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Criminology BA (Hons) Modules

First year | Second year | Third year

Within our Criminology programme, we aim trigger your individual criminological imagination by presenting you with a framework to creatively construct your own knowledge by not only learning from our academics, but alongside them too.  Therefore, in the first year, the focus is upon providing a solid foundation on which you will build your criminological knowledge. We cover various, broad aspects of Criminology to provide you with the information you need to make an informed decision on whether to study towards a specific area of professional practice, or to follow a broader path.

First year

Studying at university

This module introduces students to the key skills required to undertake an undergraduate degree programme in Criminology. Students will learn practical skills enabling them to find and present academic sources, develop effective approaches to reading and writing in an academic setting. They will acquire presentation, team work, and referencing skills. 

Principles of social research

This module introduces students to the principles of social research. Students will recognise and apply critical thinking, explore the concept of ethics in research, and reflect on biases and positionality. They will explore philosophical questions and how different world views shape our understanding of crime, harm and justice.

Contemporary issues in Criminology

This module engages the students with a range of issues pertinent to complex problems in crime, harm and justice. Students will be able to describe the characteristics of these phenomena and identify the links between crime, politics and society. Lastly students will explore how power inequality and exclusion link with crime harm and victimisation drawing on issues such as race, class gender and sexuality.

Journeys through justice

Students will explore the concept of justice and what it means in the context of criminology.  By mapping the institutions of criminal and social justice such as police, prisons, probation, courts and the community sector, students will explore pathways through justice and how it may or may not be achieved.   

Second year

Explaining criminological issues

In this module, students will explore core criminological theories in relation to crime, harm and victimisation.  These criminological theories are situated in the context of and applied to a range of issues pertinent to complex problems in crime, harm and justice. The module builds a more critical awareness of from Level 4 Module Contemporary Issues in Criminology with a view to developing a ‘criminological imagination’.

Communities of justice

This module explores the Institutions, practices & interactions of justice. Students will explore the debates on the nature of imprisonment, punishment, rehabilitation and desistance. This module will consider debates on race, power, gender, criminalisation, youth justice as they apply to communities of justice. This module builds on the content of Level 4 module Journeys Through Justice. 

TBC

Researching justice journeys

The aim of this module is to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and critical appreciation of research methodologies used in social science research. The module will explore a range of qualitative and quantitative research methods, techniques, and forms of analysis with students engaging with the practicalities of a range of research methods.  

Third year

Planning social research

In this module, students will identify a relevant criminological topic and design a final year research project. They will develop a series of appropriate research questions, describe and evaluate an appropriate research design and consider the ethical implications of a research project on a criminological topic. 

Justice in a globalised world

In this module, students will explore advanced theoretical perspective to help them understand crime in a global context. Students will critically evaluate how these ‘global’ crimes and harms impact crime, harm and victimisation in society. They will also develop knowledge and critical understanding of transnational crime prevention and justice organisations and institutions. 

Emerging issues in Criminology

This module aims to promote a culture of curious and continuous enquires as part of a lifelong learning mindset.  Students will explore immediate issues that emerge within society and examine these using knowledge and understanding from their undergraduate degree programme. 

Final year project

This module is designed to enable students to complete an independent project. Students will integrate their knowledge and skills from across the degree programme to complete a final project. This project will be in the form of one of the following; 1) extended essay, 2) an empirical based research project or 3) social activism project based on their project proposal from module Planning Social research.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.