BA in Criminology
Queen's University Belfast - Faculty of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences
Key Information
Campus location
Belfast, United Kingdom
Languages
English
Study format
On-Campus
Duration
3 years
Pace
Full time
Tuition fees
GBP 18,800 / per year *
Application deadline
Request info
Earliest start date
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* England, Scotland or Wales: £9,250 | Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland: £4,710 | EU Other and International: £18,800
Introduction
The BA (Hons) in Criminology provides a unique vantage point to study crime and justice in a society transitioning from conflict. Criminologists are interested in how activities come to be defined as ‘criminal’ and why definitions and responses to crime vary over time and place. The subject includes a broad range of perspectives on understanding crime and criminal behaviour and examines various methods in the prevention, policing and punishment of crime. The course also considers how and why people move away from crime, ways in which this might be facilitated and offender reintegration.
Global Opportunities
Students can spend time studying at one of our linked Universities in Europe. There is also the opportunity to study or work abroad, supported by schemes such as Erasmus and Study USA. Additionally, students benefit from visiting international students who take criminology modules, as it increases their exposure to international criminal justice policy and practice, enhancing their understanding of criminology as an international discipline.
Internationally Renowned Experts
Criminology is taught by a group of internationally-recognised criminological researchers who specialise in areas such as criminal justice policy, prisons, policing, desistance from crime, offender reintegration, drug use, youth justice, conflict and transitional justice.
Student Experience
We offer a high-quality, supportive, student-centred learning experience in a top Russell Group University, as evidenced by our excellent National Student Survey student satisfaction rates.
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Curriculum
Modules often draw on international comparisons with a strong Irish (North and South) emphasis. All of the optional modules are taught by experts in the area who have published textbooks and research articles on the topic at hand.
Stage 1 Core Modules
These core modules aim to introduce students to the discipline of criminology and provide them with a range of intellectual and practical skills to develop their understanding of crime, criminal justice and criminalisation. These modules are delivered by our core criminology team - as experts in their respective fields - and who have published widely on the topics, you will be learning. These core criminology will be taught alongside complementary optional modules in stage 1 (below), which develop student understandings of wider societal, government policy and sociological dynamics, which inform understandings of and responses to crime.
- Introducing Criminology
- Crime and Society
- Rethinking Society
Stage 1 Optional Modules
- Visualising the Social World
- Introducing Social Policy
- Themes and Issues in Social Policy
- The Sociological Imagination
- Comparative Politics
- Issues in Contemporary Politics
- Digital Society
Stage 2 Core Modules
In year two, the criminology degree builds upon the foundational skills and knowledge developed at stage one and begins to specialise in specific fields of criminological interest. This includes applied theoretical considerations, considering important criminological issues in society, along with examining policing and security in society. In particular, level two focuses on providing students with key research skills - to develop applied quantitative and qualitative research approaches to criminological and societal issues. There are additional optional modules (below) which allow students to further develop areas of interest and expertise delivered by our research-active team.
- Criminological Theory
- Qualitative Research Skills
- Quantitative Research Skills
- Crime and the Media
- Policing and Society
Stage 2 Optional Modules
- Justice and Conflict
- Theory Counts
Stage 3 Core Modules
In the final year of your degree, students will further extend and deepen their criminological knowledge into specialist, research-led modules, developing analytical and critical skills across a range of areas, including border criminology, prisons and desistance, youth justice and psychology. For single BA Criminology students, you will also undertake your own research in the form of a dissertation project (on a topic of your choice), which will draw on the research and intellectual skills accrued across the various stages of the degree programme.
- Punishment, Penal Policy and Prison
- Research Project and Dissertation
- Youth, Crime and Criminal Justice
- Criminology Beyond Borders
Stage 3 Optional Modules
- Psychological Perspectives on Crime
- Reintegration after Prison
- Modelling the Social World
- The Sociology of Protest and Revolution
- The cultural politics of memory from a global perspective
The Optional Quantitative Methods Exit Pathway
Students who wish to benefit from specialist training in advanced quantitative research skills can undertake a series of dedicated social science research modules over the course of their degree studies. Students who successfully complete four advanced quantitative research skills modules (80 CATS credits) in level 2 and level 3 of their degree will be eligible to graduate with a BSc in Criminology with Quantitative Methods.
Value Added to Your Degree
As part of the international expertise and profile of the criminology academics at Queen’s University Belfast, you will get a range of opportunities to engage with ‘real-world’ stakeholders in the criminal justice and voluntary/community sector world. These will include expert inputs, field trips and engagements with a range of actors and organisations with whom many of our academics work as part of their wider research. In addition, students will also become part of the vibrant research community at Queen’s University Belfast, with opportunities throughout their time at Queen’s to attend criminology talks, events and guest speaker sessions to broaden their knowledge and understanding of the criminological field.
A range of modules throughout the second and third year invite guest speakers from criminal justice organisations and non-government organisations to discuss various issues, such as policing, offender management, supporting victims and the policies and practices used to manage crime. For example, guest speakers have included representatives from the Police Service of Northern Ireland, the Northern Ireland Prison Service, the Youth Justice System and a range of local non-government organisations that work with victims, young people, refugees, asylum seekers and those involved in offender reintegration.
Students can also avail of Degree Plus, which is an opportunity for students to obtain official recognition and accreditation from their work in extra-curricular activities that may enhance their employability while completing their degree. Over 2000 students successfully complete Degree Plus each year and in doing so, they build up valuable experience and practice in articulating their development/ achievements to others (e.g. employers or activity providers via application, presentation or interview).
Rankings
For 2020, Criminology at Queen’s has been ranked in the top ten criminology degrees in the Guardian League Tables, having also been the number one ranked criminology degree in the UK in 2018.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
Career Development
Students are offered opportunities to develop substantive knowledge and research skills through collaboration with Northern Ireland’s vibrant civil and community sector, through field trips, guest lectures, workshops, placements, research collaborations and volunteering opportunities.
The diversity of interests and topics covered in the discipline, plus the wide range of skills it equips you with, means that our students enter a wide range of careers upon graduation. Public and private sector organisations involved in the criminal justice system continue to expand, and the demand for criminology graduates is strong. The number and variety of career opportunities related to the criminal justice system have increased in recent years.
As well as the traditional criminal justice agencies such as the police, crime prevention and early intervention programmes, as well as the prison service. Criminology graduates work in a range of occupations, including the media, civil service, research, teaching, business, voluntary organisations and management. Criminology graduates also work in victim support organisations and in other social care agencies. Some graduates build on the degree by undertaking further post-graduate training in fields such as policing, probation work, social work, law, human rights, social science research and teaching. The School has a strong post-graduate programme, offering both Master and PhD degrees.
Studying for a Criminology degree at Queen’s University will assist you in developing the core skills and employment-related experiences that are valued by employers, professional organisations and academic institutions. Graduates from this degree at Queen’s University are well regarded by many employers (local, national and international), and over half of all graduate jobs are now open to graduates of any discipline.
Employment after the Course
Typical career destinations of graduates include:
- Victim Support Worker
- Crime Analyst
- Working with people in conflict with the law (e.g. offender management, rehabilitation, etc.)
- Researcher
- Civil Servant (e.g. Police Officer, Prison Officer, etc.)
- Policy Analyst (e.g. working to shape criminal justice policy and practice)
- Charity Worker (e.g. working with the families of victims and/or offenders)
- Youth and Community Worker