12 monthsProgramme duration
5,613 EURTuition Fee/year
01 Jun, 2026Application Deadline
SepStarting Month
Programme overview
Main Subject
Criminology
Degree
MSc
Study Level
Masters
Study Mode
On Campus
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The Master of Criminology is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of crime, public response to crime and, specifically, criminal justice in Europe and beyond. The programme focuses recent developments in criminological theory and their implications for national and international policy-making.
General subjects include criminological theories and models of law enforcement, psychology, law and criminal justice, youth criminology and juvenile justice, and research methods. The programme also offers cutting-edge courses on international police and judicial cooperation, political crimes and transitional justice, restorative justice, terrorism, and organised and corporate crime – research fields in which our Leuven Institute of Criminology professors are internationally renowned experts.
Our programme is characterised by a strong link between education and research, an explicitly international orientation, and a comparative approach. You will write a master's thesis in the research area of your choice. Furthermore, the programme will improve your critical reflective methodological skills and attitude to enable autonomous, constructive, and high-quality research and contributions to the field.
Programme overview
Main Subject
Criminology
Degree
MSc
Study Level
Masters
Study Mode
On Campus
Get in touch: join KU Leuven’s Webinars
Discover all that KU Leuven has to offer via one of KU Leuven’s Webinars about KU Leuven, admissions & applying, housing, and more.
The Master of Criminology is designed to provide students with an advanced understanding of crime, public response to crime and, specifically, criminal justice in Europe and beyond. The programme focuses recent developments in criminological theory and their implications for national and international policy-making.
General subjects include criminological theories and models of law enforcement, psychology, law and criminal justice, youth criminology and juvenile justice, and research methods. The programme also offers cutting-edge courses on international police and judicial cooperation, political crimes and transitional justice, restorative justice, terrorism, and organised and corporate crime – research fields in which our Leuven Institute of Criminology professors are internationally renowned experts.
Our programme is characterised by a strong link between education and research, an explicitly international orientation, and a comparative approach. You will write a master's thesis in the research area of your choice. Furthermore, the programme will improve your critical reflective methodological skills and attitude to enable autonomous, constructive, and high-quality research and contributions to the field.
Brochures
Admission Requirements
Diploma requirements:Bachelor of Criminology
Language requirements: Applicants who have obtained a previous diploma (secondary or higher education) taught in English in Australia, English-speaking Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States of America are deemed to have fulfilled the language requirements.
Additional information
After having graduated in the preparatory programme (24 credits)
The applicant for the preparatory programme must hold a Belgian academic bachelor or master degree in Humanities, or hold a foreign bachelor or master degree equivalent to a degree in Political and Social sciences, Communication Sciences, Law, Psychology and Educational Sciences. Holders of other academic bachelor and master degrees could exceptionally be admitted.
The applicant must prove:
- having had a basic training in criminal law and criminal procedure (either regional, European or international). Applicants who didn’t already obtain a basic training in criminal law and criminal procedure, can take either the course C06B8A ‘European Criminal Law, including Discussion Sessions’ (first term) or (preferably) C09B9B ‘International Criminal Law’ (second term). Students who are interested in one of these courses should contact the faculty via [email protected] after admission.
- having had sufficient methodology training (for at least 22 ECTS) in the field of setting up a scientific research, especially concerning research design, data collection, data analysis, reporting research and statistics.
After having graduated in the "voorbereidingsprogramma" (fully taught in Dutch) (40 credits)
Holders of:
- Academic bachelor degree in Psychology
- Academic bachelor degree in Educational (Pedagogy) Sciences
- Academic bachelor degree in Political Sciences
- Academic bachelor degree in Social Sciences
- Academic bachelor degree in Communication
- Master degree in Psychology
- Master degree in Educational (Pedagogy) Sciences
- Master degree in Political Sciences
- Master degree in Social Sciences
- Master degree in Communication
After having graduated in the "voorbereidingsprogramma" (fully taught in Dutch) (47 credits)
Holders of:
- Academic bachelor degree in Law
- Master degree in Law
After having graduated in the "voorbereidingsprogramma" (fully taught in Dutch) (63 credits)
Holders of an academic bachelor or master
After having graduated in the 'verkorte bachelor in de criminologische wetenschappen' (language of instruction: Dutch) (130 credits)
Holders of:
- Academic bachelor degree in Communication
- Academic bachelor degree in Educational (Pedagogy) Sciences
- Academic bachelor degree in Political Sciences
- Academic bachelor degree in Social Sciences
- Academic bachelor degree in Law
- All academic and professional bachelor degrees
Students who have obtained their bachelor's degree at the Université Saint-Louis Bruxelles with the specialisation "Majeure bilingue français-néerlandais" or "Majeure bilingue français-néerlandais, 3e langue: anglais" are deemed to have fulfilled the language requirements for starting the programme.
Tuition fees
International
Scholarships
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