Law (BCL), Criminology and Criminal Justice

Course Overview

The four-year Bachelor of Civil Law (Criminology and Criminal Justiceis a unique degree offering in Ireland for students with an interest in both law and the fields of criminology and criminal justice. Students have the opportunity to combine the study of a full undergraduate law degree with an additional specialisation that focuses on the causes of crime and the operation of the criminal justice system. Students will have access to world-class academics that specialise in the fields of criminal law, criminal justice, criminology, psychology and human rights.

Students complete all the modules required to support them to undertake the entrance exams for the Law Society of Ireland, should they wish to qualify as a solicitor. Students who wish to qualify as a barrister will have the option of taking all modules required by the Honourable Society of King’s Inns.

Graduates of this programme will be well positioned to pursue careers as barristers or solicitors specialising in criminal law or working with the agencies and organisations of the criminal justice system.

Professional Work Placement or Study Abroad

In year three of this course students will have the opportunity to spend the academic year completing professional work placement or studying abroad. Students will have the opportunity to apply for a professional work placement in a leading law firm or organisation that specialises in criminal justice. Students on placement will be able to see the criminal justice system in action, thereby supplementing their academic education with practical experience. Students can take advantage of our links with leading international universities to spend a year studying abroad. We offer study abroad opportunities in Austria, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, China, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, India, Poland, The Netherlands, Spain and the United States of America.

Note: Students who choose the optional specialist stream in Legal Irish will spend year three divided between one semester studying at University of Galway’s Gaeltacht campus in An Cheathrú Rua and one semester of professional work placement in an Irish-speaking legal environment.​

What is Criminology?

Criminology is the study of why people commit crime. Criminology deals with one of the major social issues of our time - crime and punishment. It first emerged as a distinct discipline in the late nineteenth century with the aim of discovering the cause or causes of crime. Criminologists study questions that give us an insight into a wide range of issues about offending behaviour. For example:

• Why is it that men commit more crime than women?
• What factors influence a criminal to desist from committing further crime?
• Why does it appear that society is more concerned with the crimes of the powerless rather than with crimes committed by the government, by white-collar executives, and by corporations?
• Are some people ‘born criminal’ or do social and environmental factors have a more influential impact on a person’s likelihood of committing crime?

Modern criminologists concern themselves with many other related issues such as punishment theory, sentencing policies, penal practices and institutions (such as imprisonment and probation, policing and crime control. The study of criminology introduces students to some key elements and thinkers of the Western World. Philosophers and sociologists have informed the development of various theories on criminology and why people commit crime. Criminology also has a practical application and there are many instances where criminological studies have been applied in criminal justice policy and practice.

What is Criminal Justice?

Criminal Justice is the study of how a society prevents, detects, prosecutes and punishes crime. The criminal justice system is vast and incorporates policing, prosecutions, trial by jury, sentencing and imprisonment.

Studying criminal justice gives us an insight into the operation of the criminal justice system and how decisions are made at various stages of the process. Concepts such as the right to silence, the right to a fair trial and trial by jury are fundamental to the operation of our criminal justice system.

The criminal justice system is complex and some of the key issues that require consideration include the following:

• On what basis are the Gardaí entitled to make an arrest and what consequences, if any, should flow from making an “illegal” arrest?
• Is trial by jury, twelve people randomly selected, the best method of deciding the factual question of guilt or innocence?
• Should a victim of a crime have input when sentencing an offender or is the punishment of an offender a matter solely for a judge to decide?
• If a person is eligible for parole but they present a risk of reoffending, is it justifiable to further detain them on the grounds of public protection?

The study of criminal justice offers students the opportunity to engage with debates on contemporary issues of crime and justice. Students will examine trends in crime and disorder and analyse these in the context of broader social values.

Minimum Grade H5 in two subjects and passes in four other subjects at O6/H7 level in the Leaving Certificate including Irish, English, another language, and any three other subjects recognised for entry purposes.

Graduates of the Law (BCL), Criminology and Criminal Justice programme will be well prepared to work in policy or practice in the fields of criminal law, criminal justice and international human rights law. Graduates may pursue career opportunities with criminal justice agencies (such as the Gardaí, Courts Service) as well the non-governmental sector, international organisations, statutory agencies and research institutes.

Graduates of this degree will be ready to sit the professional entrance exams for the Law Society of Ireland (solicitor). Graduates who completed the Legal Professions specialised stream will be eligible to sit the professional entrance exams for the Honourable Society of King’s Inns (barrister).

This degree will also provide an excellent platform for graduates interested in working outside of the professions – as more and more areas of life are legally regulated, the comprehensive grounding in the law and the criminal justice process that graduates receive during this degree will make them attractive to a wide range of potential employers in industry and the public sector