A young male university student in a casual jumper studying a research evidence board showing prison population statistics, rehabilitation outcome graphs, a sentencing comparison timeline, photographs of court and prison buildings, a regional reoffending map and justice policy documents, representing the criminal justice analysis focus of Criminology degrees

DEGREE GUIDE

Criminology

What do Criminology degrees involve?

Criminology degrees teach you how crime, law, and justice systems operate, exploring the causes of criminal behaviour and the ways society responds to crime. You will study key areas such as criminal psychology, policing, forensic investigation, crime prevention, and the sociology of crime. These courses help you develop strong analytical, research, and critical thinking skills while examining how social, political, and economic factors influence crime and justice. As you progress, you may specialise in areas such as cybercrime, youth justice, or criminal law. You will also gain hands-on experience through case studies, research projects, and opportunities to engage with professionals in law enforcement and criminal justice. With a combination of theoretical knowledge and applied learning, you’ll be prepared for careers in policing, criminal analysis, rehabilitation, and justice policy.

Example
Modules

Foundations in Criminological Theory: Explore how society explains crime, from classical and positivist theories to more recent views on power, gender and inequality.

Crime, Law and Justice: Learn how the criminal justice system works, including policing, courts, sentencing and the roles of victims and offenders.

Social Order and Social Control: Examine how societies maintain order, from formal systems like the law to informal rules shaped by culture and community.

Common Degree Names

💼 A placement year is available at many universities, often in criminal justice, social work, or community safety roles.
🌍 Study abroad is offered at some institutions.

BA (Hons) Criminology
BSc (Hons) Criminology
BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
BA (Hons) Criminology and Psychology
BA (Hons) Criminology and Law
BA (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice

BA is the most common format, though some universities offer BSc versions with more data and research methods content. Joint honours are widely available.

A laptop displaying regional crime statistics and offending pattern data alongside a criminal law handbook, a youth justice policy case study, a criminology textbook open to social control theory, handwritten notes on punishment and rehabilitation, and newspaper clippings on prison reform and justice policy, illustrating the research and analytical skills developed in Criminology degrees

Level 3 (A-level / IB Diploma (HL) / Scottish Highers)

Criminology examines why crime happens, how society responds, and how the justice system works. There are no required subjects – universities are interested in curiosity about human behaviour and social issues.

Subjects that can strengthen your application:

Psychology or Sociology – very relevant for understanding individuals and systems
Law – helpful if available
History, Politics, or Religious Studies – strong essay-based subjects
English Literature or Language – valued for communication and critical thinking

✨ A mix of essay-based or social science subjects shows the analytical skills you'll need. You don't need to have studied Criminology or Law before.

Universities may also accept:

BTEC Extended Diplomas (widely accepted). Uniformed Protective Services is particularly relevant. Some universities require A-levels alongside
BTEC National Extended Certificates or National Diplomas alongside relevant A-Level subjects
T-Levels — Legal Services (Crime, Criminal Justice and Social Welfare specialism) is particularly relevant
IB Career-related Programme (IBCP) with at least two IB Higher Level subjects (ideally three - see relevant subjects above) alongside your Career-Related Study

Some Criminology degrees are combined with subjects like Law, Psychology or Sociology, so entry requirements may vary slightly depending on the pathway; always check the course page for details.

Level 2 Qualifications (GCSE / MYP / National 5)

Most universities ask for:

GCSE English Language and Maths at grade 4/C or above, or equivalent such as National 5s or MYP

📘 Strong English skills are essential for reading case studies and writing essays.

If you’ve taken Sociology, Psychology, or Citizenship, these can provide a useful foundation but are not required.

💬 Interviews
Formal interviews aren't usually part of the application process. However, some universities may invite you for a short conversation, either online or in person, to learn more about your interest in the subject.

🔍 Work Experience
You don't need work experience to apply for Criminology, but exploring the justice system first-hand helps you understand what you're studying. Sitting in the public gallery at a magistrates' or Crown Court is free and open to anyone. Volunteering with youth organisations, community safety projects, or charities supporting offenders or victims also gives you real insight into how the justice system affects people's lives.

✨ Personal Statement Tips

What draws you to understanding crime, justice, and how society responds to both? Criminology isn't just about catching criminals - it asks deeper questions: why do people commit crime? How do we define what counts as crime? Does the justice system work fairly? If you've found yourself thinking critically about these issues, whether through news stories, documentaries, podcasts, or books, reflect on what questions they raised for you. Reading about different approaches to justice, exploring debates about policing or prisons, or considering why crime rates vary can show genuine engagement. Admissions tutors want to see analytical curiosity about crime and justice, not just fascination with true crime stories.

If your qualifications don't match the usual entry requirements, there are some other possibilities.

🌱 Foundation Year in Criminology, Social Science or Law

Many universities offer a foundation year if you don't have the required subjects or grades. This adds an extra year but leads directly into the full degree.

🎓 Access to HE Diploma (Social Science, Criminology or Psychology)

Widely accepted by universities offering Criminology. Choose a pathway with essay-based units and aim for Merits and Distinctions in your graded units.

💼 Level 3 Apprenticeships

Apprenticeships such as Community Safety Advisor or Business Administrator (Public Sector) carry UCAS tariff points from 2026 and can support a university application. Criminology degrees are offered very broadly, including at universities with flexible admissions policies.

Is this degree right for you?

Members can explore whether this degree fits who they are:

Skills you'd develop and whether they match your strengths
How this aligns with your interests, motivators and values
Career paths and where graduates end up

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Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Use the tabs to explore the kind of person that this would be a good fit for. Do you share the Interests, Motivations, Values, Work identity and skills that people who thrive in this course tend to have?

Not sure what these things are? Explore your Identity Tree with us first.

Interests that connect well with a Criminology degree

Students who enjoy this degree often share these interests. You don't need to feel strongly about all of them, and interests develop over time. If one or two catch your curiosity, or sound like something you'd like to know more about, that's a good sign.

Society, Communities & How People Live Together: Criminology is rooted in understanding how societies create, define, and respond to crime, including how power, inequality, and social structures shape who ends up in the justice system.

Fairness, Justice & Rights: The criminal justice system is central to the degree: how policing, courts, and sentencing work, whether they achieve justice, and how policy and law can be reformed.

The Mind & Human Behaviour: A significant part of criminology involves understanding why people commit crimes, how offenders think, and what psychological and social factors shape criminal behaviour.

Mathematics, Patterns & Data: Crime patterns, victimisation trends, and offending behaviour are core analytical focuses of the degree. All UK programmes teach research methods, including quantitative analysis, and some offer substantial data analytics pathways working with real datasets and statistical software.

Students who thrive in a Criminology degree are often motivated by

Justice and Accountability

You're energised by the work of putting things right: building a legal case, investigating how something went wrong, holding an organisation to account, pursuing a complaint, or challenging a practice that isn't being questioned. You want your effort to change a specific outcome, not just to raise awareness. You're drawn to situations where a careful, determined approach can actually shift what's happening, even when that takes a long time.

Analysing and Investigating

You're energised by making sense of information, looking for evidence, spotting patterns, and piecing together how things connect. Whether it's pulling apart data, questioning assumptions, or tracing a problem back to its source, you find energy in the process of understanding what's really going on. You'd rather dig into the details than accept things at face value.

Curiosity and Learning

You're energised by the activity of learning itself: diving into a subject you've never explored, watching documentaries, taking apart how something works, or constantly asking "why?" The process of learning gives you energy, not just the outcome. You don't just want the answer; you want to understand how things connect, why they matter, and what's underneath the surface explanation.

What makes Criminology click for the students who love it?

A story that didn't sit right is often where it starts, or a question about why some people end up in the justice system while others never do. They are after what sits under the headlines, working out what pushes someone towards crime in the first place. They come at it from every direction, pulling on sociology, psychology, law and politics, because crime never stays inside any one of them. And one question keeps pulling them back: how a society decides what counts as justice, and whether the system we have delivers it.

These are the skills that students who love this degree tend to enjoy using. You don't need to be great at them already, but if they sound like you, that's a good sign.

Skill Name

Skills that suit this degree

You don't need to be great at these already — but if you enjoy using them or want to get better at them, that's a good sign.

Do you enjoy digging into a topic properly — gathering information from different sources and piecing together what's really going on?
Do you find yourself questioning things that most people just accept — like whether the rules are fair or whether punishments actually work?
Do you care about how your local community works — and notice when things feel unfair or people are being let down?

Careers a Criminology degree could lead you to

Criminology

What do Criminology degrees involve?

Example Modules

Common Degree Names

Is this degree right for you?

Skills you would develop in X degree

Skill Name

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Is this a good fit for you?

Careers a Criminology degree could lead you to

Example
Modules