Our Crime and Criminal Justice BSc(Hons) course prepares you for an fascinating and rewarding career in the criminal justice sector. You’ll cover key areas of knowledge needed to support you in applying for work within the statutory prison and probation sectors, as well as allied organisations. This course is designed to develop your skills and understanding of how the Criminal Justice System works and it’s effectiveness in managing offenders and supporting victims. You’ll have the opportunity to explore important topical problems within the system, such as prison overcrowding, trends in sentencing rates, ethics and impacts of different punishments and sentencing decisions. You’ll be able to focus on how we work with different offenders, offences and victims, such as mentally disordered offenders, high risk and violent offenders, or in respect to sexual offences. Throughout the course you’ll be supported to develop key employability skills and graduate attributes necessary to work in the criminal justice system. You’ll gain core professional skills in group work, analysis and assessment of data, critical thinking, report writing and presentation of recommendations, verbal and written presentation, digital skills. These culminate in a supported independent piece of research in an area that you are passionate about and which demonstrates your project management and researching skills.

Off campus, you’ll gain real-world experience via a work experience in your second year), putting your skills and knowledge to the test by undertaking at least 30 hours in a relevant setting. Learn from a team of research-active tutors who specialise or have experience in key areas of the criminal justice system, such as probation, prisons, police, vulnerability and housing, race and difference, and mental wellbeing. One of our tutors will act as your Personal Academic Tutor, too, ensuring you are getting the most from your studies and are fully prepared for your future career. Past students work experiences include working with the police in roles such as being a special constable, translator and appropriate adult. As well as departments and organisations such as the police visitor scheme, youth offending teams, prisons, restorative justice organisations, CCTV units, Local Authority anti-social behaviour units and courts as well as in voluntary agencies that provide support to adult and juvenile offenders and victims in the community.

At Huddersfield, you’ll study the Global Professional Award alongside your degree† so that you can gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is. †full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years. This does not include postgraduate, foundation, top-up, accelerated or apprenticeship degrees.

Huddersfield’s vibrant and friendly campus is a great place from which to study, while the town itself offers lots to see and do, with good transport links in and around the area.

Successful completion of one of our Foundation Pathways will equip you with the foundation knowledge to study Crime and Criminal Justice.