Gain an in-depth understanding of key issues, debates and theoretical perspectives in criminology and the skills to research crime.
Year of entry: 2025 (September)
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Upcoming eventsExamine the nature and causes of crime from a sociological perspective.
When you study our MA, you'll develop an in-depth understanding of key issues, debates and theoretical perspectives in criminology. You'll explore how injustice and inequality inform crime and the criminal justice system. We'll encourage you to develop an advanced comprehension of criminology. Conduct your own research and understand how criminology relates to ‘real world’ problems.
Choose from a range of options that interest you. You'll gain the skills and knowledge required to pursue a wide range of careers.
for Criminology, according to The Times and The Sunday Times Good University Guide 2024
As you study, you'll develop a grounding in the key concepts of justice, injustice and inequality. You'll analyse theories and debates in criminal justice systems. Our range of option modules will give you the chance to refine your social research skills. You'll explore topics such as human rights, violence and authoritarianism. Understand how crimes are studied and apply what you've learned to your dissertation research.
Our vibrant research community is the perfect place to study. Our teaching draws on current research, offering a distinct approach to criminological study. You'll engage with innovative research that tackles contemporary local and global crime-related issues.
This course is not associated with a specific Study Abroad programme, but York offers a number of options through international partnering programmes.
You will study one option module. Examples can be found below.
Some option module combinations may not be possible. The options available to you will be confirmed after you begin your course.
Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.
As part of your programme, you will write a dissertation on an area of criminology of your choice. It is an independent research project applying the information and techniques you've learned on the course. You'll devise research questions and plan strategies to collect and analyse relevant data. Your dissertation will be a 10,000-word journal-style report.
The dissertation will be supervised by a member of staff with experience in your research area.
Every course at York is built on a distinctive set of learning outcomes. These will give you a clear understanding of what you will be able to accomplish at the end of the course and help you explain what you can offer employers. Our academics identify the knowledge, skills, and experiences you'll need upon graduation and then design the course to get you there.
| Study mode | UK (home) | International and EU |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £11,200 | £25,900 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£5,600 | £12,950 |
Students on a Student Visa are not currently permitted to study part-time at York.
For courses which are longer than one year, the tuition fees quoted are for the first year of study.
UK (home) or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.
Find out more information about tuition fees and how to pay them.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2025/26 throughout the year.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
We are pleased to work with Chevening Scholars to offer funding for our Masters programmes. Chevening Scholarships provide one year of fully-funded postgraduate study in the UK for international (including EU) students. The scholarships are open to early and mid-career professionals who have the potential to become future leaders.
You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You’ll work with world‐leading academics who’ll challenge you to think independently and excel in all that you do. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace.
You'll be taught using a variety of methods in a range of formats including:
In addition, a member of the teaching staff will act as your supervisor throughout the degree, to help guide your studies and support your progress.
You will be based in the Department of Sociology on Campus East. Most of your contact hours will be on Campus East.
Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around campus - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can always use the fast and frequent bus service.
Core modules will be assessed by a mixture of ‘open’ essays (where an assignment is prepared in your own time) reflections and reports. Open assessments are released early in the term so you can select one or more essay titles to read around the topic and plan your chosen essay.
Towards the end of your studies, you'll complete a 10,000-word dissertation on an original piece of your own research.
Your programme will help you to develop excellent employability skills that you can utilise in a range of different future careers. Students who have completed this programme have gone on to careers in the criminal justice sector, in public service, in the voluntary sector and within academia. The mix of practical and analytical skills you'll acquire will position you competitively for jobs in these popular fields and elsewhere. This programme is also an excellent base from which to pursue further study in criminology, including a PhD.
| Typical offer | |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:2 or equivalent in Sociology, Criminology, another cognate discipline or equivalent suitable experience. |
| International pre-masters programme | Pre-masters from our International Pathway College |
| Other international qualifications | Equivalent qualifications from your country |
If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:
| Minimum requirement | |
|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic and Indicator) | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| Cambridge CEFR | B2 First: 176, with 169 in each component |
| Oxford ELLT | 7, minimum of 6 in each component |
| Duolingo | 120, minimum 105 in all other components |
| LanguageCert SELT | B2 with 33/50 in each component |
| LanguageCert Academic | 70 with a minimum of 65 in each component |
| Kaplan Test of English Language | 459-494, with 426-458 in all other components |
| Skills for English | B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
For more information see our postgraduate English language requirements.
You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.
The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.
After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.
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