Programme syllabus autumn 2023
Programme syllabus autumn 2023
Title
Criminology, Master's Programme (Two-Year)
Swedish title
Criminology, Master's Programme (Two-Year)
Programme code
SAKRE
Credits
120 credits
Programme establishment date
2009-10-01
Syllabus approval date
2022-08-16
Syllabus valid from
2023-08-28
Decision-making body
Faculty of Health and Society
Entry requirements
Bachelor’s degree with a major in social or behavioural science or medicine and the equivalent of English 6 in Swedish secondary school.
Level
Advanced level
Organisation
The programme is full-time and will lead to a Master’s degree in Criminology upon completion of the course requirements for semesters 1–4 according to the content in the programme syllabus.
Thesis
For Master´s degree (120 credits), the student is required to produce a thesis corresponding to 30 course credits during semester 4.
Examination
Examination takes place individually and in accordance with the description included in the relevant course plan.
Programme contents
Semester 1, autumn 2023
Criminology: Individual characteristics, environment, and crime
KA811E, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Criminology: Criminal Careers and Life Course Perspectives
KA912E, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Criminology, Advanced Research Methodology and statistical analysis
KA913E, 15 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Semester 2, spring 2024
Criminology: Criminological Theory
KA823E, 15 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Criminology: Contemporary Criminology
KA922E, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Criminology: Violence Risk Assessment
KA923E, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Semester 3, autumn 2024
Criminology: Victimology
KA931E, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Criminality and Ill-health
KA821E, 7.5 credits (COMPULSORY)
No main field of study
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Criminology: Crime Prevention and Evaluation Methodology
KA933E, 15 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Semester 4, spring 2025
Criminology: Master´s (Two Year) Thesis
KA942E, 30 credits (COMPULSORY)
Main field of study: Criminology
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Qualitative targets
Intended learning outcomes for a Master’s degree
Chapter 1, Section 9 of the Swedish Higher Education Act (1992:1434).
Education at the second cycle shall involve a deepening of knowledge, skills and abilities beyond the first cycle and shall, in addition to what is required of first cycle education:
- further develop the student’s ability to independently integrate and use knowledge in both English and Swedish;
- develop the student’s ability to deal with complex phenomena, questions and situations, and
- develop the student’s qualifications for professional activities that make substantial demands on the individual’s ability to work independently, or for research and development work.
Intended learning outcomes for a two-year Master’s degree in criminology
Swedish Higher Education Ordinance (1993:100)
Knowledge and understanding
For a Degree of Master in Criminology (120 credits) the student shall:
• demonstrate knowledge and understanding within the field of criminology, including both a broad knowledge of criminology and essential, specialised knowledge and understanding within the field of crime prevention, as well as specialised insight into the work of criminological research and development; and
• demonstrate specialised knowledge of the scientific methods used in criminological research and other areas of social science research.
Competence and skills
For a Degree of Master in Criminology (120 credits) the student shall:
• demonstrate the ability to critically and systematically integrate knowledge and to analyse, assess and deal with complex phenomena, questions and situations within the field of criminology, even on the basis of limited information;
• demonstrate the ability to critically, independently and creatively identify and formulate criminological research questions and to plan and, using appropriate methods, perform and evaluate advanced tasks within a specified time frame, thereby contributing to the development of knowledge;
• demonstrate the ability, both orally and in writing, and in both Swedish and international contexts, to present and discuss their conclusions and the knowledge and arguments on which these are based in dialogue with other interested parties and target groups within the field of criminology; and
• demonstrate the skills required to participate in research and development work or to fulfil another qualified professional role within the field of criminology.
Judgement and approach
For a Degree of Master in Criminology (120 credits) the student shall:
• demonstrate the ability, within the field of criminology, to make assessments taking relevant scientific, social and ethical factors into consideration, as well as an awareness of the ethical aspects of research and development work;
• demonstrate an insight into the potentials and limitations of scholarship, its role in society, and people’s responsibility for how it is used; and
• demonstrate the ability to identify their needs for additional learning and to assume responsibility for developing their knowledge.
Local profile
Criminology at Malmö University has a multidisciplinary foundation and includes a broad range of study objects beyond “crime”, in the form of health-related factors and mental illness in particular. Criminology at Malmö University is furthermore a subject where the individual and societal levels — and thus several different subject areas — are clearly integrated.
The Master’s programme is also characterised by international elements. The programme is thus constructed in a way that will promote the students’ ability to develop a transboundary competence with a major emphasis on multi-disciplinary, multi-professional and international work. The Master’s programme paves the way for improving the competence of existing professions within municipal, county council and state administrations.
The four terms provide top-level expertise in prevention and intervention within the fields of crime, substance abuse and mental illness. The programme prepares different types of professionals for the development and organisation of prevention work. Interventions, irrespective of whether they are preventive, treatment-oriented or rehabilitative, should proceed from a common, knowledge-based policy that is of relevance for practical/clinical work and for organisations aiming to promote health or prevent ill-health. The programme also confronts the need to create better conditions for collaboration in relation to issues of crime, substance abuse and mental health, particularly within the public sector as well as in the field of healthcare provision and the justice system.
The programme manifests an ambition to develop the students’ inter-professional competence. This means that upon completion of the programme, every student will understand the significance of, and be able to demonstrate the capacity to engage in, collaborations with different professions within the field of criminology.
Pedagogical approach
The programme has the objective of integrating different areas of knowledge with theoretical and applied/practical elements. The theoretical studies are intended to ensure that the students develop both a framework of understanding and the analytical tools required for work within the field of criminology.
The point of departure for teaching is that both subsequent studies and future professional activities are based on the students’ ability to independently develop their own knowledge and to collect, work through and critically examine texts and other information. The teaching has the goal of ensuring that students develop these abilities by means of active participation in, and assuming responsibility for, their own knowledge development as well as that of other students.
Degree
Master's Degree (120 credits)
Upon completion of the programme, the degree requirements for a two-year Master’s degree (120 credits) are fulfilled.
Malmö University issues degree certificates upon application.
The Swedish degree certificate specifies either the title Masterexamen i kriminologi. The English translation of the degree certificate specifies the title Master (Two Years/120 credits) of Science in Criminology.
Additional information
Language of instruction: English
In order to start semester four, the student must achieve a passing grade on KA811E, KA913E, KA823E, KA922E and KA923.
A decision to discontinue a programme will result in the programme syllabus ceasing to be valid. However, students will have the opportunity to complete their studies within the nominal period of study (calculated from the last admission to the programme's first semester) and during at least the following two semesters, known as the ’discontinuation period’.
This document is a translation of a Swedish source text.