
BA (Hons) Criminal Justice and Criminology
DURATION
3 up to 6 Years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
Request application deadline
EARLIEST START DATE
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TUITION FEES
GBP 13,450 *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* international students full time, part time £1680 per 15 credits / UK students full time £9250, part time £1155 per 15 credits / EU students full time £13450, part time £1680 per 15 credits
Scholarships
Explore scholarship opportunities to help fund your studies
Introduction
"Due to the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic, examinations may be replaced by an alternative form of assessment during the academic year 2021/2022. Please refer to the Programme Specification on these pages for further details."
Why choose this course?
You want to debate crime and its causes. What is your opinion on targeted policing? Do offenders have an innate criminal mind? Is restorative justice enough to repair community relations? Whatever your stance, we want to hear it. Hear the opinions of other aspiring criminologists. Dare to challenge your own beliefs. Uncover the realities of the underworld. Learn to connect the environmental and sociological trends of crime throughout history. Learn how you could influence positive social change. Together, let's explore potential solutions to reduce the crimes of today.
You’ll understand crime at a deep level. Be inspired by internationally recognised researchers. You’ll be taught by experts with first-hand public servant experience, from the police to prisons, the probation service and victim support. We even have staff from the military! Take advantage of our contacts. Network with departments like the Hertfordshire Constabulary, the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner and established resettlement teams. Thinking of becoming a prison officer? A fraud investigator? Or what about a crime journalist? Whatever your career goals are, choose the University of Hertfordshire. A TEF Gold-rated university that will give you the best possible start to your career.
What are the facilities like?
Outstanding. Our bright, modern Law School Building opened its doors in 2011. It brings you a mixture of fantastic technology, well-equipped study spaces and realistic criminal justice settings. Inside you’ll find our incredible replica Crown Court, complete with judge’s bench and viewing gallery. Experience how the criminal justice system really works.
Hertfordshire Law School has helped graduates forge successful careers for 40 years. You’ll benefit from our reputation for being forward-thinking, innovative, and responsive to the world around us.
What's the course about?
You’ll study criminal justice as well as criminology. But what is the difference between the two? Criminal justice refers to established systems for dealing with crime. You’ll learn how the police and Crown Prosecution Service come together to investigate crime. You’ll explore the limits of the magistrates’ courts. How a jury and judge prosecute in the crown court. The powers of the high courts to overturn a guilty verdict. It’s also about punishment - detention centres, prisons, probation, and community sentencing. Are they all needed? Is one more effective than the other?
In criminology, you’ll look at the social, economic, and psychological side of crime. How does offending behaviour affect society? Learn victim psychology, and attitudes towards anti-social behaviour. Compare cultural perspectives on what is seen as a crime or just considered deviance. You will gain a solid understanding of both fields and how they come together to thwart crime.
At one time in history, theft was considered to be in your genes. It was in your blood to steal! In your first year, you will learn how attitudes towards crime and punishment have evolved. You’ll explore the stages of the justice system, from arrest to release. You’ll explore the schemes in place to reintegrate ex-offenders back into society. You’ll recognise its strengths. Challenge its weaknesses. We have moved on from the brutalities of hanging. But are prison sentences harsh enough?
In your second year, you’ll specialise in an area that fascinates you. Want to know more about the psychology of crime? Question if psychology can be used to shape how the public sees criminality. Or what about the race and crime debate? Look at the evidence on media stereotyping. Explore how this could lead to an increase in criminalising minority ethnic people. There are 117 prisons in England and only 12 of those are female. Explore feminist theories on gender, victimisation, and offending.
Work placement/ study abroad option
Between your second and final year, you’ll have the possibility to study abroad or do a work placement for up to a year. Not only will this give you an amazing experience to talk about but will also give your CV a boost. If you’d rather go straight to your final year, that’s absolutely fine too.
Shape your entire third year. Choose all your modules. You could explore how the media report crime events. Compare social moral panics to the official statistics. What about the ''war on drug's''? Is there an increasing social acceptance of recreational drug use? Does this justify harsher governing? Gangs. War crimes. Rehabilitating offenders. Your discussions will be endless. Your detailed research will inform your opinions. And we want you to debate them. Choose a topic. Gather your research. Analyse your readings. Use your final year project to produce a thought-provoking study. Challenge the system. Tell us how you believe we could make a fairer society.
Your main campus is de Havilland
You’ll share this campus with students from business, law, sport, education, and humanities subjects. The student housing is close to our Sports Village which includes a gym, swimming pool and climbing wall. You can get breakfast, lunch, or dinner in our on-campus restaurant or bar (in the newly built Enterprise Hub) on days you don’t feel like cooking. You can also use the common room to play pool, video games or just to hang out with friends. Our Learning Resources Centres are open 24/7, which means you can study whenever suits you best. Want to pop over to the other campus? You can take the free shuttle bus or walk there in just 15 minutes.
This course includes the options of:
- Work placement
- Study abroad
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Admissions
Scholarships and Funding
Curriculum
What will I study?
Degree programmes are structured into levels, 4, 5, and 6. These correspond to your first, second, and third/final year of study. Below you can see what modules you’ll be studying in each.
Level 4
- Criminal Justice Process II 30 Credits II Compulsory
- Understanding Crime and Deviance II 30 Credits II Compulsory
- Academic Skills in Criminology II 30 Credits II Compulsory
- History of Crime in Society II 30 Credits II Compulsory
Level 5
- Psychology of Crime II 30 Credits II Compulsory
- Sociological Theories of Crime II 30 Credits II Compulsory
- Policing and Society II 15 Credits II Optional
- Imprisonment and Justice II 15 Credits II Optional
- Gender and Crime II 15 Credits II Optional
- Youth and Crime II 15 Credits II Optional
- Ethnicity and Crime II 15 Credits II Optional
- Criminal Evidence II 15 Credits II Optional
- Terrorism and Criminology II 15 Credits II Optional
Level 6
- Dissertation II 30 Credits II Optional
- Terrorism III15 Credits II Optional
- State Crime II 15 Credits II Optional
- White-Collar Crime II 15 Credits II Optional
- Human Rights II 15 Credits II Optional
- Organised Crime II 15 Credits II Optional
- Cybercrime II 15 Credits II Optional
- Drugs, Crime, and Criminal Justice II 15 Credits II Optional
- Study Abroad II 0 Credits II Optional
- Law Placement Year II 0 Credits II Optional
- Hate Crime and Discrimination II 15 Credits II Optional
- War Crimes II 15 Credits II Optional
- Punishment and Society II 15 Credits II Optional
- Victimology II 15 Credits II Optional
- Media and Crime II 15 Credits II Optional
Study abroad
An opportunity for an amazing experience, which will help make you stand out from the crowd. With more and more companies working internationally, the experience of living in another country can make a great impression on future employers.
This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a sandwich year abroad. The University has partnerships with over 150 universities around the world, including the USA, Canada, Asia, Africa, Australia, South America, and closer to home in Europe.
If you study abroad between your second and third year of study, you’ll pay no tuition fee to the partner university and no tuition fee to us either. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.
Work placement
Graduate with invaluable work experience alongside your degree and stand out from the crowd.
This course offers you the opportunity to enhance your study and CV with a work placement sandwich year. It’s a chance to explore career possibilities, make valuable contacts and gain sought-after professional skills.
Our dedicated Careers and Employment team are here to help guide you through the process. We make sure that we have close links with the local authorities, and strong links with the police and NGOs such as HACRO and Future Living Hertfordshire, to help give you the best experience possible.
If you take up a work placement between your second and third year of study, at the University of Hertfordshire you’ll pay no tuition fee for this year. We’ll ask you to make your decision in your second year, so there is plenty of time to think about it.
What if I need support?
You’ll get a support tutor and a cohort leader to guide you through your course, all the way to graduation.
You might also want or need extra support during your time with us. Rest assured, no matter what you study, we’ve got you covered. For help with study skills, including referencing, essay writing, and presentations, you’ll have access to our academic support services. You can attend workshops, 1-to-1 sessions, and online tutorials. Both our Learning Resources Centres's run drop-in study skills sessions. And the best thing is, it’s all free.
Program Tuition Fee
Career Opportunities
What's next for my career?
Graduates can pursue a range of careers, working within the field of criminal justice and beyond. The opportunities are endless but just to name a few you could end up working within the police, probation, youth offending or prison services, crime prevention, and criminological research.
You will also have access to the University's Careers, Employment, and Enterprise Service who can help you with seeking work experience, applying for jobs, or starting up your own business. If you wanted to further your studies, we also have a number of postgraduate options for you to consider.
Graduates can pursue a range of careers, working within the field of criminal justice and beyond. The opportunities are endless but just to name a few you could end up working within the police, probation, youth offending or prison services, crime prevention, and criminological research.