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BSc Crime and Criminal Investigation
About this course
Crime and criminal investigation is a discipline that brings together the study of criminology, forensic science, and investigative practice to examine both why crime occurs and how it is detected and prosecuted. Criminology provides the social scientific framework for understanding offending, victimisation, and the responses of criminal justice systems. Criminal investigation adds a more applied and practical focus, examining the processes by which crimes are identified, evidence is gathered and preserved, witnesses and suspects are interviewed, and cases are built for prosecution. Together, the two strands develop a thorough understanding of crime from its social roots to its legal resolution. At the University of Gloucestershire this three-year full-time programme develops this combination within a context that includes a distinctive partnership with Gloucestershire Constabulary. Students who wish to apply to become a Special Constable alongside their studies are supported through the recruitment process, and the programme offers flexibility to accommodate the training requirements of the constabulary. This direct engagement with a police service gives the programme a grounded practical dimension that goes well beyond what most academic criminology programmes offer, and provides invaluable experience for those who wish to pursue careers in policing or investigation. Graduates from crime and criminal investigation programmes are well placed for careers in policing, the Crown Prosecution Service, the National Crime Agency, forensic investigation services, probation, victim support, and security consultancy. The combination of criminological analysis and investigative knowledge is also valued in insurance investigation, regulatory enforcement, and anti-fraud roles. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in criminology, forensic science, or law, deepening their expertise and strengthening their credentials for roles that require specialist knowledge of crime and investigation.
Syllabus & Modules
Typical curriculumStudent Satisfaction
National Student Survey - 40 respondents (81% response rate)
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