PhD Criminology
ApplyResearch opportunities
Established in 2016 by the Department of Social Work & Social Policy, this award offers students the opportunity to study for a PhD under the supervision of internationally-leading experts from across the University of Strathclyde but primarily located within the Department of Social Work & Social Policy and the Law School.
Current Criminology expertise across the Faculty relates to a broad range of areas in two schools:
Department of Social Work & Social Policy:
- youth and criminal justice social work
- probation
- vulnerable offenders
- mental health
- learning disability
- capacity and adult protection
- human rights
- gender, crime and interpersonal violence
- risk assessment and the management of high-risk offenders
- international prisons, international penal policy and the sociology of prisons
- public health in a penal context
- mental health justice, learning disability and adult protection
- child protection
- employment and employability in prisons and communities
- public management and co-production in carceral and community justice
Law School:
- criminalisation
- criminal process & policy-making
- punishment & sentencing
- risk assessment & management
- desistance from crime
- homicide; prisons & release
- prosecution & defence work
- judiciary; security – policing - counter-terrorism
- children’s hearings
- youth justice
- human rights
- gender
- sex work
- technology, risk & crime
- therapeutic jurisprudence
- transitional justice
- environmental crime & justice
The Place of Useful Learning
UK University of the Year
Daily Mail University of the Year Awards 2026
Scottish University of the Year
The Sunday Times' Good University Guide 2026
Fees & funding
All fees quoted are per academic year unless otherwise stated.
Entrants may be subject to a small fee during the writing up period.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually.
The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year. This cap will apply to fees from 2026/27 onwards, which will not increase by more than 10% from the previous year for continuing students.
| Scotland | £4,786 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £4,786 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £18,050 |
| Funding | Take a look at our funding your postgraduate research web page for funding information. You can also view our scholarships search for further funding opportunities. |
| Postgraduate research opportunities | Search for all funded and non-funded postgraduate research opportunities. |
| Additional costs | International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year.
Supervisors
Criminal & social justice
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Law, crime & justice
| Name | Areas of Expertise |
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| Louise Brangan |
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Our research
Research Centres
The Department of Social Work & Social Policy is the University of Strathclyde’s lead partner in the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research (SCCJR), which is a cross-institutional criminology research centre between the Universities of Strathclyde, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Stirling, and we work closely with the Centre for Youth and Criminal Justice Research (CYCJ). The Department of Social Work & Social Policy, in addition, hosts the research cluster Criminal and Social Justice. The Law School also hosts relevant centres: the Centre for Law, Crime and Justice and the Centre for the Study of Human Rights Law.
Research areas
In the Department of Social Work & Social Policy, expertise includes:
- criminology and critical criminology
- sociology and social theory
- social work and activism
- social policy and governance
- youth justice
We have strong links with the Scottish Government, the Scottish Prison Service, Criminal and Youth Justice Social Work Services, related voluntary sector, industry partners and penal reform organisations around the world.
In the Law School, expertise includes:
- law
- criminal law
- youth justice
- criminal justice
- inter-disciplinary between law, economics, politics, geography, human rights, history, sociology, social work, psychology and computer and information science
International students
We've a thriving international community with students coming here to study from over 140 countries across the world. Find out all you need to know about studying in Glasgow at Strathclyde and hear from students about their experiences.
Postgraduate research at the Strathclyde Doctoral School
The Strathclyde Doctoral School offers a vibrant, student-centred research and training environment, dedicated to supporting both current and future research talent.
Bringing together all four of our faculties, it is committed to enhancing the student experience, increasing research outputs and opportunities, and ensuring that training is delivered at the highest standard.
As a postgraduate researcher, you will automatically become a member of the Strathclyde Doctoral School.
Support & development
The Graduate School
The Graduate School is a friendly and supportive study environment for research students studying subjects within Humanities & Social Sciences.
Our staff will support you through your studies and you'll become part of a community of students who get involved with our workshops, seminars and competitions.
Postgraduate Certificate in Researcher Professional Development (PgCert RPD)
Our PgCert RPD programme aims to ensure you get the most out of your current research activities at Strathclyde and helps you prepare for your future career as a researcher.
We'll help you recognise and develop your transferrable skills that'll have a positive impact on your research, now and in the future.
Careers
The University Careers Service can help you with everything from writing your CV to interview preparation. Take a look at our careers service pages to get more information.
Student support
From financial advice to our IT facilities, we have a wide range of support for all students here at Strathclyde. Get all the information you need at Strathlife.
Apply
The application
During the application you'll be asked for the following:
- your full contact details
- transcripts and certificates of all degrees
- proof of English language proficiency if English isn't your first language
- two references, one of which must be academic
- funding or scholarship information
- research proposal of 1,500 to 2,000 words in length, detailing the subject area and topic to be investigated
By filling these details out as fully as possible, you'll avoid any delay to your application being processed by the University.
Supervisors
You'll need to identify your research supervisor before you finalise your application, preferably as soon as possible. When you've identified a potential supervisor, based on how well your research interests match theirs, drop them an email to introduce yourself. In the email, make sure you attach a draft of your research proposal along with a copy of your CV. Don't worry about how rough your research proposal may be at this stage – you'll have help from the Department of Social Work & Social Policy to refine it.
If your chosen supervisor is available to work with you, they'll confirm this and nominate a potential second supervisor. As soon as a second supervisor is confirmed, an offer of study will be sent to you through Pegasus, our online application system.
When you accept our offer, you'll receive a full offer in writing via the email address you provide.
Accepting an offer
When you've accepted our offer, we'll need you to fulfil any academic, administrative or financial conditions that we ask.
UK or EU students
If you're applying as a UK or EU student, you'll then be issued with your registration documentation.
Start date: Oct 2025 - Sep 2026
Criminology
Start date: Oct 2025 - Sep 2026
Criminology
Start date: Oct 2026 - Sep 2027
Criminology
Start date: Oct 2026 - Sep 2027
Criminology
Start date: Oct 2027 - Sep 2028
Criminology
Start date: Oct 2027 - Sep 2028
Criminology
Contact us
Department of Social Work & Social Policy
Graduate School
Telephone: +44 (0)141 444 8400
Email: hass-postgrad@strath.ac.uk
Fees & funding
All fees quoted are per academic year unless otherwise stated.
Entrants may be subject to a small fee during the writing up period.
Fees may be subject to updates to maintain accuracy. Tuition fees will be notified in your offer letter.
All fees are in £ sterling, unless otherwise stated, and may be subject to revision.
Annual revision of fees
Students on programmes of study of more than one year (or studying standalone modules) should be aware that the majority of fees will increase annually.
The University will take a range of factors into account, including, but not limited to, UK inflation, changes in delivery costs and changes in Scottish and/or UK Government funding. Changes in fees will be published on the University website in October each year for the following year of study and any annual increase will be capped at a maximum of 10% per year. This cap will apply to fees from 2026/27 onwards, which will not increase by more than 10% from the previous year for continuing students.
| Scotland | £5,006 |
|---|---|
| England, Wales & Northern Ireland | £5,006 |
| Republic of Ireland |
If you are an Irish citizen and have been ordinary resident in the Republic of Ireland for the three years prior to the relevant date, and will be coming to Scotland for Educational purposes only, you will meet the criteria of England, Wales & Northern Ireland fee status. For more information and advice on tuition fee status, you can visit the UKCISA - International student advice and guidance - Scotland: fee status webpage. Find out more about the University of Strathclyde's fee assessments process. |
| International | £21,550 |
| Funding | Take a look at our funding your postgraduate research web page for funding information. You can also view our scholarships search for further funding opportunities. |
| Postgraduate research opportunities | Search for all funded and non-funded postgraduate research opportunities. |
| Additional costs | International students may have associated visa and immigration costs. Please see student visa guidance for more information. |
Please note: the fees shown are annual and may be subject to an increase each year.