Criminology degree entry requirements

What's criminology?

Criminology is the social examination of crime and its patterns. Studying a criminology course will have you exploring why crime occurs and how to prevent it. You'll draw on subject areas such as sociology, psychology and anthropology to further understand the wider contexts of crime and victimisation.

Criminology entry requirements

The minimum criminology degree requirements range from 32 (EE at A-level; PP at BTEC level) to 152 (A*AA at A-level; D*DD at BTEC level) UCAS points.

What qualifications do you need to study criminology?

What A-levels do you need for criminology?

Most universities don’t have specific criminology A-level requirements. General studies and critical thinking usually cannot be counted as part of your points total.

What BTECs do you need for criminology?

BTECs are accepted by most universities for a criminology degree. Some will require you to have a BTEC National or Extended Diploma in a related subject but this varies between universities. You’ll need a D*DD for the top universities but could find a place on a course with as little as PP.

What GCSEs do you need for criminology?

You’ll need to have a minimum of five GCSEs at grade C/4 or higher. Most universities require English and mathematics, but other than those two, the majority of unis won't have specific criminology GCSE requirements.

What International Baccalaureate do you need for criminology?

Some criminology courses will ask that you have a 6, 5, 5 at Higher Level. Most criminology courses won't require you to have studied a specific subject but may ask you to have at least either a grade 4 at Higher Level English or grade 5 at Standard Level English.

Universities don’t just assess you on your grades. They'll also take into account your personal statement and how well you’ve communicated your passion for the subject and for your chosen career path. They'll also want to see what you can contribute to university life, so will look favourably on students who’ve been active members of clubs and societies at college/sixth form.

Some universities may also ask students to attend an interview or selection day and your performance here will form part of your application success.

How to compare criminology courses

You can compare criminology courses by heading over to Whatuni’s Find a Course tool and entering ‘criminology’ into the search bar. Then you can browse through each course and compare them.

Use the filters to personalise the results based on what you find important. When you select a course, you'll see the full course information, including course outline, module choices, entry requirements, fee information and key course stats.

Once you’ve compiled a shortlist of courses, begin your research by ordering each university’s prospectus. This will give you an overview of learning facilities, accommodation, social activities, support and much more.

Book yourself onto an open day tour or event. You’ll get to take a closer look at the campus and speak to some current students and/or potential tutors. Open day events are really useful for helping you to get an idea of what your student life may be like.

Reading student reviews is another important step in your research. These will give you an honest insight into what it’s really like to study and live at your shortlisted universities. Simply enter the university name and/or subject name to see what students are saying.

How to compare criminology courses in Clearing

Clearing will be another opportunity to apply for criminology courses. You'll be able to see what criminology courses are available and compare them, using Whatuni’s Clearing tool when Clearing opens at the beginning of July. For 2026 entry, Clearing courses start to be added from 2nd July 2026.

Some universities will slightly reduce the entry requirements for Clearing courses. You can see up-to-date entry requirements on the individual criminology course pages for each university right here on Whatuni.

In the meantime, pre-register for Clearing. You’ll receive regular advice leading up to Clearing, have access to Whatuni’s Clearing guide and be able to save and compare criminology courses once Clearing begins.

What if you can’t find a criminology course in Clearing?

There are still many options if you don’t find a criminology course in-year or through Clearing:

• Apply for a criminology degree with an integrated foundation year: This is for students who don’t have the required qualifications to gain direct entry onto their degree programme. The first year is designed to equip students with the necessary academic knowledge and skills for degree-level study. Entry requirements for these courses are much lower, but the extra year will add additional course fees and living expenses to the cost of your studies.

• Apply for a joint honours degree: One alternative is to search for a joint honours course where criminology makes up one half of the degree. Common subjects to study alongside criminology include: sociology; psychology; social policy; and law. Think carefully about your future career aspirations before making a decision.

• Apply for a Clearing course in a similar subject: Subjects like social policy, politics, sociology and police studies all cover important aspects involved in criminology and may be good alternatives.

• Study a criminology foundation degree: Foundation degrees (FdSc) are vocational-based courses that last two years full-time and are worth two years of a bachelor’s degree. Entry requirements are a lot lower – between 32 and 96 UCAS points (C – AA at A-level or PP – MMM BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma). They are ideal for those who didn’t get the grades for entry onto a degree or for mature students looking to re-enter higher education. After completing a foundation degree students can progress onto the third year of a bachelor’s degree or gain employment.

• Take a gap year and resit your exams: If none of these alternative options appeals to you, or you have your heart set on a particular course at a particular university, then you could resit your exams. You can then apply to start university in the next academic year.