Criminology MRes

Year of entry: 2026

Course length: 12 months Full-Time | 24 Months Part-Time

About the course

Critically evaluating and undertaking criminological, socio-legal and criminal justice research is crucial to societal development and requires skilled thinkers.

Our MRes Criminology course gives you the advanced conceptual and methodological expertise to critically examine the theoretical foundations underpinning applied criminological research.

Our research-active staff will give you specialist knowledge of diverse subjects, from organised crime and modern slavery to drug policy and cryptomarkets. Our course prepares you to lead on your own criminological research project with the support of a prestigious department.

You'll have the option to seamlessly transition from master's to PhD study through a fully-funded 1+3 pathway with our prestigious ESRC North West Social Sciences Doctoral Training Partnership (NWSSDTP).

See the full course profile on our website >

Gain the intellectual, critical and analytical skills you need to practically apply criminological theory and have real impact

Join a prestigious department where former professors have set the foundations in several areas of criminological study, from intimate partner violence to crime prevention

Graduate from one of the UK’s most targeted universities by top employers

(High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2024)

Compulsory Units

Data Analysis with R and RStudio;
Evaluating Policy and Practice;
Advanced Theoretical Criminology;
Research Design;
MRes Dissertation;
Qualitative Research Methods.

Optional Units

Crime and Networks;
PG Crime Mapping: an introduction to GIS and Spatial Analysis;
White-Collar and Corporate Crime;
Necrocriminology: Human Remains and Mass Violence;
Drugs: Markets, Policies and Consumption.

These are examples of units offered in 2024/25 and are subject to change.

See the full list of units and find out more on the full course profile >

Where will your course take you?

Strong research abilities are crucial to solving today’s complex problems of crime. Our courses equip you with vital skills in analytical thinking, research methodologies and data analysis, attractive to employers across diverse sectors.

Our proficient and aspirational graduates go on to lead meaningful work addressing crime-related issues in roles such as criminal intelligence analysts in police forces or within probation services.

Many go on to work with NGO’s focused on social change or within think-tanks like The Howard League for Penal Reform which offers chances of further research and policy development. Within the private sector, our graduates provide criminological expertise in the corporate, security and risk management sectors and more generally within social research, business and management, data analysis and pressure groups.

Others choose to specialise further for a career in research and academia through a PhD in Criminology or a similar subject, at Manchester or other leading universities, expanding the boundaries of our knowledge.

Elizabeth Cook

Criminology MRes Graduate

"Studying criminology provided me with the opportunity to situate crime within a social context and to consider why law is made, why it is broken and why we should care.

Learning from researchers who were passionate about their expertise as well as firmly connected to achieving real-world impacts was definitely a strong motivation behind why I continued on towards a research career.

There were always public talks, events, placements, and additional training for us to access and participate in. By the time I came to the end of my studies, I found myself in a very supportive research community.

The Criminology department provided me with absolute personal and professional support. I was challenged to move outside my comfort zone – something that I have really valued in my career today. My studies taught me how to think critically and sensitively about difficult social issues - I have used this throughout my career."