BA (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice

Our criminal justice degree approaches the subject from a theoretical, research-informed, and practice-based perspective. This means that during your time studying you’ll gain an understanding of the criminal justice system, including an introduction to law and legal justice and the different career paths you might want to pursue after graduation. This could be joining the police or opting to work for support services and charities that focus on policy and reform. As you progress into the second and third year, there is a choice of lots of option modules and you can shape your own degree.

During your studies, you’ll explore the problem of crime, its causes and consequences and to examine in-depth the workings and effectiveness of the criminal justice system. We'll provide an inclusive learning experience that is intellectually engaging, challenging, supportive and respectful of students from all backgrounds.

We frequently undertake student fieldtrips, including trips to visit courts and prisons, to enable students to experience the criminal justice system for themselves.

The programme introduces several social scientific approaches to crime and criminal justice by focusing upon conceptions of danger and risk as experienced and represented particularly with reference to London but urban society more generally.

Beyond the course itself, you’ll get access to some of the leading experts in the field as we have been at the forefront of criminological teaching and research since the 1970s. All our lecturers are involved in undertaking research and these experiences often inform their teaching. Studying here will provide you with links to several areas of professional employment, both nationally and internationally, in the criminal justice sector and regulatory bodies, as well as voluntary, health, education, and housing sectors.

Our course will help you to develop your analytical and communication skills while you research and understand policy. You’ll do so through a series of presentations on criminology and its practices within the UK and internationally, building confidence. Online or face to face classes will combine criminal theory and detailed examination of real-life case studies from criminal justice settings so you can always see how theory can be applied practically.

The course is shaped by leading criminology research, ensuring that you graduate with knowledge of the latest policy developments in criminology and criminal justice. You'll focus on how the policies are created and implemented, evaluating its influence on society.

We frequently host guest lectures from academics, activists, and criminal justice practitioners who bring their specialist knowledge and passion to help inform and inspire you. Depending upon what's possible, these will be face to face or online. Previous graduates from this course have gone on to work for the Mayor’s Office of Policing and Crime, the National Offender Management Service and victim support services.

We are regularly reviewing and updating our programmes to ensure you have the best learning experience. We are taking what we have learnt during the pandemic and enhancing our teaching methods with new and innovative ways of learning.

We aim to model a wide range of teaching strategies and approaches on the course which you can adapt to your own setting.

Lectures allow you to gain and develop knowledge in specific subjects. You can discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures and practicals in smaller seminar groups. In addition, you can arrange one to one sessions with your personal tutor or module leader. You will also have access to and use resources to support your learning.

When not attending your teaching, sessions mentioned above, you will be expected to continue learning independently through self-study. Typically, this will involve reading journal articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, and preparing for assessments including coursework, presentations and examinations. Your independent learning is supported by the facilities available including the library and Study Hub, Laptop hire, and with online materials in MyUniHub (see student support section below).

Your overall workload will include the activities listed above, and with each credit being completed equating to 10 hours of study time (You will complete 120 credits per level of study, which are broken down into modules of typically 30 credits). While your actual hours may depend on the optional module that you choose (if available), the following information will give you an indication of how much time is allocated to teaching and independent study on your course;

Level 4

22% of your time is spent in timetabled Teaching and learning - typical structure activity:

Level 5

19% of your time is spent in timetabled Teaching and learning - typical structure activity:

Level 6

20% of your time is spent in timetabled Teaching and learning - typical structure activity:

The course will provide you with opportunities to test your knowledge and understanding informally through ‘formative’ assessment. This will be completed before your formal ‘summative’ assessment which will count towards your final marks. Each module normally contains at least one piece of formative assessment from which you will receive feedback from your tutor. Formative assessments are developmental and any grade you receive from formative assessment does not count towards your final marks.

There is formal ‘summative’ assessment as part of the module, usually towards the end of the module. The grades from the summative assessments count towards your module mark. Assessments are reviewed annually and may be updated based on student feedback, to suit content or based on feedback from an external examiner.

The balance of assessment will depend on the modules that you complete throughout your course. The approximate percentage of the course which is assessed by coursework is outlined below: