BA (Honours) Criminology
Three years full-time
UCAS code • M931
Location • Collegiate Campus
Subject area • Criminology
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This course includes a number of initiatives designed to enhance your learning experience and make you more employable after you graduate. Find out more.
Visit the Department of Criminology website to view profiles of the staff who teach in this subject area.
At a glance
Study the causes and effects of crime and pursue a career in the criminal justice sector. You specialise in areas of criminology such as crime prevention and policing. Work-based learning and overseas exchange opportunities offer you ways to build your CV and gain the edge in the job market.
Key points
• Gain an in depth understanding of criminology and then specialise.
• Learn from lecturers who are active practitioners in the criminal justice sector.
• Maximise your career prospects with work-based learning and overseas exchanges.
• Learn important general skills to give you the option to work in many different areas.
What is criminology?
Criminology explores crime, criminality and criminal justice institutions and processes.
This course
Learn the many types, causes and consequences of crime and the criminal justice institutions and the processes that seek to reduce offending, alongside studies of human society, social groups and social structures.
Your studies can help you find a career in areas like criminal and community justice, education, personnel work, the civil service, or other options in the community or public sector.
You benefit from the expertise of lecturers who are active in the Hallam Centre for Community Justice and have a wealth of academic and practical experience. We also have strong links with local, regional and national agencies in the criminal justice sector. For example, the criminology team train all the probation officers across the Yorkshire and Humberside region on behalf of the Ministry of Justice. This means they can offer you practical up-to-date perspectives on your studies.
To maximise your career prospects in the area, you have a range of industry opportunities during the course such as work-based learning with organisations including South Yorkshire Police, West Yorkshire Probation Trust and SOVA. There are also career management sessions, and the opportunity to gain an international outlook with overseas study exchange options.
International academic exchanges take place in the second semester of your second year. Previous exchanges have taken place with universities in Australia, Canada and the United States.
As well as being prepared for a career in criminology, criminal and community justice areas, you also gain skills that make you attractive to all employers, including • information gathering and analysis • problem solving • presentation skills • organisational and time management skills • critical thinking and analysis • equality and diversity awareness.
Key areas of study
Gain a foundation in key areas of criminology and criminal justice in your first year then specialise with optional modules such as • crime prevention • gender • hate and bias crime • high risk and serious offenders • media • policing and prisons • sexual and violent crime - drugs and crime.
As a student you can become involved in the student-run criminology society who organise socials, invite guest speakers, hold film nights and organise visits to places such as prisons.
Related courses
You apply for this course through UCAS.
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees and funding see www.shu.ac.uk/study/ug/fees-and-funding
2013/14 academic year
Typically £10,680 a year
2014/15 academic year
Typically £11,250 a year
The course fee may be subject to annual inflationary increase. For further information on fees, scholarships and bursaries see www.shu.ac.uk/international/fees
• examinations • coursework • case studies • presentations • dissertation in year three
You develop theoretical understanding and practical research skills
Key Information Set 
How we enhance you employability
As part of the course we run a number of initiatives designed to enhance your learning experience and make you more employable after you graduate. Examples of these initiatives are given below.
Employability fair
Every September a variety of agencies from across the criminal justice and voluntary sectors attend our event with the sole aim of employing our students as volunteers within their organisation. This has included prisons, Police, probation, SOVA and Remedi amongst others, who are involved with a broad spectrum of individuals including victim services, young offenders, neighbourhood resolution teams, prisoners and independent custody visitors. The placements you secure can be used in your second and third year of study to gain academic credit as you look at how theoretical approaches apply to real life situations.
Probation training
The department delivers the Probation Qualifications Framework across Yorkshire and Humberside and also the North West, under contract from the Ministry of Justice. This course offers the qualification required to be a probation officer.
Guest lectures and career mentoring
Throughout the year we have a variety of guest speakers. The talks are from a variety of practitioners and academics and may focus on a range of issues, from case studies to policy initiatives, from employment histories to careers advice. A number of these individuals also offer their time as career mentors, where you are partnered with a practitioner who will meet with you regularly to discuss your academic goals and your future career path.
Visit the Department of Criminology website to view profiles of the staff who teach in this subject area.
