Criminology

The BSc Criminology degree provides a balanced coverage of theory, policy and practice issues in criminology and criminal justice studies. The course draws upon sociological, psychological and legal theories and real-world examples to explore the causes of crime, how crime is defined, and why certain behaviours are regarded as criminal. It explores a wide variety of criminological perspectives, ranging from the emergence of Classical Criminology, all the way up to new and ever-growing fields at the forefront of criminology, such as green crime and wildlife crime. 

The current teaching team comprises staff with expertise in the main disciplines that inform criminological study, such as psychology, sociology and law, and you will be taught by criminologists who are actively engaged in research. 

Our modules are continually revised and updated to reflect recent changes in patterns of criminal behaviour and crime policy responses. Modules in criminology research methods will provide you with cutting-edge technical and analytical skills necessary to engage in contemporary debates surrounding policies and practices designed to prevent crime. 

There are opportunities to undertake a criminal justice placement, you can undertake supervised independent criminological research, and we have an excellent working relationship with local criminal justice agencies. 

Our Staff

Department of Law and Criminology lecturers are mostly either qualified to PHD level or have professional experience and qualifications as practicing lawyers. Many staff also have a PGCE (Higher Education).

BSc Criminology provides an excellent academic foundation for careers in the criminal justice sector, including the Police, HM Prison Service, the National Probation Service, and youth justice. Completing this degree can also provide opportunities to work in crime or intelligence analysis, community care and social work. 

 Your future is important to us and our degrees will equip you with the following: 

• the confidence to select and deploy the most appropriate range of legal methodologies 
• the ability to write and communicate with a range of audiences, evaluating and organising information 
• the ability to gather, assimilate and interpret a wealth of legal information quickly and accurately 
• the ability to express ideas and communicate information in a clear and structured manner, in both written and oral form 
• effective problem-solving and creative thinking skills 
• the ability to work independently 
• time-management and organisational skills, including the ability to meet deadlines 
• self-motivation and self-reliance 
• team-working skills, with the ability to discuss concepts in groups, accommodating different ideas and reaching agreement 
• research skills. 

Career development opportunities while you study 

Discover more about the various opportunities that our Aberystwyth University Careers Service offers. 

Enhance your employability prospects with our Year in Employment Scheme and Career Readiness Support Programme.

Criminology is a really interesting course, combining lots of different elements such as history and psychology in order to understand crime and the criminal justice system. There is a wide range of interesting modules to study, including elements of criminology, victims and crime control and prevention. Robert Wade

The Criminology department is so welcoming! Staff and students know you by name, so every lecture, every seminar, and every interaction is personal. This makes it feel like they really care. The staff go above and beyond... You really couldn't ask more of them. Sam

Aberystwyth was the best place for me to study through the medium of Welsh. I could do the whole of my first year in Welsh and a lot of optional modules too. The staff were so supportive and were always on hand when I needed. Angharad