About

The Criminal Justice Policy programme from London School of Economics and Political Science will provide you with intellectual tools from theory, empirical research, and policy analysis to engage with key issues and debates within criminology and criminal justice. You will also familiarise yourself with the ways in which historical and international comparative perspectives help us understand current trends. The teaching is provided by internationally renowned criminologists in the Departments of Social Policy, Law and Sociology. 

You will consider challenging questions such as the following:

• How can we explain the significant crime drop seen in most Western nations in recent decades?
• What can government or other agencies do to reduce fear of crime?
• Should people go to prison for punishment or as punishment?
• Will reduced government spending on the police lead to an increase in crime?
• How can political economy and cultural analysis account for variations in penal policy across states? 

You will also be able to attend the Mannheim Centre for Criminology’s seminar series and events, which are run in association with the British Society of Criminology Southern Branch. These provide an opportunity to hear about leading scholars’ current research as well as meet informally with speakers, other criminologists, and criminal justice professionals.

Careers

On graduation, most students move into careers in the criminal justice professions, academic or policy research in criminology and criminal justice, and policy work in governments or charities.