Criminology and Forensic Investigation

Criminology and forensic investigation is a degree that takes both the social science and the scientific dimensions of crime seriously. Criminology asks why crime happens, how it is defined, who gets labelled as criminal, how the justice system responds, and what the consequences are for individuals and communities. Forensic investigation brings the methods of biology, chemistry, and physical science to the detection and evidential analysis of crime scenes and materials.

Together they offer a comprehensive view of crime from its social origins through to the scientific processes that support investigation and prosecution.

At the University of Cumbria, you will study this combination over three years of full-time study. The criminology strand takes you through the major theoretical traditions that have tried to explain crime and deviance, as well as the sociology of law, policing, and criminal justice, including critical perspectives on race, gender, and class in the operation of the system. The forensic investigation strand covers crime scene management, evidence collection and analysis, fingerprint examination, document analysis, and the forensic sciences of biology and chemistry as they apply to criminal investigation.

You will develop an understanding of the legal and evidential standards that forensic evidence must meet in court, and the limitations as well as the strengths of forensic science as a tool of justice. Laboratory work and practical scenarios are central to the forensic element of the programme, giving you hands-on experience alongside the academic content.

Graduates from criminology and forensic investigation programmes enter a variety of careers in and around the criminal justice system. Roles in forensic science laboratories, with the police, and with other investigative agencies are a direct application of the forensic skills developed in the degree. Careers in probation, prison and rehabilitation services, victim support, and youth justice draw on the criminological dimension.

Research, policy analysis, and advocacy roles in the voluntary sector and government are further options. For those who wish to develop their forensic expertise further, postgraduate study in forensic science, forensic psychology, or criminology is available and is often required for more specialist forensic roles.