Understand crime and policy in a global context
Year of entry: 2020/21
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Find out moreThe MA in Global Crime and Justice is designed for students and professionals seeking to develop a career in criminal justice, international organisations, the media and research.
You'll study an increasingly important feature of society: transnational crime and the responses taken by states and non-state actors.
You'll engage with the reality of global crime and criminal and related social policies from an interdisciplinary perspective. You will explore global policy analysis and criminal justice with an international approach. You'll also be trained in research methods.
This course is part of a group of social policy Masters degrees that draw on the research excellence of the Department to enable you to study social policy at an advanced level. These courses each offer a unique blend of modules to allow you to specialise in a particular area.
The injustices that victims experience at the hands of traffickers, drug networks, businesses, nation states and corrupt officials are hard to comprehend. The global social policy element of this course has acted as a cynosure: helping me to grasp how economic, social and political factors shape global crime and how the responses that follow help eradicate it.Laura, MA Global Crime and Justice
The MA in Global Crime and Justice is based around a combination of criminology, social policy and research training modules. You'll start with an introduction to major theories, institutions and debates in global policy analysis and criminal justice. You'll also get a solid grounding in the core methods of social research. You'll progress to more advanced analysis of global crime and justice, exploring diverse global crimes ranging from drug and human trafficking to corporate and state crimes. You'll also spend time in workshops designed to help you gain the communication and presentation skills you need to disseminate your research in your own research project.
Most people study for full-time for 12 months, but part-time study over 24 months is also available.
You will take a total of 180 credits over the course of your MA.
In the Autumn Term you'll take two core modules:
In the Spring Term you'll take another core module that builds upon your earlier study:
In the Spring Term you'll also choose one of the following option modules:
In the Summer Term and summer months you'll take part in the Graduate Research Workshop (10 credits) and Reflective Practice (10 credits) work on your Independent Study Project (80 credits).
Please note, modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff.
You will design, develop and manage your own original research project. You'll be supervised by an individual member of staff. Our strong research focus means that there is an equal balance of time spent on taught courses and your own specialist research project.
Given the individual nature of dissertations, the topics studied by previous students are extremely varied. Recent projects include:
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/EU | International |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (1 year) | £8,040 | £18,240 |
| Part-time (2 years) This is the year 1 fee. Fees for future years are subject to confirmation. |
£4,020 | £9,120 |
Students on a Tier 4 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. Fees for subsequent years are subject to increase (no more than 2% each year).
There are no mandatory additional fees but we do recommend that you set aside some money for photocopying. Course books will be available to you from the Library either in print or online format but you may wish to buy your own copies (book prices vary, with new books usually costing between £20 and £60). All other teaching resources will be available online.
UK/EU or international fees? The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK/EU or international student.
Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.
If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.
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.
Coronavirus (COVID-19): changes to courses
We're making changes to comply with rules on social distancing. We aim to deliver as much face-to-face teaching as we can, supported by high quality online alternatives where we must.
Find details of the measures we're planning to protect our community.
The modules for this MA have been specifically developed for postgraduate study, allowing you to study the themes and issues at an advanced level. You will be taught through a combination of hands-on workshops, lectures and seminars.
You'll also be able to attend the Department's lectures and University lectures from visiting speakers from across the world.
You'll be based in the Department of Social Policy and Social Work on Campus West. Most of your teaching will take place in Alcuin College or other nearby locations on Campus West.
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.
Your assessment will be continuous and based mainly on essays and reports. You will receive written feedback on all assessed work.
You'll complete a 15,000-20,000 word dissertation as part of your own specialist research project. You'll also have the opportunity to present your research as it progresses to a wider audience as part of our dissertation workshops.
The MA in Global Crime and Justice develops the skills that employers need in a number of areas, especially criminal justice, crime policy analysis and research methods from a global perspective. You'll also find you develop transferable skills that will allow you to progress to different career areas or to continue your studies at PhD level.
The MA in Global Crime and Justice is designed for students and professionals who want to become active in global policy analysis, criminal justice and research. Graduates from this MA will go on to a wide variety of destinations but most tend to go into one of three key areas:
| Qualification | Typical offer |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate degree | 2:1 or equivalent |
| Other qualifications and experience | You will also be considered if you have relevant work experience and academic potential |
| 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:
| Qualification | Minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| IELTS | 6.5, minimum 6.0 in each component |
| PTE Academic | 61, minimum 55 in each component |
| C1 Advanced and C2 Proficiency | 176, minimum 169 in each component |
| TOEFL | 87, minimum of 21 in each component |
| Trinity ISE III | Merit in all requirements |
| Duolingo | Minimum overall score of 110 |
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 IELTS 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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