2022-23 MA in Criminology and Social Research Programme Design Document

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1	1. Admissions/ Management Information
2	Title of the programme – including any lower awards Please provide the titles used for all awards relating to this programme. Note: all programmes are required to have at least a Postgraduate Certificate exit award. See guidance on programme titles in:
3	https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/programmedevelopment/Framework%20for%20Programme%20Design%20-%20PG.pdf
4	Masters			Masters of Arts in Criminology and Social Research
5	Postgraduate Diploma			PGDip		Criminology and Social Research						Please indicate if the Postgraduate Diploma is available as an entry point, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.					Exit
6	Postgraduate Certificate			PGCert			Criminology and Social Research					Please indicate if the Postgraduate Certificate is available as an entry points, ie. is a programme on which a student can register, is an exit award, ie. is only available to students exiting the masters programme early, or both.					Exit
7	Level of qualification			Level 7
8	This document applies to students who commenced the programme(s) in:									2022-23
9	Awarding institution										Teaching institution
10	University of York										University of York
11	Department(s): Where more than one department is involved, indicate the lead department										Board of Studies
12	Lead Department		Sociology								Sociology
13	Other contributing Departments:		N/A								Sociology
14	Route code (existing programmes only)									PSOCCRI
15	Admissions criteria
16	Applicants must have at least a 2:1 degree in sociology, criminology in a cognate discipline or equivalent suitable experience or qualifications.
17	Length and status of the programme(s) and mode(s) of study
18	Programme				Length (years/ months)			Status (full-time/ part-time) Please select	Start dates/months (if applicable – for programmes that have multiple intakes or start dates that differ from the usual academic year)		Mode
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20											Face-to-face, campus-based			Distance learning		Other
21	MA Criminology and Social Research				1 year full-time			Full-time	N/A		Please select Y/N		Yes	Please select Y/N	No	N/A
22	MA Criminology and Social Research				2 year part-time			Part-time	N/A		Please select Y/N		Yes	Please select Y/N	No	N/A
23	Language(s) of study
24	English
25	Language(s) of assessment
26	English
27	2. Programme accreditation by Professional, Statutory or Regulatory Bodies (PSRB)
28	2.a. Is the programme recognised or accredited by a PSRB
29	Please Select Y/N:		No	if No move to section 3 if Yes complete the following questions
30	2.b. Name of PSRB
31	NA
32	2.c. Please provide details of any approval/ accrediation event needed, including: timecales, the nature of the event, central support / information required:
33	NA
34	2.d. Are there any conditions on the approval/ accreditation of the programme(s)/ graduates (for example accreditation only for the full award and not any interim award)
35	N/A
36	3. Additional Professional or Vocational Standards
37	Are there any additional requirements of accrediting bodies or PSRB or pre-requisite professional experience needed to study this programme?
38	Please Select Y/N:		No	if Yes, provide details
39	N/A
40	4. Programme leadership and programme team
41	4.a. Please name the programme leader for the year to which the programme design applies and any key members of staff responsible for designing, maintaining and overseeing the programme.
42	Dr Carol Robinson (programme leader); Dr Ruth Penfold-Mounce (Chair of BoS)
43	5. Purpose and learning outcomes of the programme
44	5.a. Statement of purpose for applicants to the Masters programme Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective masters student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
45	York's Criminology and Social Research masters programme offers students an in-depth understanding of key issues, debates and theoretical perspectives in criminology. Taught by leading researchers in the field this programme critically analyses practitioner debates in criminal justice, concepts of social control, policing practice, human rights and justice, social policy and law and order. Alongside these conceptual questions, the programme also offers social research methods training to equip students with the practical knowledge and skills required to conduct criminological research, such as critical ethnography, narrative analysis, regression analysis, and SPSS. As a student on this programme you will develop an advanced comprehension of criminology, gain a critical understanding of the way in which criminology relates to ‘real world’ problems of crime, and acquire key transferable skills in research, communication, IT, digital technology, self-management and group working, all of which will prepare you for a variety of exciting career pathways within criminal justice, and beyond. You will learn in a stimulating research-intensive environment, benefitting fully from the range of expertise of colleagues in the department. Through research led teaching, this programme offers a distinct and innovative approach to criminological study allowing students to engage with cutting-edge research that tackles contemporary local and global issues related to crime, deviance and social control.
46	5.a.i Statement of purpose for applicants registering for the Postgraduate Diploma programme Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective diploma student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
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48	5.a.ii Statement of purpose for applicants registering for the Postgraduate Certificate programme Please express succinctly the overall aims of the programme as an applicant facing statement for a prospectus or website. This should clarify to a prospective certificate student why they should choose this programme, what it will provide to them and what benefits they will gain from completing it.
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50	5.b.i. Programme Learning Outcomes - Masters Please provide six to eight statements of what a graduate of the Masters programme will be able to do. If the document only covers a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma please specify four to six PLO statements in the sections 5.b.ii and 5.b.iii as appropriate. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
51	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
52	1	Systematically approach, conceptualise and analyse theoretical and empirical issues relating to academic criminology and criminal justice systems in contemporary societies.
53	2	Critically evaluate and apply a wide range of complex and innovative methodological approaches to undertake criminological research.
54	3	Applying insight from in-depth knowledge of cutting edge developments in the study of crime and deviance to inform and support areas such as policymaking, service delivery, and further academic research.
55	4	Expose, assess and explain formal and informal forms of social control and how they shape and order local and global contemporary societies.
56	5	Design, execute and present a major piece of criminological research in the form of a dissertation. This will involve implementing and managing your own research through a rigorous ethics process and independent study.
57	6	Deploy a range of advanced transferable skills in research, communication, IT, digital technology, self-management and group working, which can be utilized to inform planning, decision-making and problem solving for public, private and third sector employers.
58	5.b.ii. Programme Learning Outcomes - Postgraduate Diploma Please provide four to six statements outlining what a graduate of the Postgraduate Diploma programme will be able to do. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
59	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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66	5.b.iii. Programme Learning Outcomes - Postgraduate Certificate Please provide four to six statements outlining what a graduate of the Postgraduate Certificate programme will be able to do. Taken together, these outcomes should capture the distinctive features of the programme. They should also be outcomes for which progressive achievement through the course of the programme can be articulated, and which will therefore be reflected in the design of the whole programme.
67	PLO	On successful completion of the programme, graduates will be able to:
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74	5.c. Explanation of the choice of Programme Learning Outcomes Please explain your rationale for choosing these PLOs in a statement that can be used for students (such as in a student handbook). Please include brief reference to:
75	i) ... in what way will these PLOs result in an ambitious, challenging programme which stretches the students?
76	The PLOs for this programme have been designed to ensure that students undertake an ambitious programme of study that challenges and expands their knowledge. The theoretical and methodological content of the programme has been designed to enable students to gain an advanced understanding of academic criminology and the criminal justice systems of contemporary societies. Students’ knowledge is stretched across a number of modules in which they are enabled to develop a systematic understanding of a number of key issues relating to crime and its control. In the dissertation module, students are significantly stretched when they are required to apply the knowledge they have gained from the taught modules in order to execute and produce a major piece of criminological research. Students are also equipped with a range of practical and transferable skills to enable them to enter a range of careers in criminal justice and related fields.
77	ii) ... in what way will these PLOs produce a programme which is distinctive and advantageous to the student?
78	The programme is distinctive because it combines bespoke taught modules in criminology with advanced training in social research methods. These taught aspects of the programme are designed to enable students to develop an advanced comprehension of crime and criminal justice and the practical skills to undertake high-quality research in these areas. This is advantageous to students who either wish to progress into crime-related fields of work, or further study. As such they are equipped with key knowledge and a range of diverse transferable skills that can be practically applied to academia, or private, public and voluntary sector employers.
79	iii) ... how the design of the programme enables students from diverse entry routes to transition successfully into the programme? For example, how does the organisation of the programme ensure solid foundations in disciplinary knowledge and understanding of conventions, language skills, mathematics and statistics skills, writing skills, lab skills, academic integrity
80	The programme is designed to ensure that students gain a solid understanding of the fundamental elements of academic criminology and research practice. It is recognized that students on the programme come from diverse entry routes and the programme has been designed to support them in transitioning successfully. This is achieved initially through a specialist induction training session with the programme leader. Students are guided through the course and also asked to introduce themselves and interests. In this session students will be given a detailed course overview and also have the opportunity to engage within a Q & A with the programme lead. The VLE site provides core texts and materials that students are encouraged to engage with which will help them familiarize or refresh their understanding of key criminological concepts and approaches. Students also have a session with the library services to enable them to gain confidence using and making most of the facilities available. Furthermore, support training includes a language course (for those whose first language is not English) and a plagiarism awareness module which all students must complete. Across the taught criminology-focused modules, seminar-based class discussions and peer-supported presentations are designed to support all students in engaging with diverse materials relating to criminological theory and criminal justice practice. Research methods modules are designed to include support for students with different levels of prior knowledge and understanding to successfully progress. Such support includes For Qualitative Methods, such support includes a two-hour interactive, introductory session in which students are encouraged to: i) discuss and reflect on what skills, experience, and pre-existing assumptions they bring to the module; ii) make proactive efforts to learn from each other over the course of the module; iii) make connections between the module and their specific learning goals. Academic integrity is supported by a mandatory online tutorial taken by all students to familiarize them with information explaining what is academic integrity and misconduct, as well as what is expected from the students. There are multiple avenues for students to check their work for plagiarism or misconduct, including the Turnitin program on the VLE.
81	iv) ... how the programme is designed to enable students to progress successfully - in a limited time frame - through to the end of the award? For example, the development of higher level research skills; enabling students to complete an independent study module; developing competence and confidence in practical skills/ professional skills. See QAA masters characteristics doument http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf
82	The programme is designed to ensure that students are best able to progress across the modules successfully through the acquisition of required knowledge, competencies and skills. The teaching on each taught module – which involves, lectures, seminar discussions, student presentations – is designed to ensure that students are fully equipped with the knowledge and skills required to undertake the summative assessments. In the dissertation module, students are supported by a dissertation supervisor throughout the course of their research to ensure that they are able to successfully complete this aspect of the programme. Students are allocated a personal supervisor to support them throughout the duration of the programme which provides them with a permanent point-of-contact through which they can address any problems or issues. In addition to this teaching has been designed to ensure that students are fully supported and equipped with a range of employability skills, including communication skills, engagement with digital technologies, interpersonal skills, time management, group work and critical thinking, all of which feature heavily across the programme through lectures, workshops, the dissertation, seminars and independent study.
83	v) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will develop students’ digital literacy skills and how technology-enhanced learning will be used to support active student learning through peer/tutor interaction, collaboration and formative (self) assessment opportunities (reference could be made to such as blogging, flipped classrooms, response 'clickers' in lectures, simulations, etc).
84	Many of the course modules, including Qualitative Methods, Quantitative Methods and Advanced Methods courses cover many examples in the classroom where digital literacy is taught. For example, - Students are trained in the use of computer-assisted qualitative data analysis (using the software package, NVivo), through two two-hour hands-on sessions in the computer lab. - They have a session on using online qualitative data archives as a basis for addressing appropriate research questions. - As part of their assessment portfolio, they are required to deliver a 10-minute presentation, using powerpoint slides. -A formative assessment in the form of an online digital self-test quiz
85	vi) ... how this programme (as outlined in these PLOs) will support and enhance the students’ employability (for example, opportunities for students to apply their learning in a real world setting)? The programme's employability objectives should be informed by the University's Employability Strategy:
86	http://www.york.ac.uk/about/departments/support-and-admin/careers/staff/
87	The programme is designed to support and enhance student employability in a number of ways. First, the advanced knowledge that students gain of academic criminology and criminal justice systems equips them with knowledge that is relevant to a wide range of crime and criminal justice related employment. Second, the advanced skills and competencies gained through research methods modules provides students with a suit of skills and competencies transferable across a range of research-focused employment. Third, the dissertation modules enables students to research “real life” issues/events and to offer practical solutions to these, thus demonstrating to employers the practical skills gained on the programme. Fourth, all modules encourage the development of a range of communication and presentation skills that are transferable to employment in the public, private and third sectors. Anticipated destinations of students on this programme include, youth justice, the police and prison system, probation service, victim support, social work and policy, crime prevention and other statutory, private and voluntary sector agencies.
88	vii) Consultation with Careers The progamme proposal should be discussed with Careers (tom.banham@york.ac.uk, ext. 2686) Please provide details of Careers' comments and your response.
89	The programme proposal has been discussed in consultation with Kelly McDonald (Faculty Employability Manager, Social Sciences). Currently York careers has partnerships with local providers in criminal justice related fields, including probation services and policymakers (i.e Rowntree Foundation). An important partnership with North Yorkshire Police has been established, which currently offers a 1 year placement for UG students. We felt it would be useful to think about making this partnership accessbile for PG students (i.e. a shorter placement, an event, a presentation). This has potential to be creative, and one key idea discussed was the possibility of inviting NYP to set a project for PG students on the module Critical Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System (which covers policing across a number of sessions, therefore this activity would link in well with the aims of the module). Students would present their project to NYP and get feedback from them. Other ideas discussed was the possibility of putting on an event to introduce PG students to employers in criminal justice. We also felt it would be useful to reach out to more providers and build up a bank of contacts with criminal justice services which our students could go onto utlize and engage with.
90	viii) ... how learning and teaching on the programme are informed and led by research in the department/ Centre/ University?
91	Research-led teaching is central to this programme as a way to enable and enhance effective student learning. Students have the opportunity to engage first hand with cutting edge criminological research in the department, particularly on the modules Law and Social Control, and Critical Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System. The established research of Professor Paul Johnson (convenor of Law and Social Control) features strongly in sessions on Human rights law, the legal regulation of intimate life, and governmentality of the body. Similarly conceptual insights and research conducted by Dr Ruth Penfold Mounce features in a session on 'death and dead in the criminal justice system' for Critical Perspectives on the Criminal Justice System. Each aspect of the programme is therefore designed and delivered by leading experts in relevant fields. Research led teaching also feeds into the methods modules, which are delivered by a range of staff working in quantitative and qualitative methodologies spanning from SPSS, linear and logistic regression, and ANOVA, to ethnography, discourse analysis and conversation analysis. This programme thus ensures that its design and delivery is research-led at every possible level.
92	5.d. Progression For masters programmes where students do not incrementally 'progress' on the completion of a discrete Postgraduate Certificate and Postgraduate Diploma, please summarise students’ progressive development towards the achievement of the PLOs, in terms of the characteristics that you expect students to demonstrate at the end of the set of modules or part thereof. This summary may be particularly helpful to students and the programme team where there is a high proportion of option modules and in circumstances where students registered on a higher award will exit early with a lower one. Note: it is not expected that a position statement is written for each masters PLO, but this can be done if preferred.
93	On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Certificate students will be able to: If the PG Cert is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the diploma/masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
94	Students will need to complete 60 credits to achieve a PGT Certificate. By completing the Certificate, students will be able to: 1. Draw upon and utilize criminological theories to inform social research 2. Critically analyse quantitative and qualitative data 3. Utilize computer software designed to manage quantitative and qualitative data, and apply a range of transferable skills (communication, presentation, interpersonal) developed throughout the programme As a result they will have successfully met learning outcomes 1, 2 and 6
95	On completion of modules sufficient to obtain a Postgraduate Diploma students will be able to: If the PG Diploma is an exit award only please provide information about how students will have progressed towards the masters PLOs. Please include detail of the module diet that students will have to have completed to gain this qualification as an exit award.
96	Students will need to complete 120 credits to achieve a PGT Diploma. By completing the Diploma, students will be able to: 1. Critically analyse criminological theories to inform social research. 2. Critically evaluate a range of methodological approaches. 3. Apply a critical understanding to research on crime. 4. Present a deep awareness of social control. 5. Utilize computer software designed to manage quantitative and qualitative data, and apply a range of transferable skills (communication, presentation, interpersonal) developed throughout the programme. As a result they will have successfully met learning outcomes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 6.
97	6. Reference points and programme regulations
98	6.a. Relevant Quality Assurance Agency benchmark statement(s) and other relevant external reference points Please state relevant reference points consulted (e.g. Framework for Higher Education Qualifications, National Occupational Standards, Subject Benchmark Statements or the requirements of PSRBs): See also Taught Postgraduate Modular Scheme: Framework for Programme Design:
99	https://www.york.ac.uk/media/staffhome/learningandteaching/documents/programmedevelopment/Framework%20for%20Programme%20Design%20-%20PG.pdf
100	http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Masters-Degree-Characteristics-15.pdf