Criminology BSc (Hons), with foundation year

University of Portsmouth

United Kingdom, Portsmouth

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Home/United Kingdom/Portsmouth /University of Portsmouth/Criminology BSc (Hons), with foundation year

University of Portsmouth

United Kingdom , Portsmouth

Key Facts

Program Level

Bachelor

Study Type

Full Time

Delivery

On Campus

Course Code

L315

Campuses

London

Program Language

English

Start & Deadlines

Next Intake DeadlinesSeptember-2026

Apply to this program

Go to the official application for the university

Duration 4 year(s)

Tuition Fee

GBP 17,900 / year(s)

Next Intake September-2026

Criminology BSc (Hons), with foundation year

About

Why do people commit crimes? And what should we do about it? From offender to victim, punishment to rehabilitation, this BSc (Hons) Criminology degree asks questions about the causes and consequences of crime. The answers may surprise you. They’ll certainly help you choose the right career path.

As you become an expert on criminology and the criminal justice system in England and Wales, you’ll develop skills for a range of careers – from policing and prisons, to probation and rehabilitation, as well as roles fighting fraud in the private sector or influencing Government policy. And because crime doesn’t respect borders, this course also gives you a uniquely international perspective.

Requirements

Entry Requirements

Entry requirements

Entry requirements (September 2026 start)

Typical offers for BSc (Hons) Criminology

A levels - BBB-BCC
UCAS points - 104-120 points from 3 A levels, or equivalent (calculate your UCAS points)
T-levels - Merit
BTECs (Extended Diplomas) - DDM-DMM
International Baccalaureate - 29

You may need to have studied specific subjects or GCSEs - see full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.

English language requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Worried about your grades?

If you're not sure you meet the entry requirements, or need some help to get uni-ready, then we offer BSc (Hons) Criminology with Foundation Year through our partners at ICP to bring you up to speed. When you successfully finish, you'll get a guaranteed place on BSc (Hons) Criminology.

Find out more about our foundation years with ICP

Typical offers for BSc (Hons) Criminology with Foundation Year

UCAS points - 32 tariff points at A level, or equivalent (calculate your UCAS points)

You may need to have studied specific subjects – find full entry requirements and other qualifications we accept.

English language requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 5.5 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications.

We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course.

If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Please note this foundation year with ICP isn't currently open to EU or International students.

We look at more than just your grades

While we consider your grades when making an offer, we also carefully look at your circumstances and other factors to assess your potential. These include whether you live and work in the region and your personal and family circumstances which we assess using established data.

Explore more about how we make your offer

Useful subjects for this course

You don't need to study specific subjects at school or college to do this criminology degree. But you may find it useful to have covered some of these subjects:

criminology
law
sociology
psychology
geography
religious studies
economics
history
biology
computing

English Program Requirements

English language proficiency at a minimum of IELTS band 6.0 with no component score below 5.5.

See alternative English language qualifications We also accept other standard English tests and qualifications, as long as they meet the minimum requirements of your course. If you don't meet the English language requirements yet, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

Career

Crime is a fact of life, which means there will always be career opportunities around preventing it and dealing with the fallout. As our graduates’ career paths show, you’ll complete this criminology course with a range of different professional routes open to you in the public, private and charitable sectors.

There is good demand for jobs in the criminal justice and penal sector. For example, Her Majesty's Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) has developed a Probation Workforce Strategy to recruit skilled people to probation officer roles and invest in ongoing professional development.

You'll graduate with the skills and knowledge you need to work in the police, probation and prison services in areas such as:

community safety
crime prevention
fraud investigation
youth offending teams

You'll also have relevant skills or knowledge to progress into other areas such as:

counter fraud roles in banking, the NHS or the DWP
economic crime investigation
policy analysis and formulation for councils or the Government
community rehabilitation
postgraduate study and research

We are one of a select few universities in the UK recognised by the Association of Certified Fraud Examiners (ACFE) - a global professional body for counter fraud professionals.

If you take the optional module Economic Crime and Fraud Examination on this course, you'll have the chance to complete the ACFE's Certified Fraud Examiner qualification at a subsidised rate.

What's it like to study Criminology and how does it apply to a career?

University of Portsmouth Criminology graduate Matt Hockley

Matt graduated in 2018 with a Criminology and Criminal Justice degree from the University of Portsmouth. He is now a Probation Practice Research Assistant. Find out what Matt’s role entails and how he’s applying the skills he learned during his time at Portsmouth

Matt: My name is Matt. I'm currently working as a probation practice research assistant.

I wanted to study criminology at the University of Portsmouth because of its reputation. I just found that the staff were supportive. I loved my cohort, they were absolutely fantastic and I love the approach that they took whilst I was there. So supportive, so willing to let me adapt and evolve as a criminologist. I started off as very shy and not a lot of confidence, and I feel like I definitely flourished during my time there.

My four week placement at the Portsmouth City Council was about crime and anti-social behaviour research, and I feel that experience really gave me that edge when I went for my first job outside of university.

I found there was an internship at the Royal Courts of Justice, despite there being quite a few applications, I was very lucky to get the role. I chose to apply for the Royal Courts of Justice here because it was in my chosen field, I've done work beforehand in probation and in prison. It just gave you a really good insight into how the court system is run.

My first week of properly working in the Royal Courts of Justice, I remember there were people cheering and people shouting and I was a bit confused. I thought, this is a very grand gesture for someone's first week, but I looked behind me and Johnny Depp is coming in for his court case, which was certainly a very interesting experience for someone's first week of work!

I love criminology. I would say my motivation is definitely to help people. My particular interest is about looking at gender and sexuality and how that is understood and how that is dealt with by the criminal justice system. I feel like the stuff that I am producing and the stuff that I'm researching has got wide implications and will benefit people. Without the University of Portsmouth, I would definitely not be the person I am today.

Graduate destinations

Our criminology graduates have worked for organisations including:

Hampshire Constabulary, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police, South Wales Police, Kent Police
National Probation Service
G4S and other community rehabilitation providers
Financial service companies

Roles our previous graduates have gone onto include:

investigative data analyst
police officer
probation service officer
youth offending support officer
offender case administrator
detective
personnel security analyst
private investigator
witness service team leader

Placement year (optional)

After your second or third year of study, you can choose to do a relevant, paid work placement year in the UK or overseas. This lets you put your new skills to work while developing valuable links with employers.

It’s fantastic for your CV and will really help you stand out when applying for jobs.

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. Mentoring and support throughout your placement will help you to get the most from the experience.

Previous criminology placements have included:

Aurora New Dawn – a charity offering support to survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking
Hampshire Constabulary
HMRC
the Office for National Statistics
Catch 22 – a social business building resilience and aspiration in communities

You can also spend this year studying overseas at one of our partner universities in Europe, South Asia, Australia or North America. You could also choose to set up your own business, or take a voluntary placement.

Graduate destinations

Our criminology graduates have worked for organisations including:

Hampshire Constabulary, Avon and Somerset Constabulary, Metropolitan Police, Thames Valley Police, South Wales Police, Kent Police
National Probation Service
G4S and other community rehabilitation providers
Financial service companies

Roles our previous graduates have gone onto include:

investigative data analyst
police officer
probation service officer
youth offending support officer
offender case administrator
detective
personnel security analyst
private investigator
witness service team leader

Placement year (optional)

It’s fantastic for your CV and will really help you stand out when applying for jobs.

We’ll help you secure a work placement that fits your aspirations. Mentoring and support throughout your placement will help you to get the most from the experience.

Previous criminology placements have included:

Aurora New Dawn – a charity offering support to survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and stalking
Hampshire Constabulary
HMRC
the Office for National Statistics
Catch 22 – a social business building resilience and aspiration in communities

A global survey of 1000 business leaders by the Harvard Business Review [...] found that the skills most in-demand by employers are those in which Social Sciences, Humanities and the Arts graduates specialise – from communication, problem solving and creativity, to research and analysis.

Ian Diamond, The British Academy

Ongoing careers support

Get experience while you study, with support to find part-time jobs, volunteering opportunities, and work experience.

Towards the end of your degree and for up to five years after graduation, you’ll receive one-to-one support from our Careers and Employability Service to help you find your perfect role.