Students aim to complete the MA award within 12 months of full-time study and 24 months of part-time study. Options also exist for students to defer the programme at intermediate stages with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma. The programme will appeal to those wishing to extend their knowledge of criminology, to explore alternative approaches/perspectives, and to broaden their understanding within an interdisciplinary, comparative and international context.

The MA will also be of interest to practitioners working in criminal justice; social care; crime prevention and community safety; youth offending and youth justice; forensics; child protection and victim support. These are also the career destinations for graduates. The MA programme follows the School's normal structure for level 7 degrees of core subjects, optional subjects and a dissertation.