Criminology

Criminology is the systematic study of crime and the responses to it, drawing on sociology, psychology, law, and philosophy to understand why crime occurs, who commits it, who is most affected by it, and how institutions attempt to prevent, detect, and punish it. It is a discipline that refuses simple answers: crime is not a natural category but a social and legal construction, and patterns of criminalisation and punishment reflect the power structures and values of the societies in which they operate. Criminology asks uncomfortable questions about justice, inequality, and the limits of state power, and it does so with empirical rigour and theoretical sophistication.

At the University of Bath, this three-year full-time programme takes a sociological and social scientific approach to crime and criminal justice, developing both your analytical skills and your knowledge of the field. You will engage with the major theoretical traditions in criminology, from classical and positivist approaches to labelling theory, feminist criminology, and critical race perspectives. You will study the criminal justice system in depth, examining policing, prosecution, courts, prisons, and probation as social institutions shaped by policy choices and cultural assumptions.

Research methods are central to the programme, and you will develop skills in both quantitative and qualitative approaches to social research. Bath's social sciences faculty has a strong research profile and the programme reflects the intellectual seriousness with which the university approaches its subject.

Graduates pursue careers in the criminal justice system, social work, probation, victim support, policy research, journalism, and the civil service. Many go on to postgraduate study in criminology, criminal law, social policy, or research methods. The discipline equips you to understand and contribute to the ongoing debates about how societies should respond to crime and harm.