School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences

We cultivate a global perspective and prepare students to be active global citizens.

We strive to create a diverse, inclusive, responsive and research-led learning environment.

We value:

• Our students’ wellbeing 
• A supportive learning environment
• High academic excellence standards
• A culture of continuous learning, discovery and intellectual growth 
• Research that address real-world challenges 
• Creating a positive impact

To help you maximise your potential, we will encourage you to:

• Challenge your perceptions through active analysis, questioning, interpretation and innovation
• Change the future through problem solving and influencing others to be their best
• Create new solutions and embrace opportunities through digitalisation and enterprise thinking 
• Collaborate within multidisciplinary terms and environments 

At Kingston, you’ll benefit from the power of research and get to grips with creating real-world impact.

We have partnered with:

• Governmental departments
• Policing and criminal justice institutions
• Community groups
• Voluntary sector organisations
• Homelessness, social care and health agencies

Our research funders include:

• The European Social Research Council
• The Arts and Humanities Research Council 
• The European Commission (including COST, European Cooperation in Science and Technology)
• The National Lottery Commission
• The Home Office
• Spurgeons Charity 
• The Royal United Services Institute

Join a diverse, inclusive student community to study a course that reflects you. More than half of Kingston students identify as BAME, around 28% join us from over 140 different countries and everyone has a different background.

Find out more about Diversity and Inclusion at Kingston University.

You’ll find Kingston School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences at the Penrhyn Road campus. As a student here, you’ll benefit from:

• Being just 30 minutes away from central London
• Our award winning Town House building
• Comprehensive research facilities including labs and tools
• Cutting-edge equipment and state-of-the-art infrastructure

Criminology

Criminology is about the study of crime, crime control and criminalization of social ‘groups'. Fear of crime has a profound influence on our feelings of security and wellbeing, from ‘street-level' crime to global concerns about terrorism and cybercrime. Criminologists combine the study of society, politics, law, psychology and culture to understand offending behaviour and the peoples' responses to prohibited and harmful activity. Criminology also analyses the cultural representations of criminality. It investigates how this relates to constructions of social identity like class, race and ethnicity, gender, age and sexuality.

The value of economics

Economics affects our everyday life, and economists study the decisions made by governments, businesses, and individuals. In an environment characterised by rapid technological change, political uncertainty, and environmental challenges, economics provides valuable answers. At Kingston, we introduce students to a variety of ways of studying economics. Our students study topics including economic growth, financial crises, unemployment, climate change, and inequality.

As an Economics student, you will learn a range of skills that are attractive to employers, including data and statistical analysis, oral and written communication, critical thinking, and problem solving.
 

Learning and teaching in the Department

Easily accessible and ready to assist, the friendly teaching team is dedicated to aiding your university transition. The personal tutor scheme, designed to help you from your very first week, exemplifies this commitment. In your first year, you'll join a small seminar group led by the same team member each semester. This leader doubles as your personal tutor throughout your degree, offering guidance in learning, personal growth, and career aspirations, so you can be confident you always have somewhere to turn for advice.

Pathways to legal excellence

Choose from a diverse array of undergraduate and postgraduate law courses tailored to any career stage. Whether your aspiration is your first legal qualification, interdisciplinary study, or specialised law exploration, our programmes will suit your journey.

Our reputation for high-quality teaching is verified by government agencies and professional bodies. Many members of our teaching staff are active in professional legal practice or are legal scholars whose research puts them at the forefront of legal learning.

Exploring human behaviour

The Department of Psychology at Kingston University is a vibrant hub for understanding human behaviour and the mind. Through critical thinking and empirical research, we explore factors that shape experiences, shedding light on cognitive processes, emotions, and social interactions.

Psychology addresses mental health, communication, and well-being, crucial in our changing world. It plays a pivotal role in understanding human behaviour and fostering healthier communities, and our mission is to equip students to contribute to a brighter future.

Our areas of advice include:

• consumer rights
• tenancy/landlord disputes
• employment issues
• community and charitable ventures.

As well as offering one-to-one advice, we take the service into the community. We work with charities, community groups and resident associations to help them or their users consider legal rights and responsibilities or tackle legal issues they might encounter. 

If you feel you would benefit from such a service, please get in touch.

Although we do not currently represent clients in court, we will help you find an organisation that can.

1. Contact us with your legal query. Leave a brief summary of your case and a contact number.
2. One of our student advisers will call you back and ask more questions about your query.
3. We will review the details of your case. If it is suitable, you will be offered an appointment with two of our student advisers. If we are not able to assist we will try to put you in touch with an organisation that can.
4. You'll attend the appointment with our student advisers. They will establish the facts of your case and research a recommended course of action. Please note: no advice will be given to you at this appointment.
5. Students will work with a legal professional to research your case and produce an advisory letter, detailing our recommended course of action. We will try to send this letter to you within 14 days of your appointment with our adviser. If necessary, a follow-up meeting may also be scheduled at this point. If you require advice in a shorter time frame we will unfortunately not be able to assist and suggest contacting another advice agency, such as the Kingston Citizens Advice Bureau.

The Legal Advice Centre adheres to the Kingston University Data Protection Policy which complies with the principles set out in the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. All information relating to clients is stored securely and only disclosed to those working directly on the case. It will not be disclosed orally, in writing or otherwise to any other third party without the written authorisation of the client. Client information is stored securely for a period of seven years after the appointment, unless the client explicitly requests that such information is destroyed before then.

The Legal Advice Centre Director is Darren McStravick. If you'd like to know more about the Centre or think we may be able to help you with a legal concern please contact us via email at [email protected].

Please provide your contact details and a brief summary of your legal issue. One of our student advisers will call you to arrange an appointment.

Visits to the Centre must be by appointment only.