School of Law

Compulsory modules

Researching Crime and Justice focuses on the mechanics of the research process: how to formulate research questions, design research strategies and generally go about the process of 'researching.'

Criminal Justice Policies, Perspectives and Research will investigate contemporary policy debates and perspectives in criminal justice and crime control. You will study criminal justice policy within the context of broader social changes and political and ideological processes, and consider the ways in which policy debates inform, and are informed by, broader perspectives on criminal justice and the politics of crime control.

Dissertation allows you to tailor your own programme of training and research in consultation with a member of staff drawn from the school's MA/PhD supervisory panel.

Theories of Crime, Justice and Control explores the nature of contemporary trends and shifts within crime control and criminology through the examination of a number of key cutting-edge theoretical ideas, concepts and perspectives that enhance an understanding of the governance of crime.

Quantitative Research Methods introduces you to the skills required for the generation, analysis and management of quantitative data. Using concrete research problems, the module investigates a wide range of quantitative research issues and gives you the opportunity to develop a critical understanding of the discipline.

Practicalities covered include survey design, computer-based 'hands-on' workshops with SPSS for Windows, using data from one or more large scale data sets, creative data analysis linked to theory development, data modelling using regression techniques, effective use of secondary data sets and ways of linking data, including the scope for linking quantitative and qualitative data.