Bath Spa University

BSc (Hons) in Criminology

Year one (Level 4) modules

• Crime and Disorder in Everyday Life
• Crime, Violence and Harm
• Crime: Representation and Reality
• Sociology of Deviance and Social Control
• Introduction to Social Science Research
• Questioning Society

Year two (Level 5) modules

• Policing, Crime Control and Prevention
• Criminal Justice: Theory, Policy and Practice
• Social Science Research Methods
• Crime, Law and Society
• The Criminological Imagination
• Exploring Violence
• Forensic and Investigative Psychology
• Geotechnologies for Society and Environment
• Migration: Identity, Belonging, Citizenship and Security
• Youth in Society: Power, Politics and Participation
• Crime Fiction
• The Life Course: Ageing and Generation
• Social Problems, Social Divisions, Social Justice
• Law for Business Enterprise
• Work Placement
• The Psychology of Criminal Investigations
• Professional Placement Year

Year three (Level 6) modules

• Dissertation in Criminology
• Media, Sociality and Everyday Life
• Victims and Victimisation
• Terrorism Studies
• Punishment and Penology in Global Context
• Young People, Identities and Subcultures
• Gender in Society: Critical Perspectives
• Community Engagement
• Narratives of Crime
• Unlocking Criminology
• Exploring Law in Business
• Culture, Risk and Environmental Justice
• Ethnicity and Society
• Cyber Security 

What you'll learn

Overview

Criminologists study crime from a variety of approaches, making this a diverse field of study. You’ll study crime from a variety of angles and perspectives. Core modules focus on the main theories, debates, issues and research problems in criminology and criminal justice, while optional modules enable you to develop your particular interests.

We’ll support and encourage you to gain practical experience in relevant fields through voluntary work and placements. You’ll develop practical and analytical skills as well as subject knowledge in crime and criminal justice.

Course structure

Year one

You’ll learn about the research traditions of criminology and be introduced to key concepts, theories and issues. You’ll investigate different types of crime such as property crime, sexual and violent crime, homicide, corporate crime, anti-social behaviour and drug use. You’ll also learn about criminal law and criminal justice agencies and institutions.

Optional modules will increase your understanding of psychological and social dimensions of crime. You’ll study models of individual personality and behaviour, and visualise and analyse key sources of social science data. You’ll also study a complementary subject.

Year two

You’ll study contemporary debates in criminology, criminal justice, and the psychology of crime, and train in research methods and crime mapping techniques.

You can choose from a number of optional modules to create a programme tailored to your personal interests. You can investigate the ecology of crime, delve more deeply into the social divisions associated with crime, study justice and punishment, or explore crime in the media and popular culture.

Year three

You’ll undertake an original piece of criminological research in an area that interests you, along with comparative study of criminal justice and penalty in a global context.

Again, you can select from a range of modules, a number of which highlight the global dimensions of crime and justice. There will be opportunities to undertake a voluntary placement in an organisation relevant to the criminal justice sector.

How will I be assessed?

We use a range of assessments to gain a comprehensive measure of your performance. Assignments may include essays, book reviews, examinations, portfolios, creative work, contributions to online resources, presentations, reports, in-class tests, reflective writing and individual and group projects.

A qualification in Criminology will prepare you for a career in a variety of relevant fields in criminal justice and associated social and welfare professions including:

• Policing
• Crime prevention and security
• Crime reduction initiatives
• Law
• Offender management and interventions
• Prisons
• Probation
• Youth justice
• Social work
• Community development

As a social sciences degree, the course will give you with a range of transferable skills which you can take into a career in a number of others sectors such as health and social care, marketing, HR, teaching or the media.

How will I be taught?

We take pride in our innovative and engaging modules that inspire and challenge, and we encourage you to reflect critically on your subject.

We’ll guide you through your studies, support you, and help you make the most of your academic studies. Your personal timetable will comprise all the modules for which you have been registered, and these incorporate different modes of teaching.

You’ll participate in a wide variety of activities including lectures, seminars, workshops, one-to-one tutorials, and sessions with visiting speakers.

Course length

Three years full-time, or four years full-time with a professional placement year. Part-time available.