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Criminology BA (Hons)

Start date

  • Level(s) of Study: Undergraduate
  • Typical Offer: 112 - 120 UCAS tariff points
  • UCAS Code(s): L330
  • Start Date(s): September 2024
  • Duration: Three years full-time
  • Study Mode(s): Full-time
  • Campus: City Campus
Information for 2024

Introduction:

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.

  • 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

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

Through a programme of invited 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

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

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

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.

Core modules

Managing Justice

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

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

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’.

Advanced Crime Research

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

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

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

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

Media and Crime

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves

Student Profiles

Hannah Murfitt

Criminology

Studying at Nottingham has been the stepping stone I needed to realise what I wanted to do for my future prospects, as well as providing me with the best three years ever!

Sam Phillips

Criminology

It has been the best experience of my life and would not change any of it. There are so many different opportunities and things to enjoy!

Zac Hughes

There are loads of useful opportunities to gain real life experience during your studies.

Joao Paulo Garrido

Criminology

Staff at NTU always go that extra mile and that is what makes this university and community unique.

Joanne Webster

Studying at NTU and having the support of the team has allowed me to develop and grow both professionally and personally and recognise that I am capable of achieving things I hadn’t dreamed of.

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)

Contact hours

As the course progresses, the amount of in-person contact time will be reduced, allowing you to focus on building your independent study / research skills. You’ll still have access to your tutors whenever you need them.

Here’s the year-by-year breakdown of contact hours throughout our criminology degree course:

  • Year One — lectures / seminars / workshops (25%), independent study (75%)
  • Year Two — lectures / seminars / workshops (21%), independent study (71%) and placement (8%)
  • Year Three — lectures / seminars / workshops (19%), independent study (81%)

Staff Profiles

Kristan Hopkins - Senior Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Kristan Hopkins

Claire Cohen - Senior Lecturer

School of Social Sciences

Claire Cohen

Dr Irene Zempi - Associate Professor

School of Social Sciences

Dr Irene Zempi is an Associate Professor in Criminology in the School of Social Sciences at Nottingham Trent University.

How you’re assessed

  • Year 1 coursework (67%) and written (33%)
  • Year 2 coursework (56%), written (17%) and practical (27%)
  • Year 3 coursework (50%), written (43%) and practical (7%)

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 keep occupied between lectures. As well as the Boots Library and its beautiful roof garden, there’s our superb Students’ Union building that includes a two-storey, 100-station gym; a whole host of cafés, bars, restaurants and food outlets catering to every taste; our much-loved Global Lounge; performance and rehearsal spaces for musicians; and much, much more!

If that’s not enough, just take a few steps off campus, and you’ll find yourself in the beating heart of Nottingham — one of Britain’s top 10 student cities. Enjoy lush green spaces and vintage shopping by day, and an acclaimed food, drink, and social scene by night.

Entry requirements

What are we looking for?

  • Standard offer: 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications
  • Contextual offer: 112 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.

Contextual offers

A lower offer may be made based on a range of factors, including your background (such as where you live and the school or college you attended), your experiences and individual circumstances (you may have been in care, for example). This is called a contextual offer and we get data from UCAS to make these decisions. NTU offers a student experience like no other and this approach helps us to find students who have the potential to succeed here but who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Find out how we assess your application.

Other qualifications and experience

We may also consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or beyond the beginning of a course where applicable, for example, into year 2. Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route.

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.

Getting in touch

If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form

What are we looking for?

  • 120 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.

International qualifications

We accept qualifications from all over the world – check yours here:

English language entry requirements

You can meet our language requirements by successfully completing our pre-sessional English course for an agreed length of time, or by submitting the required grade in one of our accepted English language tests, such as IELTS:

Undergraduate preparation courses (Foundation)

If you don’t yet meet our entry requirements, we offer Foundation courses through our partner Nottingham Trent International College (NTIC), based on our City Campus:

Advanced standing (starting your undergraduate degree in year 2 or 3)

You may be able to start your undergraduate course in year 2 or 3 based on what you have studied before. This decision would be made in accordance with our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy.

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

Fees and funding

Preparing for the financial side of student life is important, but there’s no need to feel anxious and confused about it. We hope that our fees and funding pages will answer all your questions.

Additional Costs

Your course fees cover the cost of studies, and include loads of great benefits, such as the use of our library, support from our expert Employability team, and free use of the IT equipment across our campuses.

Library books

Most study modules will recommend one or more core text books, which most students choose to purchase. Book costs vary and further information is available in the University’s bookshop. Our libraries provide a good supply of essential text books, journals and materials (many of which you can access online) – meaning you may not need to purchase as many books as you might think! There may also be a supply of second-hand books available for purchase from previous year students.

Field trips

All essential field trip costs will be included in your course fees. There may be the opportunity to take part in optional field trips, which do incur additional costs.

Placements

If you're undertaking a placement year, you'll need to budget for accommodation and any travel costs you may incur whilst on placement. Many of our placement students do earn a salary whilst on placement which can help to cover these living costs.

Print and copy costs

The University allocates an annual printing and copying allowance of £20 depending on the course you are studying. For more details about costs for additional print and copying required over and above the annual allowance please see the Printing, photocopying and scanning information on the Library website.

Getting in touch

For more advice and guidance, you can contact our Student Financial Support Service.

Tel: +44 (0)115 848 2494

Fees for September 2024

Mode of study

International tuition fee

Full-time

£17,150

Tuition fees are payable for each year that you are at the University. The level of tuition fees for the second and subsequent years of your undergraduate course may increase in line with inflation and as specified by the UK government.

Scholarships

We offer scholarships of up to 50% of your tuition fee. You can apply for your scholarship when you have an offer to study at NTU.

Living costs

Get advice on the cost of living as an international student in Nottingham and how to budget:

Paying fees

Find out about advanced payments, instalment plan options and how to make payments securely to the University:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

How to apply

Ready to join us? Then apply as soon as you can. Just click the Apply button at the top of the page and follow the instructions for applying. Make sure you check the entry requirements above carefully before you do.

Writing your application and personal statement

Be honest, thorough and persuasive in your application. Remember that we can only make a decision based on what you tell us, so include all of your qualifications and grades, including resits or predicted grades.

Your personal statement is a really important part of your application – it’s your chance to convince us why we should offer you a place. You’ve got 4,000 characters to impress us. Make sure you use them to show how your skills and qualities are relevant to the course(s) you’re applying for. For more hints and tips, take a look at our page on how to write a good personal statement.

Keeping up to date

After you’ve applied, we’ll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

You can get more information and advice about applying to NTU on our Your Application page. Good luck with your application!

You can apply for this course through UCAS. If you are not applying to any other UK universities, you can apply directly to us on our NTU applicant portal.

Application advice

Apply early so that you have enough time to prepare – processing times for Student visas can vary, for example.  After you've applied, we'll be sending you important emails throughout the application process – so check your emails regularly, including your junk mail folder.

Writing your personal statement

Be honest, thorough, and persuasive – we can only make a decision about your application based on what you tell us:

Would you like some advice on your study plans?

Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world. We also have members of staff based in Vietnam, China, India and Nigeria and work with a worldwide network of education counsellors.

The University's commitment to delivering the educational services advertised.