Master of Science by Coursework in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Full-time)

Differences from 2014/15 to 2023/24

  • 1. Every candidate must follow, for at least three terms, a course of instruction in Criminology and Criminal Justice.

  • 2. There shall be a Board of Studies for the course, to be chaired by the Director of Graduate Studies for Criminology and also comprising all the members of the Board of Examiners for the Master of Science in Criminology and Criminal Justice for the current year, the Director or Assistant Director of the Centre for Criminology and a student representative (the latter for open business only).

  • 3. The course will consist of fourthe following elements: a core course in ExplanationCriminological and Understanding in Criminology (Michaelmas Term)Theories and Understanding Criminal Justice (Hilary Term); thea compulsory course in Research Design and Data Collection (Michaelmas Term); optionsfive option courses; and dissertation.a The core course will run for six weeks throughout the first two terms (Michaelmas and Hilary). The Research Design and Data Collection course runs for six weeks in the first term (Michaelmas). Options will run for six weeks in each term (Michaelmas, Hilary and Trinity). Candidates will be required to choose two options in each of the first two terms and one for the final term. The dissertation will be 812,000-1015,000 wordsword longdissertation on a topic to be agreed by the Board of Studies submitted in the final term. The required format for thisthe dissertation is the common format prescribed for all law theses, which is printed in the Faculty of Law's Graduate Students' Handbook. 

  • 4. The options are listed in the Schedule below.

  • 5. Not all options will necessarily be taught or examined in any one year. Details of those which arewill be available will be published in the Graduate Student Handbook produced by the Centre for Criminology for the year of the examinationadmission, subject to any amendment posted on the designated notice board in the Centre for Criminology by Monday of Week Minus One of the Michaelmas Term beforeof theeach examinationacademic is heldyear.

  • 65.  In addition to the options set out in the Schedule, candidates may offer any other option that may be approved from time to time by regulation published in the Gazette by the end of Monday of Week Minus One of the Michaelmas Term beforeof theeach examinationacademic is heldyear.

  • 76. The course shall be assessed as follows:

    • (i) CoreCriminological CourseTheories and Understanding Criminal Justice: ThereExamined shallby be a three-houran examination for the core course to be taken in Week Nought of Trinity Term. 

    • (ii) Options and Research Design and Data Collection:

    • The Coursescompulsory other thancourse Research Design and Data Collection, Social Explanation and Datathe Analysis,option course Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and Qualitative Methods shall be examined by means of an assessed essay of no less than 3,500 and no more than 5,000 words (inclusive of footnotes, but excluding bibliography and appendices), for which time will be set aside during the last three weeks of each term. A selection of three titles (as determined by the Board of Examiners), shall be posted on the designated noticeboard at the Centre for Criminology by noon on Friday of Week Six of the relevant term. Candidates shall be required to submit two typewritten copies of each essay to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, not later than three weeks after this date, by noon.

      Research Design and Data Collection, Social Explanation and Data Analysis, Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and Qualitative Methods shall be examined by an assessed essay of 2,500 to 3,000 words (inclusive of footnotes, but excluding bibliography and appendices), to be written between Friday of Week SixSeven and Friday Thursday of Week NineTen of the term in which the course runs. A choice from three titles (as determined by the Board of Examiners) will be emailed to students and posted on the designated noticeboard at the Centre for Criminology by noon on Friday  of Week SixSeven of the relevant term. CandidatesThe essay shall be submitted electronically by noon on Thursday of Week 10 of the relevant term. On submitting the essay, candidates will also be required to submit twoan copiesonline of the essay to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, not later than three weeks after this date, by noondeclaration. In addition, candidates taking Social Explanation and Data Analysis and/or Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and/or Qualitative Methods shall be required to complete to the satisfaction of the Course Tutor for the option a form of continuous assessment, which will be approved by the Board of Studies and the details of which will be published in the Graduate Student Handbook for the relevant year.

    • All other option courses shall be examined by means of an assessed essay of no less than 3,500 and no more than 4,500 words (inclusive of footnotes, but excluding bibliography and appendices), for which time will be set aside during Weeks 8, 9 and 10 of Michaelmas and Hilary terms. A selection of three titles (as determined by the Board of Examiners) shall be emailed to students and posted on the designated notice board at the Centre for Criminology by noon on Friday of Week 7 of the relevant term. Each essay shall be submitted by noon on Thursday of Week 10 of the relevant term. On submitting each essay, candidates will also be required to submit an online declaration of authorship. Candidates will be contacted with details of how to submit the essay.

    • (iii) Dissertation: Two typewritten copies of theThe dissertation shall be submitted to the Examination Schoolselectronically by noon on FridayWednesday of Week Nine of Trinity Term. One bound copyEight of the final term. On submitting the dissertation, candidates will also be required to submit an online declaration of eachauthorship. candidateCandidates whowill passesbe contacted with details of how to submit the examination shall be deposited in the Social Science Library, Manor Roaddissertation.

  • 8. The degree of M.Sc. shall be awarded to any candidate who achieves a mark of at least 50 per cent for (a ) the five options and the Research Design and Data Collection course, (b ) the core course paper, and (c ) the dissertation, as well as satisfactory completion of the continuous assessment element of the Social Explanation and Data Analysis, and/or Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and/or Qualitative Methods.

  • 9. The examiners may award a distinction for excellence in the whole examination.

  • 107. Arrangements for reassessment shall be as follows:

    • (i) Core Course: Candidates who fail, or withdraw from, the core course examination may resit the examination inaccording to the Trinitystandard Termtimetable offor examination in the following academic year. Such candidates who have completed successfully either or both of (a) the options and Research Design and Data Collection (i.e. have obtained an aggregate mark of 50 per cent or more) and (b) the dissertation, may carry forward the marks gained for the successfully completed components. Candidates may also carry forward their certificate of satisfactory completion of the continuous assessment element of Research Design and Data Collection, and, where relevant, those of Social Explanation and Data Analysis, and/or Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and/or Qualitative Methods.

    • (ii) Options and Research Design and Data Collection: Candidates who have failed to obtain an aggregate mark of 50 per cent for assessment for the optionsoptional courses or Research Design and Data Collection, or who have withdrawn from any assessment, may resubmit assessments for which they obtained a mark of 49 per cent or less. Candidates may resubmit assessed essays in which they have obtained a mark of 49 per cent or less to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, according to the standard timetable for submitting essays in the following academic year. SuchEssays candidatesmust whobe havesubmitted completed successfully (a) the core course examination, (b) the dissertationelectronically, and (c)on anysubmitting assessmentthe foressay, whichcandidates theywill havealso receivedbe arequired markto submit an online declaration of 50 per cent or more, may carry forward the marks gained for the successfully completed componentsauthorship. Candidates maywill alsobe carrycontacted forwardwith their certificatedetails of satisfactoryhow completionto ofsubmit the continuous assessment element of where relevant, that of Social Explanation and Data Analysis, and/or Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and/or Qualitative Methodsessay. 

    • (iii) Continuous assessment element of Research Design ansand Data Collection, Social Explanation and Data Analysis,  Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and Qualitative Methods: Candidates who fail to complete an assignment which forms part of the continuous assessment element of Social Explanation and Data Analysis and/or Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and/or Qualitative Methods to the satisfaction of the respective Course Tutor may be required to resubmit that assignment once by noon on Friday Thursday of Week Nine Ten of the relevant term.

    • (iv) Dissertation: Candidates who fail, or withdraw from, the dissertation may resubmit the dissertation by the required date in Trinity Term of the following academic year. Such candidates who have completed successfully (a) the core course and/or (b) the options may carry forward the marks gained for the successfully completed components. Candidates may also carry forward their certificate of satisfactory completion of the continuous assessment element of Social Explanation and Data Analysis and/or Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists and/or Qualitative Methods.

Schedule

  • Comparative and Transnational Criminal Justice

    Comparative Criminal Justice, Security and Human Rights

    Crime and the Family

    Criminal Justice in Transitional Settings

    Criminal Justice, Migration and Citizenship

    Desistance from Crime: The Role of Criminal Justice Agencies

  • Global Criminology

    Law, Economics and Crime

    Mafias

    News Media, Crime and Policy

    Policing Global Insecurities

    Prisons

  • Psychology, Law and Criminal Justice

    Public and Private Policing

    Public Opinion, Crime and Criminal Justice

    Qualitative Methods

  • Quantitative Analysis for Social Scientists

    Race and Gender

    Research Design and Data Collection

    Restorative Justice

    Risk, Security and Criminal Justice

    Sentencing

    Social Explanation and Data Analysis

    Sociology of Punishment

    The Death Penalty

    The Politics of Crime Control

  • Theorising Punishment

    Transitional Justice

    Victims

    Victims and Restorative Justice

    Violence and Civilisation

    Youth Justice

Oxford 1+1 MBA programme

Candidates registered on the Oxford 1+1 MBA programme will follow an additional two or three -month bridging programme at the end of their third term of the combined programme.

Each candidate will be appointed an academic advisor from the Saïïd Business School to plan an individual course of study which will include as a minimum, the following three compulsory elements:

  • (i) AttendanceNormally oftwo onemeetings during the bridging programme with the senior advisor appointed by the Saïd Business School at the start of the summerOxford elective1+1 programmesMBA offeredprogramme.

    (ii) forA theformatively Masterassessed Integrative Development Plan of Business Administrationup to be3,000 published by the MBA Director before the first Monday of the preceding termwords. Candidates would be required to undertakecritically allreflect assessmentson their learning from the Masters programme and receiverelate feedback,this butboth wouldto nottheir obtainforthcoming creditMBA towardsprogramme as well as to their career goals. The meetings with the MBA.advisor Candidateswill are not permitted to subsequently undertakeframe the samedesign, electivedelivery asand partdiscussion of the MBA programme the following yearplan.

  • (ii) A formatively assessed assignment of no more than 5,000 words (including all prefatory matter and appendices) supervised by the Saïd Business School academic advisor, which will relate the Master’s degree learning to an appropriate area of the MBA programme. Candidates would also be required to present a work plan related to this assignment to the 1+1 programme class.

  • (iii) Attendance of the MBA pre-course as described in the joining instructions for the MBA class, unless granted exemption by the MBA Committee on the grounds of prior formal study or work experience.