Criminology and Law

Criminology and law together offer a complementary approach to understanding crime, justice, and the systems through which society responds to both. Criminology is the social scientific study of crime and criminal behaviour, examining the causes of offending, the experience of victimisation, and the effectiveness of the criminal justice system, drawing on sociology, psychology, and policy analysis. Law provides the formal framework through which criminal justice operates, examining how offences are defined, prosecuted, and adjudicated, and how the rights of both defendants and victims are protected.

At the University of the West of England, Bristol, this three-year, full-time programme develops your understanding of both dimensions, allowing you to engage critically with criminological theory while also gaining a grounded knowledge of how criminal law works in practice. You will examine the social and structural causes of crime, how the justice system responds to different types of offending, how law is applied and interpreted, and how reform and policy change happen at the intersection of the two disciplines. The programme includes a sandwich placement year and work placement, giving you professional experience in a criminal justice, legal, or related setting before you complete your degree.

A typical entry tariff of 104 points reflects an accessible admissions profile. Graduates from criminology and law programmes go on to careers in the criminal justice system, including the police, probation service, prison service, and the courts, as well as in social work, youth justice, victim support, legal practice, policy, and research. The combination of legal knowledge and criminological analysis is particularly valuable for those who want to practise criminal law or to work in policy roles that aim to improve how the justice system functions.

Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in criminology, criminal law, social work, or forensic psychology.