Criminology and Criminal Justice BSc (Hons)
Subject and course type
- Law, criminal justice and criminology
- Undergraduate
Dive into the world of crime, justice, and social change – where your learning goes beyond the classroom. Gain hands-on experience, develop practical skills, and get ready to make a real impact in your future career.
You are reading:
Study crime, its consequences, and responses to it
Your pathway into a meaningful career
On our brand-new BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice course, you'll explore the causes and consequences of crime and how societies respond. You’ll examine the impact of crime on individuals and communities, study victimisation, and analyse justice systems in the UK and beyond.
You’ll gain practical experience alongside academic knowledge through fieldwork such as court observations, simulated crime scene investigations, and case study analysis. These experiences will help you apply theory to real-life contexts. There are also opportunities for internships, volunteering, and placements with organisations such as criminal justice agencies, NGOs, charities, and local authorities.
You’ll hear directly from professionals working in the field through our guest speaker programme, which includes police officers, probation staff, NGO leaders and others working at the front line of justice. And with our proximity to London’s major legal institutions and criminal courts, you’ll benefit from unique opportunities for visits, insights, and experience.
Why choose this course
This course brings together criminology, sociology, law, politics and psychology to help you develop a critical understanding of how crime is defined, understood, and responded to. You'll investigate why certain behaviours are criminalised, how justice is applied, and the inequalities that shape both offending and victimisation.
Across the three years, you will explore a broad range of topics including, crime, deviance, criminal law, policing and punishment, victimisation and social harm, crime and the media, youth justice, global crime and justice, and digital crime. You’ll gain strong research and analytical skills, preparing you for a wide range of careers and further study.
You’ll also have the chance to tailor your degree with options such as a work placement or volunteering internship, a research project or a study abroad year. This flexibility allows you to shape your learning around your interests and career goals.
Graduates from this degree will be well placed for careers within the criminal justice system and beyond, including probation, policing, youth offending teams, the prison service, victim support, advocacy roles, NGOs, social research, policy development, and a range of local and national government roles.
Prepare for global impact
Kingston School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences offers courses in economics, law, psychology and criminology. Our degrees are underpinned by a vibrant research culture and delivered by a blend of practitioners and academics who are dedicated to equipping you with the employability skills to thrive in your career.
Course content
On our Criminology and Criminal Justice BSc (Hons), you will study a broad range of topics including the social, legal and cultural meanings of deviance and crime, the processes of criminalisation, the causes, organisation and prevention of crime, and crime in a digital age.
Foundation year – Social Sciences
If you would like to study this degree at Kingston University but are not yet ready to join the first year of a BSc (Hons) course, you may want to consider studying this course with a foundation year.
Year 1
In Year 1, you will explore how crime and deviance are shaped by society, politics, and culture, both past and present. Through key criminological debates, you’ll question what justice really means and who it serves. You will be introduced to a range of theoretical perspectives and debates that inform criminology, and the institutions, processes and legal foundations of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. You'll also understand how researchers use qualitative and quantitative research methods and will gain hands-on experience of research skills.
Core modules
30 credits
This module will introduce students to a range of theoretical perspectives and debates that inform criminology, and which underpin their learning throughout the criminology programme. Theories will be evaluated in relation to academic scholarship, empirical evidence, popularity and application in crime policy and practice, and in relation to their geographical, social, cultural, historical locations.
Students will learn about a changing and dynamic field of study, which has encompassed both positivistic and social analyses of crime and criminalisation. They will learn to evaluate criminological theory in relation to a range of intellectual movements. They will be encouraged to understand criminological theory in relation to shifts across allied subjects like sociology, gender studies, critical race studies, social policy, politics and psychology.
30 credits
This module will provide students with an introduction to the institutions, processes and legal foundations of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. The module is core to the undergraduate degree. The module familiarises students with the language and reasoning of the criminal law and the structure and chronology of the criminal justice process. There is an emphasis on the development and practice of key academic skills especially information retrieval.
30 credits
Who gets labelled as ‘dangerous’ or ‘problematic’ - and why? This module dives into how crime and deviance are shaped by society, politics, and culture, both past and present.
You’ll explore who is policed and disciplined, how certain behaviours become criminalised, and how others go unnoticed.
Looking at real-world case studies, you’ll examine the blurred lines between offender and victim, the impact of criminalisation, and the role of media and state institutions in shaping our perceptions of crime. Through key criminological debates, you’ll question what justice really means and who it serves.
30 credits
This module will focus your attention on how social scientists have utilised a range of qualitative and quantitative methods to research social life in its various forms. This module grounds your understandings of research methods through the practical application of data collection and analysis, and critical reflection on the research process. You will gain hands-on experience of research skills throughout the module that can be applied to future study and employability.
You will also be introduced to Future Skills through engagement with Navigate; an innovative programme designed to support your personal and professional development, and your ability to articulate your skills and graduate qualities in an external context.
Year 2
In Year 2, you will develop critical insight into key issues and controversies in the delivery of justice, social control and punishment. You will explore key issues in the study of victimisation and social harm and the emergence of contemporary victim movements and advocacy, as well as the ways in which the criminal justice system and other agencies provide (or fail to provide) support, recognition, and protection. With crime increasingly treated as entertainment, an understanding of the role of the media in shaping our understanding of crime and justice is also key. Alongside this you will build on your existing research skills in exploring a range of social problems.
Core modules
30 credits
In this module, you will gain a critical insight into key issues and controversies in the delivery of justice by the principal institutions of the criminal justice system: the police, prison, and probation services. You will explore the historical context in which these institutions developed and examine the main challenges they face in the 21st century.
Debates around policing will be situated within wider discussions of procedural and spatial justice, decolonisation, globalisation, and the role of the police in a diverse society. You will also engage with the prison and offender management services through a critical exploration of both theoretical perspectives and practical realities.
You will consider the logic of punishment and examine the range of penalties available – from fines and community sentences to restorative justice – while reflecting on how justice is conceptualised and delivered (or not delivered) in contemporary society. Particular attention will be paid to the changing place of the victim in criminal justice processes.
Through real-world learning opportunities and authentic assessments, developed in partnership with external organisations, you will connect criminological theory to practice and gain a deeper understanding of how justice is enacted in practice.
30 credits
This module explores key issues in the study of victims, victimisation, and social harm. It begins by examining the historical marginalisation of victims within the criminal justice system. It highlights the contested nature of defining ‘victims’ in both official narratives and broader societal discourses.
You will engage with a wide range of victimisation experiences, including hate crime and gender-based violence, recognising the varied forms, contexts, and lived realities of harm. The module moves beyond conventional legalistic definitions of crime to incorporate the perspective of zemiology – the study of social harm. This enables you to critically examine victimisation in a broader social and structural context.
Particular attention is paid to complex vulnerabilities and intersectional factors that shape the experience and impact of harm. The module centres the voices and lived experiences of victims. It encourages students to reflect on how social, political, and institutional responses to victimisation have evolved.
In tracing the changing role of the victim within criminal justice, you will explore the emergence of contemporary victim movements and advocacy, and how the criminal justice system and other agencies provide (or fail to provide) support, recognition, and protection.
30 credits
This module explores how true crime and fiction drama - across video games, podcasts, social media, and traditional media - shape our understanding of crime and justice.
Media can sensationalise crime, create ethical dilemmas, and distort reality, influencing public attitudes and trust in the justice system. With crime increasingly treated as entertainment, research shows it can heighten fear, increase punitive attitudes, and fuel distrust in law enforcement.
Miscarriages of justice, widely covered on streaming platforms like Netflix, raise concerns about fairness, potentially discouraging crime reporting and encouraging informal justice. This module critically examines these issues and their real-world impact.
30 credits
In this module you will work in small groups to research and address a social problem that affects your local community or society at large. You will choose a topic from a set list and individual members of the group will explore different aspects of the problem. Examples of potential topics include:
- Loneliness and social isolation
- Knife crime and gang violence
- Social media and online harms
- Cost-of-living crisis
- Health inequalities
- Access to justice
- Resettlement after prison
As a team you will bring together your research to construct an informative display which details the problem and recommends solutions or policies to address it.
During the module you will learn about the substantive topic you choose and practice research methods so that you will grow in confidence of your ability to identify, investigate and detail social problems with a view to offering solutions or policy responses.
You will also take part in an Assessment Centre Experience which helps you to develop your skills for graduate job applications and interviews. There will be an opportunity to reflect on your own personal development as part of the process.
Optional year
You have the option to take an additional year to study abroad or to undertake a year-long work placement overseas (or even a mix of both).
Professional placement year
This course has a professional placement year option which takes place between Year 2 and your final year. During this professional placement year you will take a placement within a relevant setting, ensuring you gain essential experience to add to your CV and help you secure a graduate job.
Final year
In your final year, you’ll independently explore a criminology topic through a dissertation or internship project. You’ll study global crime and justice, examining transnational issues and power dynamics. Risk, Crime and Control in the Digital Age covers emerging online risks, crimes, and policing technologies. You’ll critically analyse youth justice systems and their challenges. The Future Skills module supports your career readiness through tailored development, mentoring, and practical experiences to prepare you for diverse professional pathways.
Core modules
30 credits
This module gives you the opportunity to independently develop your own area of specialism through a focused research project. You’ll choose a topic related to criminology or criminal justice and explore it in depth, with support from an academic supervisor.
You’ll have two pathways to choose from:
- Dissertation: You’ll design and complete an independent research study, either by collecting your own data, analysing existing datasets, or conducting a critical review of the research literature.
- Internship: You’ll undertake a voluntary placement with an organisation working in criminal justice or social justice – this could include state bodies, charities, or voluntary sector organisations. You’ll then produce a written project that reflects on your work-based learning in the context of criminological research and theory.
Whichever route you take, you’ll be supported throughout. Dissertation students will work closely with an academic supervisor, while those choosing the internship route will also be supported by the department’s Employability Lead in securing a suitable placement. The form and focus of your project will reflect the pathway you choose and the specific context of your research or internship experience.
30 credits
In this module, you'll explore key debates around crime, harm, and control within a global context. You’ll be encouraged to think critically about the dominance of the Global North in criminological discourse and engage with the call to decolonise criminology.
Through a comparative lens, you'll examine how crime and justice are defined, experienced, and addressed across different nations and regions. You'll explore both the convergences and divergences that emerge globally, developing an understanding of how local and global dimensions of crime are interconnected.
You'll interrogate the concept of global crime and explore its transnational nature by studying a wide range of substantive topics. These may include drug and human trafficking, terrorism and the 'war on terror', violence against women and girls, organised crime, environmental harm, genocide, and crimes against humanity.
30 credits
In this module, you’ll explore the emergence and development of new risks and forms of criminality in the digital age, alongside the evolving responses to them. Drawing on academic theories of risk, algorithmic governance, and anticipatory or predictive policing, you’ll critically examine how crime, danger, and (in)security are perceived and managed in contemporary society.
You’ll investigate a growing range of online risks, crimes and harms, including cyberbullying and harassment, sextortion, revenge porn, online dating scams, catfishing, fraud, hacking, and identity theft. You’ll also analyse how these crimes are policed, prevented, and punished, and consider the tools – such as surveillance technologies and data-driven policing – that are reshaping approaches to public protection, offender pursuit, and crime investigation.
Through this exploration, you’ll gain insight into how risk has become central to the management of crime control in a digital and data-driven society. The module encourages you to consider the broader societal impact of these developments on individuals, communities, and institutions.
By the end of the module, you’ll have developed a critical understanding of the complex intersections between victimisation, vulnerability, and the social narratives that frame digital crime and justice in the 21st century.
15 credits
In this module, you’ll explore how the youth justice system in England and Wales operates as a distinct system from the adult criminal justice system. Designed for children and young people aged 10 to 17, this system raises important questions about how society understands and responds to youth offending.
You’ll examine what is meant by 'youth' – both as a life stage and as a social category – and consider how young people are often framed as a 'problem' within policy and media discourse. You’ll explore young people's lived experiences of crime, harm, and justice, and critically reflect on how they are treated by the criminal justice system.
You’ll study the rules, processes, and institutions that respond to youth offending, and engage with the complex and often contradictory discourses of 'care' and 'control' that underpin youth justice policy. From the point of arrest through to sentencing, you’ll learn to analyse the relevant legal framework and apply wider criminological research to real-world issues.
While the focus is on England and Wales, you’ll also consider how youth justice systems operate in other jurisdictions, helping you to develop a comparative and critical perspective on how young people are policed, prosecuted, and supported – or punished – by the state.
15 credits
This module gives you a dedicated opportunity to develop your Future Skills Graduate Attributes.
At the start of the module, you will be supported to self-assess your current skills profile. You will determine which attributes and skills you need to develop to support your career ambitions. In this process, you will be supported by a dedicated career coach, helping you explore a range of options that includes self-employment/freelancing, starting your own business, higher level study, and other professional graduate-level opportunities. Throughout the module, you will be given opportunities to engage with external mentors, to support reflection and to develop a professional network.
You will undertake a tailored series of activities and projects, aligned to your goals, from a menu of development options. This could include short courses, enrichment activities and experiential learning options such as micro-placements. You will also be able to reflect on activities outside the University that develop your graduate attributes, such as work or volunteering.
International students: direct application
Are you an international student? Have you decided Kingston is the place for you? If so, you can apply for this course directly, rather than having to go through UCAS.
What career opportunities does this course offer?
Graduates from our Criminology and Criminal Justice BSc (Hons) course will be well-placed for a broad range of careers, both within and beyond the criminal justice system. You could go on to undertake youth and advocacy work, social research, crime data analysis, victim support and social welfare.
Potential employers include the Prison and Probation service, the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice and local and central governments. In fact, many employers are located in London. For example, the capital is home to six police services, 14 prisons, 32 local authorities and the Crown Prosecution Service. Our Criminology graduates have also progressed to work for the College of Policing, the Police Foundation, Liberty, Amnesty International, the National Health Service (fraud) and charities, such as Appeal, Victim Support and NACRO.
From interviewing and managing cases to exploring data and crime trends, managing offenders, and supporting offenders or victims of crime, the skills you gain from this degree will set you up to undertake a variety of different roles.
You will take part in an Assessment Centre Experience, providing the opportunity to experience the pathway to employment with tailored feedback:
- Develop your understanding of the jobs market, including current trends and opportunities, different recruitment processes and how to identify relevant roles
- Receive personalised feedback reports to help you to improve and progress
- Access additional webinars on top tips, employer expectations and best practice
Social Sciences Cafe (SSC) is a series of events within the Department of Criminology and Social Sciences. It aims to help prepare students for life after graduation. Students can join seminars on employability skills and postgraduate studies. There are also speaker and panel events on topical issues which engage the broader Kingston University (KU) community, and social events linked to key moments in the academic calendar.
SSC is often visited by KU graduates working in the public, private and third sector in the UK and around the world. These graduates are keen to share their career journeys and advice for students at an early stage of their career planning. Professionals also visit these events for ‘meet the employer' advice and networking sessions.
Future Skills
Our Future Skills programme is embedded within all our undergraduate courses and throughout the whole Kingston experience. These skills will help you to become a future-proof graduate by equipping you with the skills most valued by employers, such as problem-solving, digital competency and adaptability.
As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills. You’ll also understand how to demonstrate and articulate to employers how these future skills give you the edge.
Teaching and assessment
Timetabled learning and teaching on this course includes lectures, small group tutorials and seminars.
Outside the scheduled learning and teaching hours, you will learn independently through self-study which will involve reading articles and books, working on projects, undertaking research, preparing for and completing your work for assessments. Some independent study work may need to be completed on-campus, as you may need to access campus-based facilities such as studios and labs.
Our academic support team here at Kingston University provides help in a range of areas.
When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of academic staff who will provide academic guidance, support you throughout your time at Kingston and show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer at Kingston University.
A course is made up of modules, and each module is worth a number of credits. You must pass a given number of credits in order to achieve the award you registered on, for example 360 credits for a typical undergraduate course or 180 credits for a typical postgraduate course. The number of credits you need for your award is detailed in the programme specification which you can access from the link at the bottom of this page.
One credit equates to 10 hours of study. Therefore 120 credits across a year (typical for an undergraduate course) would equate to 1,200 notional hours. These hours are split into scheduled and guided. On this course, the percentage of that time that will be scheduled learning and teaching activities is shown below for each year of study. The remainder is made up of guided independent study.
- Year 1: 22% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 2: 22% scheduled learning and teaching
- Year 3: 16% scheduled learning and teaching
The exact balance between scheduled learning and teaching and guided independent study will be informed by the modules you take.
Your course will primarily be delivered in person. It may include delivery of some activities online, either in real time or recorded.
Types of assessment
- Year 1: Coursework 88%; exams 12%
- Year 2: Coursework 100%
- Year 3: Coursework 100%
Please note: the above breakdowns are a guide calculated on core modules only. If your course includes optional modules, this breakdown may change to reflect the modules chosen.
We aim to provide feedback to you on your assessments within 20 working days.
Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student friendly as possible, scheduled learning and teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9am and 6pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.
Fees and funding
| Fee category | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | |
| £10,050* | |
| Foundation Year: | £5,760 |
| International | |
| Year 1 (2027/28): | £To be confirmed |
| Year 2 (2028/29): | £To be confirmed |
| Year 3 (2029/30): | £To be confirmed |
| Year 4 (2030/31): | £To be confirmed |
The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'International' student.
Please visit the Fees and Funding page for more information.
For courses with Professional Placement, the fee for the placement year can be viewed on the undergraduate fees table. The placement fee published is for the relevant academic year stated in the table. This fee is subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body.
*For full-time programmes lasting more than one academic year, a tuition fee is payable for each academic year of the course.
Your annual tuition fee covers your first attempt at all modules required for that academic year. Any re-study or repeat of modules will incur additional charges, calculated according to the number of credits taken.
Home students (UK): Tuition fees are subject to inflation-linked increases in line with government policy. Updated fees will be confirmed in line with the maximum fee cap set by the Government or the Office for Students (OfS) for each academic year. This means your fee may increase for each academic year of study, but only up to the maximum amount permitted for that year.
Eligible UK students can apply to the Government for a tuition loan, which is paid direct to the University. This has a low interest-rate which is charged from the time the first part of the loan is paid to the University until you have repaid it.
International students: Full-time taught international student fees are subject to an annual increase, which is published in advance for the full duration of your programme.
| Fee category | Annual Fee |
|---|---|
| Home (UK students) | |
| £9,790* | |
| Foundation Year: | £5,760 |
| International | |
| Year 1 (2026/27): | £19,200 |
| Year 2 (2027/28): | £19,900 |
| Year 3 (2028/29): | £20,700 |
| Year 4 (2029/30): | £21,500 |
The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'International' student.
Please visit the Fees and Funding page for more information.
For courses with Professional Placement, the fee for the placement year can be viewed on the undergraduate fees table. The placement fee published is for the relevant academic year stated in the table. This fee is subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body.
*For full-time programmes lasting more than one academic year, a tuition fee is payable for each academic year of the course.
Your annual tuition fee covers your first attempt at all modules required for that academic year. Any re-study or repeat of modules will incur additional charges, calculated according to the number of credits taken.
Home students (UK): Tuition fees are subject to inflation-linked increases in line with government policy. Updated fees will be confirmed in line with the maximum fee cap set by the Government or the Office for Students (OfS) for each academic year. This means your fee may increase for each academic year of study, but only up to the maximum amount permitted for that year.
Eligible UK students can apply to the Government for a tuition loan, which is paid direct to the University. This has a low interest-rate which is charged from the time the first part of the loan is paid to the University until you have repaid it.
International students: Full-time taught international student fees are subject to an annual increase, which is published in advance for the full duration of your programme.
Additional course costs
Some courses may require additional costs beyond tuition fees. When planning your studies, you’ll want to consider tuition fees, living costs, and any extra costs that might relate to your area of study.
Your tuition fees include costs for teaching, assessment and university facilities. So your access to libraries, shared IT resources and various student support services are all covered. Accommodation and general living expenses are not covered by these fees.
Where applicable, additional expenses for your course may include:
Our libraries have an extensive collection of books and journals, as well as open-access computers and laptops available to rent. However, you may want to buy your own computer or personal copies of key textbooks. Textbooks may range from £50 to £250 per year. And a personal computer can range from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.
While most coursework is submitted online, some modules may require printed copies. You may want to allocate up to £100 per year for hard-copies of your coursework. It’s worth noting that 3D printing is never compulsory. So if you choose to use our 3D printers, you’ll need to pay for the material. This ranges from 3p per gram to 40p per gram.
Kingston University will pay for all compulsory field trips. Fees for optional trips can range from £30 to £350 per trip.
Your tuition fees don’t cover travel costs. To save on travel costs, you can use our intersite bus service. This route links the campuses and halls of residence with local train stations – Surbiton, Kingston upon Thames, and Norbiton.
Courses involving placements or direct work with vulnerable groups may require a DBS check or other security checks.
If you choose to do a placement year, travel costs will vary depending on your location. These costs could be up to £2,000.
Some courses may require professional memberships.
Course changes and regulations
The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Find out more about course changes
Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.
Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.
Key information
The scrolling banner below displays some key factual data about this course (including different course combinations or delivery modes of this course where relevant).
