Why you should study this course
This course aims to equip you with a critical perspective on a wide variety of phenomena associated with crime, victimisation, punishment and criminal justice, with a focus on its causes and the various means by which society and social groups attempt to deal with it.
Throughout the course you will engage with contentious issues including ‘What are the causes of crime?’ ‘How can crime be prevented?’ and ‘Do prisons work?’. You will examine these questions from a variety of perspectives and review the evidence for and against different theories. This course is ideal if you are interested in a career in the criminal justice sector, in professions such as policing, community safety or youth offending.
You will be taught through an innovative approach to learning which involves guest speakers from different spheres of criminological activity such as the UK Borders Agency, practising psychologists, victims and oversight agencies (subject to availability). This aims to provide you with effective learning insights which complement the expertise of lecturers and is designed to ensure you are engaging with the most contemporary issues in criminology.
We place a strong emphasis on relevant work experience and have excellent professional links with the Police, HM Prison Service and Youth Offending Service. Our partnership with Warwickshire Police to provide Police Support Volunteers was the first scheme of its kind in the country.
Successful completion of this course can give students who attain a 2:2 or above the opportunity to apply for the MA Criminology course.
What you'll study
Year one
In the first year, we introduce you to the foundation principles of criminology – the causes of crime, controlling crime, victims of crime, and the construction of crime. We explore core ideas in criminology from key thinkers, such as Bentham, Lombroso, Foucault, Cohen and Young.
You’ll have the opportunity to be exposed to a wide-ranging analysis of historical and contemporary issues in the area of social control, crime prevention and criminal justice. In Victims and Victimology, for example, we’ll look at issues relating to crime victimisation and wider aspects of social harm, including public perceptions of crime victims, how the media represents notions of victimisation and why some individuals more readily gain victim status than others and how those marginalised groups, like sex workers or the homeless, are treated by the criminal justice system.
Modules
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Introduction to Criminology: Theory and Skills - 30 credits
The first aim of this module is to provide you with an overview of the main perspectives and theories within Criminology. You will be provided with core ideas in a range of perspectives and how these relate to and differ from one another in terms of thinking about, and acting on, crime and deviance.
A second aim of this module is to help you relate the perspectives and theories to expectations of study at degree level. You will learn about academic standards and conventions of writing and referencing and be provided with opportunities to practice these. This element of the module also introduces the concept of personal and professional development designed to assist you to prepare for employment after graduation.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and group work
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Crime Typologies - 20 credits
This module aims to equip you with a grounded knowledge of different types of criminal activity, with a particular focus on the relationship between types of crimes, criminals and representations in the media. You will examine patterns and trends of violent, acquisitive, public order and organised crime and consider the impact of globalisation and technological development on the nature of these types of offences. It will also encourage you to think critically regarding methods of measuring crime.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Victims and Victimology - 20 credits
In this module you will focus on political, social, cultural and popular constructions of victims of crime and wider social harms. The module places a particular focus on the victimisation experiences of marginalised social groups, demonstrating that certain individuals and groups are more readily ascribed victim status than others. You will consider the International context, with technology and global insecurity impacting on contemporary victimisation experiences.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Global Criminology - 20 credits
You will be introduced to a broad range of historical and contemporary issues in the area of crime, harm and social control. You will focus on the social construction of crime and examine how social harm might be a useful concept in understanding criminal acts and behaviours. A number of contemporary global issues in criminology are explored, including: state crime, eco-crime, human trafficking, and corporate crime. You will investigate the increasing challenges to national and international criminal justice systems in defining, preventing and prosecuting criminal acts and harms that increasingly occur at a transnational level.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Exploring Crime - 20 credits
This module is intended to introduce you to the practice of researching and formulating structured ideas about criminological issues. The module will emphasise the link between theory, policy and practice and how you can approach explaining each of these and assessing their overall impact on a criminological topic. Ultimately the module focus is on developing your ability to think, write and talk about crime, including for employment.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Add+vantage - 10 credits
You will also be able to take an Add+vantage module which can allow you to develop your CV by taking credits in an area of study that doesn’t have to be related to your degree. The assessment type will depend on the type of Add+vantage module you wish to take.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and exam
Year two
The second year introduces you to a range of topics around the major institutions involved in crime control, community safety and representation – the police, the prison service, the mass media and the public. We will evaluate the relationships between the police, the state and the citizen, exploring the independence of the police and their accountability. You will also explore the theory and practice of researching crime-related issues in preparation for your final year project.
Modules
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Community Safety and the Environment - 20 credits
Throughout this module you can explore the theory and practice of community safety and a range of issues connected with it, including the framing of crime and disorder within legislation and the meaning of community in both public perception and policy terms. Various aspects of community crime prevention will be explored ranging from police/public relations to community mobilisation, security as commodity to designing out crime. You will evaluate current trends in crime prevention and community safety and their future implications for communities and policymakers.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Researching Crime - 30 credits
The aim of this module is to further develop your criminological research thinking and research practice. You will be provided with the methodological and practical tools necessary for: developing your own thoughts and ideas about criminological matters; how to go about reviewing criminological literature; how to plan and conduct research; and how to present it to diverse audiences. The knowledge acquired during this module is designed to provide you with a set of digital literacy and other skills that are transferable to other modules and employment scenarios.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Punishment and Control - 20 credits
Both historical developments and contemporary issues surrounding the use of criminal sanctions are topics you will explore in this module. You will cover the theoretical underpinning of punishments and risk management with the aim of equipping you with a critical understanding of the effectiveness of custodial and community sentences. You will explore a number of key issues relating to punishment and control, such as the complexities of managing a diverse prison population, privatisation and reintegration. You will demonstrate your understanding through group exercises in an assessment centre environment, which replicates the recruitment process you may face after graduation.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and assessment centre
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Policing and Society - 20 credits
The key issues relating to policing democratic societies will be your focus in this module. This will include a critical evaluation of the relationships between the police, the state and the citizen. You will assess the independence of the police and their interdependence within the wider criminal justice system and investigate concepts such as consensus, legitimacy and accountability in relation to policing society. Topics to be discussed range from policing protest and disorder to the role of the media in representing the police.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Youth Crime and Justice - 20 credits
The aim of this module is to encourage you to develop an understanding of a range of perspectives within youth justice work. You will examine the way that youth crime is dealt with as both a social and criminological problem. You will be encouraged to develop an understanding of the sociological concepts of childhood and youth and the criminological issues associated with both life stages. Through the discussion of recent research, legislation and policy action you will be guided in considering the response of the criminal justice agencies to youth crime as well as the wider issues associated with youth crime such as debates over the age of criminal responsibility and welfare versus justice approaches.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and group work
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Add+Vantage - 10 credits
The aim of this module is to encourage you to develop an understanding of a range of perspectives within youth justice work. You will examine the way that youth crime is dealt with as both a social and criminological problem. You will be encouraged to develop an understanding of the sociological concepts of childhood and youth and the criminological issues associated with both life stages. Through the discussion of recent research, legislation and policy action you will be guided in considering the response of the criminal justice agencies to youth crime as well as the wider issues associated with youth crime such as debates over the age of criminal responsibility and welfare versus justice approaches.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and exam
Final year
The final year of the programme focuses on issues connected with crime and more specialist areas, such as social diversity and the links between crime, victimisation and social stratification.
You will have the opportunity to collaborate with a member of academic staff and apply the knowledge of research methods obtained during the first two years of your degree to design and conduct your own piece of research in an area of your choice. In the past, students have researched conviction rates for rape, the prosecution of war crimes in Cambodia and the regulation of environmental crimes.
Modules
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Forensic Mental Health - 20 credits
This module offers you a critical and theoretical exploration of the intersection between mental health, crime and justice. You will draw on theory from across disciplinary boundaries including criminology, sociology, psychology and forensic psychiatry to analyse the relationship between serious mental illness, violence, victimization and (in)justice.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Violence and Exploitation - 20 credits
In this module you will explore forms of violence and exploitation in childhood and adulthood. You will explore violence and exploitation in relation to incidence, prevalence and reporting, theoretical and explanatory frameworks. You will be encouraged to develop an understanding of the concepts, issues and current debates in the field of violence and exploitation, with emphasis on developments in theoretical approaches, policies and procedures. Through discussions of recent research, you will explore the impacts and meaning for victims/survivors, persistence and change with respect to the justice system, support services and approaches to prevention.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and group work
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Current Issues in Criminology - 20 credits
This module provides you with the opportunity to develop your knowledge and understanding of a range of criminological issues that currently dominate both political and professional attempts to make sense of the global phenomenon of ‘law and order’. Throughout this module you will be encouraged to develop your skills as an independent learner, and be given the opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge across assessments.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Research Project - 30 credits
This module is designed to enable you to develop, enhance and implement the research skills acquired in your previous years of study in combination with focusing your attention on a specific area of knowledge in the criminological sphere.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and dissertation
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Deviant Leisure - 20 credits
In this module you will explore a range of contemporary criminological issues related to the intersection between crime, leisure and harm against a backdrop of global consumer capitalism. The module breaks open disciplinary boundaries, drawing on criminology, sociology, youth studies, tourism industries and cultural geography to explore different forms of deviant leisure in the 21st century.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework
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Add+vantage - 10 credits
In this module you will explore a range of contemporary criminological issues related to the intersection between crime, leisure and harm against a backdrop of global consumer capitalism. The module breaks open disciplinary boundaries, drawing on criminology, sociology, youth studies, tourism industries and cultural geography to explore different forms of deviant leisure in the 21st century.
Compulsory
Assessment: Coursework and exam
