Course overview
Our BA (Hons) Criminology is a three-year degree, aimed at students who are seeking employment in either the criminal justice sector or associated fields. The course is designed by practising criminologists.
It has a high level of face-to-face tuition, with a teaching team which includes practising criminologists in some centres. Students will develop an understanding of key criminology concepts and theories, looking at areas such as cybercrime, migration, terrorism, trafficking, mass incarceration and, drugs and the role they play in the Criminal Justice system. Different perspectives of criminology will be explored including feminism, race and cultural approaches.
In the 2020 National Student Survey, The University of Law has been ranked first amongst universities for overall student satisfaction in England.
Campus locations
Job outcomes
Careers in:
- The criminal justice system
- Policing
- Probation service
- Customs
- Immigration
- Social researcher
- Housing sector
- NGO
- Charity sector
Study method
- In-class
- Blended
- Online
Locations
- England
- Birmingham
- London
- Bloomsbury
- Leeds
- Manchester
- Nottingham

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Duration study load
- 3 Years – Full-Time Study
Entry requirements
- BBC at A Level and Grade C/4 or above in GCSE English Language, or equivalent qualifications
- Students who will be under the age of 18 but no younger than 17 at the commencement of the course are permitted
- International entry requirements: An English language level equivalent to IELTS 6.5 or above with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
Assessment
At the end of each semester, you’ll get a week for revision before two weeks of assessments.
Exams: Two hours, ten multiple-choice questions and two long-form questions.
Coursework: Essay, project report or portfolio.
Oral presentation.
We run mock assessments to allow you to practise before too.
Course Structure
Each year is made up of two semesters consisting of 12 teaching weeks and one week consolidation/revision and two weeks to complete assessments. You will study a total of 18 modules over the three years of the course.
- Year 1: 31 study weeks including a one-week induction
- Year 2: 30 study weeks plus one week optional International Leadership Summer School in Berlin
- Year 3: 30 study weeks
Subjects
- Foundations of Criminology
- Society and Punishment
- Media Crime and Control
- Drugs in the Criminal Justice System
- Criminal Justice in Modern Britain
- Contemporary Criminology
- Gender, Sexuality and Crime
- The Evolution of the Prison System
- Research Methods
- Youth and Crime
- Zemiology (Social Harms)
- Cybercrime
- Urban Criminology – The City and Globalisation
- Migration
- Dissertation (all year double module)
- Dissertation (all year double module)
Choose two*:
- Race, Ethnicity and Religion
- Terrorism
- The Politics of Policing
*All options are indicative and subject to availability.
About The University of Law
The University of Law can trace its heritage back to 1876, with the formation of leading tutorial firm Gibson & Weldon. As the UK's longest-established specialist legal education provider, we've trained more practising lawyers in England and Wales than anyone else
The University has committed itself to ensure that students only ever learn in a realistic, professional, and contemporary context, with the support of tutors, over 90% of whom who are qualified solicitors, barristers, and judges, all with extensive practical experience. With a rich legacy and a reputation for innovative teaching practices, the University of Law retains a firm focus on developing the very best legal minds.