BSc (Hons) Criminology is aimed at students fascinated by crime, criminality, and criminal justice system processes. It offers an exciting opportunity to explore the causes and patterns of crime, and its true impact. You will learn about why people commit crime, how can crime be reduced or prevented, as well as how offenders and victims are involved in the criminal justice system.

The first year introduces you to the essential principles of criminology: key concepts and theories explaining crime, key institutions of the criminal justice system, crime policy, law, and practice. You will receive training in a wide range of research methods during the first two years, to become equipped to undertake your own independent research project in the final year.

Our large, multi-disciplinary department believes in offering extensive optionality to study specific areas of criminology in-depth. Throughout the degree, there is an emphasis on developing skills and experiences that are relevant to professional careers, including opportunities to gain work experience, study-abroad schemes, and independent project work.

In your final year of study, you will have the opportunity remain on BSc (Hons) Criminology or to specialise by choosing a pathway and graduating with an exit award in one of these areas:

• Justice Studies
• Quantitative Methods
• Global Youth Justice

Career prospects

Opportunities may exist in the established agencies of the criminal justice system (for example, the police, prisons and probation services or in the private sector companies that have undertaken the provision of criminal justice services). There is also the potential to work in areas such as probation work, housing, family care and other roles in social services. Other graduates have gone into administrative and managerial jobs in local or national government or have roles within the voluntary sector.