Course details

Summary

Learn how to manage real-world crime issues and develop analytical and creative methods to improve security in an ever-changing society.

Want to make a real difference to society? With the Master of Security and Crime Science, you will develop the skills required to become a leader in the security, intelligence and crime-prevention areas in the public and private sectors.

You will combine skills from different disciplines such as Statistics, Computer Science, Geographic Information Systems, Population Studies, Psychology and Management. You'll develop analytical and creative methods to tackle real-world crime, and improve security in an ever-changing society.

This degree will provide a pathway to a career in policy development, crime or accident detection and analysis in both the public and private sectors. The skills you gain from the degree will enable you to promote and enhance security and community safety.

The compulsory papers for the Master of Security and Crime Science degree are ISCS501, ISCS502, IRSST505, MAOR518, PSYC544 and the 60 point dissertation ISCS592.

Students enrolled in a 180 point Master of Security and Crime Science will take the compulsory papers and another 45 points of papers.

Learn from the experts

The Master of Security and Crime Science is the first of its kind in New Zealand and the Asia Pacific region, lead by the New Zealand Institute for Security and Crime Science (NZISCS). The Institute is the primary research partner for the New Zealand Police, and a partner at the Evidence Based Policing Centre in Wellington. Papers and research topics will be delivered by world-leading researchers in psychology, statistics, artificial intelligence including machine learning, cyber security, political science, economics, management, law, education, 毛利 and indigenous development, and demographic research.

Develop real-world solutions

In collaboration with the New Zealand Police, students and researchers investigated drug abuse intervention, developed software to help police monitor offenders on bail, invented new methods to research burglary offences, researched sex abuse attitudes amongst school age children, and optimised traffic patrolling. The Masters degree requires students to investigate and tackle real security and crime problems in collaboration with public and private partners.

Career opportunities

• Policy development for social agencies
• Intelligence analyst (eg for MPI, National or International Police forces)
• Traffic accident analyst
• Security enhancement engineer
• Senior law enforcement officer
• Social investment expert
• Senior policy adviser
• Crime data scientist
• Analyst specialising in emerging, organised or cyber crime
• Counter-terrorism analyst

Entry criteria

For admission in the MSCS, students will need to have completed a relevant bachelor's degree or postgraduate diploma with at least a B+ or higher in their final year majoring papers.

English language requirements:

IELTS - 6.5 overall (no less than 6.0 in writing); iBT (internet based TOFEL) - 90 with a score of 22 in writing; Pearson PTE Academic- 65 with English language requirements no less than 58 for each communicative skill; From Waikato Pathways College - Successful completion of Level 8 with a B grade average in the Certificate of Attainment in Academic (CAAE) programme.