Criminology BSc (Hons)

Get ready to dive deep into current issues in criminology and criminal justice with experts who are actively influencing national policy and practice through their research.

You'll explore a wide range of topics such as the link between gender and crime, how crime is portrayed in the media, and the criminal mind.

Our Criminology course gives you the opportunity to gain professional work experience and training from experts across the field.

These opportunities will help you cultivate the skills and qualities that employers in the sector are looking for in graduates.

Work with industry professionals

From the start, you will have access to professionals in the criminal justice system and charities that support service delivery across social justice and criminal justice. Engaging with them will not only help to keep you at the cutting edge of professional practice but also spark your imagination and curiosity.

Our criminology modules are designed to encourage interdisciplinarity, enhancing your future career options. Throughout the degree you will engage with content from across sociology, psychology, and law.

Gain real-world experience

On work placements, you’ll collaborate in local crime prevention initiatives with the police, go out on police patrols, and develop your counselling skills for therapeutic practice.

You’ll have the opportunity to study clinical modules that place you within one of Europe’s largest court systems, and benefit from the civil society and practitioner networks of our flagship Bakhita Centre for Slavery, Safety and Social Justice.

Example placements include:

• The Royal Courts of Justice and the Central Family Court

• The One Stop Shop Domestic Abuse, Stalking and Sexual Violence Service

• Statutory partners and civil society organisations supporting victims and survivors

• A trade union (placement under development)

Decide how you’d like to study

In your second and third year, you can choose options from our popular workplace learning modules. You can also consider doing a placement year between your second and final year too.

This is a great launchpad to gain industry relevant skills and develop your professional networks.

Gain invaluable work experience and insights

As part of your learning, we will facilitate training workshops with experts across a variety of professional careers in criminal justice, charities, communications, and local government. These workshops will provide you with the opportunity to:

• gain knowledge
• analytical skills
• and investigative abilities.

You'll have the chance to gain work experience on initiatives led by the academics teaching you. For example, both our law and criminology students have gained work experience on the One Stop Shop and the Youth Independent Advisory Group (YIAG).

Specific work experience modules are also available as options in the second and third year of your study.

Join us on regular field trips

Applying what you learn in the classroom to the real world is a big part of 'doing' criminology. With our campus located in the UK's capital, you will have plenty of opportunities to visit courts, prisons, museums, and other public exhibitions.

These field trips will allow you to explore criminal behaviour, understand causes of crime, and evaluate the consequences of crime from new perspectives.

Make the most of our campus facilities

On campus you will have the opportunity to participate in the moot court with Law students and join Computer Science students on joint knowledge workshops designed to encourage interdisciplinary engagement.

There are other facilities across campus including the Library, the Living Room, and our sports facilities that you will have access to as a St Mary's student.