Criminology BA (Hons)

Study level: Undergraduate
Close-up of a circular gold metal lock and a circular metal piece above

How does crime impact our society, politics, and individual lives? How can crime be prevented? This course aims to provide you with a comprehensive overview of these questions and how you can make a positive impact.

Course option

Year of entry

Location

Coventry University (Coventry)

Study mode

Full-time
Sandwich

Duration

3 years full-time
4 years sandwich

UCAS codes

L370

Start date

September 2025


Course overview

Criminology is a fascinating subject that helps us to understand the complex causes and impacts of serious crimes such as murder, human trafficking, and international terrorism.

On this course, we strive to produce graduates equipped for rewarding careers within criminal justice and beyond, including crime investigation and prevention; public protection; offender management and rehabilitation; intelligence; and witness / victim services. We are proud of our teaching quality and student support, reflected in Coventry University’s gold standard for teaching excellence. Our highly experienced academic staff are actively engaged in research, publication, and real-world practice, bringing cutting-edge developments directly to the course content (staff may be subject to change).

You will: 

  • connect important theoretical viewpoints to current problems and discussions, applying these theories in real-world situations
  • analyse and evaluate new developments and topics related to crime, the management of crime and the criminal justice system, both at the local and global levels
  • use imaginative and innovative approaches to address issues related to crime and the criminal justice system.
A star in the centre of a rosette.

Rated Gold Overall

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) 2023

Five stars in a speech bubble.

5 QS Stars for Teaching and Facilities

QS Stars University Ratings

City buildings next to a tree.

Top 5 Student City in England (Coventry)

QS Best Student Cities Index 2025

Why you should study this course

  • Gain a global perspective of crime and compare different methods and ideologies.
  • Develop the practical skills required for graduate employment in criminal justice roles.
  • Study a range of different aspects of the criminal justice system, how crime can be studied and its impacts.
  • Expert speakers2 from agencies involved in criminal justice complement and contextualise your understanding (subject to availability)
  • Collaborate with students in different disciplines to add breadth to your learning.
  • Our authentic prison cells will enhance critical understanding of punishment and control.

My experience of studying Criminology at Coventry University has been exceptional. Even during the unprecedented pandemic in which we had to switch to online learning, my course was able to efficiently improvise to continue to deliver remarkable and fascinating content.

Bradlee Subhan, third year Criminology BA (Hons) student, quoted in 2022
A stack of criminology textbooks.

What you'll study

This course has a common first year.

The common first year enables you to work alongside students doing similar courses to you, to widen your knowledge and exposure to other subject areas and professions. You will have the opportunity to collaborate with other students, so you can share your insights and experience which will help you to develop and learn.

If you discover an interest in a specific subject you have studied, upon successful completion of your first year, you could swap degrees with another course in your common first year (subject to meeting progression requirements).

Common first year courses

  • Criminology BA (Hons)
  • Criminology and Law BA (Hons)
  • Criminology and Psychology BA (Hons)

Your first year aims to give you a thorough grounding in the study of crime, criminal behaviour, justice, and the law in a global context. Working alongside students from Criminology and Law and Criminology and Psychology, you will not only seek to develop the knowledge you need to progress in your degree, but also be encouraged to think critically about the issues, see crime from legal and moral viewpoints, and be creative in finding solutions to problems.

Modules

In your second year you will continue to build on your knowledge and understanding of crime and criminal justice by looking deeper at key institutions, such as youth crime and justice, policing, and systems of punishment. You will also be introduced to the concept of victimology, as well as cybercrime and security, a major feature of our contemporary online world. Finally, you will begin preparing for your final year research project by exploring methods and processes for researching crime.

Modules

There’s no better way to find out what you love doing than trying it out for yourself, which is why a work placement2 can often be beneficial. Work placements usually occur between your second and final year of study. They’re a great way to help you explore your potential career path and gain valuable work experience, whilst developing transferable skills for the future.

If you choose to do a work placement year, you will pay a reduced tuition fee3 of £1,250. For more information, please go to the fees and funding section. During this time you will receive guidance from your employer or participating institution, along with your assigned academic mentor who will ensure you have the support you need to complete your placement.

Modules

In your final year you will apply the knowledge from your first two years in the more specialised areas of violence and exploitation, organised crime, state crime, and deviant forms of leisure, such as drugs and dark tourism. You will also have the opportunity to develop specific interests and expertise to suit your career plans through a research project in which you will produce a research paper on your own analysis in an area that interests you.

Modules

We regularly review our course content, to make it relevant and current for the benefit of our students. For these reasons, course modules may be updated.


How you'll learn

Teaching and the way you learn will be provided in various ways, including the following:

  • lectures are normally up to one-hour in duration and may be delivered online or face-to-face plenary-style
  • seminars involve smaller groups and include working with problems or holding discussions and debates about issues arising in the lectures
  • workshops may involve a combination of content delivery and group working
  • individual tutorials may also be arranged.

The current teaching team comes from a range of specialist backgrounds including mental health, psychology, sociology, and criminal justice to name a few and these feed in to a rich and varied range of teaching and learning approaches (staff may be subject to change). The course also emphasises a global perspective on criminological and criminal justice issues.


Teaching contact hours

As a full-time undergraduate student, you will study modules totalling 120 credits each academic year. A typical 20 credit module requires a total of 200 hours study. This is made up of teaching contact hours, guided and independent study.

Teaching hours:

Teaching hours vary each semester, year of study and due to module selection. During your first year you can expect 15-18 teaching hours each week. You will also have the option to attend optional sessions including time with a progress coach or to meet with staff for advice and feedback. As you progress through your studies, teaching hours may reduce.

Guided and independent study:

Throughout your studies, you will be expected to spend time in guided and independent study to make up the required study hours per module. You'll be digging deeper into topics, review what you've learnt and complete assignments. This can be completed around your personal commitments. As you progress through your studies, you'll spend more time in independent study.

Online learning:

As an innovative university, we use different teaching methods including online tools and emerging technologies. So, some of your teaching hours and assessments may be delivered online.


Assessment

This course will be assessed using a variety of methods which will vary depending upon the module. Assessment methods may include:

  • short writing exercises such as abstracts, opinion pieces, and precis
  • extended writing exercises such as essays, reports and research papers
  • group and individual presentations
  • posters and infographics
  • problem-solving scenarios such as assessment.

The Coventry University Group assessment strategy ensures that our courses are fairly assessed and allows us to monitor student progression towards the intended learning outcomes.


International experience opportunities

Emphasising inter-cultural awareness in all our students, the course content situates issues in a global context. It offers opportunity for international experience through collaborative international online learning projects where students work on a task jointly with students from an institution abroad (subject to availability). Study abroad forms part of the optional sandwich year which students normally take after successful completion of their second year2.

Please note that all international experience opportunities may be subject to additional costs, competitive application, availability, and meeting applicable visa and travel requirements, and are therefore not guaranteed2.

The Criminology degrees at Coventry University really offer students a unique and exciting opportunity to delve into a range of fascinating topics, from criminal behaviour, policing and the prison system to global issues like the corrupt, illicit activities of states and other powerful actors. With an extensive and diverse collective experience in teaching and working in the field, the academic team bring a passion for helping students to achieve their potential from start through to graduation.

Dr Gabrielle Nugent-Stephens, Lecturer, quoted 2022
lecturer standing in the front of class

Entry requirements

Typical entry requirements:

Requirement What we're looking for
UCAS points 112
A level BBC. Excludes General Studies
GCSE 5 GCSEs at grade 9-4 / A*-C including English and Mathematics
BTEC DMM
IB Diploma 27 points
Access Diploma The Access to HE Diploma in a Science, Social Science or Health subject to include 30 Level 3 credits at Distinction. Plus GCSE English and Mathematics at grade 4 / C or above. 

Other qualifications and experience

Our students come from a variety of backgrounds, each with a unique story. We recognise a breadth of qualifications. If your qualifications differ from the above, contact our Admissions Team who will be happy to discuss your qualifications and routes into your chosen course.

Contextual offers and Fair Access Scheme

If you meet the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme, you could automatically receive a contextual offer that may be up to 24 UCAS points lower than our standard entry requirements. View the criteria for our Fair Access Scheme.

Select your region to find detailed information about entry requirements:


You can view our full list of country specific entry requirements on our Entry requirements page.

Visit our International hub for further advice and guidance on finding in-country agents and representatives, joining our in-country events and how to apply.

English language requirements

  • IELTS: 6.0 overall, with at least 5.5 in each component area

If you don't meet the English language requirements, you can achieve the level you need by successfully completing a pre-sessional English programme before you start your course.

For more information on our approved English language tests visit our English language requirements page.

Not got the required grades? We offer this degree with an integrated foundation year.


Fees and funding

Student Full-time Part-time
UK, Ireland*, Channel Islands or Isle of Man 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year
Not available
EU 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees - £9,250 per year with EU Support Bursary**
2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees - £16,800 per year without EU Support Bursary**
Not available
International 2025/26 fees TBC
2024/25 fees - £16,800 per year
Not available

If you choose to study this course with a professional placement2 or study abroad year, you will need to pay a tuition fee3 of £1,250 to cover your academic support.

For advice and guidance on tuition fees and student loans visit our Undergraduate Finance page and see The University’s Tuition Fee and Refund Terms and Conditions.

The University will charge the tuition fees that are stated in the above table for the first Academic Year of study. The University will review tuition fees each year. For UK (home) students, if Parliament permits an increase in tuition fees, the university may increase fees for each subsequent year of study in line with any such changes. Note that any increase is expected to be in line with inflation.

For international students, we may increase fees each year, but such increases will be no more than 5% above inflation. If you defer your course start date or have to extend your studies beyond the normal duration of the course (e.g. to repeat a year or resit examinations) the University reserves the right to charge you fees at a higher rate and/or in accordance with any legislative changes during the additional period of study.

We offer a range of International scholarships to students all over the world. For more information, visit our International Scholarships page.

Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessments, facilities, and support services. There may be additional costs not covered by this fee such as accommodation and living costs, recommended reading books, stationery, printing, and re-assessments should you need them. Find out what's included in your tuition costs.

The following are additional costs not included in the tuition fees:

  • Any optional field trips or visits: £50+ per trip.
  • Any costs associated with securing, attending or completing a placement (whether in the UK or abroad).

*Irish student fees

The rights of Irish residents to study in the UK are preserved under the Common Travel Area arrangement. If you are an Irish student and meet the residency criteria, you can study in England, pay the same level of tuition fees as English students and utilise the Tuition Fee Loan.

**EU Support Bursary

Following the UK's exit from the European Union, we are offering financial support to all eligible EU students who wish to study an undergraduate or a postgraduate degree with us full-time. This bursary will be used to offset the cost of your tuition fees to bring them in line with that of UK students. Students studying a degree with a foundation year with us are not eligible for the bursary.


Facilities

Teaching and learning take place in state-of-the art facilities on the main Coventry University campus near to the University Hub, Students' Union and library. Extensive use is made of seminar and workshop rooms for smaller groups to facilitate active group learning.

mock prison cells

Prison cells

Two prison cells, one single and one double, are in the Richard Crossman Building on main campus and used to give a sense of the real-life experiences of inmates, and for role play learning.

lanchester library entrance

Library

Our dedicated subject librarian on main campus will provide guidance on searching and retrieving academic sources using the library systems and databases, as well as assistance and support with individual enquiries.

Centre for Academic Writing

Centre for Academic Writing

The Centre for Academic Writing next to the Library will offer individual advice on developing writing skills or dealing with writing problems.

 

 

Facilities are subject to availability. Access to some facilities (including some teaching and learning spaces) may vary from those advertised and/or may have reduced availability or restrictions where the university is following public authority guidance, decisions or orders.


Careers and opportunities

With a view to shaping your prospects as a graduate, teaching, learning, and assessments take a problem-based approach which means you get to deal with real-world issues and scenarios combining theory and practice delivered by our current teaching team who have a diverse range of experience including mental health, sexual offending, imprisonment, and probation to name a few. External speakers and visiting lecturer/practitioners also bring expertise to the classroom and help guide your choices towards a specific career path (subject to availability)2.

Assessments are coursework based and varied to test independent and team-working, communication, analytical and critical thinking, and other transferable skills designed to enhance your employment prospects within or outside the criminological sphere. With an emphasis on inter-cultural awareness, the course also offers opportunity for overseas experience through field trips and study abroad with the aim of making you a strong contender for a graduate level career in the global jobs market2.

Criminology not only provides you with the knowledge and skills for working within the criminological sphere – in areas such as the police in uniformed and civilian roles, courts, prison staff and outreach, probation, victim support, security, and community safety – but also develops transferable skills that equip you for a wide range of graduate level careers. For example, some roles previous students have undertaken have included teaching, retail management, and fraud investigation for the financial industry. Many students opt for postgraduate level study.

Where our graduates work

Previous graduates have gone on to pursue postgraduate qualifications and work for a range of organisations, including The National Crime Agency, the Independent Police Complaints Commission, HM Prison Service, Coventry Cyrenians, West Midlands Police and the Metropolitan Police.

Further study

Progression routes to courses for further study within Coventry University include:

My academic journey has been filled with encouragement from the moment it began. From supportive staff members to the structure and insight within the modules, my learning experience has helped me develop new skills and further understanding of not just criminology, but the world around.

Siobhan Super, Criminology BA (Hons) student, quoted 2022
close up of hands holding a criminology textbook
Two students sat at a desk working on a laptop

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