Postgraduate Study - Keele University
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School of Sociology and Criminology

Postgraduate opportunities

Our Masters’ programmes:

MRes Social Science Research Methods (Sociology or Criminology)

MA/MRes Criminology & Criminal Justice

What can the School of Sociology and Criminology offer to prospective postgraduates?

The most important factor in considering postgraduate study might be the research-activity – all staff in the School teach at Masters’ level in their specialist areas so you can be sure you’ll have access to the latest information in your subjects. Staff in the School were entered into the last Research Assessment Exercise, mostly within the Social Policy category, which included our Criminologists and Sociologists – and 65% of research in that category was judged internationally excellent or world-leading (from a submission of 39.5 staff).

Staff are also active empirical researchers, with numerous ESRC grants and seminars held by School staff, as well as other small grants for research.  ESRC funding for projects/seminars has included: Baby Boomers’ consumption patterns, racially motivated violence, prevention of domestic violence in young men, persistent offending at the turn of the 19th/20th century, African migrants in the Gateway City, Motherhood/Markets/Consumption, Regenerating medium-sized cities.  Smaller grants have also been awarded including Marie Curie fellowships, small grants from British Academy, RoSPA, Leverhulme and others.

As part of the Research Institutes, both Sociology and Criminology run active seminar series with visiting external speakers, and internal ‘brown bag’ seminars at which all postgraduates are expected to attend.

The School prides itself on its excellent reputation for teaching and high quality supervision: individual attention is prioritised and well-managed and teaching groups are small and focused.

For those considering a return to study while working, the School offers postgraduate options which are taught in blocks, allowing motivated students to manage their studies alongside work.  This means that individual modules are taught across an intensive week-long period supported by online materials.  This, combined with our attractive campus-based setting in the centre of England, means we can offer our postgraduate taught courses to those wishing to travel from around or outside the UK.

For further details of taught course please visit:

For further information about research degrees please visit the postgraduate pages listed above and/or: