ethical challenges in applying their knowledge to this challenging area of practice and enquiry in their future careers.
You will be taught by an experienced team of academics, some of whom draw on their experience within the Criminal Justice System, and all of whom are actively engaged in innovative research, which informs their teaching. This provides our students with a contemporary knowledge of criminological and social justice issues to support the Newman mission to empower our students to transform society.
The Department has links with overseas institutions, with the teaching team being invited to present and share their research and knowledge, developing this extended academic network for the benefit of our students.
Students can study full-time (1 year) or part-time (over 2 years) electing to progress at their own pace. The programme is timetabled to enable participation by working and to promote a work / life balance.
Students will be taught through a blended approach to learning that balances traditional teaching methods, such as tutorials, lectures and seminars, with other delivery methods such as field observations, opportunities for work-place observation and learning, the use of virtual learning environments, external expert speakers, interactive learning workshops, and external visits. The programme views your learning within the ‘classroom’ as one part of a rich learning environment, which includes your own lived experiences.
We continue to accept applications for September 2023. Applications to join us in 2024 can be submitted from this September.
Training Course Content
This course, while located in the field of criminology, has a distinct and contemporary focus on issues of social justice in relation to individuals, particular sections of society and the community as a whole. The course guides students through a stimulating learning journey, that moves through the discipline of Criminology and beyond, to encounter and reflect upon broader themes of respect for others, social justice, and ethical practice.
The programme is designed to guide students in their understanding and exploration of key criminal justice concepts and their awareness of the relationships between economic, political and social power and their distribution within society and influence on social and criminal justice. This enables students to reflect and critically analyse the criminal justice system and social justice interventions, drawing on relevant history and cultural context, along with social and political theories, to inform and influence the practice of critical criminology.
This progressive understanding and reflection will enable students to focus on areas of interest to either enhance their current professional roles or prepare them for future career preferences, though completion of their research dissertation which enables student to engage at the forefront of the criminology discipline.
Course delivery details
The MA Criminology and Social Justice has the following special features:
- Provides a broader perspective than other Criminology courses by exploring the relationship between criminal and social justice, in both a local context, and a global context.
- Draws a conceptual distinction between crime and social harm
- Reflects the University’s commitment to Social Justice.
- Opportunities for students to negotiate the content of modules with staff.
- Taught by committed research active staff who have experience as practitioners.
- Opportunities for students to engage with practitioners in a variety of criminal justice settings.
- Highly focused and student-centred programme with small class sizes and a high level of individual support for students
- Enhanced employability skills needed for careers in a range of criminal justice agencies, public bodies, local and central government, and community organisations.
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Birmingham Newman University
Founded in 1968, Birmingham Newman University is a community-focused institution based in Bartley Green, Birmingham. It has built strong partnerships with many local businesses, charities and schools, making it an ideal choice for students wishing to gain practical experience during...