Criminology and Policing

Overview

New for the 2022 academic year, our BSc Criminology and Policing degree will allow you to explore the criminal justice system and the wider context of policing, while developing a strong understanding of how the justice system operates.

You will be taught by leading scholars in a Faculty driven by innovative research. Our team has extensive criminal justice experience, and what you will be taught is directly informed by research and consultancy work acting as advisors to the Government, Home Office, Metropolitan Police and Crown Prosecution Service. This degree will focus on developing you as a professional, equipping you with the skills and qualities you need for a career in the field of criminology.

You will first be introduced to the key perspectives in criminology and supported to question and debate challenges within the criminal justice system through shared modules with our BSc Criminology and Criminal Justice course. As you progress, you will develop your ability to apply your knowledge through a range of authentic assessments – which could include digital campaigns and community engagement projects.

In your second and third years, you will be able to choose from a range of diverse, optional modules so that you can specialise in interests identified in your first year, including victim support, manging conflict situations, the handling of intelligence, interviewing victims and conducting investigations.

You will be introduced to historical and contemporary theories of race, gender, ethnicity, religion and immigration, as well as the ongoing criminological debates surrounding the experiences of discriminated individuals within the justice system, and how over criminalisation amplifies social inequalities.

The course is designed to mould you into a well-rounded criminologist, meaning that you will also be able to develop your knowledge in areas such as the crimes of the powerful, media representations of crime, cybercrime, drug policy and family criminology.

A central feature of this programme is real-world engagement. Through connections with criminal justice agencies, you could study within a prison in the module ‘Prisons and Penal Policy’ alongside serving prisoners while engaging with community agencies, prisons and the police service. You’ll have the opportunity to connect with experts in the sector and gain valuable work experience in an optional placement year between second and third year.

You will graduate with an excellent grasp of indispensable skills in criminology and the social sciences, and the skills required to challenge current key ethical, political and moral questions about crime, justice and policing.

Foundation or GCE Advanced Level

Career Options

Studying criminology opens the door to working in many different areas that shape society. You could secure work in the prison and probation services, the police, Home Office or Ministry of Justice.

Equally, many criminology graduates work in the charity sector or for campaigning organisations focusing on advocacy or criminal justice reform. As a social scientist, your ability to dissect, analyse and research crime, its causes and its potential solutions, will be highly valuable to employers.

Please note that this programme is not a pre-join degree for the police service, however, the degree will allow students to apply for the accelerated Degree Holders Entry Programme.

Our dedicated careers team is available to support you from the start of your studies until after you graduate. They will help you build your CV, prepare for interviews and meet and learn from successful Roehampton graduates working at the top of their careers. You’ll also have opportunities to work with our partners across London and beyond, and to attend a Roehampton jobs fair where you can find out about graduate opportunities and meet employers.