Study Criminology PhD at Birkbeck, University of London in the UK, Birkbeck, University of London
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What will I learn?

An MPhil/PhD is an advanced postgraduate research degree that requires original research and the submission of a substantial dissertation of 60,000 to 100,000 words. At Birkbeck, you are initially registered on an MPhil and you upgrade to a PhD after satisfactory progress in the first or second year. Find out more about undertaking a research degree at Birkbeck. Birkbeck has a rich tradition of rigorous, socially engaged research into critical criminology and criminal justice scholarship and is a hub for this research. We are home to the renowned Institute for Crime and Justice Policy Research, a world-leading, influential research centre that undertakes a wide range of work on justice, including the production of the World Prison Brief. MPhil/PhD Criminology students benefit from the supervision of internationally renowned experts and secondary supervisors, and programmes in criminology theory and research. Our academic staff understand crime through research on power and inequality, and are led by principles of social and racial justice. We focus on contemporary social and policy problems, from prison abolition, migration and deportation, and social welfare, to gendered violence, terrorism and drugs. Our work covers a range of themes, from punishment, policing, security and surveillance to organised, corporate and state crime. We contribute to contemporary debates using different theoretical approaches including political economy, psychosocial, feminist, critical race and queer theory. For further information about staff expertise and areas of supervision, please see our academic staff profiles. You may contact academic staff direct for support with an application to the MPhil/PhD programme, prior to formal submission.

Which department am I in?

Birkbeck, University of London

Study options

Full Time (4 Years)

Tuition fees
£15,570.00 (US$ 20,108) per year
This is a provisional fee yet to be approved

*Price shown is for indicative purposes, please check with institution

Start date

October 2026

Venue

Bloomsbury (Central London) Campus

Malet Street,

London,

England,

WC1E 7HX, Southern England, United Kingdom

Entry requirements

For international students

Good honours degree in law or a related discipline from the humanities or social sciences.

*There may be different IELTS requirements depending on your chosen course.

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About Birkbeck

The university boasts one of the most diverse student bodies of any UK university, with over 1,000 international students from 150 countries.

  • More than 1,000 international students from 150 countries
  • Graduate salaries among the highest in the UK
  • Central London location
  • Part of the prestigious University of London

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