Criminology and Policing

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)

About this course

Our BSc Criminology and Policing degree will allow you to explore the criminal justice system and the wider context of policing, while developing a strong understanding of how the justice system operates.

You will be taught by leading scholars in a Faculty driven by innovative research. Our team has extensive criminal justice experience, and what you will be taught is directly informed by research and consultancy work acting as advisors to the Government, Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service. This degree will focus on developing you as a professional, equipping you with the skills and qualities you need for a career in the field of criminology.

You will first be introduced to the key perspectives in criminology and supported to question and debate challenges within the criminal justice system through shared modules with our BSc Criminology and Criminal Justice course. As you progress, you will develop your ability to apply your knowledge through a range of authentic assessments – which could include digital campaigns and community engagement projects.

In your second and third years, you will be able to choose from a range of diverse, optional modules so that you can specialise in interests identified in your first year, including victim support, manging conflict situations, the handling of intelligence, interviewing victims and conducting investigations.

You will be introduced to historical and contemporary theories of race, gender, ethnicity, religion and immigration, as well as the ongoing criminological debates surrounding the experiences of discriminated individuals within the justice system, and how over criminalisation amplifies social inequalities.

Skills

The course is designed to mould you into a well-rounded criminologist, meaning that you will also be able to develop your knowledge in areas such as the crimes of the powerful, media representations of crime, cybercrime, drug policy and family criminology.

A central feature of this programme is real-world engagement. Through connections with criminal justice agencies, you could study within a prison in the module ‘Prisons and Penal Policy’ alongside serving prisoners while engaging with community agencies, prisons and the police service. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with experts in the sector and gain valuable work experience in an optional placement year between second and third year.

Career opportunities

You will graduate with an excellent grasp of indispensable skills in criminology and the social sciences, and the skills required to challenge current key ethical, political and moral questions about crime, justice and policing.