Criminology and Drama

Criminology and Drama is an unusual combination that turns out to be genuinely productive, bringing together two disciplines that both, in their different ways, are concerned with human behaviour, social norms, and what happens when those norms are violated or interrogated. Criminology examines crime, criminal justice and social control through theoretical and empirical lenses, asking why crime is committed, how society responds, and what the effects of those responses are on individuals and communities. Drama, meanwhile, is concerned with how human experience is given form through performance and narrative, and it has a long tradition of engaging with crime, transgression and justice as some of its most compelling subject matter.

At Liverpool Hope University, this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, providing additional preparation for students who need it before engaging with the full degree curriculum. You will study the theoretical and empirical dimensions of criminology alongside practical and critical work in drama, developing skills in research and analysis on one hand and in performance, devising and critical reflection on the other. Liverpool's vibrant cultural and civic life provides a fitting context for this combination, with a thriving theatre scene and a city whose history of crime, policing and social change gives real texture to the criminological study.

The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement, giving you substantial professional experience in both domains.

Graduates of this combination move into careers in criminal justice, probation, youth work, community arts, education, social work, theatre, and the arts and voluntary sectors. Many also pursue postgraduate study in criminology, law, social work, or drama.