Law with Criminology

Law and criminology are natural academic companions. Law provides the formal framework within which crime is defined, prosecuted and punished, while criminology examines the social, psychological and political dimensions of crime and criminal justice, asking questions that the law itself often leaves unanswered: why do people offend, how does society's response to crime reflect its values and inequalities, and what do concepts like justice, punishment and rehabilitation actually mean in practice? Studying the two together gives you both professional legal knowledge and a critical perspective on the systems you are learning about.

At the University of Essex, this three-year full-time programme covers the core areas of English law, including contract, tort, criminal law, constitutional law and equity, alongside criminology modules that place criminal law and justice within a wider social, political and economic context. The programme provides a strong foundation in legal knowledge and develops your ability to research, analyse and argue, while the criminology strand deepens your understanding of crime as a social phenomenon, criminal justice policy, policing, sentencing and theories of offending and victimisation. Essex has a strong reputation in both law and social science, and the combination benefits from genuine depth in each field.

Graduates go on to careers in law, having completed the further professional training required for solicitor or barrister qualification, as well as roles in the criminal justice system, social work, probation, policy, advocacy, NGOs and public administration. The critical and analytical skills developed make graduates effective in any role where evidence-based argument and communication matter. Further study in law, criminology, criminal justice or social policy is an option for those who want to deepen a specialism or pursue academic careers.