From organised crime, terrorism and corporate crime through to local infringements of the law, crime is constantly in the public eye. Concerns for public safety, increases in identity theft, fraud and a need for national and international cooperation in tackling crime have made the study of criminology a popular choice.
Your role as a criminologist is to study the relationship between law breaking and the social conditions within which laws are constructed and crimes take place. This means that you will not only need knowledge of the law and of criminal justices processes at the local level but also in a global context.
You will become familiar with the different theories, individual and social, through which crime has been explained. The work of a criminologist involves a questioning mind and the ability to challenge common sense notions of 'who' are the 'most likely' criminals. This involves understanding of social divisions in society, such as gender and ethnicity.
As a criminologist you could be working for or with a law enforcement agency, the CJS or a government agency or a non-governmental organisation.
Many criminologists specialise in certain fields of work; for instance, you might focus on a specific age group, a specific type of crime, crime prevention, the process of crime scene investigation, the process of criminal litigation or the process of criminal corrections.
To be a good criminologist you should be able to demonstrate responsibility, creativity, analytical thinking and problem-solving. You will also need to be interested in people and their behaviour.
Criminology focuses your study on explanations of crime, responses to crime and the relationships of power within which these are produced. As part of the family of social sciences you will draw from expertise in disciplines such as sociology, politics, psychology and law.
You will look for answers to questions such as why people commit crime, how society responds to crime and how agencies like the police, the probation service and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) prevent and investigate crime.
This course is aimed at anyone who is working, or wants to pursue a career within the socio-legal field of work. This ranges from probation to the community and voluntary sectors as well as social work and the legal system. Emphasis is placed upon putting theory into practice, equipping you with the skills and abilities to prepare you for your professional career.
Year 1
- Introduction to Criminology
- Introduction to Security Studies
- Introduction to Psychology
- Introduction to Policing
- Legal Processes
- Social Construction of 'Deviance' and Social Control
- Crime Analysis
All the courses share this common first year. So - regardless of which specific course you apply for - your first year will be the same. This approach means that you have the chance to taste different areas of the subject before finally committing to a specific degree choice at the end of year 1.
On BA (Hons) Criminology you will study a mix of core and optional modules. You may select your optional modules to suit your particular interests from any of the other criminology degree programmes offered.
Year 2
Examples of Level Five/Second Year Modules are:
- Core Issues in Crime and Punishment
- Criminological Research
- Criminal and Forensic Psychology
- Addiction and Criminality
- Crime, Media and Culture
- Optional Modules
Year 3
Examples of Level Six/Third Year Modules are:
- Theories of Rights
- Crime Prevention
- Applied Criminology
- Victimology and Restorative Justice
- Transnational Corporate and Organised Crime
- Environmental Justice and Green Criminology
- Optional Modules
Employability
You will have the opportunity to gain a practical insight into work that relates to criminal justice processes, for example through visits to prisons, courts and police establishments.
You are encouraged to take an active interest in the work of various agencies that relate to the study of crime. The module 'Working in Criminal Justice', which is an option in year 3, gives you the opportunity to carry out regular voluntary work, allowing you to gain valuable experience that relates to you studies.
Current students are working in a number of areas including the Special Constabulary, prison visiting, drug treatment schemes, victim support and bail/youth hotels for young offenders.