About this course
Some subjects are about hard, uncontested facts. The proven formulas; the clear truths. This criminology degree goes beyond the black and white — prepare yourself instead for some eye-opening shades of grey.
Our students are good people, and they’re on a mission. They believe in a better, safer, fairer world. Criminology at NTU is about questions, values, and perceptions — from your emotional response to big news stories, to how you feel walking home alone. What does and doesn’t work in our criminal justice system? Is rehabilitation truly possible? What’s nature, and what’s nurture? You’ll experience a sprinkling of morality, a dash of philosophy, and lot of self-reflection as we examine the ‘why’ — and not just the ‘what’ — of crime.
Alongside our fun and friendly teaching team, you’ll learn first-hand from the victims and perpetrators, the politicians and rule-makers, and even the detectives who’ve hunted down serial killers. Together, we’ll explore the past, present, and future of crime — from cities to cyberspace, and everywhere in between.
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Stand out. We’re the only UK university to offer life-changing paid placements in working prisons. -
Customise your course, with specialist modules ranging from ‘green’ criminology to cybercrime. -
Meet prestigious guest speakers, from authors and analysts to the convicts-turned-criminologists. -
Get connected, with partners like Notts Police, HM Prison & Probation Service, and the Home Office.
*The Prison Officer placement opportunity is via a competitive application and vetting process.
What you’ll study
Our whole sense of who we are as a society revolves around our relationship with crime. That’s why this criminology degree isn’t just about the criminal justice system — it’s about human beings. Who decides what’s wrong? Why is ‘justice’ such a contested word? Why are some communities so troubled? And why do so many people continue to ‘fall through the cracks’?
This isn’t crime through a Netflix lens. This is real life: brutal, uncomfortable, but fascinating. From the core theories — Where does our criminal justice system come from? How do we measure crime? — we’ll move through increasingly global perspectives, as you build a worldwide understanding of the discipline.
The study highlights of our criminology degree include:
- working on live projects and employer challenges, with partners like Nottingham Citizens, the Holocaust Centre, and G4S
- meeting guest speakers and alumni from across the industry, who’ll share their experiences and help you to answer that key question: ‘What can you do with a criminology degree?’
- a huge range of specialist modules to pick from in your third year, with the chance to explore crime through the contexts of media representation, race, gender, culture, ecology, and much, much more
- the opportunity to study abroad at one of our international partner universities
- the ‘Prison Sandwich’ route, where you can gain vital criminology work experience by completing a year-long paid placement in a real working prison. It’s a competitive application process and a tough environment, but our students find it a transformative and incredibly valuable experience.
Here’s a full breakdown of the criminology modules you’ll be studying throughout the course.
Core modules
The Criminal Justice Process (20 credits)
In this module, you’ll be introduced to the systems, processes and agencies that have evolved to deliver justice to offenders, victims and wider society. You’ll consider how competing philosophies and models of justice have helped to shape the modern Criminal Justice System in England and Wales (and beyond), whilst applying your knowledge to real world practice through case-studies, probation reviews, court visits and practitioner insights.
Current Issues In Criminology (20 credits)
Through a programme of staff and invited guest speakers, you’ll be introduced to a range of current issues influencing theory, policy and practice in the Criminal Justice System and beyond. You’ll begin to examine a range of contemporary crime types and issues and consider the challenges associated with understanding and responding to crime and criminality.
Constructing Crime (20 credits)
In this module, you’ll understand how crime, deviance and victimisation are legally and socially constructed. Looking at the bigger picture, you’ll explore the answers to questions such as: what is crime? Who determines this? What is the role for morals and ethics? How do different stakeholders shape the conversation about crime and why does it matter?
Crime Research (20 credits)
This module provides the framework needed to establish what sort of data we can use to understand and interpret crime, deviance and victimisation, and how it can be recorded. You’ll gain key research design skills, tools and techniques and learn how to use real-world crime research as the basis for developing and applying your understanding.
Crime, Place and Justice (20 credits)
Learn how to identify how different types of crime and deviance can be affected by location, space and place. In this module, you’ll explore the heterogeneous nature of crime, where it is commissioned and those that commit it. You’ll utilise these skills and apply them directly to crime and justice issues within Nottingham as a mode of understanding crime in the real world.
Conversations in Criminology (20 credits)
Core modules
Managing Justice (20 credits)
Building on the justice process foundations developed in Year 1, this module explores the way in which ‘offenders’ and ‘victims’ are constructed and managed within the contemporary Criminal Justice System. You’ll learn about issues relating to governance and accountability, diversity and discrimination in the Criminal Justice System, how we assess and manage risk and dangerousness, media narratives and the impact of populist discourse, implementing effective multi-agency and joined-up criminal justice, and future directions in managing justice (e.g., restorative justice).
Explaining Crime (20 credits)
By assessing the merits of competing theories relevant to crime, victimisation and responses to crime together with the role of criminology in society, you’ll explore the developments in criminological thought through the lens of disciplines such as sociology, psychology and criminology.
Applied Criminology (20 credits)
Using action research, you will work with practitioners, academics and community members to explore potential solutions to ‘real world’ live projects. Through the process of reflective practice, this module seeks to better understand how we might align the ‘doing’ of criminology with concepts such as active citizenship, identity, human rights and ultimately, ‘justice’. This module includes 60 hours of Assessed Work-Like Experience.
Advanced Crime Research (20 credits)
In this module, you’ll develop your understanding of the practicalities and issues related to real-world research. You’ll explore the ethical and philosophical questions underpinning criminological research, incorporating concepts such as writing research proposals, project planning and the design of research tools and data analysis – further developing your qualitative and quantitative research skills.
Crime Reduction and Community Safety (20 credits)
Through exploring the nature, history and social context of crime prevention, you’ll evaluate the different approaches and models that have been developed to reduce crime and promote community safety.
Core modules
Future Directions in Criminology (20 credits)
By exploring prevalent and emergent crime types, you’ll develop a critical understanding of how the implementation and evaluation of policy responses to crime and wider social problems translate for practitioners, service users and those researching within this context. You’ll also be asked to critically evaluate the alignment between social and criminal justice, and the role that critical criminology plays in this.
Dissertation / Research Project (40 credits)
Utilising the skills that you have developed as a researcher, you will have the opportunity to undertake a substantial piece of self-directed work in an area of criminology that interests you – further building on your employability skill set. Your Research Project can be entirely theoretical or draw upon empirical work (including working with a local organisation).
Optional modules (60 credits)
Media and Crime (20 credits)
This module will help you develop a critical understanding of theories that shape the connections between criminology and media studies and discover distinct approaches and representations of crime by mass and new media. You’ll explore current issues faced by the media, such as discussions about fake news and how the media approach criminal and antisocial behaviours.
Cultural Criminology in Global Perspectives (20 credits)
On this module, you’ll explore the limitations of existing orthodox explanations of crime, deviance and transgression and understand the relationship of cultural criminology within a broader criminological theoretical landscape.
Crime, Race and Empire (20 credits)
Develop an understanding of the relationship between punishment and society in colonial contexts and a familiarity of non-westernised perspectives of justice and punishment. This module will help you develop a critical awareness of historical resistance to punishment and understand and critically apply post and decolonial critiques of crime and punishment.
Gender and Crime (20 credits)
Explore the theoretical links between gender, crime, justice and the socio-historical context in which these theories emerged. You will critically assess classical and contemporary feminist criminological perspectives and critically evaluate the debates surrounding the differential treatment of women and men in the Criminal Justice System as victims, offenders and/or professionals.
Hate Crime, Identity and Citizenship (20 credits)
As criminologists, we are aware that human societies are characterised by diversity yet some minority groups have radically different experiences of offences that are motivated by bias, prejudice and ‘hate’. It is also the case that criminal justice responses to tackling hate crimes sometimes fail to meet their stated outcomes and in some cases, worsen the experiences of victims. As such, this module aims to explore the ways in which crime and responses to it are shaped by prejudicial attitudes towards disability, race/ethnicity, gender, class, sexuality and religion. The module will explore the nature of hate crimes, and legislative and policy responses to such behaviours, whilst also assessing the impact of the intersectionality, which exists between social divisions within the UK.
Drugs, Crime and Justice (20 credits)
On this module you will critically assess the local, national and international significance, prevalence and nature of drug use, misuse and harm. You will explore the complexities and impacts of drugs on society and gain a critical understanding of the political, legislative and criminal justice responses to drug-related activity in England and Wales.
Young People, Crime and Justice (20 credits)
On this module you will critically assess the local, national and international significance, prevalence and nature of drug use, misuse and harm. You will explore the complexities and impacts of drugs on society and gain a critical understanding of the political, legislative and criminal justice responses to drug-related activity in England and Wales.
Inequalities and Crime (20 credits)
This module will build your understanding of the roles that inequalities can play in crime and our responses. You’ll evaluate complex social problems in terms of criminological theories of crime, class, victimisation and responses to crime and deviance and explore the ways which crime control strategies can help both alleviate and compound wider inequalities in experiences of crime and victimisation.
Serious and Organised Crime (20 credits)
Look back at the development, typologies and evolution of ‘Organised Crime Groups’ over time and build an understanding of the UK’s Organised Crime issues and how they are seated in an international context. You’ll explore the complexities of involvement in and impacts of serious and organised crime, as well as the impact developing technologies have on this issue.
Green Criminology (20 credits)
On this module, you’ll explore issues of green criminology and how they are seated within both a local and international context. You’ll critically appraise the effectiveness or green criminological issues and human rights issues in relation to preventive and pre-emptive measures. You’ll also look at future trajectories and challenges for green crim control within local and international communities.
Cybercrime (20 credits)
Develop an understanding of theoretical debates surrounding contemporary cyber threats across the globe. You’ll demonstrate a critical appreciation of the complexities of involvement in, and impacts of, Cybercrime and its threats to victims and analyse the effectiveness of responses from criminal justice systems, police forces and the state.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
How you're taught
How will I learn?
This is a criminology degree with a difference, built on authenticity, fun, and a sense of community. You’ll learn from a teaching team with almost a century’s experience in the field — former consultants and courtroom professionals, police and probation officers, and senior civil servants. These experts have come from all around the world to explain the applied practice of criminology in countries like Brazil, Trinidad, Australia, Egypt, Denmark, and Greece — and of course, the UK.
You’ll be learning through a mix of:
- lectures
- small-group seminars and workshops, designed to improve your debating, teamworking, and problem-solving skills
- one-on-one meetings with your friendly personal tutor
- independent study, as you build up your research skills
- authentic work-like experiences, including a real-world prison placement (if your application is successful)
How you're assessed
- Year One — coursework and written
- Year Two — coursework, written and practical
- Year Three — coursework, written and practical
Contact hours
You will ordinarily have around 10-12 hours per week of contact time (such as lectures, seminars and workshops) in the first and second year and around 8-10 hours in your final year. This is around 25%-30% of a full-time week and approximately 90% of our teaching is in-person. The remaining 70%-75% of your time should be devoted to directed learning and independent study.
- Year One — lectures / seminars / workshops, independent study
- Year Two — lectures / seminars / workshops, independent study and placement
- Year Three — lectures / seminars / workshops, independent study
Careers and employability
What can you do with a criminology degree? From MI5 to the RSPCA, you’d be surprised where it can take you.
Our course attracts students who want to make things better — for society and our sense of security, for our environment, and for anyone experiencing the criminal justice system. You’ll get criminology work experience opportunities, a potential placement in a real-life prison, eligibility for membership of the British Criminological Society, and the support of our in-house Employability team.
From major players (the police, prison, and probationary services) to the grassroots charities tackling issues like addiction, sustainability, and animal welfare, criminology is an interconnected industry, with agencies of all sizes collaborating to deliver real change — so where will you fit best?
Recently, NTU Criminology graduates have found work as:
- Police and probation officers
- Civil servants in the Home Office and Ministry of Justice
- UN caseworkers
- Intelligence analysts
- Advisors for domestic violence projects.
Campus and facilities
You’ll mainly be studying in the Chaucer and Newton buildings, at the centre of our vibrant City Campus. As well as a range of classrooms and lecture theatres, the facilities including a mock prison cell, banks of open-access PCs, social spaces for either quiet study or busy group work.
NTU’s City Campus has everything you’ll need to stay busy between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our stylish Students’ Union building and two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets for every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; performance and rehearsal spaces for musicians; and much, much more!
Take a few steps off campus and you’ll find yourself in the heart of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities, and one of Europe’s top 25. It’s stuffed with history, culture, and well-kept secrets to discover at your leisure. Enjoy lush green spaces, galleries, hidden cinemas and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink and social scene by night.
Take our virtual tour to get a real feel for the campus.
Entry requirements
UK students
Standard offer: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
Contextual offer: 104 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
Other requirements: A Disclosure and Barring Service check will be necessary if you wish to become a Special Constable, but it is not required for admission onto the course.
To find out what qualifications have tariff points, please use our tariff calculator.
Additional requirements for UK students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
Contextual offers
If you don’t quite meet our entry requirements, we might be able to make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and your individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer, and we get data from UCAS to help make these decisions. We do this because we believe everyone with the potential to succeed at NTU should have the opportunity to do so, no matter what barriers you may face.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to four different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
Academic entry requirements: 112 UCAS Tariff points from up to four A levels. We accept equivalent qualifications from all over the world. Please check your international entry requirements by country.
Other requirements: A Disclosure and Barring Service check will be necessary if you wish to become a Special Constable, but it is not required for admission onto the course.
English language requirements: See our English language requirements page for requirements for your subject and information on alternative tests and Pre-sessional English.
Additional requirements for international students
Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)
If you need help achieving the academic entry requirements, we offer a Foundation preparation course for this degree. The course is offered through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC) based on our City Campus.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
