Criminal Justice & Security Master's Degree - MSc/PgD

The MSc Criminal Justice & Security delivers specialist expertise across national justice systems, global security, and international accountability. The structure of the degree is designed to move from foundational criminal justice knowledge through to global atrocity, systemic failure, and international peace and security.

• Crime, Criminals & Criminal Justice (20 credits) - This module establishes the intellectual and policy foundations of the degree. You will critically examine criminological theory, the development of criminal justice policy in England and Wales, and the operational realities of the criminal justice system. The focus is not simply on how the system is meant to work, but how it functions in practice including structural pressures, reform debates, and institutional limitations.
• Investigating Global Atrocities and Exploitation (20 credits) - This module confronts large-scale harm and systemic exploitation across borders. You will analyse international crimes such as genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and the crime of aggression, alongside transnational exploitation including human trafficking, organ trafficking, organised crime networks, illicit drug markets, terrorism, and environmental and maritime harm. The module situates these issues within international human rights law and global justice mechanisms, critically assessing how states and international institutions respond to atrocity and mass harm.
• Conducting Criminological Research (20 credits) - This research-intensive module develops advanced methodological skills in qualitative and quantitative research, ethics, and critical evaluation of evidence. You will learn how to design robust research projects, assess policy impact, and apply evidence-based reasoning directly preparing you for your dissertation and for analytical roles within criminal justice and security professions.
• Unravelling Miscarriages of Justice (20 credits) - This specialist module examines wrongful convictions and systemic failures within England and Wales, with international comparison. You will explore forensic misuse, cognitive bias, disclosure failures, investigative error, and legislative weaknesses. The module evaluates reform mechanisms designed to strengthen procedural fairness, accountability, and public trust in justice systems.
• Faith, Honour & Justice (20 credits) - Central to the degree’s focus on Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), this module examines abuse linked to faith, belief systems, and cultural practices. Topics include gender-based abuse, so-called honour-based abuse, forced marriage, and female genital mutilation. These issues are examined within the wider global context of gender-based violence, safeguarding policy, and the criminal justice response to vulnerability and protection.
• Justice Beyond Borders (20 credits) - This module explores international peace and security through the institutions and legal frameworks that shape global accountability. You will examine the work of the International Court of Justice, the International Criminal Court, and the United Nations Security Council, alongside issues such as the lawful use of force, prosecution of international crimes, and peaceful dispute resolution in international law.
• Dissertation (60 credits) - The Dissertation provides the opportunity to undertake an independent, in-depth research project aligned to your professional interests. Supported by structured teaching and expert supervision across Semesters 2 and 3, the Dissertation allows you to apply advanced criminal justice and security knowledge to a contemporary issue of national or global significance.

Exit Awards

Criminal Justice & Security – PgD (120 credits)

During the Postgraduate Diploma you will study all six 20 credit modules listed above, minus the dissertation.

Criminal Justice – PgC (60 credits)

A Criminal Justice Postgraduate Certificate exit award is also available. During the PgC you will study the first three 20 credit modules (Crime, Criminals and Criminal Justice, Investigating Global Atrocities and Exploitation and Conducting Criminological Research).

The MSc Criminal Justice & Security is delivered through a blend of lectures, seminars, workshops, and structured group and individual learning. Teaching is interactive and discussion-led, encouraging you to critically engage with contemporary criminal justice and global security issues. All modules are delivered in person, supported by practical workshops, with some online lectures used to enhance specialist content and flexibility.

The course runs in the evening, typically on Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday, making this postgraduate Criminal Justice degree accessible to working professionals. Each 20-credit module includes approximately 24 hours of contact time. As with all Master’s level study, you should expect substantial independent learning alongside timetabled sessions, including directed reading, research, and assessment preparation.

The Dissertation is supported through a structured framework including dedicated supervision, taught research sessions, dissertation support workshops, and comprehensive online resources, ensuring you are fully supported in completing your independent research project.

Support

You will benefit from strong academic and pastoral support. Each student is allocated a personal tutor and has access to regular office hours with academic staff. Dissertation supervision provides focused, one-to-one guidance throughout the research process.

Where available, field visits may include prisons, Crown Court, or other criminal justice agencies, providing you with practical insight into justice practice. You are also encouraged to engage in wider academic events and subject-related activities across the University.

Technology and Facilities

You will have access to Moodle, the University’s Virtual Learning Environment, providing lecture materials, recorded content, reading lists, and dissertation guidance. The University’s Moot Court facility supports engagement with legal process and courtroom procedure. Extensive library resources and specialist criminal justice databases ensure access to high-quality academic and professional materials.

Staff Expertise

The MSc Criminal Justice & Security is delivered by academics and practitioners with national and international expertise across criminal justice and global security. The team includes former law enforcement professionals, specialists in Violence Against Women and Girls (VAWG), experts in international criminal law, and practitioners with experience in third sector criminal justice organisations.

All staff are active researchers with established publication portfolios, ensuring that teaching remains current, research-informed, and aligned with contemporary criminal justice practice.

The MSc Criminal Justice & Security assessment is designed around authentic, career-focused tasks that mirror the analytical and communication demands of the criminal justice sector. There are no formal written examinations. Instead, assessment is based on applied coursework that develops your professional judgement, policy evaluation skills, and the ability to communicate complex justice issues clearly and confidently.

Assessment formats include written essays, case study analysis, policy briefings, reflective portfolios, and research-based assignments. The MSc Criminal Justice & Security also features distinctive assessment methods that strengthen your employability. In Crime, Criminals & Criminal Justice, you’ll design and deliver a student-led Exhibition, presenting critical themes to a structured academic audience, developing confidence, public engagement skills, and subject leadership. Selected modules incorporate group and individual podcasts to enhance structured debate, evidence-based argument, and professional communication. In Justice Beyond Borders, you’ll participate in a mock international tribunal, applying international law principles in a simulated courtroom to develop advocacy and analytical skills.

Preparation for assessment is embedded across the programme through workshops, structured guidance, formative activities, and peer discussion exercises. Academic skills support is available through the University library and learning services, and dissertation preparation is supported through taught sessions and dedicated supervision.

You’ll receive detailed, criteria-based written feedback on all assessments, alongside clear feedforward guidance to support progression across the degree. Feedback focuses on strengthening analytical depth, critical engagement, and professional presentation — ensuring you will graduate from the MSc Criminal Justice & Security with the confidence and capability required for leadership roles across criminal justice and global security careers.

The MSc Criminal Justice & Security is designed to enhance your professional capability, leadership potential, and analytical expertise across the criminal justice and security sectors. The degree develops advanced critical thinking, research literacy, policy analysis, and professional communication skills that are directly transferable to operational, strategic, and policy-focused roles. Through applied assessments, simulated tribunal exercises, public exhibitions, and structured research training, you’ll develop the confidence and competence required to operate in complex justice environments.

Graduates of the MSc Criminal Justice & Security pursue careers across policing, probation, prisons, youth justice, community safety, safeguarding, criminal justice policy, and third-sector organisations, including victim-support and prison-reform charities. The degree also supports progression into roles linked to international criminal justice, human rights advocacy, global security analysis, and transnational crime investigation. For professionals already working in the sector, the Master’s degree strengthens prospects for promotion into supervisory, specialist, or policy-facing positions.

The Dissertation provides substantial independent research experience, preparing graduates not only for advanced professional roles but also for further academic study. The MSc Criminal Justice & Security offers a strong foundation for progression to MPhil or PhD study, including doctoral research opportunities at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Students interested in pursuing research careers or specialist academic pathways are supported in developing competitive doctoral proposals aligned with the University’s research expertise in criminal justice, criminology, policing, global security, and international law.

Recognising the intensive nature of the course, applicants for the MSc Criminal Justice & Security are expected to satisfy the following minimum requirements: 

• An initial degree (usually a good Honours degree of 2:1 or above) in similarly related discipline such as (Criminal Justice, Forensics, Law, Professional Policing, Criminology, Psychology, Health & Social Care, Social Work, etc.); or 
• A 2:2 degree in similarly related discipline such as (Criminal Justice, Forensics, Law, Professional Policing, Criminology, Psychology, Health & Social Care, Social Work, etc.); with an interview – considered on a case-by-case basis; or 
• Students with degrees outside of a similarly related discipline will be considered on a case-by-case basis subject to an admissions interview; or 
• Hold a suitable professional qualification from an appropriate professional body. In some instances, those with higher level professional qualifications may be exempt from specific taught modules. Such exemptions would be discussed on a case-by-case basis with the Programme Director.​​

Exceptional entry routes

Exceptional entry routes are available for non-graduates in line with the University criteria for the Admission to Taught Postgraduate Programmes. A student who has successfully completed modules in a similar programme at another institution might gain direct and accelerated entry onto the programme as long as they have satisfied the aforementioned entry requirements and meet the University Criteria for the Admission through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL). ​

English Language Requirements  

Students whose first language is not English, a minimum IELTS score of 6.0 overall with no sub-score lower than 5.5 (or equivalent qualification).  

Our international faculty and diverse student body bring a global perspective to the classroom, enriching your learning experience with insights into criminal justice systems and security policies worldwide. Engage in cutting-edge research alongside renowned scholars, contributing to significant projects that advance the field and make a real impact. These opportunities, combined with our comprehensive support services and state-of-the-art facilities, prepare you for a successful career in the increasingly globalized field of criminal justice and security.

Partner Employee Discount

There is a fee discount of 25% available to part-time students who are employed in one of Cardiff Metropolitan University’s partnership schools for Initial Teacher Education and Training or partnership employer community. Eligibility criteria and terms apply. For further information please contact Admissions.

For general enquiries, please contact the Admissions Team on 029 2041 6010 or email askadmissions@cardiffmet.ac.uk.​

For course specific enquiries, please contact the Programme Director, Dr Nick Louis:

• Email: nlouis@cardiffmet.ac.uk