Criminology
L370There are few subjects more compelling than crime. It is rarely out of the news headlines and dominates our TV schedules with crime boxsets regularly outperforming other genres. We are, as a nation, gripped by crime.
Course overview
Because it is such a topical, and often hugely divisive, social and political issue, crime makes great material for a lively and engaging degree to equip you with a wide range of inter-disciplinary skills.
We draw in local, national and global considerations of criminology. From policing society to global terrorism and from miscarriage of justice to cybercrime, on our Criminology programme at Winchester you take a forensic look at the key perspectives on crime and the criminal justice system.
This popular course has been designed to bring together the methodological, academic and practical skills essential to enhance your professional development and career opportunities. As such, you engage with crime related professionals, agencies and organisations to develop your understanding of how they work and apply newly-learnt theories.
In the course of three years, you gain an understanding of wide-ranging topics including crime and punishment, crime and the media, policing, crimes against humanity, gender and crime, and organised crime. You also acquire skills of gathering data using quantitative and qualitative methods, synthesising and interpreting evidence and assembling arguments, presenting evidence and formulating findings and conclusions.
You also have the opportunity to become a member of The British Society of Criminology, which has been in existence for 50 years, and is the society for criminologists, both academic and professional, within the United Kingdom.
Find out more about the Department for Applied Social Science, Forensics and Politics
UNIVERSITY OF WINCHESTER PATHWAYS TO LAW, CRIME & JUSTICE PROGRAMME - OPEN FOR APPLICANTS FROM SEPTEMBER 2024 ONWARDS FOR 2025 ENTRY.
The Pathways to Law, Crime & Justice programme is an opportunity for prospective law, criminology, forensics and policing students to engage in a series of practical and informative sessions delivered by academics and practitioners at the Faculty of Law, Crime and Justice.
Participants in the Pathways to Law, Crime & Justice are eligible to receive reduced contextual offers on the following University of Winchester courses:
- LLB (Hons) Law
- BA (Hons) Law with Criminology
- BA (Hons) Criminology
- BA (Hons) Criminology with Law
- BA (Hons) Criminology with Psychology
- BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
- BSc (Hons) Forensic Investigation
- BSc (Hons) Forensic Science
- BSc (Hons) Professional Policing
Eligibility for the programme
The programme is open to all home/ Islands Year 12 and Year 13 students.
Programme activities include:
• Lectures and seminar activities based on a variety of legal topics
• Experience of practical legal exercises including mooting, client interviewing and negotiation
• Career guidance and advice from legal and criminal justice and policing professionals
• Optional interview experience with the Dean of Faculty or Head of Department
All activities are delivered live at the University of Winchester. Some activities are also delivered virtually.
For more information on the pathways programme and how to apply, register your interest here
Please click here for the Pathways to Law, Crime & Justice - Privacy Notice
What you need to know
Course start date
September
Location
On campus
Course length
- 3 years full-time
- 6 years part-time
Apply
L370
Typical offer
112-120 points
Fees
From £9,535 pa
Course features
- Learn from a teaching team with wide-ranging practitioner experience offering genuine insight into the criminal justice system
- Become involved in real casework on cold cases and case reviews
- Opportunities for field trips to places such as Belfast and Turin
- Benefit from interactive and practical teaching approaches that bring theory and practice to life
Course details
Study abroad
Our BA (Hons) Criminology course provides an opportunity for you to study abroad in the United States of America (USA).
For more information see our Study Abroad section.
Learning and teaching
Our aim is to shape 'confident learners' by enabling you to develop the skills needed to excel in your studies here and as well as onto further studies or the employment market.
You are taught primarily through a combination of lectures and seminars, allowing opportunities to discuss and develop your understanding of topics covered in lectures in smaller groups.
In addition to the formally scheduled contact time such as lectures and seminars etc.), you are encouraged to access academic support from staff within the course team and the wide range of services available to you within the University.
Independent learning
Over the duration of your course, you will be expected to develop independent and critical learning, progressively building confidence and expertise through independent and collaborative research, problem-solving and analysis with the support of staff. You take responsibility for your own learning and are encouraged to make use of the wide range of available learning resources available.
Overall workload
Your overall workload consists of class contact hours, independent learning and assessment activity.
While your actual contact hours may depend on the optional modules you select, the following information gives an indication of how much time you will need to allocate to different activities at each level of the course.
Year 1 (Level 4): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
• Teaching, learning and assessment: 288 hours
• Independent learning: 912 hours
Year 2 (Level 5): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
• Teaching, learning and assessment: 276 hours
• Independent learning: 924 hours
Year 3 (Level 6): Timetabled teaching and learning activity*
• Teaching, learning and assessment: 180 hours
• Independent learning: 948 hours
• Placement: 72 hours
*Please note these are indicative hours for the course.
Key features of the Criminology course are the opportunities to engage with practitioners and professions related to criminology and the criminal justice system. Visiting lectures, volunteering and work-based modules provide students with direct contact with and experience of work in contexts such as the police service, prison, probation and community -based organisations and agencies. Embedded in the course is the experience of working on the Innocence Project, which introduces live cases of criminal appeals. This is a unique opportunity for students to contribute to and experience real-world criminology in action. There is a student-led society which works closely with the Crime and Justice Research Centre to organise talks and trips.
Teaching Hours
All class based teaching takes places between 9am – 6pm, Monday to Friday during term time. Wednesday afternoons are kept free from timetabled teaching for personal study time and for sports clubs and societies to train, meet and play matches. There may be some occasional learning opportunities (for example, an evening guest lecturer or performance) that take places outside of these hours for which you will be given forewarning.
Assessment
Our validated courses may adopt a range of means of assessing your learning. An indicative, and not necessarily comprehensive, list of assessment types you might encounter includes essays, portfolios, supervised independent work, presentations, written exams, or practical performances.
We ensure all students have an equal opportunity to achieve module learning outcomes. As such, where appropriate and necessary, students with recognised disabilities may have alternative assignments set that continue to test how successfully they have met the module's learning outcomes. Further details on assessment types used on the course you are interested in can be found on the course page, by attending an Open Day or Open Evening, or contacting our teaching staff.
Percentage of the course assessed by coursework
The assessment balance between examination and coursework depends to some extent on the optional modules you choose. The approximate percentage of the course assessed by different assessment modes is as follows:
Year 1 (Level 4)*:
• 91% coursework
• 9% written exams
• 0% practical assessment
Year 2 (Level 5)*:
• 77% coursework
• 10% written exams
• 13% practical assessment
Year 3 (Level 6)*:
• 82% coursework
• 10% written exams
• 8% practical assessment
*Please note these are indicative percentages and modes for the programme.
Modules
Please note the modules listed are correct at the time of publishing. The University cannot guarantee the availability of all modules listed and modules may be subject to change. The University will notify applicants of any changes made to the core modules listed. For further information please refer to winchester.ac.uk/termsandconditions
Modules
This module explores the range and scope of issues and topics examined by the specialist discipline of Criminology including the nature of crime and the mechanisms and processes of the criminal justice system. The module aims to enhance students understanding of the multifaceted nature of crime and criminal justice through an examination of the social, political, and economic context of crime, criminal behaviour and the criminal justice system in England and Wales. Students will explore, evaluate, and analyse crime alongside the policies, practices, and reforms of criminal justice, including rights and protections afforded to individuals and society. Utilising interactive delivery styles, guest speakers and authentic case studies students will gain an authentic understanding of the complex nature of crime and the criminal justice system.
This module will introduce students to the historical and contemporary development of Criminology and victimology through the lens of leading thinkers in the discipline alongside social, political, and legal influences on criminality and victim status. Through an interactive delivery style students will identify, explain, and apply criminological theory to contemporary constructions of crime, criminality, and ‘victimhood’. Students will become familiar with a range of key themes that run through the array of Criminological theory and Victimology, developing a core understanding of how these varied views complement and contradict one another.
Historically crime has always been a theme for popular media and critics suggest it is having an important role in the construction of discourses or ideologies of crime and punishment today. This module critically evaluates and explores the inter-relationship between criminological narratives, storytelling of popular culture, morality, deviant behaviour through crime, culture and media. The inter-play between different narratives and popular culture representations of societal concerns will be examined, with a focus on a conceptual and theoretical criminological framework, audio, written, visual and social media. Underpinning these will be further analysis of public understanding and opinions, personal lived experiences and exploring the role of ‘crime’ within a range of popular culture artefacts through the three dimensions of (non-) fiction, ‘reality’, and theory, with a focus on public understanding and opinions coupled with personal/lived experiences.
This module explores the concepts of identity underpinned and influenced by differing socio-economic, cultural, and environmental factors and their interplay with crime. This module aims to introduce students to different theories of identity within criminology, conceptions of multiple identities as well as experiences regarding crime and victimisation drawing on real-world examples. This examination will develop knowledge and analytical skills relating to how subcultural as well as labelling concepts effect criminological identities, alongside demonstrating the importance and place of volunteering within the context of criminal identities and influences on crime.
Modules
The module will introduce students to the tradition, principles, philosophies, and ethical considerations of conducting research within social sciences with a specific focus on criminological research. The aim is to equip students with the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to conduct primary research. They will experience the initial stages of the research process by identifying suitable topics and knowledge gaps, examining issues, considering methodological and analytical approaches to design and development a research proposal for their independent project/placement in their final year. They will engage with quantitative and qualitative data management, analysis and interpretation through fieldwork, workshops, and an employer provided dataset. Overall, students will develop a working knowledge of the relevant research skills they will need to complete their Independent Project/Placement and employment post-graduation.
Violent crime often triggers social outcry and political response when targeted towards particular vulnerable groups within society. However, the notion of violent crime moves beyond the obvious offending into areas such as chastisement of children, violence in social disorder and domestic abuse. The module will move from violence between individuals, to state sanctioned violence and onto international violence. Not only will the criminal aspects of violence be considered, but also the acceptable forms of violence in terms of sports and fictional representations. Drawing on theoretical considerations from sociological, penological and psychological fields of knowledge alongside political, social and media reactions, the module offers a multi-disciplinary view on this particular form of behaviour in all its forms.
This module introduces students to the police and policing in England and Wales, focusing on key debates on the role of the police with respect to the rest of society. The module examines topics such as policing by consent, legitimacy and public confidence, alongside contemporary issues such as stop and search, public protection, community policing and criminal investigations. Concepts such as police accountability and culture are examined to understand the influence of practice on public perception and future policing, alongside an exploration of the pluralisation of policing and crime prevention in recent decades. A range of agencies including the probation service, voluntary and arts organisations, the private sector and communities, and their multiple roles in policing and crime prevention are reviewed. Finally, the module critically examines the political contexts and ideologies that have underpinned this pluralisation of policing and crime prevention, with specific reference to the UK since the 1980s.
- Digital Crime and Investigation - 15 credits
- Youth Crime and Deviance - 15 credits
- Crime Mapping and the Criminology of Place - 15 Credits
- Comparative Criminal Justice - 15 credits
Modules
This module offers students a choice of two options for their final year project. The first is to develop further study into an area or topic of their own choice and interest, and to undertake a piece of independent research. The student will identify a topic of interest, provide a rationale for the research, plan and conduct a piece of research, and write up and present the project and main findings following the appropriate scholarly conventions.
The second is to undertake an unpaid placement with an approved organisation to apply their theoretical skills, learning from previous modules of study, and gain new skills and knowledge of working practices to improve their employability skills. The option enables students to operate within a working environment for 120 hours minimum. The student will present a placement report in an appropriate academic manner and format.
This module explores theoretical and practical issues surrounding the effectiveness of prison as punishment, focussing upon current penal conditions in England and Wales and prison officers as ‘caretakers’ in the distribution/legitimacy of punishment. Through real-life case materials and experiences students will be able to contextualise carceral landscapes and apply critical penological perspectives to understand competing ideologies around control/security, care, and hope/possibility in carceral settings. Examination and critical discussion of prison reports will facilitate a critical discussion on the effectiveness of benchmarking criteria alongside ethical and moral issues around incarceration/sentencing and how non-custodial sentences might better support desistance, rehabilitation, reintegration and reduce recidivism. Finally, this module will debate the importance of paradigm shifts within criminal justice to support effective offender reintegration; underpinned by left and right critical realist approaches (penal populism) giving students an insight into real world/lived experience to take forward into future employment within the Criminal Justice sector.
- Organised Crime and Modern Slavery - 30 Credits
- Criminological Psychology - 30 Credits
- Criminological Bodies - 15 Credits
- Identity, Equality and Crime - 15 Credits
- Addiction, Crime and Control - 15 Credits
- Sport and Crime - 15 Credits
Entry requirements
Our offers are typically made using UCAS tariff points to allow you to include a range of level 3 qualifications and as a guide, the requirements for this course are equivalent to:
- A-Levels: BBC-BBB from 3 A Levels or equivalent grade combinations (e.g. BBB is comparable to ABC in terms of tariff points)
- BTEC/CTEC: DMM from BTEC or Cambridge Technical (CTEC) qualifications
- International Baccalaureate: To include a minimum of 2 Higher Level certificates at grade H4
- T Level: Merit in a T Level
Additionally, we accept tariff points achieved for many other qualifications, such as the Access to Higher Education Diploma, Scottish Highers, UAL Diploma/Extended Diploma and WJEC Applied Certificate/Diploma, to name a few. We also accept tariff points from smaller level 3 qualifications, up to a maximum of 32, from qualifications like the Extended Project (EP/EPQ), music or dance qualifications. To find out more about UCAS tariff points, including what your qualifications are worth, please visit UCAS.
In addition to level 3 study, the following GCSE’s are required:
GCSEs in Mathematics and English Language at grade 4 or C, or higher. Functional Skills at level 2 is accepted as an alternative, however Key Skills qualifications are not. If you hold another qualification, please get in touch and we will advise further
If you will be over the age of 21 years of age at the beginning of your undergraduate study, you will be considered as a mature student. This means our offer may be different and any work or life experiences you have will be considered together with any qualifications you hold. UCAS have further information about studying as a mature student on their website which may be of interest.
If English is not your first language, a formal English language test will most likely be required and you will need to achieve the following:
- IELTS Academic at 5.5 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in all four components (for year 1 entry).
- We also accept other English language qualifications, such as IELTS Indicator, Oxford ELLT, Pearson PTE Academic, Cambridge C1 Advanced and TOEFL iBT.
If you are living outside of the UK or Europe, you can find out more about how to join this course by contacting our International Recruitment Team via our International Apply Pages.
2025/6 Course Tuition Fees
| UK / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland |
International |
|
|---|---|---|
| Year 1* | £9,535 | £16,700 |
Additional tuition fee information
*(UK / Channel Islands / Isle of Man / Republic of Ireland) £9,535 for the 25/26 academic year. Fees for future academic years will be determined in line with our Terms and Conditions. The fee is currently subject to a governmental fee cap for each academic year. It is our policy to charge tuition fees at the level of the cap set by the Government. If the cap set by the Government changes, then we may increase our Fees in line with governmental policy.
*(International) £16,700 for the 25/26 academic year. Fees for future academic years will be determined in line with our Terms and Conditions. We decide the annual level of increase of our Tuition Fees by taking into account a range of factors including the cost of delivering the course and change in governmental funding.
Remember, you don’t have to pay any of this upfront if you are able to get a tuition fee loan from the UK Government to cover the full cost of your fees each year.
UK Part-Time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £79.45 and a 15 credit module is £1,191. Part-time students can take up to a maximum 90 credits per year, so the maximum fee in a given year will be the government permitted maximum fee of £7,145
International part-time fees are calculated on a pro rata basis of the full-time fee for a 120 credit course. The fee for a single credit is £139.14 and a 15 credit module is £2,087.
Additional costs
Additional Costs
As one of our students all of your teaching and assessments are included in your tuition fees, including, lectures/guest lectures and tutorials, seminars, laboratory sessions and specialist teaching facilities. You will also have access to a wide range of student support and IT services.
There might be additional costs you may encounter whilst studying. The following highlights the mandatory and optional costs for this course:
Optional
Textbooks
For some modules, students are strongly recommended that they purchase one or two books (usually a general textbook or a sourcebook that is used weekly across a module). Indicative cost is £150 per academic year.
Field trips
Some optional criminology modules may involve a field trip. Indicative cost is £500 for each trip.
SCHOLARSHIPS, BURSARIES AND AWARDS
We have a variety of scholarship and bursaries available to support you financially with the cost of your course. To see if you’re eligible, please see our Scholarships and Awards.
CAREER PROSPECTS
Graduates are equipped for a wide range of criminal justice careers including the police service, youth and probation work, and the prison service. The Home Office, HM Revenue and Customs, legal firms and other relevant support roles in crime-related work are also potential employment routes.
The University of Winchester ranks in the top 10 in the UK for graduates in employment or further study according to the Graduate Outcomes Survey 2023, HESA.
Pre-approved for a Masters
If you study a Bachelor Honours degree with us, you will be pre-approved to start a Masters degree at Winchester. To be eligible, you will need to apply by the end of March in the final year of your degree and meet the entry requirements of your chosen Masters degree.
OUR CAREERS SERVICE
'Students aren't just learning from textbooks, they're learning from real life experiences and case studies'.
