Master of Criminology
Leuven, Belgium
DURATION
1 Years
LANGUAGES
English, Dutch
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
Sep 2025
TUITION FEES
EUR 4,591 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* non-EEA fee | 1157 EUR ; EEA fee
Introduction
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.
Register Here.
About the programme
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.
Curriculum
Truncus Communis
- Terrorism, Organized and Corporate Crime
- Criminal Policy and Criminological Theory: International and Comparative Perspective
- Psychology, Law, and Criminal Justice
- International Police and Judicial Cooperation
- Political Crimes and Transitional Justice
- Juvenile Justice and Youth Criminology
- Restorative Justice
Methodology seminar
- Methodology Seminar: Quantitative Research Methods
- Methodology Seminar: Qualitative Research Methods
- Methodology Seminar: Comparative Criminal Justice
Master's Thesis
- Master's Thesis Master of Criminology
Ideal Students
Ideally, you should possess the following attributes:
- A critical-reflective attitude towards the law, community, and crime
- Theoretical knowledge of applied psychology, sociology, and anthropology within the field of crime and the treatment of crime
- Extensive knowledge of basic research methodology; familiarity with specific criminological sources as well as legal, psychological, and sociological sources and the ability to formulate research questions from existing literature and Basic knowledge of (quantitative and qualitative) data collection
- Basic skills of oral and written reporting, especially in a criminology context, in English, that is, and the capacity to understand English texts, seminars, and lectures taught in English.
Admissions
Program delivery
The courses are fully taught in English and also available in Dutch.
Program Tuition Fee
Why study at KU Leuven
What sets us apart as a university?
A highly ranked university
KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. All of KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field. Furthermore, KU Leuven was ranked by Reuters as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.
Research-based education
Education at KU Leuven is research-based, which means students will learn from the same professors who are performing the ground-breaking research you read about in the press. New insights are instantly integrated into classes and students are encouraged to perform their own research. In our FabLab, students can use a number of high-tech machines to create whatever they want – all free of charge.
Affordable tuition fees
Higher education is highly valued in Belgium and therefore subsidised by the government. This allows KU Leuven to keep tuition fees relatively low, which gives you a price/quality ratio very few top-100 universities can match. We take pride in keeping our programmes as accessible as possible to allow the brightest students from around the globe to join our courses.
International student life with respect for diversity
According to Times Higher Education, KU Leuven is in the top 50 of most international universities worldwide with staff and students from over 150 different nationalities. For all our international students, the Pangaea student centre is their home away from home. Our university also strives for diversity and inclusion and wants to work together on a pact for more respect.
Info Sessions
Rankings
KU Leuven is among the best 100 universities in the world according to both Times Higher Education World Rankings and QS World University Rankings. KU Leuven’s disciplines proudly belong to the top 100 of their field. Furthermore, KU Leuven was ranked by Reuters as the most innovative university in Europe in 2016.
Accreditations
Gallery
Career Opportunities
Our graduates stand out as professionals or academics with excellent methodological and critical thinking skills. You will find them working in police departments and in justice, youth care, private companies focusing on security and safety, civil services, and the non-profit sector.
The programme also prepares you for a career in research, national and international policy, or criminal justice and victim assistance. You will be supported by our criminology experts with expertise in the field, in both its theoretical and applied aspects.