Hi there, I'm Luna.
I'm a bit like an AI, except instead of making pictures of people with 16 fingers, I can help you find the perfect course and uni.
Would you like some help in your search?
CONTENTS
- What is criminology?
- What criminology degrees can you study?
- What do you need to get on a criminology degree?
- What topics does a criminology degree cover?
- How long is a criminology degree?
- How will you be assessed?
- Why study criminology?
- What can you do with a criminology degree?
- What professional accreditations can you get with a criminology degree?
- What are the postgraduate opportunities?
- What alternatives are there to a criminology degree?
What is criminology?
Criminology is a scientific subject that looks at crime and criminal behaviour, drawing on a range of disciplines like sociology, psychology, psychiatry and social anthropology. You’ll learn about crime as a whole, the system that tries to deal with criminals and the effect that crime has on the world we live in. As the ‘true crime’ genre continues to boom there’s never been a better time to get into criminology.
Degrees in criminology include:
- BSc Criminology
- BSc Sociology with Criminology
- BSc Criminology with a modern foreign language
What do you need to get on a criminology degree?
Average entry requirements for criminology are:
- UCAS points: 152–32
- A-levels: A*AA – EEE
- BTEC Nationals: D*DD – PPP
- International Baccalaureate: 34–26
Please be aware that these are average entry requirements and may change depending on the course and institution you select. Always confirm this for the particular university/course you're interested in.
Some criminology courses will ask for a maths GCSE but there are usually no specific A-levels (or equivalent) required. But sociology or psychology A-levels may help your application.
Common modules for criminology include:
- Crime and society
- Criminal justice system
- Social justice
- Theory of crime and punishment
- Social policy
- Understanding childhood and youth
- Understanding crime
A criminology degree usually takes three years to study. However, some unis will give the option of a sandwich year (a placement year), which will increase your course to four years.
Criminology courses usually involve assessment through:
- Exams
- Coursework
- Presentations
- Dissertation project
Studying a criminology degree will help you gain industry-specific skills like:
- Generating and evaluating evidence
- Understanding motive for crime
- Understanding crime scenes
- Understanding the criminal justice system
More general, transferable skills you’ll pick up include:
- Presentation
- Research
- Communication
- Critical analysis
- Making reasoned arguments
- Collecting and analysing data
- Report writing
There are lots of areas of work a criminology graduate can go into like:
- Police
- Prison system
- Probation system
- Forensics
- Government agencies
- Academia
- Social work
Several professional organisations, like the British Society of Criminology, offer specialised positions for criminology graduates.
Your options for further study include:
- MSc Forensic Psychology
- MA Criminal Justice
- MA Criminological Psychology
- MA Criminology
Not sure if a criminology degree is right for you? Check out these related subjects:
- Sociology
- Psychology
- Law
