Advanced studies in Criminology and Criminal Justice can be pursued as an LLM or a MSc in the UCD School of Law.
As the only entity of its kind in the jurisdiction the UCD Institute of Criminology enhances the attractiveness of the School of Law as a destination for postgraduate students and as a partner for international collaborators. The work of the Institute has been the focus of Oireachtas debates, legislative and policy initiatives and numerous reports in the media.
Crime and punishment are issues of central importance to Irish society and by bringing academic rigour to their examination the Institute contributes to the achievement of national priorities. In recent years it has completed major studies of prisoner recidivism, public order offending, child pornography, crime trends and graffiti prevention.
The Institute draws together a critical mass of researchers from across UCD and acts as a focal point for the postgraduate community. It organises an invited lecture series each semester, where leading scholars from outside the country present and discuss the latest research findings. This contributes to a vibrant research culture within the School of Law. To see profiles of our current PhD students look under Student Focus.
Applications are invited from graduates holding an excellent degree in sociology, law, politics, psychology, history or another subject relevant to criminology (at least 2.1). An undergraduate law degree is required to undertake the LLM.
In exceptional circumstances, substantial professional experience within the field of criminal justice may be regarded by the selection panel as compensating for a lack of an undergraduate degree to the required standard. Such applicants should state clearly in their application why they feel their other qualifications/experience are appropriate for admission onto the programme.
The course is offered on a full-time basis over one year (or part-time over two); during which the student will complete six taught modules and write a dissertation of up 15,000 words. (Each module equates to around 200 hours of independent study in addition to 24 hours of tuition.)
A limited number of places are available and it is possible that an applicant might be offered admission on the following year's intake.
Admission to the programme is at the discretion of the Postgraduate Board.
(English Language Requirements: A minimum score of 600 in TOEFL or 6.5 in IELTS is required.
Contact Details
Postgraduate Office
School of Law,
Roebuck Castle,
University College Dublin,
Belfield,
Dublin 4.
Tel: 353 - 1 - 716 8558.
PhD
These modules include a compulsory course Introduction to Advanced Research in Law, and optional courses in qualitative and quantitative research methods, substantive areas of law and in other areas where skills may be required, for example languages or economics. Students are assigned to a main supervisor before arrival, who is supported by a team of two other members of academic staff with expertise in the field of research. Students will normally register for the MPhil degree and upgrade to the PhD stream at the beginning of the second year.
Applications are accepted at any time, although the normal start date is September each year.If you would like to find out more about conducting research with the Institute, please contact the School of Law Postgraduate Office at:
Postgraduate Office
School of Law,
Roebuck Castle,
University College Dublin,
Belfield,
Dublin 4.
Tel: 353 - 1 - 716 8769.
http://www.ucd.ie/law/graduatestudents/mphilphd/
