Organised Crime and Global Security - MA

Program Overview

The Organised Crime and Global Security MA at London Metropolitan University equips students with the skills and knowledge to succeed in the field of organized crime and global security. Through this program, students will acquire a critical understanding of current policies, practices, and issues related to national and international crime control, with a focus on the connections between these aspects and international relations and politics. The program offers optional modules that allow students to specialize in areas of interest, such as international law and order, conflict resolution, and contemporary issues in criminology.

Program Outline

Organised Crime and Global Security - MA

Degree Overview:

The Organised Crime and Global Security MA at London Metropolitan University provides students with the leadership, management, and analytical skills necessary to succeed in the field of organized crime and global security. Through this program, students will acquire a critical understanding of current policies, practices, and issues related to national and international crime control, with a focus on the connections between these aspects and international relations and politics. Additionally, the program offers optional modules that allow students to specialize in areas of interest, such as international law and order, conflict resolution, and contemporary issues in criminology.

Outline:

The Organised Crime and Global Security MA program consists of a total of 180 credits, encompassing 120 credits of taught modules and 60 credits for the dissertation. The program is typically completed over a period of one year for full-time students and two years for part-time students.

Year 1 Modules:

• Criminological Research Methods (20 credits): This module equips students with the essential skills and knowledge required for conducting social research, particularly within the context of criminology.
Students will learn how to design research projects, analyze data using quantitative methods (with an emphasis on SPSS), and effectively present their findings.
• Critical and Justice Issues in Criminology (20 credits): This module delves into key debates in criminology and criminal justice, exploring core theoretical frameworks and contemporary research methods used to understand crime.
Students will then apply this knowledge to critically analyze policy developments within criminal justice responses to crime. Students will examine the factors that threaten human security beyond armed conflict, such as poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation. Additionally, they will explore the impact of human security on the strategies and policies of international organizations and states.
• Organised Crime and Global Security Dissertation (60 credits): This module forms the core of the program, requiring students to undertake an independent and sustained research project on a topic of their choice within the field of organized crime and global security.
The dissertation serves as a culmination of the knowledge and skills acquired throughout the program, demonstrating students' ability to conduct original research and present their findings with a high level of academic rigor.
• Transnational Organised Crime (20 credits): This module provides a comprehensive understanding of transnational organized crime, its social, political, and economic dynamics, and its impact on global security.
Additionally, they will examine the challenges associated with preventing and regulating transnational organized crime.

Optional Modules:

• Beyond the Headlines - Global Crime in Focus (20 credits): This module adopts a student-centered approach to investigate, research, and analyze global crime issues beyond the scope of Western and European media coverage.
Students will conduct independent research on selected issues and present their findings to the class, fostering a deeper understanding of global crime dynamics and their impact on communities worldwide.
• Crime, Risk and Prevention (20 credits): This module explores the complex interplay of factors that contribute to the onset, prevention, and desistance of crime.
Students will examine the role of both formal and informal social controls, including the criminal justice system, families, and local communities, in shaping patterns of offending and victimization. Additionally, they will delve into the relationships between youth offending, victimisation, and crime, focusing on issues such as gangs, drugs, and trafficking.
• Explaining Violence (20 credits): This module takes a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the phenomenon of violence, covering topics such as serious youth violence, murder, football hooliganism, and domestic violence.
Students will explore the causes and consequences of violence in both Western and global contexts, applying relevant theories from criminology and sociology to explain violent behavior.
• Gender, Victimisation and Crime (20 credits): This module examines the intersection of gender, crime, and victimization through the lens of feminist theories.
Students will explore the social, cultural, economic, and political dimensions of gendered crime, including sex trafficking, illegal migration, drug trafficking, sexual violence in war, forced marriage, cybercrime, and gender-based violence. Additionally, they will critically analyze relevant laws and policies and examine the impacts and consequences of gendered crime.
• Modern Slavery, Human Trafficking & Organised Crime (20 credits): This module investigates the contemporary issues of modern slavery, human trafficking, and organized crime from critical and theoretical perspectives.
Students will examine the forms, patterns, and trends of these interconnected phenomena, exploring relevant policies and legislation designed to address them. Additionally, they will explore the complex relationship between these issues and transnational organized crime.
• Terrorism and Radicalisation Studies (20 credits): This module explores the complex relationship between the state and terrorism, considering how the state can be both a perpetrator and a motivating factor behind terrorist acts.
Students will examine the contemporary tactics employed by terrorist organizations and the impact of national and international responses to terrorism. Additionally, they will consider the role of the state as a protector of its citizens and the challenges posed by terrorist activities.
• Wildlife Crime, Security and Conservation (20 credits): This module examines the global問題of wildlife crime and explores the conservation measures used to combat it.
Students will analyze the various types of wildlife crimes, the different conservation approaches, and the convergence of security measures and conservation strategies. Additionally, they will consider the impact of these initiatives on local communities and the role that criminology can play in informing and analyzing their effectiveness.

Assessment:

Assessment methods within the program vary depending on the module. Students can expect to utilize a combination of essays, projects, presentations, and the dissertation to demonstrate their understanding and proficiency in the course material.