MPhil Criminology

Aberystwyth is a university with a welcoming culture, and a thriving, vibrant research community. We’ve been named Welsh University of the Year 2020, have produced ground-breaking research, and we’re situated on the beautiful West Coast of Wales, so you’ll be studying in a location like no other! Our Law School was founded in 1901, and we have an extensive, distinctive and varied experience of legal and criminological education and academic work.

The Department of Law and Criminology offers a Masters of Philosophy (MPhil) in Criminology. An MPhil is like a smaller version of a PhD (although no less challenging!). It is an advanced research-based postgraduate qualification, where you research and write a 60,000 word thesis over 2 years. Similarly to a PhD, you’ll have the opportunity to pursue an area of interest under the guidance of their supervisor, and you’ll still undertake the viva voce exam (where you verbally defend your thesis); but an MPhil involves conducting less in-depth analysis than a PhD does. The academic standard expected is the same, however. You still conduct an original piece of research, and develop skills which are transferable within and outside of academia.

Overview

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.

Employability

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.