Youth Justice,MSc

Students will be supported throughout to become independent researchers and writers in the realm of youth justice, through a series of lecture-seminar combined sessions, at which you will also be expected to lead discussions. Writing skills are a particular focus, with assignments structured as journal articles and feedback given mirroring peer reviews, to prepare you for academic publication with advice and guidance from published academics.

The degree comprises two compulsory modules (Critical Youth Justice and International Comparative Youth Justice), and a themed youth justice dissertation. Critical Youth Justice covers a wide range of topics including paradigms (justice versus welfare, risk-based youth justice, Child First/Rights-based youth justice), contentious issues (minimum age of criminal responsibility, moral panics, custody and resettlement) and contemporary debates (current topics such as disproportionality, gangs/knife crime). International Comparative Youth Justice comprises a detailed critical exploration of a range of different jurisdictions, for example, Scotland, USA, Australia, Canada, Nordic countries, Japan and New Zealand.

Entry Requirements 2:2 Bachelors (Honours) degree in criminology or a related subject area, or equivalent. Non-graduates will be considered individually based on relevant work experience.

English Language Requirements IELTS 6.5 with minimum 5.5 in each component, or equivalent

Other Requirements Applicants are encouraged to submit an up-to-date CV as part of their application.

Graduates from this scheme will leave with the professional knowledge and capacity to independently practice, reflect, review and build upon disciplinary expertise and judgement. The schemes’ teaching, learning and assessment requires students to develop ethical practice, critical analytical skills, research skills and presentation skills which will enable them to share their criminological expertise in both academic and professional settings.

Graduate career opportunities include (but not restricted to):

• government departments and criminal justice agencies
• voluntary organisations / non-governmental organisations in the crime and justice field
• international organisations, such as the UN
• research and academia.