MSc Rural and Environmental Crime and Policing

Why study this subject?

With growing public awareness and concern about rural and environmental crime, and how to mitigate it, there is increasing demand for specialist practitioners in this field.

Whether your interest is in an enforcement or compliance capacity, a master’s degree in rural and environmental crime and policing will equip you with the skills and insights to help you prevent this multi-faceted form of offending and to tackle it when it happens.

This exciting course will give you the opportunity to take a deeper look at all types of rural and environmental crime, from theft from farms and hare coursing, through to modern slavery and organised crime in the rural setting, to heritage crime and environmental offences such as fly-tipping or wildlife crime. You’ll consider the causes and context of such offending and the explanations offered by rural and green criminologies alongside the legislation in place to deal with it. Unlike courses which focus primarily on the law, this master’s takes a strong practical perspective. Using case studies, and specialist insights from industry experts, you will explore how the relevant legislation translates into practical compliance and enforcement.  

This master’s is perfect if you have a professional or personal interest in rural and environmental crime, either in an enforcement, compliance, or management role. This includes rural police officers and those working for organisations with an evidence gathering or prosecuting role.

Why study at Buckinghamshire New University?

During this blended-learning course, you will learn from skilled lecturers within the School of Aviation and Security who have a high level of working knowledge based on industry experience. Our tutors will give you the both the legislative knowledge and practical skills needed to help you with real-world enforcement and management of teams.

Whilst the course primarily consists of online learning, we do bring all students together at our High Wycombe campus for a dissertation workshop and our annual research colloquium. There is a strong practical element to this course, but it has been designed to provide you with numerous opportunities to practically apply the knowledge you’re learning in work situations.

When away from campus, our Virtual Learning Environment means that if you are deployed to remote areas you will still have a comprehensive student experience due to our flexible approach to tutoring sessions.

As a BNU student, you will automatically become a member of Bucks Students’ Union giving you access to a wide range of services that we offer for free. Upon graduation, you will become a member of the University’s alumni community giving you access to a wide range of benefits throughout your lifetime.

What will I study?

During your time studying this course you will study a variety of topics to help you gain a rounded knowledge of this specialised area.

Your first year will see you expanding your knowledge of topics including, forms of rural and environmental crime, rural and environmental law, enforcement challenges and response and rural, green and environmental criminiologies.

In your second year you will carry out a policing research project and have the opportunity to study areas including, developing talent, strategic leadership, project management and organisational resilience.

How will I be taught and assessed?

Designed as a flexible learning programme, you can study this course alongside your work or other commitments.

Teaching is primarily delivered through online lectures, supported by linked seminars. Online lectures involve a mix of recorded interviews with a subject or topic expert, group discussions involving course academic staff, and lead academic lectures highlighting related principles and theory. Seminars will develop the topic further through lecturer set online tasks that you will undertake independently.

You’ll be able to have one-to-one support with the course team through our Virtual Learning Environment, as well as by email and telephone. Outside of the above, you are expected to undertake self-directed study which is essential for online learning elements of this programme; typically, this will involve reading journal articles, using our online library resources, and completing coursework assignments.

Prior to embarking upon dissertation work, you are encouraged to attend a two-day workshop. This workshop is designed to develop the skills and techniques required to conduct primary research and produce an original dissertation. You’ll also be expected to attend an annual research colloquium where second year students will each make an assessed presentation of their research at the mid-point of their dissertation work. Dissertation work is supported through regular virtual meetings between the student and their allocated supervisor.

The assessments range from written assignments, presentations and reports to project and portfolio work.