Wednesday, 27 February 2019

The School of Law at the University of Limerick was delighted to welcome eighteen senior-ranking members of An Garda Síochána onto the School's newest postgraduate programme - a Master of Arts in Serious Crime Investigation - on 5th February. Candidates on the 2019 intake of the programme were welcomed to the University of Limerick by Course Director, Dr Alan Cusack, before undertaking a series of research workshops delivered by Prof. Shane Kilcommins, Dr Eimear Spain and Ms. Pattie Punch of the Glucksman Library. In building on its recent success in being the only law programme to be shortlisted in the ‘Best New Course’ category at the Higher Education Awards 2019, the second year of the Master or Arts in Serious Crime investigation is expected to produce rich scholarship in the area of policing and crime investigation. Representing the only programme of its kind in Ireland, the MA degree is a one-year, full-time course specifically designed for graduates of the level 9 Postgraduate Diploma in Serious Crime Investigation, delivered at An Garda Síochána Training College in Templemore.By interrogating modern investigative policing practice in light of contemporary legal debates, the programme allows learners to capitalise on their existing expertise and to develop a range of additional analytical skills that are essential in navigating the challenges associated with modern crime investigation. Learners are expected to develop these skills by completing a dissertation of approximately 15,000 words on an aspect of serious crime investigation under the supervision of a faculty member with expertise in the area of criminal justice. We wish the candidates on this innovative Master of Arts programme every success in their studies for the year ahead.