Applications are invited from non-law graduates holding an excellent degree (at least 2.1) in a relevant subject area such as Sociology, Politics, Philosophy, History, Psychology or English (if you are unsure whether your area of study qualifies as 'relevant' please contact us). 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 upper second class honours level 8 qualification. Such applicants should state clearly in their application why they feel their other qualifications/experience are appropriate for admission onto the programme.

These are the minimum entry requirements - additional criteria may be requested for some programmes

What is the Application Procedure?
Applicants should take careful note of the following:

Go to www.ucd.ie/apply to make an application. Remember to keep a note of your login and password as you will need to return to the application.

Official transcripts must be submitted as proof of examination results by all applicants except graduates of UCD

Students of UCD applying for the MSc do not need to supply Transcripts, References or give names of Referees

The personal statement is an important component of the application. It should contain information demonstrating your capability to undertake the course successfully. Thus, you should detail your relevant research and practical experience including any publications and major essays/projects.

Applicants must nominate two academic referees unless the applicant has been in employment for more than two years, in which case one of the named referees must be an employer. Applicants are required to submit the name, position held, postal address, email address and contact number for the two academic referees.

Applicants whose first language is not English must submit satisfactory evidence of competence in written and spoken English, i.e. overall IELTS 6.5 (including a minimum of 6.5 in the reading and writing parts and no part below 6.0) or 90 in the TOEFL iBT (with a minimum of 22 (reading) and 24 (writing) and no part below 20.) The test results must be less than 2 years old.

Applicants with an IELTS score of 5.5 (with no band less than 5.0) may undertake the ten week Pre-Sessional Pathway at UCD's Applied Language Centre (25 June to 31 August at the UCD Applied Language Centre www.ucd.ie/alc). Upon Successful completion of all elements of this course the level of English attained will be acceptable for entry to this Masters programme. Grade C or above in Advanced Cambridge Exams will also be accepted as sufficient English fluency for the Masters programme.

Students meeting the programme’s academic entry requirements but not the English language requirements, may enter the programme upon successful completion of UCD’s Pre-Sessional or International Pre-Master’s Pathway programmes. Please see the following link for further information http://www.ucd.ie/alc/programmes/pathways/

Please indicate any other Masters programmes for which you are applying.

Part Time Applications
Students wishing to apply for the Part Time option should note that classes are as for those taking the full time option, but students will be required to take less credits per semester than in the full time programme as they have a longer period of time (2 years) to complete this programme. Typically, Full Time students study 30 credits of modules (3 modules x 10credits) in Semester 1 and 30 credits of modules (3 modules x 10credits) in semester 2. There is a dissertation seminar in semester 2 for 2 - 4 hours per week. The 30 credit dissertation is completed over the summer term (submitted in mid-August). Part Time students would study 30 credits of modules in year 1 (semester 1 and 2), 30 credits of modules in year 2 (semester 1 and 2) and complete the dissertation in the summer term of year 2. Note: Semester 1: September-December, Semester 2: January -May, Summer Term: June-August

International Applicants and students:
Students/Applicants requiring information from an International perspective may visit the website www.ucd.ie/international for information regarding our campus, location of UCD and visa information. Applicants may visithttp://www.ucd.ie/registry/adminservices/fees/international.html for full information on fees and fee payment methods.

The following entry routes are available:

MSc Criminology & Criminal Justice FT (B220)
Duration 1 Years Attend Full Time Deadline Rolling*

MSc Criminology & Criminal Justice PT (B221)
Duration 2 Years Attend Part Time Deadline Rolling*

* Courses will remain open until such time as all places have been filled, therefore early application is advised

Next Intake: 2024/2025

Apply Here

This course is typically suited for people with the following Career Interests. If these interests do not describe you, this course may prepare you for work you may not find satisfying.

Investigative

The Investigative person will usually find a particular area of science to be of interest. They are inclined toward intellectual and analytical activities and enjoy observation and theory. They may prefer thought to action, and enjoy the challenge of solving problems with sophiscticated technology. These types prefer mentally stimulating environments and often pay close attention to developments in their chosen field.

Careers & Employability
This programme provides opportunities for those who wish to work or are already working in relevant areas, such as policing, youth justice, prisons, probation and voluntary organisations to enhance their knowledge of the field. It also provides a good platform for doctoral studies and a possible academic career in what has become an area of substantial growth in universities around the world.

We have an excellent Careers Development Centre here at UCD, designed to help you with information regarding future employment or studies. UCD hold a number of graduate events throughout the year including a dedicated law fair at which at which many of the big Law firms will be in attendance. The School of Law has a dedicated careers advisor on it’s Academic staff, and a staff member from the careers office will be in attendance at the School of law on a number of occasions throughout the academic year. To see the full range of services offered by the careers office go to http://www.ucd.ie/careers/