BSc (Hons) Criminology

On this course, you’ll think critically about how laws and offenders are made and who avoids criminalisation and why. Explore criminological theory and engage in debates about the problem of crime, criminal justice policy and the impact of crime in contemporary society. You will examine how complex interactions between the state, the offender, the victim and the public lead particular acts to be framed as crimes while others are not. We provide the practical experience employers demand - career areas include: probation, policing, the prison service, NGOs, local authorities, the voluntary sector, youth offending teams, teaching, social work and administration.

This course provides you with lots of transferable skills, as well as practical experience, which can be invaluable when it comes to starting your career. Areas you will study include criminal justice, politics and policy, policing, rehabilitation, youth crime, drugs and crime, genocide and crime in a global context.

Career opportunities

Students take part in voluntary work in the police service, the prison service, legal advice, victim support, domestic violence and child abuse agencies, youth offending and youth mentoring schemes. Many prefer to work for the police or criminal justice services, where there are countless opportunities to help the community with plenty of room for specialisation.

A humanities degree also has the real advantage of opening up careers in a number of professions such as teaching, social work, administration and higher level education. Other graduates have forged exciting careers in research, public relations, advertising, retail, management and media-related work.