Program Overview

We have outstanding league table rankings for Criminology and French, and a great track record for graduate prospects. These are just two of the reasons to take a Criminology and French degree at Lancaster University.

Taught by world-leading, research-active academics from our prestigious Law School and the School of Global Affairs, our unique approach to your first year introduces you to topics including drugs and crime, youth justice, sex offending, and the cultural context of the French language.

Year 2 is your chance to build on your language skills and study the culture, politics and history of the French-speaking world in more depth. You will also explore the ways that crime is measured and engage with the social and legal responses to crimes against the environment.

Your third year, a compulsory year abroad, provides you with a rare opportunity to develop your language and criminological skills in a global context. You can study at a partner institution or conduct a work placement.

In your final year, you will consolidate your French language skills and tailor your degree to your personal and professional interests, selecting from a range of modules including Criminal Careers and Criminal Justice Research.

The Lancaster University Law School is ranked 6th in the UK for research impact in the most recent Research Excellence Framework (2021, published May 2022), with 88% of its impact rated ‘outstanding’. The School of Global Affairs has research collaborations across several disciplines including the Lancaster Institute for the Contemporary Arts and is ranked 8th in the UK for research impact.

Employability Skills

You will benefit from our excellent connections with NGOs, charities, and local criminal justice agencies such as Lancashire Police and HMP Lancaster Farms. There will be opportunities for you to visit the prison and engage in collaborative learning, and analyse data from Lancashire Police. All of this helps you to make professional connections, learn more about criminal justice agencies, and get a head start on your career.

We’ll also support you if you wish to take on voluntary work experience, and we have previously provided opportunities with the Citizens Advice Bureau and Constabulary's Special Constables.

Throughout your degree, you will gain vital skills for a career within or beyond the criminal justice system. You will develop your ability to think critically, communicate, speak in public, work in teams, write for academia, carry out your own research and competently analyse data.