Graduate School

Criminal and Justice Studies overview

The Institute of Criminal Justice Studies (ICJS) was founded in 1992 and has since become one of the UK's leading centres for research in criminology, criminal justice and police studies.

We are the largest university criminology department in the UK with almost 50 academic staff, drawing together expertise in a wide range of areas such as criminological analysis, applied psychology, police governance and management, victimology, miscarriage of justice, youth justice, penology, risk, security and international and comparative criminal justice.

You will be supervised by experts in their field who are strongly committed to the Institute's educational and research mission. Our researchers work to enhance and develop knowledge and understanding in the broad field of criminal justice and criminological studies. We are passionate about the development of human rights, equal opportunities, integrity and fair treatment in criminal justice and related areas. In our research, we strive to promote the interests of disadvantaged and discriminated communities by and within the criminal justice system as well as promoting the development of professionalism with criminal justice and related agencies.

For more information about how to apply please contact the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences using the Contact us page.

If you have any questions about studying for a research degree at the University of Portsmouth, please complete our enquiry form.

Key Facts

Academic staff: 50, please see link to staff list webpage.

Postgraduate research students: 15. The Institute has an extensive record of supervision of postgraduate research students. We welcome applicants wishing to undertake doctoral research and Professional Doctorates in the form of the Doctorate in Criminal Justice (D.Crim.J).

Internal links: The Institute is located in the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. We have close links with the Centre for European Studies and International Research (CEISR), the Department of Psychology's International Centre for Research in Forensic Psychology and the Portsmouth Business School.

External links: The Institute has strong links with relevant external organisations, such as the Metropolitan Police Service,the Counter Fraud Professional Accreditation Board, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, the Knowledge Exchange (in partnership with University of Central Lancashire) and theNHS Security Management Professional Accreditation Board.

Resources

Our postgraduate research students have full access to University, Faculty and Departmental facilities, including the University Library facilities. We have a well-equipped computer laboratory with a wide range of statistical packages and qualitative data analysis software.  All the Faculty's full time postgraduate research students (pooled hot desk for part time students) are based at the Postgraduate Research Centre in Park Building, where they are allocated a desk with computer and printing facilities.

Our postgraduate research students take part in our regular research seminars and we hold an annual 'Postgraduate study half-day', where our students have the opportunity to present their research in progress to their peers as well as to academic staff from across the Faculty, and receive feedback on it. The Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences also provides many teaching opportunities to support the development of our students as future academics.

We are especially proud of our Forensic House. This is a one-bedroom house with adjacent waste land and a van parked nearby. Our researchers and students use it to analyse staged crime scenes and gain insight into the gathering of crime scene evidence. Our students re-enact crimes including domestic violence and murder, as well as cyber crimes such as identity theft. CCTV cameras are installed in the bedroom, sitting room and kitchen to film students at work for later review with supervisors.

Research Centres

The Centre for Counter Fraud Studies (CCFS)
The Centre was founded in 2009 to accommodate the growing interest in counter fraud that has occurred within the Institute over the last ten years, providing a clear focus for research, knowledge transfer and educational provision to the counter fraud community.

Centre for European Studies and International Research (CEISR)
The Centre for European and International Studies Research (CEISR) is a major interdisciplinary centre for research on Europe, its diasporas and its relations with the wider world. CEISR was established in 1997 and is now the largest centre of its kind in the UK. It brings together over 70 researchers from across the University including linguists, historians, sociologists, political scientists, criminologists, security experts, anthropologists and specialists in area studies.

Research Areas

Crime, Community and Social Justice

Our researchers in Crime, Community and Social Justice are working and providing excellent supervision in fields such as: Police reform; Private security industry; Public protection; Governance of security; Justice for victims; Race, diversity and policing; Children in trouble; Neighbourhood policing; Community safety; Transnational commercial security; Mentally disordered offenders.

Crime, Investigation and Forensics

If your interest lies in the above areas, our researchers work and offer high quality supervision in fields such as: Role of forensic science in the courtroom; Vulnerable witnesses and victims; Investigative interviewing and eye-witness testimony; Hate crimes; Miscarriages of justice; Countering fraud; Gun crime; Criminal justice statistics; Psychology and crime; Criminal justice in the Netherlands; Crime and criminal justice in Japan.