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Criminology BSc(Hons)

2025-26 (also available for 2024-25)

Start date

22 September 2025

Duration

3 years full-time

Entry requirements

A Level - BBC-BCC

BTEC - DMM-MMM

See full entry requirements

Places available (subject to change)

80

About the course

Reasons to study

  1. Gain real-world experience via a work placement in your second year on our Criminology BSc(Hons) course; put your skills and knowledge into practice by undertaking at least 30 hours in a relevant setting. 
  2. Hear first-hand experience and viewpoints from a range of guest speakers, such as senior police officers, drug outreach workers, and criminal justice staff. 
  3. You’ll be taught by a team who are engaged in world-class research, or who have substantial experience working within the criminal justice sector.

Crime is a feature of social life in every community and society globally, with behaviours regarded as crime constantly changing. As such, there is a rising demand for criminal justice agencies and governments to understand crime.

Our Criminology BSc(Hons) degree allows you to explore the fascinating yet complex world of crime.

Why study Criminology BSc(Hons)

Our Criminology BSc(Hons) course provides the opportunity for you to acquire the skills and knowledge needed for a prospective future career working with offenders, victims, criminal justice organisations, crime reduction roles, and more. You’ll also be encouraged to explore ways to explain crime, investigate crime, reduce crime, and respond to crime. This allows you to gain a thorough understanding of the criminal justice system, including the Police, the Crown Prosecution Service and His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service.

Our lecturers have worked in the criminal justice system and have a wide range of research specialisms, so will use their expertise to engage and inspire you. Guest speakers, such as police officers, drug outreach workers and criminal justice staff, will visit the University to share their experiences, and you’ll have the chance to take part in debates including, for example, why people commit crime. You’ll also investigate such topics as sexual offending, cybercrime, mental health and crime, and violent crime. Expert guidance will be provided throughout the course; one of our tutors will act as your Personal Academic Tutor to ensure you are getting the most from your studies and are fully prepared for a potentially exciting career ahead.

In year two, you’ll complete compulsory work experience in a relevant setting, helping you put your skills and knowledge into practice; past students’ placements include working with youth offending teams, in prisons, police stations, and courts, as well as in voluntary agencies supporting offenders and victims in the community. You may also have the opportunity to work and study abroad via the Turing Scheme.

Not quite ready to start Criminology BSc(Hons)? Successful completion of our Health Foundation Pathway leading to a BSc(Hons) Degree will equip you with the foundation knowledge to study Criminology.

Course detail

Exploring the Social Sciences

This module guides you through the process of exploring social science subjects at university and provides the opportunity for you to develop your ability to be a successful student. You’ll have the opportunity to strengthen your academic study skills, as well as your knowledge of research approaches and methods, using subject-specific topics and case studies. You’ll explore ways to assess your learning needs, set learning goals, develop learning action plans and produce effective academic assignments. You’ll also be introduced to the philosophies, methods and ethics of social research processes.

Human Rights and Social Policy

In this module you’ll examine the history of human rights and consider rights-based issues, such as the death penalty, euthanasia, children’s rights and immigration. The module you will consider how these issues relate to and inform social policy and social welfare here in the United Kingdom. The module will apply human rights and social policy to social issues that affect our society including crime, poverty, migration, social class, race, gender, and disability.

Introduction to Criminology and Criminal Justice

This module explores the nature of crime and deviancy, the main perspectives in explaining criminal behaviour, and the structures of the criminal justice system. You’ll start by examining the definitions of crime, followed by an exploration of the criminal legal system including the key criminal offences and defences. You’ll then be introduced to the key agencies within the criminal justice system, which include the Police, the Crown Prosecution Service, the Courts, and Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service. The second half of this module introduces the key theoretical explanations for criminality, ranging from psychological explanations to sociological explanations.

Myths and Realities of Crime

You'll explore both the myths and realities of crime. The realities of crime are examined by considering how we measure the amount and types of crime being committed in England and Wales, who by, against whom and where. The myths of crime are studied through media (mis)representations of crime, offending and victimisation, considering the factors that shape crime reporting. The effects of these representations on the public will be considered by exploring research undertaken linking media reporting of crime to fear of crime, violent behaviour or aggression.

Entry requirements

BBC-BCCat A Level .

112-104 UCAS tariff points from a combination of Level 3 qualifications.

Merit at T Level

DMM-MMM in BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma.

  • Access to Higher Education Diploma with 45 Level 3 credits at Merit or above.
  • 112-104 UCAS tariff points from International Baccalaureate qualifications including a Higher Level at grade 6.

If you do not have the appropriate qualifications for direct entry to this degree you may be able to apply to our Health Foundation Pathway leading to a BSc(Hons) Degree.

If your first language is not English, you will need to meet the minimum requirements of an English Language qualification. The minimum for IELTS is 6.0 overall with no element lower than 5.5, or equivalent. Read more about the University’s entry requirements for students outside of the UK on our International Entry Requirements page.

You may be eligible to gain accreditation for your prior learning towards this course.

We are keen to support a wide and diverse range of applicants on to our courses. Other suitable experience or qualifications will be considered. For further information please see the University's minimum entry requirements.

Placements


This course includes compulsory work experience in the second year. You'll be expected to undertake at least 30 hours of work experience relevant to your course during that year. The module is designed to enhance your academic and personal development through work experience that shapes your key skills and increases your confidence for future employability.

Your work and careers module tutor, as well as your personal academic tutor, will be on hand to support you in finding suitable work opportunities. They will assist you with preparing your CV and interview techniques. They'll also be in contact with you during your work experience so that you'll be fully supported while you gain the skills that employer’s value so highly.

Previous work experiences within the criminology and policing subject area have included working with the police in roles such as being a special constable, translator and appropriate adult. As well as departments and organisations such as the police visitor scheme, youth offending teams, prisons, restorative justice organisations, CCTV units, Local Authority anti-social behaviour units and courts as well as in voluntary agencies that provide support to adult and juvenile offenders and victims in the community.

For more information visit our placements page.

During my second year I had the opportunity to complete a work placement, where I helped with a research project for one of the senior lecturers. This was a really good experience and allowed me to focus on and further develop my research skills.

Samantha Harrison Criminology Graduate

Samantha Harrison, graduated Criminology BSc(Hons) in 2020, now teaches within uniformed public services

Your career


Previous Huddersfield Criminology graduates have gone on to work in wide range of areas, including organisations such as West Yorkshire Police, His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, UK Home Office and Lotus Sanctuary CIC or gone on to undertake further study.**

 

*Percentage of graduates from this course who were in work and/or further study within fifteen months after graduating (HESA Graduate Outcomes 2020/21, including both UK and non-UK domiciled, other activities excluded).

**LinkedIn.

85% Graduates employed*

Student support

At the University of Huddersfield, you'll find support networks and services to help you get ahead in your studies and social life. Whether you study at undergraduate or postgraduate level, you'll soon discover that you're never far away from our dedicated staff and resources to help you to navigate through your personal student journey. Find out more about all our support services.

Important information

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

When you enrol as a student of the University, your study and time with us will be governed by our terms and conditions, Handbook of Regulations and associated policies. It is important that you familiarise yourself with these as you will be asked to agree to them when you join us as a student. You will find a guide to the key terms here, along with the Student Protection Plan.

Although we always try and ensure we deliver our courses as described, sometimes we may have to make changes for the following reasons

Changes to a course you have applied for but are not yet enrolled on

If we propose to make a major change to a course that you are holding an offer for, then we will tell you as soon as possible so that you can decide whether to withdraw your application prior to enrolment. We may occasionally have to withdraw a course you have applied for or combine your programme with another programme if we consider this reasonably necessary to ensure a good student experience, for example if there are not enough applicants. Where this is the case we will notify you as soon as reasonably possible and we will discuss with you other suitable courses we can transfer your application to. If you do not wish to transfer to another course with us, you may cancel your application and we will refund you any deposits or fees you have paid to us.

Changes to your course after you enrol as a student

Changes to option modules:

Where your course allows you to choose modules from a range of options, we will review these each year and change them to reflect the expertise of our staff, current trends in research and as a result of student feedback or demand for certain modules. We will always ensure that you have an equivalent range of options to that advertised for the course. We will let you know in good time the options available for you to choose for the following year.

Major changes:

We will only make major changes to non-optional modules on a course if it is necessary for us to do so and provided such changes are reasonable. A major change is a change that substantially changes the outcomes, or a significant part of your course, such as the nature of the award or a substantial change to module content, teaching days (part time provision), type of delivery or assessment of the core curriculum. For example, it may be necessary to make a major change to reflect changes in the law or the requirements of the University’s regulators or a commissioning or accrediting body. We may also make changes to improve the course in response to student, examiners’ or other course evaluators’ feedback or to ensure you are being taught current best practice. Major changes may also be necessary because of circumstances outside our reasonable control, such as a key member of staff leaving the University or being unable to teach, where they have a particular specialism that can’t be adequately covered by other members of staff; or due to damage or interruption to buildings, facilities or equipment, or pandemics.

Major changes would usually be made with effect from the next academic year, but may happen sooner in an emergency. We will notify you as soon as possible should we need to make a major change and will carry out suitable consultation. If you reasonably believe that the proposed change will cause you detriment or hardship we will, if appropriate, work with you to try to reduce the adverse effect on you or find an appropriate solution. Where an appropriate solution cannot be found and you contact us in writing before the change takes effect you can cancel your registration and withdraw from the University without liability to the University for future tuition fees. We will provide reasonable support to assist you with transferring to another university if you wish to do so.

In exceptional circumstances, we may, for reasons outside of our control, be forced to discontinue or suspend your course. Where this is the case, a formal exit strategy will be followed in accordance with the student protection plan.

The Office for Students (OfS) is the principal regulator for the University.

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