Criminology and Law with foundation year

Criminology and law is a combination that examines crime from two complementary perspectives, one concerned with the social and psychological forces that produce criminal behaviour and the institutional responses to it, and the other providing the technical legal knowledge of how criminal law is defined, enforced, and adjudicated. Criminology asks why crime happens, who is affected, and how societies can respond more effectively through policing, prosecution, sentencing, and rehabilitation. Law provides the precise analytical tools for understanding the statutes, case law, and legal principles that govern criminal justice in practice.

This four-year, full-time programme at Coventry includes a foundation year that builds the academic foundations needed before the main degree content, along with a placement year and a year abroad that give you the opportunity to develop professionally and to engage with criminal justice and legal systems in an international context. You will explore the causes and societal impacts of crime, the structures of the criminal justice system nationally and internationally, and the legal frameworks that govern criminal liability, procedure, and sentencing. The combination is designed with an eye on the practical skills needed for careers in criminal justice, law, and related fields.

Graduates move into careers in the criminal justice system, law, public policy, and social work. The law element of the degree can provide a foundation toward professional legal qualification for those who wish to qualify as solicitors, subject to further professional training. Criminology graduates work in policing, probation, community safety, victim support, prison services, and youth justice.

Further postgraduate study in criminology, law, forensic psychology, or social work is a common route for those who wish to develop specialist expertise for professional or academic careers.