Criminology

Criminology is the systematic study of crime, its causes, its consequences and the systems societies build to respond to it. It is an inherently interdisciplinary subject, drawing on sociology, psychology, law, history and political science to examine questions that matter profoundly: why do people offend, how does the criminal justice system work in practice, what makes communities safe or unsafe, and how can policy reduce harm? These are questions without easy answers, and criminology develops the critical thinking skills to engage with them seriously.

At Middlesex University, this programme is studied part-time and includes a foundation year, a sandwich year and a work placement. The foundation year supports your transition into degree-level study, building the academic skills you will need across the programme. The sandwich and placement elements give you direct professional experience in criminal justice, social care, community safety or related settings, connecting theoretical learning to the real organisations and practices you will examine as a student.

You will explore the theories that seek to explain crime, from classical and positivist approaches to contemporary critical and cultural criminology. You will examine the institutions of the criminal justice system, including police, courts, prisons and probation, and evaluate the evidence on what works in crime prevention and criminal justice. Questions of race, gender, class and power run through the subject, and you will develop the analytical tools to engage with them rigorously rather than superficially.

Graduates go on to careers in the probation service, police, prison service, youth offending, community safety, social care, charities, policy research and public administration. The analytical and communication skills criminology develops are valued in many roles beyond criminal justice, including journalism, social research and the civil service. Postgraduate study in criminology, criminal justice, social policy or law is available for those who want to develop their expertise further.