Criminology

Criminology is the systematic study of crime, criminal behaviour, criminal justice systems and the social responses to crime and deviance. It is an inherently interdisciplinary field, drawing on sociology, psychology, law, philosophy and history to ask why people commit crime, how societies define and respond to it, how the criminal justice system operates in practice, and what the consequences of criminal justice responses are for offenders, victims and communities. Criminology challenges common assumptions about crime and punishment, bringing empirical evidence to bear on debates that are often driven by moral panic, political calculation or media representation.

At the University of Portsmouth, this three-year full-time programme is structured with particular richness in professional and international experience. The degree includes a sandwich year with embedded work placement opportunities and a year abroad, giving you both sustained professional experience and international academic exposure. Portsmouth's location on the South Coast and its connections to criminal justice agencies, the police and probation services in the region provide a practical context for the academic work.

The typical entry tariff for this programme is around 120 UCAS points.

You will study theories of crime and deviance, criminal justice systems including policing, courts, prisons and probation, victimology and the experience of crime, research methods including criminological fieldwork, the psychology of criminal behaviour, organised crime, cybercrime, gender and crime, and the global dimensions of criminology including transnational crime and comparative criminal justice. The placement year gives you direct experience in a criminologically relevant setting, whether in criminal justice agencies, third sector organisations or research institutions.

Graduates of criminology programmes work in the criminal justice system across probation, police, prison, youth offending and victim support services. Social work, community development, drug and alcohol services, housing support and homelessness organisations also recruit strongly from criminology backgrounds. Policy research, journalism covering crime and justice, academic research and the civil service are further destinations.

Postgraduate study in criminology, social work, social policy, law or forensic psychology is a well-supported next step.