MSc Criminal Justice and Social Research Methods in Lancaster United Kingdom | Lancaster University

This program immerses you in the ethical considerations surrounding criminology and criminal justice research, along with the policy frameworks that shape investigations into crime, deviance, and punishment. It prepares graduates for research opportunities across both public and private sector organizations.

Eligible for ESRC 1+3 funding, this program explores criminological and criminal justice research theory while enhancing your abilities to gather, analyze, and present both qualitative and quantitative data. By combining criminal justice and criminology components, the curriculum provides comprehensive exposure to contemporary research while enabling deeper specialization in criminological and socio-legal studies.

Our Law School houses three influential research centers: the Centre for Crime, Law and Justice; the Centre for Law and Society; and the Centre for Child and Family Justice. These institutions inform our postgraduate teaching, which frequently incorporates cutting-edge research. Our faculty includes numerous nationally and internationally recognized scholars. Lancaster University Law School ranks 6th in the UK for research impact according to the latest Research Excellence Framework (2021, published May 2022), with 88% of its impact classified as outstanding.

Core coursework includes Qualitative Methods in Social Sciences, Quantitative Research Methods, Contemporary Crime and Criminal Justice, Applied Criminological Research, and Criminological Theory. Students select one elective from options such as Violence and Criminology, International Criminal Law, Feminist Criminology, International Human Rights Law, Terrorism and International Law, or Justice in Post-Conflict Societies. The program culminates with a research dissertation in Criminal Justice.