Program Overview

During your time of study with us, you will come to understand the development of the criminal justice institutions (police, prisons and courts) in the UK, as well as the inter-relationships between these systems, as mechanisms to respond to crimes and social harms

We will consider how different social groups and individuals experience crimes and social harms, as well as the policies and regulatory responses that are supposed to alleviate or ameliorate these issues. During the course, you will also come to understand the construction and representation of crime and of responses to it in policy making, the media in all its forms, and public opinion. We develop in you an understanding and appropriate use of research strategies and methods in criminological research.

In your first year students on all pathways will study the same modules such as, The Criminal Justice Process, Case Studies in the Criminal Justice System and Psychological Contexts of Crime and Punishment.

In your second year, you will study core modules in Law for Justice, Theories of Crime and Justice and begin designing your research project. You will have the opportunity to study three option modules on the Criminology pathway. Additional core modules for the Offender Management pathway include modules on identifying self-harm, managing offenders and prison and probation laws. For the Organised Crime and Terrorism pathway, you will also study core modules on causes and theories of terrorism, organised crime and you will have the opportunity to choose and option module. On the Victim Support pathway, you will study core modules about child safeguarding and crime and victimisation.

In your final year, you will complete a research project for all pathways, along with Punishment and Penology and Placement as core modules. On the Criminology pathway, you have the flexibility to choose a range of option modules to suit your area of interest. The Offender Management Pathway has three additional core modules on Community Justice, Rehabilitation of Offenders and Mental Health Assessment for Non-Mental Health Professionals. For the Organised Crime and Terrorism pathway, you will complete a Placement module along with modules on Transnational Organised Crime and Modern Slavery, and Contemporary Terror Movements: Classification and Response. The Victim Support pathway has core modules on the Rehabilitation of Offenders, Mental Health Assessment for Non-Mental Health Professionals and a Placement module.