Teaching
Our MSt course is a two year programme.
- Year One comprises of three formal residential blocks (A, B, & C) in Cambridge, each of nine days duration.
- Year Two comprises of a one three-day remote (Winter) teaching block; one eight-day residential block (D) and two one-week residential blocks (E & F).
Students live in College accommodation during the residential periods and attend a full daily schedule of lectures and workshops, as well as individual teaching sessions (‘supervisions’) with academics, and evening guest lectures. Most teaching takes place at the Institute of Criminology or in university buildings nearby.
Teaching (Year One):
Year One of the programme focuses on substantive criminological knowledge and the development of essential academic skills. The course is loosely structured around five key ‘strands’:
- Criminological theory & research
- Prisons and imprisonment
- Criminal justice & the community
- Sentencing, the legal context & court issues
- Leadership and management in criminal justice
Learning in year one is spread across three teaching blocks (Blocks A, B and C). The first block (A) is held around Easter each year. The second and third blocks (B and C) take place in July and September.
Assessment (Year One):
Year One is assessed by three essays, each of 3,000 words, from titles that students select from topics that are covered by the course.
One of these three essays must explore one of the taught criminological theories.
Students must normally achieve an average mark of 65 across their year one essays to be invited to proceed to year two of the course and complete the full MSt programme. Students who do not proceed to year two can be considered for the award of a Postgraduate Certificate.
Teaching (Year Two):
Teaching in year two places emphasis on research methods training which helps students to write a substantial dissertation. Learning in year two is spread across a three-day remote teaching block, plus three residential teaching blocks (Blocks D, E and F). These blocks follow the same calendar as in year one, taking place in Easter, July and September, with several overlapping days with first year students to extend opportunities for community building and peer learning across the larger student cohort.
Assessment (Year Two):
Year one marks are carried forward towards the Master’s Degree along with two other units of assessment in year two.
Year two assessment involves an applied methodology exercise (of 4,000 words) and a dissertation (of 18,000 words).
Candidates who progress to year two but who are unable to complete it can still be considered for the award of the Postgraduate Certificate.
| One to one supervision |
Each student meets face-to-face, and usually one-on-one, with their academic supervisor around once per week during residential periods. In between those periods, they are in periodic contact with their supervisors by email and/or video calls. |
|---|---|
| Seminars & classes |
In Year One we provide approximately 40 hours of seminar teaching per residential teaching block. In Year Two we provide an average of approximately 25 hours of seminar teaching per residential teaching block. There are three residential teaching blocks per year. |
| Practicals |
In Year Two of the course students produce a dissertation. Dissertation research typically entails the collation of primary empirical data, requiring fieldwork. To support students to develop these skills and analyse their data, optional practical research methods surgeries and workshops are held during appropriate online and residential teaching blocks in year two. Students also have the opportunity to join online writing retreats which provide focused and structured time for writing. |
| Literature Reviews |
Students are required to review literature as part of written assessed work during year one, as well as part of their dissertation in year two. Students are supported in the development of these skills through practical workshops and detailed feedback and feed-forward on written work. |
| Posters and Presentations |
In year two of the course, students give oral presentations about their dissertation research. Presentations are not summatively assessed. |
| Taught/Research Balance |
Equal Taught/Research
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Placements
Most students are already senior practitioners working in the field of criminal justice.
Students are encouraged to reflect actively on their learning in the workplace between teaching blocks, and enrich learning in the classroom, and their written work by drawing upon their applied professional experience.
Feedback
Detailed written feedback is provided for all five assessed elements. Oral feedback is provided following oral presentations.
Assessment
Thesis / Dissertation
Dissertation: 18,000 words maximum (including footnotes or endnotes, but excluding appendices and bibliographical references).
Essays
Three essays, each of 3,000 words maximum, and an applied methodology exercise of no more than 4,000 words.
Other
At the discretion of the Examiners, assessment may include an oral examination at the end of Year Two. The oral examination may cover the topic of any piece of assessed written work and the general field of knowledge within which it falls, where it has initially been awarded a Fail, Marginal Fail or Marginal Pass mark. It may include questions relating to one or more of the other pieces of work submitted by the candidate.
Further detailed guidance about assessment through oral examination is provided in the MSt Course Handbook.