Why study criminology?

What is criminology? 

As you’ll have probably guessed from the name, criminology is the study of crime and criminal behaviour. It explores what crimes are, why people commit them and the impact that crime has on society as a whole. The course will also likely look at topics like crime prevention and rehabilitation. The subject dips into other areas like sociology, social anthropology, psychology and more, bringing in important aspects from these fields. 

NEXT: Read more about studying criminology at uni

If you’ve ever wanted to ask a criminology student “Why did you choose criminology?” but haven’t had the chance, this article will be able to answer that question for you

Reasons to study criminology 

1. You’ll learn useful skills 

Studying for a degree in criminology will furnish you with a load of valuable skills for jobs both in the area and further afield. 

You’ll learn how to look at a situation through a critical lens, applying the learnings from your lectures to a scene. Learning about the criminal justice system will help when considering different situations and can be used outside of the criminology sector. It could be handy for knowing your rights as a member of the public, too. 

Not only that, but you’ll also develop transferrable skills that could be used in all manner of industries, like communication, collaboration, problem solving, critical thinking and more. 

2. The job opportunities 

Lots of students will decide to study a subject because they naturally lead into careers that they’re interested in. This is absolutely the case here, as a degree in criminology can open doors to a number of fascinating jobs.  

Criminology graduates can go on to work as crime analysts, police officers and civil servants. Other roles that would benefit from criminology knowledge include the likes of social worker, counsellor and journalist, though some of these roles may need additional qualifications. 

3. It’s a fascinating area of study 

There’s a reason why true crime novels have been so popular for so long – people find it engrossing. Criminology courses cover a variety of subjects which would make for interesting study, like the criminal justice system, global crime, security and more. Having taken an A-level in psychology or sociology can give you an idea about yet more areas that might be covered in a criminology course, and lead to an appreciation of the subject. 

4. Courses are available across the UK 

A great thing about criminology is that universities across the country offer courses in it, meaning you’ll be able to pick where in the UK you want to live while studying this subject. We’ve got some handy resources for universities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland if you want to start exploring. 

5. Because you’re interested in it! 

At the end of the day, it’s immensely important to consider what you’re interested in. If you pick a subject that you have no love for, you’ll more than likely end up bored, unhappy or uninspired. If you’re fascinated by criminology, then that is absolutely a solid choice.  

NEXT: Has that convinced you to take a deeper look into criminology? Then start exploring criminology courses now!