Criminology

Why study for an MPhil and not a PhD?

There are a number of reasons why you should study an MPhil over a PhD. One advantage of studying for an MPhil is that it gives you a taster of a PhD, without the 4 year commitment. An MPhil is shorter than a PhD, so you can complete your research and obtain a qualification for doing so in a relatively short period of time. It can also act as a stepping stone into a PhD. Subject to approval by the Department, you can develop your MPhil in to a PhD programme.

Duration:

Students are registered and pay fees for 1 year full time (September to September), 2 years part time, and have an additional writing up year after their registration period has finished.

Contact Time:

During your MPhil you’ll be assigned 2 supervisors: a primary supervisor, and a secondary supervisor.  During term-time you will normally meet with your primary supervisor every 2 weeks, hourly (or less, depending on how long you need). The frequency and duration of the meetings is likely to vary depending on the stage of research and writing you’re at.

Much like our PhD students, MPhil students are also encouraged to take advantage of the Aberystwyth Researcher Development Programme, where they can benefit from a host of research training modules and workshops. These are designed to not only help you over the course of your MPhil, but to also provide you with skills to help you beyond academia.

Assessment:

The completed thesis will be assessed via an oral examination.

Entry Requirements:

Good Undergraduate degree 2.1 (UK) (or above) equating to a mark of 60.0 or above. European and International applicants can find their grade equivalence on our comparability page.

We welcome applicants from a variety of backgrounds. For those who are not graduates, we will consider other experience which gives an equivalent basis for entry. However, they must satisfy the University that they are of the required academic standard to pursue postgraduate study.

English Language Requirements:

If you have a Bachelor’s degree from a UK University, you do not need to take an English proficiency test. Non-native English speakers who do not meet this requirement must take a University-recognised test of academic English language proficiency. For further information please see our English Language requirements page: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/apply/english-language/

Course Fees:

Tuition fees vary for Home and International Students. Please see the tuition fee pages for current tuition fees. Please note that all fees are subject to an annual increase.

Funding:

Funding opportunities may be available. Please check our funding calculator by following this link: https://www.aber.ac.uk/en/postgrad/fees-finance/calculator/

A PhD doesn’t necessarily have to mean a career in academia. Whether you want to continue in academia or otherwise, the Graduate School is here to support you every step of the way. Careers consultations are available for postgraduate students every Tuesday morning, during term time in the Postgraduate Centre. Workshops which focus upon enhancing your employability within and outside of academia are also run as part of the Aberystwyth Researcher Development Programme.

The Department runs internal seminars and conferences, which we encourage our postgraduate research students to partake in, to develop their speaking and networking skills. Students are also encouraged to take advantage of our conference fund to attend conferences outside of the university. Past students have taken advantage of this to deliver presentations to the British Society of Criminology Postgraduate Conference, and the Socio-Legal Students Postgraduate Conference.

Career Opportunities

Postgraduate study in Criminology at Aberystwyth University provides students with a requisite knowledge and skill set suitable for a wide variety of careers. Students acquire a wide range of transferable skills such as the ability research independently, to think analytically and critically about complex issues, to problem solve, to engage effectively in argument and debate, to analyse qualitative and quantitative data and to write clearly and concisely.  

Graduates from the Department of Law and Criminology are engaged in academic and criminological research all over the world, and many have embarked on careers in the legal profession or in organisations working within the prison, police, probation, or social service sectors. Other former students now hold positions in government and voluntary service organisations.

During your MPhil you’ll be assigned 2 supervisors: a primary supervisor, and a secondary supervisor. During term-time you will normally meet with your primary supervisor every 2 weeks, hourly (or less, depending on how long you need). The frequency and duration of the meetings is likely to vary depending on the stage of research and writing you’re at.

Much like our PhD students, MPhil students are also encouraged to take advantage of the Aberystwyth Researcher Development Programme, where they can benefit from a host of research training modules and workshops. These are designed to not only help you over the course of your MPhil, but to also provide you with skills to help you beyond academia.

The completed thesis will be assessed via an oral examination.