Criminology Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)

This interdisciplinary BA Criminology degree explores crime, justice and social harm from a sociology, law, politics, history and media studies perspective. You will learn how ‘crime’ is defined and understand how we manage offenders and victims. We will consider what justice looks like, how the media and culture shape public opinion and policy, and examine how society has tried to make sense of crime through history.

You can tailor your study with optional modules. You could investigate topics including youth justice, policing, gender-based violence, climate justice, prisons and punishment, or the fast-changing world of cyber-crime.

Using real-world case studies and examining current issues in societies, you’ll build the skills to understand how everyday behaviour and social institutions help manage and control crime.

Your first year builds a strong foundation in criminological theory, investigating social control and the workings of the criminal justice system. You’ll gain the skills employers want in critical thinking, data analysis, communication and problem solving.

The course structure allows you to learn by connecting lived experiences with wider social and historical issues. You’ll work with contemporary research, current debates and real-world examples through case studies. This ensures what you learn always feels relevant. By working with other students and tutors, you will share different perspectives and shape new ideas together.

At the heart of this course is what matters most to our students. We listened to the ideas and themes they wanted to explore and have woven them into our teaching. We not only asked our students what they wanted to study, but also how they wanted to be assessed. This means you will have the opportunity to present your work in a variety of ways.

In your final year, you’ll bring everything together through your own independent research project. This is an opportunity to explore a topic you are passionate about with the support of a supervisor.

We’ve worked with employers to understand the skills they’re looking for and designed this course to help you build them, from research and presentation skills to leadership and teamwork.

A degree in criminology can provide a gateway to a criminal justice career. This could be in the police, prison or probation service. Due to the multidisciplinary nature of our modules, though, you could also follow a career in marketing and advertising, human resources or business operations.

If you’re curious about justice, fairness and the community, this course gives you the knowledge and skills to succeed.

Why Choose this Course?

Course Highlights:

* Study abroad opportunities in locations such as the Netherlands, Singapore or the USA.

* Peer mentoring scheme to help you settle into university life and your new studies.

* Gain work experience during term-time through our Faculty Placement Programme (https://www.nottingham.ac.uk/social-sciences/study/placements/index.aspx)

Proven Results:

* We’re ranked 13th in the UK for Criminology - The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2026 (https://www.thetimes.com/uk-university-rankings/league-table)

* 95.6% of sociology and criminology graduates were in sustained employment, further study or both three years after graduation, ranking Nottingham 1st in the Russell Group (LEO data from 2022/23 tax year, sociology, social policy and anthropology category, published in 2025).