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Criminology

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A graduate in criminology typically will have the competence and ability to:

  • assess the merits and diversity of objectives of competing responses to crime and deviance, including the protection of human rights
  • recognise different police cultures, historical and contemporary trends in police work, and the implications of changes in the values governing police work and police practice in a diverse society
  • describe the key agencies which respond to crime and deviance and the values which govern them
  • gather, retrieve and synthesise data and information, interpret quantitative and qualitative evidence and make ethical judgments and reasoned arguments regarding research findings
  • identify criminological problems, formulate questions and investigate them
  • competently use criminological theory and concepts to understand crime, victimisation and responses to crime and deviance
  • use criminological theory to elucidate representations of crime, victimisation, and responses to these, as presented in the mass media and official reports
  • explain complex social problems in terms of criminological theory
  • display the capacity to analyse, assess and communicate empirical information about crime, victimisation, responses to crime and deviance, and representations of crime
  • identify human rights issues in responses to crime and deviance
  • recognise a range of ethical problems associated with research, and take action in accordance with the guidelines of ethical practice developed by the society and cognate professional bodies
  • identify and deploy a range of research strategies, including qualitative and quantitative methods and the use of published data sources, and to select and apply appropriate strategies for specific research problems
  • present data and evidence in an appropriate format for a variety of audiences
  • formulate researchable problems within a general area of concern
  • evaluate evidence of diverse kinds to draw appropriate conclusions
  • deploy research design and data collection skills in relation to crime, victimisation, and responses to crime and deviance
  • analyse data, including indexing and retrieval of qualitative data, and an understanding of basic statistics (sampling, measures of significance and knowledge of the relevant software)
  • gather, retrieve and synthesise information
  • make reasoned arguments, evaluate and interpret evidence and draw appropriate conclusions
  • reflect in critical and constructive ways on the accumulation of their own knowledge and learning, applying learning and study skills
  • communicate in writing and orally in a variety of contexts and modes
  • apply information technology skills both to text and to the presentation of basic research data
  • use skills of time planning and management and effective group work skills.

Criminology is both a theoretical and experiential subject, which has evolved in the context of other social science disciplines; it has relevance in relation to aspects of law, psychology and political science. The wide range of perspectives in criminology are grounded in evidence-based theory and engage in formal and critical evaluation of crime prevention, security and crime control policies, including other responses to crime and deviance. Its values are nurtured through lively debate and dialogue between a range of theoretical and methodological perspectives in social science subjects and increasingly salient ethical debates about crime, security, and human rights at international, national, regional and local levels.

Graduates with degrees in criminology, criminal justice, policing and related disciplines can pursue a range of different career opportunities. Employment in public or private policing and research or HM Revenue and Customs are primary channels, as are positions in higher education, probation services, prison and other crime-related roles. The Home Office, legal firms and other relevant support roles in crime-related work are also favoured destinations for criminology graduates.


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