Criminology and Philosophy & Ethics

Criminology and philosophy and ethics is a pairing that brings rigorous analytical thinking from two directions to bear on one of the most socially significant areas of public life. Criminology examines why crime happens, how it is defined and measured, how criminal justice systems respond to it, and what the social and political forces are that shape those responses. Philosophy and ethics provides the conceptual tools to examine the moral foundations of law and punishment, asking what crime is, what justifies punishment, how justice can be achieved, and what ethical frameworks should guide the treatment of offenders and victims.

Together, they produce a graduate who can think both critically and ethically about crime and society.

At Liverpool Hope University this four-year full-time programme includes a foundation year, making the degree accessible to students who would benefit from additional academic preparation before the main criminology and philosophy curriculum. You will explore how crime is defined, who makes those decisions, and why people commit crimes, alongside the structures and workings of the criminal justice system, from policing and courts to prisons and rehabilitation. The philosophy and ethics strand situates these questions within broader frameworks of moral and political philosophy, developing your capacity for ethical reasoning and critical argument.

A sandwich year and a year abroad are incorporated into the degree, and a work placement is built in, giving you professional experience and an international perspective alongside your academic development.

Graduates from this combination go on to careers in probation, youth justice, the prison service, the police, social work, policy, the voluntary sector, and organisations working with offenders and victims. The philosophy and ethics element is particularly valuable in advocacy, research, and policy roles that require careful thinking about justice and rights. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in criminology, law, philosophy, or social policy.