Criminology

Why this course? • Top 3 modern university in London (Complete University Guide 2025) • Ranked in the top 15% in the world (Times Higher Education Young University Rankings 2024) • #8 in England for undergraduate student satisfaction (National Student Survey 2024)

Study Criminology at the University of Roehampton to explore fascinating questions such as: What is justice? Who defines criminal behaviour? And, how can we reduce harm in society?

About this course

Criminology draws from a range of other disciplines including sociology, psychology and law. On this Criminology degree you will study contemporary problems relating to the crime prevention, criminalisation and social control.

Criminologists study crime, the criminal justice system and society’s response to the impact of criminal behaviour. You will develop a critical understanding of the operation of the criminal justice system and the relationship between punishments and crime prevention. Criminologists also analyse challenging problems relating to harmful behaviours in society and assess a range of solutions.

You will be taught by world-class tutors who have substantial experience working with offenders and prisoners and cases involving domestic violence, child abuse and youth crime. Areas of study include punishment and prisons, gang culture, the criminal justice system and legislations, serial killers and human trafficking.

We offer stimulating modules that will build your knowledge over three years of study. Recent examples have included ‘Becoming a Criminologist’ which will introduce you to the different ways to think about and analyse crime, ‘Youth Crime and Justice’ which will provide an insight into the regulation, control and punishment of young people in society, and ‘Contemporary Issues in Criminology’ which will examine issues in criminology and social control and touches on issues such as mass incarceration, war crimes, terrorism and anti-terrorism.

Skills

You will become an independent, critical thinker with the skills to analyse official and popular conceptions of crime. You will learn how to effectively use theory and evidence to solve problems, how to design research projects and ways to challenge current key ethical, political, and moral questions about crime and justice.

The skills you will develop on this course will equip you for a successful career in a wide range of occupations.

Career Opportunities

Our programme will deepen your knowledge of Criminology, offering a wide range of specialised topics and equipping you with the skills to pursue an engaging career in various professional environments. Such as Law Enforcement Services (i.e. the MET or the NCA), Prison and Probation Services, Charity Sector and Advocacy Organisations, Civil Service (i.e. Ministry of Justice, Immigration etc), Defence and Intelligence Sector, Youth Services and Education Sector, Para-Legal Sector And many more …

Teaching designed around you

At Roehampton, we want to provide you with the flexibility you need while you study, and the contact time to help you succeed. We schedule our teaching across no more than three days each week. Plus, we'll confirm which days these are well in advance of the start of term, so you can plan ahead. So, if you want to have more focused personal study time, a part-time job, need to balance family commitments, or want to reduce the time you spend commuting, we’re the ideal choice for you.