Criminology

Criminology is the scientific and social-scientific study of crime, its causes, its patterns, and society's responses to it. It draws on sociology, psychology, law, history, and political science to ask why crime occurs, who commits it, who is most likely to be victimised, how criminal justice systems work, and whether the ways societies respond to crime are fair, effective, or proportionate. It is a discipline that demands both empirical rigour and ethical seriousness, because its subject matter touches directly on questions of power, inequality, harm, and human rights.

At Hull, one of the universities with one of the longest records in criminology teaching in the UK, you will investigate the full range of contemporary criminological concerns. These include emerging and complex crime types such as cybercrime, modern slavery, organised crime, and the role of artificial intelligence in both criminal activity and criminal justice responses. You will engage with research methods, criminological theory from classical to critical perspectives, the psychology of offending, victimology, policing, courts, and the prison system.

The four-year programme includes a foundation year, making it accessible to students who have the motivation and aptitude for the subject but whose prior qualifications require a year of preparatory study before the main degree begins.

Criminology graduates pursue careers in the police, probation, prison service, youth justice, social work, policy research, government, journalism, NGOs, and academia. The analytical and research skills the degree develops are also valued in a wide range of other sectors. Many students continue to postgraduate study in criminology, criminal justice, law, or social policy.