MSc - Admission Criteria
1. Criteria
Within equal opportunities principles and legislation, applications will be assessed in the light of a candidate’s ability to meet the following criteria:
2. Academic ability
Proven and potential academic excellence
Applicants are normally expected to be predicted or to have achieved a first-class or a high upper second class undergraduate degree (or equivalent international qualifications) in law, sociology, politics, economics, social policy, psychology, history, or another subject relevant to criminology.
(If you hold non-British qualifications, you are advised to check with the National Recognition Information Centre for the United Kingdom (UK NARIC) www.naric.org.uk how your qualifications match these requirements.)
A high upper second class degree is normally defined as one in which an average mark of 65% or above is achieved. For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA we seek is 3.7 out of 4.0.
Extensive employment experience within the broad field of criminal justice may be regarded by the Board of Admissions as compensating for a lack of an undergraduate degree to the required standard.
Appropriate indicators will include:
Three academic references/letters of recommendation: These should support exceptional academic motivation; capacity for sustained and intense work; developed ability to organize time and set own agenda for study; intrepid attitude towards investigation and learning.
Written work produced by the student: Two pieces of written work are required. These should not normally exceed 2,000 words in length and should be written in English. Extracts from longer pieces are welcome but should be prefaced by a note which puts them in context and it should be indicated with square brackets what elements have been omitted from the original piece of work. Ideally the works should relate to the proposed area of study. The pieces of work will be assessed for: comprehensive understanding of the subject area; understanding of problems in the area; ability to construct and defend an argument; powers of analysis; powers of expression.
Personal statement: This should not normally exceed one to two pages in length and should be written in English. This will be assessed for: your reasons for applying; evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study; the ability to present a reasoned case in English; commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course; capacity for sustained and intensive work; reasoning ability; ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace.
Performance at interview(s): Students are not normally interviewed.
Additional material: No other documents should be submitted with the application. However, occasionally, additional documents (eg extra reference(s), explanation on degree classification) may be requested from candidates once they have applied or at later stages of the selection process, to enable the Board of Admissions to make a well-informed decision on the application.
When reviewing all application materials, the Board of Admissions will be looking for evidence of the following criteria:
Application: exceptional academic motivation; capacity for sustained and intense work; developed ability to organize time and set own agenda for study; intrepid attitude towards investigation and learning.
Knowledge: applicants will normally have a broad, deep, advanced, and integrated understanding of a subject relevant to criminology such as law, sociology, economics, politics, psychology, social policy, or history.
Reasoning ability: outstanding analytical abilities, the ability to separate speedily the relevant from the irrelevant, and the ability to develop and sustain complex arguments under pressure; capacities for accurate observation and insightful criticism, including willingness and ability to engage with other social science disciplines; originality and creativity of thought, open-mindedness, and capacity for lateral thinking; excellent powers of synthesis and economy of thought.
Communication: willingness and ability to express highly complex ideas clearly and effectively in English, with a particular eye to finesse and economy and an aspiration to professional standards of style and organization in scholarly writing.
Applicants and their referees are encouraged to address these criteria specifically.
3. Other qualifications and experience
Relevant research or professional experience may be an advantage.
4. Availability of supervision, teaching, facilities and places
Since the number of applications received always exceeds available places, the Centre for Criminology cannot admit every student who meets the basic entry requirements.
5. English language requirement
Applicants whose first language is not English are usually required to provide evidence of proficiency in English at the higher level required by the University. The Centre for Criminology’s preference is for the IELTS test score. You must supply your test result with your application.
6. Deadlines and required full set of application materials
Please refer to the Graduate Admissions website for information on the deadlines which must be met, and the full set of supporting materials required, in order for applications to be guaranteed to be considered.
7. Availability of funding
Whether you have yet secured funding is not taken into consideration in the decision to make an initial offer of a place, but please note that the initial offer of a place will not be confirmed until the admitting college is satisfied that you have sufficient funding to cover your fees and living costs for the standard period of fee liability for your course.
8. Disability, health conditions and specific learning difficulties
Students are selected for admission without regard to gender, marital or civil partnership status, disability, race, nationality, ethnic origin, religion or belief, sexual orientation, age or social background. Decisions on admission are based solely on the individual academic merits of each candidate and the application of the selection criteria appropriate to the programme of study. Further information on how these matters are supported during the admissions process is available on the University’s Equality and Diversity website.
9. Other information
None.
10. Assessors
All applications will be assessed by a Board of Admissions comprising three members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise.
11. Course webpage
Further information is available from the websites on the MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice and the MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice (Research Methods).
