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Master of Laws Criminal Justice with Placement Year

Why choose Herts?

Teaching Excellence: You'll be taught by experts, including practising solicitors and barristers who will train you to work on real-life scenarios at our £10m Law Building inclusive of a full-scale replica Crown Court Room.

Strong Industry Connections: Benefit from our strong relations with law firms such as Slaughter and May, Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, and Clifford Chance. Students attend Law Fairs, employer workshops, and networking events.

Work-Related Learning: Gain client-facing casework experience working in legal services within our award-winning pro-bono Law Clinic providing community-based legal services.

About the course

LLM in Criminal Justice provides knowledge, understanding and critical thinking in the areas of Criminal Justice. It is an ideal course for those who wish to specialise in the areas of Criminal Justice, Criminal Law, and Global Policing. 

Our LLM Criminal Justice offers one compulsory module, Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice and Criminal Law, which is your Pathway Specific Module (only available to LLM in Criminal Justice students within the Programme) plus a compulsory elective where you may choose between Global Policing and Law Enforcement or Crimes of the Powerful.

Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice and Criminal Law will cover contemporary topics such as miscarriage of justice, presumption of innocence, case study analysis for Nulla Poena Sine Lege, cultural defence in criminal law, consent in sexual offences, process of criminalising new offences and decriminalising the existing offences. You will also have a wide range of other modules from the LLM programme to choose between for your optional modules, such as International Humanitarian Law, Medical Law and Ethics, and Family Law, which will help you to expand your areas of interest.   

You’ll have one compulsory module: Contemporary Issues in Criminal justice and Criminal Law as your Pathway Specific module. By studying this module, you will explore and challenge how society, states, case law, policymakers and global trends affect regulating the law and the criminal justice system.  

Modules contain authentic assessments (no exam) helping you to improve transferable skills. The compulsory elective enables you to choose between Global Policing and Law Enforcement or Crimes of the Powerful. To expand your areas of interest, you’ll also have a wide range of other modules from the LLM Programme to choose between for your optional modules, such as International Humanitarian Law, Medical Law and Ethics.  

Expect to graduate with:  

  • Research skills using a range of sources, including verbal questioning 
  • Evaluation skills and the ability to interpret and explain complex information clearly 
  • Analytical skills 
  • Reasoning and critical judgement skills 
  • Ability to formulate sound arguments 
  • Lateral thinking and problem-solving skills 
  • Ability to write concisely 
  • Confident and persuasive oral communication skills 
  • Attention to detail and the ability to draft formal documents with precision

These skills are in demand by employers, align with our graduate attributes outlined by the university and enable students to demonstrate their professional capability in a number of sectors and roles through the competency and strength-based evidence required throughout the interview process. 

You will engage with highly controversial, debatable, and contemporary topics in Criminal Justice by participating in class discussions, debates, case study analysis, and role plays. Module assessments will enable you to improve your interpersonal skills, team working, critical analysis, and problem-solving skills.    

Your dissertation will support you to improve your independent study, research, critical thinking, and presentation skills. Your authentic assessments will allow you to work on real life scenarios and enhance your employability skills. 

Why choose this course?

  • You’ll be taught by experts, including practicing solicitors and barristers, gaining experience of real-life business law scenarios in our £10m Law Building which includes a full-scale replica Crown Court Room. 
  • Criminal Justice is a fast growing and changing area of discipline appreciated by students with background in Law, Criminology, Sociology, Social Work and Psychology. You’ll receive excellent teaching delivery from experts in their fields at Hertfordshire Law School.  
  • Module materials are regularly updated to capture recent developments and case law, providing opportunity to engage with a wide range of cutting-edge resources from a variety of leading scholars. 
  • Hertfordshire Law School offers optional modules allowing you to expand your knowledge and understanding in different areas of Law and Criminal Justice.  
  • In addition to the compulsory and optional modules, the University’s co-curricular programme is specially designed to enhance your skills. 
  • Ongoing pastoral support is available throughout your course. You’ll be involved in an active law society, and participate in a broad range of employability-boosting co-curriculars.  
  • Access to careers and enterprise support for the duration of your degree and 4 years following graduation. 
  • Ranked 3rd for law in the Postgraduate Taught Experience Survey (PTES, 2024).

What will I study?

Hertfordshire Law School follows a blended learning approach with strong emphasis on accessibility and inclusivity. We have a strategic focus around community, inclusivity, diversity of opportunity and employability in line with the University strategic objective (2020-25) of ‘Transforming Lives’ through the three pillars of Offering Opportunity, Building Community and Embracing Flexibility.  You have an extensive range of optional modules available to tailor the course to your own professional goals and preferences.  

We emphasise importance of authentic assessment where students are assessed in a manner designed to replicate aspects of situations and tasks they may face in the workplace. 

The course is digitally enhanced for a blended learning experience making full use of technology and using authentic activities and assessments to ensure students develop skills and understanding required for future careers. 

  • Students with interest in mooting and advocacy gain ‘real life’ experience of litigation in action in our replica Crown Court. 

  • You have one compulsory module: Contemporary Issues in Criminal justice and Criminal Law as your Pathway Specific Module. By studying this module, you’ll explore and challenge how society, states, case law, policymakers and global trends affect regulating the law and the criminal justice system. The module’s authentic assessments (no exam) will support you to improve your transferable skills. You will also study a compulsory elective where you may choose between Global Policing and Law Enforcement or Crimes of the Powerful. In addition, you will also have a wide range of other modules from the LLM Programme to choose between for your optional modules, such as International Humanitarian Law and Medical Law and Ethics which will help you to expand your areas of interest. 

  • You will study two modules during Semester A and two modules in Semester B. Each module will be taught through a two-hour Seminar each week together with a rich blend of online activities. You will also join a Research Methods and Skills seminar every fortnight in your first semester of study to help you develop the academic writing and research skills that you will need for your module coursework and Dissertation. In Semester B and C you will study for your Dissertation with the help of an expert supervisor 

  • Our staff team include active researchers with expertise in Artificial Intelligence, Sustainability, Cybercrime, Medical, Company and Investment Law to name but a few. There may be opportunities available for some students to become aware of and potentially involved in certain local and international research projects and initiatives. 

  • Level 7
    ModuleCreditsCompulsory/optional
    Banking Law30 CreditsOptional
    International Financial Law30 CreditsOptional
    Data Protection Law30 CreditsOptional
    Medical Law and Ethics30 CreditsOptional
    Employment Law30 CreditsOptional
    Legal Risk and Compliance30 CreditsOptional
    Copyright and Artificial Intelligence Law30 CreditsOptional
    Public International Law30 CreditsOptional
    Private International Law30 CreditsOptional
    International Human Rights Law30 CreditsOptional
    Intellectual Property Law30 CreditsOptional
    International Commercial Law30 CreditsOptional
    Introduction to Work Placement0 CreditsCompulsory
    Work Placement60 CreditsCompulsory
    Crimes of the Powerful30 CreditsOptional
    GLOBAL POLICING AND LAW ENFORCEMENT30 CreditsOptional
    Company Law30 CreditsOptional
    Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice and Criminal Law30 CreditsCompulsory
    Research Methods and Skills0 CreditsCompulsory
    LLM Dissertation60 CreditsCompulsory
  • Further course information

    Course fact sheets
    LLM Criminal Justice (Sandwich) with Sandwich Placement Download
    Programme specifications
    LLM Criminal Justice - Extended Download
    Additional information

    Sandwich placement or study abroad year

    Mandatory

    Applications open to international and EU students

    Yes

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