Criminology and Criminal Justice

Criminology and criminal justice examines the causes of crime, the workings of the justice system, and the social and political forces that shape how both are understood and responded to. It asks why people offend, how victims are affected, how policing, prosecution, and punishment actually work in practice, and whether the systems societies build to manage crime are effective, fair, and consistent with the values they claim to uphold. The discipline draws on sociology, psychology, law, and policy analysis, and it equips you to think critically and systematically about some of the most complex challenges in public life.

At the University of Portsmouth, this part-time programme is delivered through distance learning, making it accessible to students who cannot attend in person due to work, care commitments, location, or other constraints. You will engage with the core intellectual content of criminology and criminal justice through online resources, structured academic activities, and assessed work, developing the same analytical and research skills that in-person students build. No typical tariff is listed, which broadens access to people who did not follow a conventional academic route but who have the motivation and ability to succeed at degree level.

Graduates are well placed for careers in policing, probation, victim support, prison services, security services, community justice, social research, and policy roles in organisations concerned with crime, justice, and public safety. Many also use the degree as a qualification for entry into or advancement within existing careers in policing, security, or related fields. Postgraduate study in criminology, criminal justice, and law is available for those who wish to develop their expertise further, and the analytical skills the degree develops transfer across many public and third sector roles.