If you’re interested in the problem of crime in contemporary societies, our Criminology and Criminal Justice course is for you.

As a criminology student you’ll investigate the nature of crime and criminality, studying society’s response through the criminal justice system. You’ll learn how societies try to control and punish crime and disorder, gaining a theoretical and practical understanding of this fascinating subject.

Criminology takes a social sciences approach by studying and classifying crime, and exploring theories around criminal behaviour. As well as the theory, you’ll learn how society deals with criminal behaviour by studying institutions and roles such as the police, courts, prisons and probation service.

The course offers a wide choice of options in your final year and you’ll be expected to undertake an independent piece of research on a relevant topic of particular interest to you.

We recently revised this course to ensure you benefit from the most up-to-date ideas, concepts and research in this evolving field of study.

In the first two years you’ll gain a solid grounding in the subject through an introduction to criminology and criminal justice. You’ll study contemporary issues in criminology, the legal framework, research methods, applied criminology and professional practice, and crime, deviance and social history.

In your last year, you’ll be able to research a relevant topic of your choice in a final project. Recent student projects include the impact of police stop-and-search policies in ethnic communities and the psychology of serial killers. The choice is yours.

You’ll also be able to choose from a wide variety of optional modules, including drug trafficking, mentally disordered offenders, terrorism, prison studies and football hooliganism. You can also choose to take a work-based learning module, where you will apply learning from volunteering or work experience to your academic studies.

You’ll find the course stimulating and varied, with a wide range of teaching methods to fire your interest.

With our expert team of lecturers, you’ll be in safe hands as you begin to learn through a mixture of lectures and smaller seminar groups. These will help you to get to grips with the key issues, concepts and ideas in criminology and criminal justice.

We’re looking for students who are genuinely engaged with the issues and debates that make up this subject, so you’ll be expected to play an active role to get the most out of the course - and make the most of yourself.
 
You’ll also learn through a mixture of tutorials, presentations, workshops and ‘learning by doing’. The work-based learning module will enable you to put the practice into the theory – and vice versa.

Some students have worked as volunteer community support officers, while others have volunteered in local community groups. If you choose this approach, you’ll be able to count your community experience towards your degree.

Your learning will be supplemented by field trips, conferences and events to help build your network, understanding and experience. And you’ll be given notes, handbooks and online materials to help you study, prepare for assignments and support your learning.

Course Leader Aaron Winter says, “The teaching staff are engaged in cutting-edge research in the area and are highly motivated in delivering an excellent learning experience for students, as well as sharing their own research insights.”

UEL Criminology graduates have found work in a wide variety of roles. Some have pursued a career in a related field while others have used the transferable skills they have learnt in other areas.

The course has a strong focus on preparing you for the world of work, with a specific employability module in year two. This is geared towards providing you with the best advice on preparing yourself for the job market and applying for jobs.

While a degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice is focused on your future career, it doesn’t limit your options. You’ll learn a host of skills that will appeal to many employers, including writing and presenting, the ability to make a case, meet deadlines and work independently.
Students have found jobs in a number of related areas, such as:

â–ª The police, prison and probation services
â–ª Central and local government
â–ª Social work
â–ª Voluntary organisations, including victim support groups.

While these roles are particularly suited to students with a criminology degree, our graduates have also found employment in fields such as market research, journalism and the public sector. Some have also gone on to postgraduate study.

To enhance your career prospects, we run a dedicated employability programme for students in the School of Business and Law. Called 'Employ', it includes employability workshops, skills training sessions, guest speaker events, voluntary work, student ambassador roles and work experience opportunities.