Applied Criminology (Taught)

MA Applied Criminology has been developed to offer real world knowledge and experience, offering you the opportunity to consider criminology in practice, both in criminal justice and applied research.

Our team includes former justice practitioners and researchers at the cutting edge of research and evaluation in areas such as youth justice, drugs and criminal justice policy. The experience and contacts this brings has given us the opportunity to develop a vibrant, applied curriculum including options of study in criminal justice policy, practice and theory, as well as the opportunity to undertake a placement in a relevant organisation. You will also cover research methods and carry out your own research.

We have devised this course to suit people working in, or planning to work in, criminal justice and related areas, as well as those looking for an academic career; there is no requirement that students should have previously studied criminology.

Features and Benefits

• Award winning - winner of the 2025 Student Union Teaching Awards 'Department of the Year'

• A varied masters degree - designed both for students whose aims and interests are purely academic and those who wish to develop a more practice-related focus.

• Industry links and input - take advantage of our close working links with youth justice, probation, policing and the prisons in the region, and input from criminal justice practitioners and groups campaigning for justice.

• Placements in industry - there will be the opportunity for you to complete a placement in, or linked to, the world of criminal justice.

• Academic expertise - teaching staff have national and international reputations within the discipline and are actively engaged in research, publication, and academic enterprise, as well as being involved in government consultation, policy development and evaluation. This feeds into teaching and, as a result, you can expect to be exposed to the very latest developments and emerging knowledge in this field.

• Research excellence - the Department of Sociology is home to many research centres, including the Manchester Centre for Youth Studies (MCYS), the Policy Evaluation and Research Unit (PERU), the  Drugs, Policy and Social Change (DPSC) Centre and the Crime and Wellbeing Big Data Centre. Masters students may have the opportunity to get involved in research activities through centres such as these.