General OverviewThis programme gives students the opportunity to study both theoretical and applied criminology at an advanced level and to use the knowledge, skills and understanding gained to engage critically, innovatively and independently with contemporary issues surrounding Criminal Justice. Students gain a practical understanding of how established theories and research methods are used to create and interpret knowledge within Criminology and Criminal Justice. Key issues debated include policing, reducing reoffending policies and punishment.
Key features of the programme:
- Focus on understanding criminal justice within a global and comparative context
- Opportunity to develop expertise in the area of criminal justice that interests you
- Employability and career-relevant content through innovative learning and assessment
- Study within a diverse international community of learners
The programme equips students with essential skills and knowledge for a range of careers in the criminal justice sector including the police, prison service and criminal justice social work, policy analysis and evaluation, and policy work in governments, local authorities or charities. Students may also seek to undertake doctoral studies after completing the Masters programme.
The academics who teach on the programme draw on their research networks for the benefit of the student experience through a combination of field trips to external organisations and the use of guest speakers from external bodies. The programme team support students to develop their own networks and to co-produce Masters projects with external organisations (e.g. through the UWS-Oxfam Partnership as well as our other partners).
The programme is flexible allowing for part-time and full-time study, while also blending on campus, and on-line delivery techniques.
Moreover, a range of transferable skills are enhanced and these include the ability to:
- Gather, organise and deploy evidence, data and information from a variety of secondary and some primary sources.
- Identify, investigate, analyse, formulate and advocate solutions to problems.
- Construct reasoned argument, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement.
- Reflect on their own learning and seek and make use of constructive feedback.
- Manage their own learning self-critically.
- Recognise the importance of explicit referencing and the ethical requirements of study which requires critical and reflective use of information and communications technology in the learning process.
- Communicate effectively and fluently in speech and writing.
- Use communication and information technology, including audio-visual technology, for the retrieval and presentation of information, including, where appropriate, statistical or numerical information.
- Work independently, demonstrating initiative, self-organisation and time management, progressing through the degree programme to become an independent learner.
- Collaborate with others to achieve common goals through, for example, group work, group projects, group presentations.
Students are required to design and undertake an extended piece of written research focused around a specific research question via the MSc Dissertation.
The programme outcomes have been informed by a variety of internal and external sources. The following UWS documents were consulted:
UWS Corporate Strategy 2014-20
UWS Education Enabling Plan 2018
UWS Research Enabling Plan 2018
UWS Regulatory Framework 2019-20
UWS Quality Handbook 2019-20
UWS Assessment Handbook 2019-20
UWS Equality, Diversity and Human Rights Procedure
The following external documents have also been consulted:
QAA Subject Benchmark Statements for Politics and International Relations; Social Policy and Sociology
SQA SCQF Level Descriptors 2012
HEA Framework for Transforming Assessment in Higher Education
HEA Framework for Embedding Employability in Higher Education
HEA Framework for Internationalising Higher Education
HEA Framework for Flexible Learning in Higher Education
HEA Framework for Student Access, Retention and Progression in Higher Education
HEA Framework for Student Engagement through Partnership
Inquiry-based learning and a personalised curriculum is a major feature of the programme. Student choice and pathway-specific expertise is enhanced through the inquiry-based forms of modular assessment and the Masters dissertation project. Students have the opportunity to receive first class supervisory support from academics across the Division of Social Sciences.
Students are supported to take ownership of their learning with the support of their supervisors and tutors in order to develop expertise in an area of criminal justice that they choose. This helps students in terms of focusing their work around a particular career interest or to support students on the journey towards PhD-level research.
Research underpinnings and links to teaching
In line with programme outcomes, the Masters programme develops the applied research skills of students. Each module is underpinned by research-led teaching and learning and aligned to areas of teaching excellence, thus aligning learning and teaching on the programme with the strategic vision of the School. Teaching draws extensively on national and international research, theoretical perspectives, case studies and contexts.
The REF 2014 saw research at UWS recognised at ‘international’ standing in terms of its originality, significance and rigour. The University’s research outputs were particularly highly rated, with more than half of the submissions being ranked at three to four star; with four star signifying ‘world-leading’ research. The teaching team are active social science researchers and the majority publish internationally recognised research outputs (including journal papers, books, book chapters, knowledge exchange reports). Many of the teaching staff also undertake enterprise activities including consultancy projects with public and third sector partners. The research and enterprise activities conducted by teaching staff feature throughout the content of modules on the programme.
The teaching team regard students as partners and this is a key aspect of the School’s approach to enhancing the student experience. In this context, the teaching team, through for example the Masters dissertation project, work with students in order to maximise the impact of their research through, for instance, writing joint publications with students or to support students to present their research in a range of forums including conferences and research seminars. This enables our postgraduate students to make a contribution to the vibrant research culture in the School and to also enhance the postgraduate student experience. Research skills development of our students is a major feature of the programme. The blend of these research and analysis-intensive modules provide students with graduate level skills in mixed methods, the techniques undertaking comparative policy analysis and how these skills can be applied to contemporary public policy issues. These modules also provide students with the skills and attributes required in order to undertake the Masters dissertation (if they choose to study for the full MSc).
Internationalisation
As noted earlier in this document the content of the modules and programme are inherently international. Furthermore, students benefit from being taught by researchers with an international reputation in the field of criminal justice and guest speakers. There are also a number of outward mobility and exchange programmes available within the School of Education and Social Sciences. Where possible, there will also be opportunities to conduct field trips abroad e.g. in Rwanda.
The programme is fully engaged with the wider university strategy of making a full contribution to the economic, social and cultural development of the West of Scotland as well as its new emphasis on preparing graduates of UWS for an increasingly global world that requires ‘global professionals’ and ‘global citizens.’ Through engagement with the programme students will become more cognisant of their role as global citizens and will be equipped to become the next generation of outstanding public leaders at local, national and international levels.
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