Criminology BSc (Hons)

at City University of London

Studying alongside our research-active academics, you’ll learn about crime, policing, victims, media representations of crime, youth crime and more. You’ll also understand how criminality, victimisation and crime control relate to social issues such as class, gender, ethnicity, politics and the economy.
 

Our London location puts you at the heart of UK justice, with access to key criminal justice institutions such as the Central Criminal Court (the ‘old Bailey’), three police forces and numerous prisons.

• Develop methodological expertise to analyse crime and justice data, and engage with key criminal justice policy debates

• Build your studies around your interests, with our wide choice of elective modules

• Learn from academics who are internationally acknowledged as leading researchers in their field

• Boost your employability with an optional work placement year

• Develop highly sought-after data literacy and quantitative skills, thanks to our strong links with City’s Q-Step Centre

• Opt onto a Q-Step quantitative methods pathway: benefit from a heightened focus on data skills, a workplace Data Placement in Year 2, and an optional international work placement.
   

A particular strength of the BSc (Hons) Criminology at City is that the degree is part of the City Q-Step Centre, a centre of excellence devoted to developing the data literacy and quantitative methods skills of undergraduate social scientists.
 

Course content
 

During your three year Criminology BSc degree, you will develop a nuanced understanding of crime and criminality, alongside strong data literacy skills. In year 2 you will have the option to take the Quantitative Method pathway.
 

Year 1
 

Study core modules designed to provide a firm foundation in criminology, sociology and statistics, preparing you for future research activity.

• Introduction to Criminology (15 credits)

• Lies, Damned Lies and Statistics (15 credits)

• Producing Social Data (15 credits)

• Criminal Justice (15 credits)

• Sociology in Action (15 credits)

• Researching Society: Qualitative Methods (15 credits)

• Contemporary Criminological Controversies (15 credits)

• Academic and Professional Practice (15 credits)
   

  Year 2
   

  Deepen your understanding of the subject with core modules covering data analysis and topics relating to crime and justice. Complement this with three electives modules from a wide selection. In year 2 You will have the option to take the Quantitative Method pathway.

• Violence (15 credits)

• Gender and Crime (15 credits)

• Key Issues in Criminology (15 credits)

• Penology (15 credits)

• Victimology (15 credits)

• Social Action Project (15 credits)

• Quantitative Analysis of Social Research Data (15 credits)

• Qualitative Analysis of Social Research Data (15 credits)

• Gender and Society (15 credits)

• Sociology of Race and Racism (15 credits)

• Work Placement (15 credits)

• Quantitative Data Placement (15 credits)

• Visualising Society (15 credits)
   

  Year 3
   

  Draw on the research expertise in the department to study current issues at the cutting edge of current thinking. Complete a dissertation to showcase your skills and interests.

• Sociology Project (45 credits)

• Crime, Culture and the City (15 credits)

• Property and Crime (15 credits)

• Policing (15 credits)

• Criminal Behaviour (15 credits)

• Youth Crime (15 credits)

• Global Migration Processes (15 credits)

• Applied Multivariate Analysis (15 credits)

• Education, Skills and the Job Market (15 credits)

• Poverty: What counts? (15 credits)

• Broken Britain? Culture, Employment and Society (15 credits)

• Celebrity and Society (15 credits)

• Culture, Racisms and Resistance (15 credits)

• Changing Ideas about Society in the 21st Century (15 credits)

• Political Communication (15 credits)

• Interrogating Consumer Culture (15 credits)

• Global Politics of Forced Migration (15 credits)

• The Theory and Practice of Conflict and Peace (requires either IP2024 or IP2025) (15 credits)

• Justice, Law and History (30 credits)

• Criminal Justice (15 credits)

• Judgement and Decision-Making (15 credits)

• Organisational Psychology (15 credits)

• Introduction to Clinical Psychology (15 credits)

• International Marketing of Culture (15 credits)

• Work and Workers (15 credits)

• Criminal Justice in Crisis (15 credits)

• Leisure, the Body and Deviance (15 credits)

• Global Media Industries (15 credits)

• Digital cultures (15 credits)

• Micro-Placement (15 credits)
   

  Placements
   

  You have the opportunity to undertake a work placement between the second and third years. If you opt onto a Q-Step pathway you will do a workplace Data Placement in Year 2 and have the opportunity to do an international placement between Year 2 and 3.

• UK
   

  A-level:

  BBB
   

  Tariff:

  120 UCAS tariff points
   

  International Baccalaureate:

  29 points with 5 or better in three Higher Level subjects
   

  BTEC:

  DDM
   

  GCSE:

  A minimum of grade 4 (C) in GCSE English Language and Mathematics in addition to other outlined requirements.
   

  Contextual offers

  We apply a contextual admissions process for UK undergraduate applicants who have been in care or are the first in their family to enter Higher Education. Those who are eligible may receive a conditional offer with reduced entry requirements, typically two grades lower for A-levels and one grade (or eight tariff points) for BTEC or mixed qualifications.

  Read our contextual admissions policy for eligibility criteria and further information.
   

  Mixed qualifications

  Typically the only scenario where we make conditional offers expressed as UCAS tariff points is when an applicant presents mixed qualifications, most typically a combination of A Levels and a BTEC qualification.

  In this instance, we may make a tariff point offer to present the applicant with more flexibility on equivalencies. In this case, please be aware that we may still ask for a specific score across certain qualifications and subjects. E.g. 'This offer is conditional on you achieving 128 tariff points. This must include A Level Mathematics at grade B.'
   

  Subject exclusions

  We do not accept General Studies and Critical Thinking. These subjects will not be included in any conditional offer we make.
   

  Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

  We welcome applications from students who are completing relevant EPQ Projects. Whilst we recognise the value of these projects in preparing students for independent learning at university, the EPQ is unlikely to form part of any conditional offer we make.

  The EPQ will also not lower the specifics of any conditional offer we choose to make. We will consider the EPQ as part of the holistic assessment of the application and it could be used to form part of our final decision at Confirmation stage.
   

  AS levels

  We recognise that there will be differences of opportunity varying by school and college. As not all students will have the opportunity to sit AS Level exams, it is unlikely we will include AS Level grades in any offer we choose to make. Where students have completed an AS Level subject, we will consider this as part of the holistic assessment of the application and it could be used to form part of our final decision at Confirmation stage.
   

  University preparation programmes

  If you do not qualify for direct entry, you may wish to take a foundation programme first. These programmes are designed to prepare students for entry to City's undergraduate courses.
   

  Access to Higher Education

  We welcome Access course applications from 'mature' students. These applicants will be considered on the basis of their own merits. Please be aware that Access students are often asked for further information to supplement their application, this is normally in the form of a questionnaire.

  A typical offer for an Access applicant would be: Pass 60 credits, 45 Level 3 including at least 27 at distinction and the remaining 18 at merit. The Access qualification should be supplemented by at least a grade 4 (C) in Mathematics and English Language at GCSE.

   

  English language requirements
   

  If your first language is not English, we will require evidence of English language proficiency. Minimum requirements are:

  IELTS:

  6.5 overall with a minimum of 6.0 in each component

• PTE Academic: 59 overall with a minimum of 59 in each component.

Fees for year 2022/23
 

UK

£9,250

Overseas/EU

£16,010

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2022/ 23 academic year only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase, which is normally 2%.

You will develop expertise in crime and criminality that is relevant to a variety of professions concerned with criminal justice and crime reduction, including:

• the police

• the prison service

• offender management

• youth justice

• community safety.
   

This degree is part of City Q-Step, a centre of excellence devoted to developing your data literacy and quantitative methods skills. These skills are highly sought-after in a range of careers.
 

Your degree also includes options from other departments, including law, psychology, politics, media, culture and society, which increase employability in a range of fields upon graduation.