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Criminology

Course details
  • BA (Hons)
  • 3 Years
  • Full-time
  • 21 September 2026
  • Undergraduate
Course location
Waterside Campus
Awarded by:
The University of Northampton

Course summary

The course is designed for those who have an interest in crime and the criminal justice system. Criminology at the University of Northampton has the distinctive approach of drawing on perspectives from the Sociology of Deviance, Criminal Psychology, History of Crime and Criminal Law.

Through class discussions and independent study you will explore both theoretical and practical perspectives of crime. The course has been developed with the QAA/British Society of Criminology benchmarking criteria in mind.

Field trips, volunteering, and networking opportunities provide you with valuable practical experience. This course offers a placement to single honours students within a criminal justice agency, which also allows you to carry out independent research and make valuable contacts.

Criminology is a popular degree that could provide you with excellent career prospects in policing, probation work, the prison service, the Home Office, the criminal courts and postgraduate studies. Projects such as crime reduction teams drug rehabilitation programmes, youth offender teams and victim care are also viable career paths.

By studying at the University of Northampton, you can be sure that:

  • Our expert academics teach in small groups supported with one-to-one assistance. Our academics and students form a tight bond, providing individualised support and guidance whilst challenging students academically.

  • Whatever your ambitions, we’re here to help you to achieve them. We’ll support you to identify the skills you’re learning during your course, find your strengths and secure practical experience so that when it comes to applying for jobs or further study, you’ll feel confident in standing out from the crowd.

  • At UON we guarantee a room in our Halls of Residence for all new full-time, first year students who apply and accept their room offer by June 2026 - and we won't ask for a deposit for September 2026*.

  • Students enrolling on this course at Northampton will be provided with their own brand-new laptop** to keep at no additional cost. All sports clubs and societies are free to join at Northampton and every essential course textbook is available via the library, meaning you won’t have to purchase copies. For more information on this visit our website (northampton.ac.uk/benefits).

  • You will experience student life at the University’s £330 million Waterside Campus. Come along to an Open Day and find out more.

The Northampton Employment Promise

  • In fact, we’re so confident in our careers and employability support that if you achieve at least a 2:2 degree and complete either our Employability Plus Gold programme or achieve a Changemaker Gold Certificate during your time studying with us, but still haven’t secured full-time employment 12 months after graduating, we will secure a three – six month paid internship for you or support you into postgraduate study.

✱ eligibility criteria apply. See northampton.ac.uk/student-life/accommodation/ for more information
✱✱eligibility criteria and terms and conditions apply. See northampton.ac.uk/benefits for more information

Modules

STAGE 1:
• Crime and Society (Compulsory)
• Research Methods for Criminologists (Compulsory)
• Becoming a Criminologist (Compulsory)
• The Science of Crime and Criminals (Compulsory)
• Imagining Crime (Compulsory)
• From Delinquency to Criminal Careers (Compulsory)

STAGE 2:

• Crime and Justice (Compulsory)
• Advanced Criminological Theory (Compulsory)
• Criminology, Ethics and Professional Practice (Compulsory)
• Advanced Criminological Methodologies (Compulsory)
• International Policing (Designated)
• Outsiders: Journeys to Deviance (Designated)
• Criminologists in Society (Designated)
• Criminality Across the Life-course (Designated)

STAGE 3:

• Criminology Dissertation (Compulsory)
• Crime and Punishment (Compulsory)
• Violence (Designated)
• Beyond Justice (Designated)
• Critiquing Criminalistics (Designated)
• Intersections in Criminology (Designated)
• Activism in Criminology (Designated)
• Global Perspectives of Crime (Designated)
• Social Injustices (Designated)

Module information is quoted for 25/26 entry. Please note that modules run subject to student numbers and staff availability, any changes will be communicated to applicants accordingly. 26/27 entry modules will be released in June 2026.

Assessment method

There are a variety of assessments used on the course including:

• Essays

• Historical investigations

• Role plays

• Posters

• Exams

How to apply

Apply by
14 January

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
M930
Institution code:
N38
Campus name:
Waterside Campus
Campus Code:
-

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Entry requirements

UCAS Tariff
112 points

A level
BBC

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
DMM

Access to HE Diploma
M: 45 credits

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
25 points

T Level
M

GCSE Mathematics and English Language at grade 4 (or C) required

Find out more about qualification requirements for this course.

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

Every applicant to the University of Northampton is unique. We assess each application individually, considering qualifications, experience, and personal background. We welcome a wide range of qualifications and qualification mixes. Most UCAS applicants receive Conditional Offers, but Contextual or Unconditional Offers may be given based on factors like course choice, personal circumstances, interview performance, practical activities, GCSE results, and predicted grades.

Learn more on the University of Northampton website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

Per year tuition fees

LocationFeeYear

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

No additional fees or cost information has been supplied for this course, please contact the provider directly.

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