Crime, Policy and Security (Research)

Why study this course?
Make a difference to the criminal justice, national and international security sectors, while having the opportunity to enhance your career on this professional doctorate programme.

Aimed at people working within the criminal justice and security sector, you’ll combine your professional experience with new research into a particular area of interest to you. We’re particularly interested in applications if you want to further the social justice agenda within your field of expertise or professional experience.

More about this course
The Crime, Policy and Security Prof Doc combines your professional experience with an academic desire to develop sector specific expertise, influence public policy and ultimately effect change.

This doctorate programme will equip you to think critically about your own practice and the sector, with a view to developing creative solutions to pressing issues. This could include looking into how to build better relationships between the police and the community they serve, unjust exercises of power, disproportionality within the criminal justice system or even simply how to engage more effectively with those needing support.

You’ll develop your knowledge around current issues in the field, exploring key theories and leadership practices so you can make informed connections to your own area of interest. You’ll also be encouraged to look at issues from a wider perspective, taking into consideration research and practices from the global south and global north.

As research is key to this Crime, Policy and Security professional doctorate, you’ll learn both qualitative and quantitative analytical skills that will enable you to carry out your own research. Your research study gives you the opportunity to explore a particular issue of interest that requires improvement within the sector.

As a university committed to social justice, we’ll encourage you to explore areas that have potential for innovative ways to enhance practice, and improve the experiences of the most marginalised within society. We particularly welcome applications for professionals looking to challenge areas of discrimination, disproportion and oppressive practice.

Designed for professionals already working within public policy or the criminal justice system, our modules support recognised areas of continuing professional development (CPD).

Our teaching team have expertise within these fields and will be able to support you in your areas of interest. They’ve led and contributed to various government reports, local authority evaluations and have good academic publishing track records. You’ll benefit from guest lectures from leading experts within the international relations and criminal justice sectors.

The department has strong links with the Met Police, the Probation Service, the Youth Justice Board, plus various embassies and high commissions.

We’ll also encourage you to join a relevant professional body, such as the British Society of Criminology.

Example modules include: Research Methods (core, 20 credits); Security and Policy in a Global Context (core, 20 credits); Leadership and Ethics (core, 20 credits); Security, Policy and Society (option, 20 credits); Addressing Disproportionality and Vulnerability (option, 20 credits); Developing and Shaping Policy (core, 20 credits); Option module from other level 7 modules from criminology or politics and international relations subject areas (option, 20 credits); Advanced Professional Learning Module (core, 60 credits); Thesis (core, 360 credits).

You’ll be assessed through a variety of coursework and digital submissions that connect the module’s subject matter with your proposed area of study for your thesis. The Research Methods module will be assessed through mixed methods data analysis exercises. You’ll also write a 50,000-word thesis that will be assessed by one internal and one external examiner through the postgraduate research viva process, which is an oral examination where you’re expected to answer questions and support your thesis to a panel of experts. Your thesis will be assessed for its knowledge and understanding of theory and practice, as well as your contribution to the original knowledge.