History and Criminology

History and criminology at the University of Derby brings together two disciplines with deep connections, both concerned with understanding the causes and consequences of human behaviour and the systems through which societies respond to transgression and harm. History gives you the tools to examine change and continuity over time, asking how criminal justice systems have evolved, how conceptions of crime and punishment have shifted, and what the past can tell us about the present. Criminology examines crime, deviance, and criminal justice in the contemporary world, drawing on sociology, psychology, and law to analyse why crime occurs and how institutions respond to it.

This three-year full-time degree includes a sandwich placement year and embedded work placement experience.

You will explore the theory, policy, and practice of criminal justice from both historical and contemporary perspectives, examining the complex interplay between criminological theory and knowledge and real-world criminal justice policy and practice. Topics covered include imprisonment, probation, policing, youth justice, offending behaviour, and the relationship between criminology, criminal justice, and social justice. The sandwich year gives you professional experience in a relevant setting, and work placements connect your academic learning to the organisations that implement criminal justice in practice.

A typical entry tariff of 104 UCAS points reflects a broadly accessible admissions standard. Graduates from history and criminology programmes move into careers in probation and criminal justice services, the police, social work, heritage and museum work, policy research, education, journalism, and the voluntary sector. Many continue to postgraduate study in criminology, history, social policy, or social work.