MA Leadership in Criminal Justice

Develop the leadership skills you need to excel in the field of criminal justice.

Year of entry: 2026 (September)

Start date

September 2026
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Length

1 year full-time

School/department

Department of Sociology, School for Business and Society

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This course is designed to develop leadership and management skills for professionals and aspiring leaders across the entire criminal justice spectrum, including probation, police, prisons, youth offending, and security.

You'll explore current challenges and threats impacting criminal justice and policing, incorporating cutting-edge criminological research. Through experiential learning and realistic assessments, you'll gain a deep understanding of national and international criminological and penological theory, criminal justice policy and practice, and leadership theory, alongside practical skills.

Research that packs a punch

We're ranked in the top quartile in the UK for the quality of our research in Social Work and Social Policy, and Business and Management, according to the Times Higher Education's ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

Research centres

Graduate students have access to staff, projects and research across a wide range of social policy areas and the School is home to many internationally renowned research centres.

Global reputation

York is ranked 39th in the world for Social Policy and Administration

QS World Rankings by Subject 2024

Course content

You'll take three core modules in Semester 1. One core module in Semester 2 and two option modules from the list provided. You'll also choose whether to take an academic or applied dissertation.

Modules
Dissertation

Modules

Core modules

Challenges to Criminal Justice Policy and Practice
Advanced Policy Analysis
Leadership: Theory and Practice
Social and Ethical Leadership

Option modules

You will also study two option modules. Examples include:

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Dissertation

Dissertation in Criminal Justice Leadership (Academic)
Dissertation in Criminal Justice Leadership (Applied)

Learning outcomes

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.

Learning outcomes for this course

Demonstrate a comprehensive understanding of the legal and policy landscape within criminal justice and the current challenges within the sector.
Apply ethical frameworks and principles to complex decision-making scenarios in criminal justice, demonstrating a commitment to fairness, equity, and social justice.
Implement and evaluate strategic plans and initiatives within criminal justice organizations, demonstrating advanced knowledge of leadership theories and their practical application in diverse settings.
Utilize data analysis and research methods to identify problems, evaluate programs, and make evidence-based decisions in criminal justice settings.
Develop problem-solving and critical thinking skills when addressing challenges of working in criminal justice.
Work independently and take initiative, with an awareness of their own strengths and development needs.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees for 2026/27

Study mode	UK (home)	International and EU
Full-time (1 year)	£12,000	£27,250

Fees information

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.

Postgraduate taught fees and expenses

Funding information

Discover your funding options to help with tuition fees and living costs.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.

If you've successfully completed an undergraduate degree at York you could be eligible for a 10% Masters fee discount.

Funding opportunities

Chevening Scholarships

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.

Living costs

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.

Teaching and assessment

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.

Teaching format

You'll be taught through a combination of hands-on workshops, lectures and seminars. You'll find that small group working and establishing your own perspective on social issues will become a core part of your studying process.

One-to-one supervision while undertaking an extended social and public policy research project on a topic of your choosing
A friendly, supportive and intellectually stimulating environment in which to study
Small group teaching with lectures typically no larger than 40 people and workshops and seminars typically no larger than 20 students

You'll also be able to attend the School's lectures and University lectures from visiting speakers from across the world.

Teaching location

You'll be based in the School for Business and Society in the Church Lane Building on Campus West. Teaching will take place in Church Lane Building and Alcuin College and other locations across Campus West.

About our campus

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.

Assessment and feedback

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 12,000-15,000 word dissertation as part of your own specialist research project.

Careers and skills

The programme will equip you with knowledge needed for leadership roles in criminal justice and related sectors. Combining theory and practice, you'll develop expertise in organisational management, policy analysis, and strategic decision-making.

Collaboration with peers and networking opportunities will enhance professional connections and perspectives. The programme’s focus on global and local challenges ensures relevance across diverse professional contexts.

Career opportunities

Typical career paths in crime and criminal justice systems include:

Police
Solicitor or barrister (via Law conversion courses)
Probation officer
Prison service
Courts service
Government departments and agencies
Youth offending teams

Transferable skills

Communications skills
Critical thinking
Data analysis
Time management
Project management
Independent study and research
Teamwork skills

Careers and employability

Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we'll help you find your career advantage.

Entry requirements

Qualification	Typical offer
Undergraduate degree	2.2 or equivalent in criminology, sociology, psychology, business, law, education, another cognate discipline or equivalent suitable experience.
Other international qualifications	Equivalent qualifications from your country

English language

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 (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
Oxford Test of English Advanced	136, minimum 126 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	478-509, with 444-477 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.

If you haven't met our 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.

Applying

You can apply and send all your documentation online. You don’t need to complete your application all at once: you can start it, save it and finish it later.