Should we legalize street drugs? What should we do when children commit crime? How can we improve rehabilitation and reduce crime? Studying criminology at Canterbury Christ Church University involves exploring answers to some of society’s biggest questions. Our applied focus encourages you to explore problems and challenges related to crime, harm and justice but also to develop sustainable solutions.The course adopts a broad perspective, examining crimes ranging from murder to environmental harm. You’ll explore the complex cycles of violence which can make groups vulnerable to both victimisation and violent offending and the impacts of mental health and trauma on individuals and society.You’ll learn about who commits crime and why, how the criminal justice system treats victims and why the law criminalises some harmful behaviours but not others. Our interdisciplinary curriculum focuses on the intersections between crime, justice and society, examining how broader social issues such as power, discrimination and inequality underpin crime, social harm and crime control and contribute to injustices.

The Applied Criminology course adheres to and is guided by the Criminology Benchmark Statements, which define expectations as part of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.

Our Hydra Suite offers students, staff and other professionals the chance to take part in immersive simulations of real-life natural decision-making. This innovative system is among the most cutting-edge of its kind, and is used to train practitioners working within fields such as criminal justice, government, and the emergency services.

This course is run at our Canterbury Campus in Kent. Canterbury is just 50 miles south-east of London and less than an hour by high-speed train from St Pancras. Located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site the campus offers state-of-the-art buildings, right in the centre of a vibrant and world-famous cathedral city. You’ll benefit from a campus with excellent learning and teaching resources, music venues, a superb sports centre, a well-stocked bookshop and plenty of coffee bars and places to eat. A short walk away is Augustine House our award-winning library and home to a vast range of learning resources and student support teams.