Criminology
University of Cumbria
UCAS Code: L612 | Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Access to HE Diploma
Must pass all 60 credits, 45 at level 3
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Scottish Higher
UCAS Tariff
About this course
You will immerse yourself in all aspects of criminology to understand how and why crime occurs at local, societal and global level. Based at our Fusehill Street Campus in Carlisle, you will develop a critical insight into the work of the criminal justice system in bringing offenders to justice. We will encourage you to sharpen your sense of social justice by exposing you to the realities of crime committed by the powerful and relatively powerless, and the different ways these impact victims.
From the outset, you will be able to satisfy your curiosity about criminology in innovative ways, such as exploring how crime stories are told. Through developing creative criminology research skills, you will be empowered to produce knowledge, not just learn it. Our strong links with criminal justice and community-based organisations and groups in Cumbria will provide you with excellent volunteering opportunities and job prospects.
This course will give you the skills and knowledge to work in any aspect of criminology. You may decide to work directly with offenders in a probation, prison or community-based setting, or, focus your career on the needs of victims. You will also be ideally placed for a career in crime policy or postgraduate criminology research.
From the outset, you will be able to satisfy your curiosity about criminology in innovative ways, such as exploring how crime stories are told. Through developing creative criminology research skills, you will be empowered to produce knowledge, not just learn it. Our strong links with criminal justice and community-based organisations and groups in Cumbria will provide you with excellent volunteering opportunities and job prospects.
**Why Choose University of Cumbria**
But you won’t just 'learn about’ criminology theoretically, you’ll apply your knowledge to real-life issues and modern day problems – giving you the edge as a future expert in this fascinating subject area.
You’ll have the flexibility to shape your degree with modules that interest you and fit your intended career path, because your employability is important to us.
- Our close links with the Police, Solicitors Regulator Authority, the British Psychological Society, Law Society and a number of voluntary and commercial organisations provide you with great job prospects
- Tutors regularly contribute to national and international research and policy debates, so you get up-to-date learning on key issues in the study of crime and criminal justice
- Taught in small classes, so we get to know you well and guide you in your studies
- Volunteering opportunities with organisations connected to the criminal justice system
- Student-led Criminology Society with socials, film nights and crime reading group
- Academic tutors are former or practising professionals in diverse fields including policing, probation, substance misuse, domestic violence work and the law
- Study in Carlisle, within 30 minutes of Scotland in one direction and the stunning Lake District National Park – now a UNESCO World Heritage site - in the other. So, you’ll never be stuck for something to do when you’re not studying
- Employability is woven into our course through practical sessions and up-to-date learning, so you can get a firm grasp of the skills that employers require.
So, for a criminology degree that enables you to develop a critical understanding of the complex nature of crime and its impact on society and bolsters your career prospects, look no further.
**Modules**
**Year one**
Crime and Deviance
Criminal Justice System
Becoming a Criminologist
Crime Stories
Crime and Social Justice
Global Crime
**Year two**
Explaining Crime
Bringing Offenders to Justice
Prison and Punishment
Real World Research
Social Exclusion
Crimes of the Powerful
**Year three**
New Challenges in Criminology
Inequalities in the Criminal Justice System
Victimology
Research and Practice
Dissertation
Modules
In the first year of the programme you will study six compulsory modules designed to give you a broad introduction to criminology as an academic discipline of vibrant intellectual debate, including its dual focus on crime and criminal justice. These include introductions to Criminology, Criminal Justice, Sociological Foundations, Criminal Psychology and a module on current research. In second year, you’ll study three compulsory core modules including ‘Explaining Crime’, ‘Social Research Methods’ and ‘Prisons and Punishment’ supplemented by two pathway specific modules covering ‘Crimes of the Powerful’ and relationships between ‘Welfare, Poverty and Crime’ as well as your choice of a sixth from a list of options. The third year will be built around research for your final dissertation, which counts for two modules alongside a couple more core modules ‘New Ideas in Criminology’ and ‘Violence & Society’ as well as an open choice of two modules from five options
Tuition fees
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The Uni
Carlisle - Fusehill Street
Business, Law, Policing and Social Sciences
What students say
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How do students rate their degree experience?
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Sociology
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Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
After graduation
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Sociology, social policy and anthropology
What are graduates doing after six months?
This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.
Top job areas of graduates
We have quite a lot of sociology graduates, although numbers fell last year. But graduates still do pretty well. Most sociology graduates go straight into work when they complete their degrees, and a lot of graduates go into jobs in social professions such as recruitment, education, community and youth work, and housing. An important option for a sociology graduate is social work - and we're short of people willing to take this challenging but rewarding career. Sociology is a flexible degree and you can find graduates from the subject in pretty much every reasonable job — obviously, you don't find many doctors or engineers, but you do find them in finance, the media, healthcare, marketing and even IT. Sociology graduates taking further study often branch out into other qualifications, like teaching, law, psychology, HR and even maths, so don’t think a sociology degree restricts you to just one set of options.
What about your long term prospects?
Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.
Sociology, social policy and anthropology
The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.
£18k
£20k
£22k
Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.
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While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?
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