University of Oxford

Oxford

Oxford MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice 2022

Hello everyone - saw discussion about this subject scattered amongst last year's thread and this year's overall postgraduate applications and thought I'd bring it together here.
Has anyone else received and/or accepted an offer for the MSc Criminology and Criminal Justice at Oxford yet?

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Reply 1

username5853208

Hello thanks for doing this! Has anyone who got a offer heard about department funding yet? I thought perhaps we’d hear yesterday, but I have not received anything (maybe because I just haven’t been given any though?)

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Reply 2

username5853208

Original post by Chai_Latte

Hey. I pulled out of the application for departmental funding because I have been awarded the ESRC scholarship so I am not sure about that. I would however wait until next week (remember that the 15th and 18th are Bank Holidays) or maybe the week after to enquire about it - they may be taking their time.

How about colleges though? Have you heard anything?

Oh okay interesting, I didn't apply for any ESRC scholarships - though is that only for home/EU students? I'm Australian so there's a lot I'm not eligible for - starting to get pretty worried I won't be able to take up my place because of a lack of funding but will just have to wait and see i guess

I haven't heard about college yet - I didn't put a preference so I wonder if that will make it take longer.

Reply 3

Chai_Latte

Original post by JaneAus

ESRC is for both home and international students, but it covers your (prospective/future) PhD as well. Oxford's is called ESRC Grand Union DTP. The application was to be submitted within the initial deadline and from the portal used to apply for the course.

Fingers crossed that you get your funding!

(edited 2 years ago)

Reply 4

lisayan

Hello hello, thanks for creating this chat! Have you received an offer from your college yet?

Reply 5

paranoidandroidd

Thanks for opening this thread! I got my college offer two weeks back. I have not however heard back from the GSA Crim office after sending them acceptance of my offer and querying whether the English language requirement can be waived. Is there a WhatsApp group for MSc Crim offer-holders?

Reply 6

username5853208

I still haven’t gotten assigned a college. Has anyone heard anything about the Department fee support funding? It was kind of my main hope and I’m not sure whether to give up yet?

Reply 7

paranoidandroidd

Original post by JaneAus

I still haven’t gotten assigned a college. Has anyone heard anything about the Department fee support funding? It was kind of my main hope and I’m not sure whether to give up yet?

I applied for the department fee support as well but have not heard back yet. I understand that all scholarship and funding decisions are made by June, so I guess we will have to wait till then.

Reply 8

username5853208

Original post by paranoidandroidd

I applied for the department fee support as well but have not heard back yet. I understand that all scholarship and funding decisions are made by June, so I guess we will have to wait till then.

Hey - i ended up getting a scholarship in my home country that will almost cover all my course fees - so not stressed now. Has everyone here also applied/gotten an offer from Cambridge? I'm in the very unexpected position of being able to pick now, and really not sure what to do? Any thoughts?

Reply 9

paranoidandroidd

Original post by JaneAus

Congrats on the scholarship and (LLM?) offer from Cambridge! I wasn't able to apply to Cambridge (due to the earlier deadline) but have LLM offers from LSE and Edinburgh. I will be going ahead with Oxford MSc in Crim since I have been involved in research and advocacy on criminal justice reform. So I suppose you should go with the university which offers the modules most in line with your academic interests and career plans?

Reply 10

username5853208

Original post by paranoidandroidd

Thank you! And no its the MPhil in Criminological Research actually, should've specified sorry. So the courses are quite closely aligned, Oxford's has more optional modules available (5 vs 2) and is more law-focused, whereas Cambridge has more of a focus on teaching social sciences research methods and data evaluation and you have to to a slightly larger dissertation and have three extra months to do it over (course actually goes for 12 months - not 9 months). Bit tricky to decide!

Reply 11

Chai_Latte

Original post by JaneAus

Hey there, very glad to hear you received funding, and many congratulations on your Cambridge offer.

I gave that a good thought as well and decided to only apply to Oxford - I consider the academic community and curriculum to suit me slightly better in what I would like to do during/afterwards (drug policy/drug markets/organised crime/public criminology). There are some professors that I especially want to get in touch with, such as Ian Loader for Public Criminology and many more that I came across in readings throughout my undergraduate years.

Although not significant, I like the collegiate system more at Oxford and also think that course information is easier to find and more clear on their webpages.

Needless to say both Oxford and Cambridge are the amongst the very best in the world for Criminology and as universities as a whole, so it is down to what you think might work slightly better for yourself depending on what you want to do during and afterwards, the academics & staff you might want to be near given the particular subjects those academics specialise in.

If after carefully considering those above (and the other variables you consider important) you are still unsure, then I would go for the 'gut felling' - e.g. would you rather like to hear your name as studying/having graduated from Cambridge or from Oxford - as factually both are the very best you can choose from, but your 'gut feeling' might resonate better with one of them.

Apologies for the lengthy text, but I hope it will be of some help.

(edited 1 year ago)

Reply 12

username5853208

Anyone heard anything about departmental funding/bursaries yet? Starting to wonder if I should assume I've been unsuccessful

Reply 13

paranoidandroidd

I haven't heard anything either. Have you heard anything at all/ been able to reach the GSA? They have not responded to any of my emails, and I was also unable to reach them over the phone.

Reply 14

username5853208

Hey yes exactly the same! I've sent three emails over the last month or two and none have been replied to

Reply 15

lisayan

I haven't heard much in general from Oxford, starting to get a bit worried I've somehow missed a deadline or something and given my place to someone else because it's been such radio silence. Have you guys received a college offer yet?

Reply 16

username5853208

Original post by lisayan

I haven't gotten college placement either!! And yes I completely am in the same boat - but I think it is just a criminology department admin issue though. It's hard because I'm waiting to make my final decision about Oxford or Cambridge until I've heard about my college placement and I've excluded the possibility of any extra funding from either. So the delay from Oxford is making things difficult....

Reply 17

lisayan

Original post by JaneAus

That's a relief to hear, although I'm sorry we're both in this place of uncertainty ... Must just be the department, then.
I can imagine it's hard to make a final decision, as college placement can have a significant influence on the choice. Which college have you received an offer from at Cambridge? I got St. Catharine's, and it actually made me quite torn between Oxford and Cambridge as well, as it seems like a lovely college.

Reply 18

username5853208

Original post by lisayan

It does make a difference to the choice doesn't it! Even though I know that technically it shouldn't and that the faculty/research interests etc should be the main/only factor I suppose! I am in Pembroke at Cambridge, which seems really great, so yes I do want to hear about my Oxford college before making the decision.