“All the lecturers had their own unique way of teaching and a wealth of real-world experience.”
BA (Hons)Criminology
Apply through Clearing
Available through clearing
- 2023
- 2024
- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years
UCAS code: M930
Institution code: S30
UCAS points: 112-128Flexible entry options available
Campus: Southampton City CentreView on Google Maps
Why study a criminology degree at Solent University
If you are curious about crime and justice with ambitions to shape society, this degree opens career opportunities in a range of roles across prisons and court services, policing, or investigation.
- 0%overall student satisfaction (NSS 2022)
- 0%overall satisfaction for academic support (NSS 2022)
- 0stout of 81 UK institutions for criminology (Guardian League Table 2023)
- The course is designed, taught and assessed in partnership with social work practitioners, service users, and carers, ensuring you are up to date with the latest developments in the field.
- You will be taught by experts with extensive links with local and national employers, such as Hampshire Constabulary, the National Probation Service, the National Crime Agency and various international organisations.
- Guest speakers include professionals who work within the police, the probation service, cybersecurity and the military.
- You will use our portable crime scene and courtroom during the Investigating Crime Scenes and Forensic Evidence modules.
- Benefit from a strong mentoring support network that has led directly to employment for students, and extended beyond employment, into pastoral and welfare care.
- Our portfolio of social and policy research is rich and diverse, with some of the most pressing societal concerns at the forefront of exploration - you will learn from experts in their field.
This video 'Why study Criminology' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Course overview
Develop advanced skills and professional practice on this contemporary criminology degree, opening a variety of professional employment avenues within criminology and criminal justice.
The course is informed by and regularly updated to incorporate current industry thinking, thanks to lecturing staff with strong connections and ongoing practice within the sector – ensuring what you study is current, relevant and practically linked to real-world developments and issues.
And we are proud to offer a wide range of expert guest speakers to enhance your learning and offer a network of employment opportunities. You can also take advantage of visits to real-world criminology and criminal justice organisations, both locally and internationally – giving your studies an enhanced international perspective.
You’ll learn to work as part of a professional team, exploring a range of social problems, and their representations and consequences, as well as the impact of modern communications technology on the processes of justice.
You will also develop a range of transferable interpersonal and verbal communication skills – essential for any professional role, in any industry – through presentations, role-plays, debates, interviews and group work.
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukCourse features
Placement year
If you apply for this course with a placement year, you have the opportunity to undertake a year in industry between your second and third years
Foundation year available
If you're not quite ready for a full undergraduate degree, there's alternative entry through one of our foundation years
Further studies
After successfully completing your studies, there's an opportunity to continue your studies at Solent
Top-up option
If you have an appropriate Level 5 qualification, you can top it up to a degree in just a year
Who is this course for?
If you’re looking for a career path in criminology or a similar professional/voluntary capacity, this is the course for you.
You will develop analytical and research skills that can be transferred to a broad range of careers, not only in criminology-related fields but also within the wider justice and voluntary sector. And you will also be able to make valuable industry connections through site visits, guest speakers and the range of lecturing staff, who remain credible in their research and practitioner status with industry.
What does this course lead to?
Solent criminology graduates will be well placed for a huge range of careers in criminology and criminal justice, from probation and policing services to charity and social service work with offenders and young people.
Solent stories
Hear from Solent alumni about where their careers have taken them and how studying at Solent prepared them for their future.
Meet the team
The course team have had extensive experience of the criminal justice system and its related disciplines, providing students with personal insights gained through first-hand experience. In support of this, the course received 90% overall satisfaction for academic support in NSS 2022. The ties the team have with the professional world have also helped past students obtain work experience, including volunteer placements, temporary paid work, work shadowing weeks, and internships.
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Facilities
Students have access to our portable crime scene and mock courtroom, in the Investigating Crime Scenes, and Forensic Evidence modules.
You'll also find an extensive range of criminology resources, journals and online materials in the Solent Library.
Core modules
Introduction to Criminology
Approaching offending from a range of perspectives, this module explores the impact of key social divisions on crime and justice. Themes such as ethnicity, sexuality, power, and class, are used to examine crime and deviance within the contexts of our social environment, cultures, and communities.
Big Questions in Social Sciences
Drawing on present-day issues concerning crime, this module teaches the skills needed to become a successful social scientist, such as how to find, use and acknowledge academic research, and construct and present persuasive arguments.
Criminal Justice Process
This module will introduce you to the main stages and actors of the criminal justice process and the major theoretical and analytical approaches that inform the function and operation of the criminal justice process.
Victimology
This module is designed to make you a better-informed critic and analyst of crime and victimology. On completion you will be better equipped to explain the impact of crime on victims and will have an in-depth knowledge of perspectives on victimization and the responses to victimization.
Explaining Criminal Behaviour
Why do people commit crime? This module explores the wide range of fascinating psychological, biological, and sociological explanations for criminal and deviant behaviour
Researching Criminal Worlds
Research is the bedrock of our understandings of crime and justice. In this module you will learn the different methods employed to create strong, credible, and ethically sound new knowledge about crime and deviance.
How you will learn and be assessed
You will learn by:
You may be assessed by a combination of:
- Written assessments
- Written exams
- Portfolios
- Workshops
- Individual presentations
- Group presentations
- Fieldwork
Solent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out more
Study support
The student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
Access Solent provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Why choose the industry?
Crime and justice are real, global concerns, and criminology is a key skill within criminal justice and related fields. The industry offers a variety of employment opportunities that are valuable to society, interesting, stimulating, rewarding and professional.
Some staff members attend and speak at the European Criminology Society Conference, National NSPCC Safeguarding Conference, New Jersey Leadership Conference, International Association of Chief Officers, National Catholic Church Diocese Conference and the Mencap South Regional Conference.
Tuition fees
The tuition fees for the 2023/24 academic year are:
- UK, EU (settled status) and Channel Island full-time fees: £9,250 per year
- International full-time fees: £15,000 per year
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
Extra course costs
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2023/24 other costs are not yet available. For guidance, previous other costs have been:
Optional costs:
Organised trips, both within the UK and abroad. The University has a strong connection with Monmouth University in New Jersey, supporting an optional educational visit to the US (approx. cost £1,300).
Other trips include Poland (approx cost £500); London (National Crime Agency) (approx. travel costs £20), and Sustainable Criminal Justice Solutions (Hampshire) and Hampshire Constabulary (approx. travel costs £10).
Bursaries, scholarships and financial support
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £15. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
Financial information videos
Student finance This video 'Student finance - bitesize' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Student funding - the essentials This video 'Student funding essentials - Student Funding for 2023' is available as a text transcript, with a description of visuals.
Entry requirements
Please select an option below:
Key entry requirements
112-128 UCAS tariff points
- A minimum of two completed A-levels, a BTEC Extended Diploma at DMM or BTEC Diploma at D*D*, T-level Merit or equivalent qualification, or a combination of qualifications which comply with the minimum entry requirement of 112 UCAS points.
- Direct entry into year two or three may be considered for this course.
- For further information about UK qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about EU qualifications, please contact admissions.
Key entry requirements
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about international qualifications, please contact admissions.
Note to all international students requiring a visa
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application and to take a look at our 2023 course entry statement document.
112-128UCAS points
Any questions?
Contact international admissions
Call: +44 (0)23 8201 5066Email: admissions.international@solent.ac.ukHow to apply
Full-time
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 25 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Find out what happens after you apply
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Alternative entry options
Top-up route:
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses. Please contact our admissions team for more information: contact us
Language requirements
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
- IELTS minimum 6.0 overall with a minimum of 5.5 in each individual component
- TOEFL IBT minimum 80 with a minimum of 20 in each individual component
- Duolingo English Language Test - 115 overall with minimum of 95 in each component or equivalent.
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
We will prepare you for your future
With the skills gained through the degree and support of the academic staff, students will be suitable for roles that include:
- Probation
- Third sector organisations, supporting victims, or working with addiction
- Forensic crime scene investigator
- Security services
- Youth work
- Human rights and other related organisations or groups
- Working with victims and dangerous offenders
- Drugs project workers
- Local authority community safety units
- Home Office
- Wide range of policing roles
We will help you start your career
The Solent Futures team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
If you're in your final year, we also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
Find out more
Support at Solent
All students at Solent University have access to a range of specialist support services. Whether you are having financial difficulty, need additional help with academic skills or want advice on setting up your own business you'll find that help is always on hand.
Most of our specialist support services are based around the Student Hub, a central space where you can access all the information and support you may need during your time at University. The Student Hub is the first point of contact if you have any queries relating to your course, including questions about your timetable, options, and assessments and extenuating circumstances.
We work in partnership with the University to build a sense of pride and confidence in your Union, University and student experience.
Find out more
Further study
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get 20% off their postgraduate study.
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- 3 years
- 4 years with foundation year
- 4 years with year in industry
- 5 years with foundation and industry years
