University of Plymouth has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.
Course summary
Why do people commit a crime, and how do we deal with criminality? Get under the skin of the criminal justice system and learn about rehabilitation inside prison walls as you develop your understanding of how to work with, challenge and change the system. As one of the first universities to offer criminology, Plymouth has stayed at the cutting edge and goes far beyond the theoretical. Immerse yourself in live-action and virtual reality crime scenes and tackle face-to-face suspect interviews.
- Head start – The course starts with a foundation year 0, specifically designed to introduce and develop essential skills for success in higher education, including critical thinking and research skills, and the knowledge and understanding of key facets of criminology and criminal justice.
- Get involved – Boost your chances of finding that perfect first job and gain hands-on experience. A dedicated criminology employability officer provides students with a range of opportunities to build their portfolio of experience with local and national criminal and social justice related agencies. Additionally each year, our students work with the Devon and Cornwall Police to create a real campaign to tackle issues impacting the student community, like online scams.
- Innovative teaching – Our teaching is informed by innovative teaching methods and use of contemporary technologies including VR, AI and exploration of forensic techniques and analysis. We actively encourage students to interrogate the boundaries of criminological ideas. Experience our pioneering module with HMP Exeter, where students learn about rehabilitation inside prison walls.
- Contemporary focus – The course identifies and focuses on emergent issues in criminology and criminal justice throughout all stages of study. The programme learns from the past, considers the present and looks to the future of criminological enquiry.
- Research led – As leading scholars in their fields of research, the criminology team have strong national and international research profiles. Criminology students benefit from the close ties criminology staff have with criminal and wider social justice agencies. These ties provide students with excellent research opportunities and an embedded approach to employability within their modules, as well as an optional placement year.
- In demand – Open doors to a career in the private, public or third sector – highly transferable skills mean you will find career opportunities in a diverse range of settings. Our graduates are highly sought after by a range of criminal justice agencies, including the police, probation, prison and youth justice services.
- Create change – Students draw on our inter-disciplinary approach to study, with a focus on contemporary issues, to gain real insight into the nature of crime, the workings of the criminal justice system and the society around you and equip yourself with the skills to bring about real change and make a difference.
- BA (Hons) Anthropology
- BA (Hons) Art History
- BA (Hons) Creative Writing
- BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology
- BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
- BA (Hons) English
- BA (Hons) English and Creative Writing
- BA (Hons) History
- BSc (Hons) International Relations
- LLB (Hons) Law
- LLB (Hons) Law and Criminology
- BSc (Hons) Politics
- BSc (Hons) Politics and International Relations
- BSc (Hons) Sociology
- BSc (Hons) Professional Policing
Modules
In your foundation year, you’ll experience a supportive environment to assist in the transition to successful study in higher education. You will learn about academic writing, critical thinking skills and begin to develop your research skills, as well as develop your knowledge and understanding through an introduction to key aspects of criminology and criminal justice and other relevant areas of law and social science. In your first year you’ll explore various criminological perspectives examining theories on the causes of crime and deviance. You will develop an understanding of the criminal justice process in England and Wales, and examine crime in the context of economic, political and social frameworks. You’ll look at policy and practice to develop your knowledge and deepen your understanding of the criminal justice processes, gaining a grounding in criminal justice research. You’ll explore how key concepts and theories shed light on topics including poverty and social exclusion, community, media, education, globalisation, and consumer culture and their relationship to crime, deviance and criminal justice. In your second year you’ll advance your awareness of criminological theory to enhance your analytical skills to understand contemporary and global issues connected to harm, crime, justice and the social world. You’ll also extend your critical reasoning skills as you examine processes of social change and explore consumer culture, ethnicity, globalisation, politics and the State, within a historical and contemporary perspective. Your training in research methods will provide you with an insight into research preparing you early for your final year dissertation project. You will also have the opportunity to apply for place on the 'Inside Knowledge' module that partners students with learners at Exeter prison in a rewarding environment of collaborative learning. Gain valuable on-the-job experience through our optional placement year. We will support you in your second year in deciding whether to take this opportunity, and assist you in finding a placement and being prepared for it. The placement could be in any appropriate external setting. Alternatively, you can gain this experience by selecting our Work-Based Learning module in your final year. In your final year, you’ll design and implement your own research project to produce your dissertation, working independently with the support of a member of the academic team. You will also study modules that reflect new, emerging trends in criminology that utilise current local, national and world issues. This includes green criminology, leisure and deviancy, violence and harm, justice in practice, social change and global issues such as state crime, war and terrorism. The modules shown for this course or programme are those being studied by current students, or expected new modules. Modules are subject to change depending on year of entry and up to date information can be found on our website
Assessment method
For up to date details, please refer to our website or contact the institution directly.
Qualified teacher status (QTS)
To work as a teacher at a state school in England or Wales, you will need to achieve qualified teacher status (QTS). This is offered on this course for the following level:
- Course does not award QTS
How to apply
31Jan
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
Please select a course option – you will then see the application code you need to use to apply for the course.
Points of entry
The following entry points are available for this course:
- Foundation
International applicants
The University of Plymouth has a dedicated International Student Advice (ISA) service who will support you from the day you accept an offer at the University, right through to graduation. They will offer help and advice so you can get the most out of your studies, and your time in the UK, visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/student-life/services/international-students/international-student-advice for more information. Once you have applied through UCAS, your conditional offer letters will also be sent to you by email, so be sure to enter your current email address on your application and to check this email regularly. You'll need your unconditional letter, and the Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS) that we'll send you, when applying for your student visa to the UK. A tuition fee deposit will be required before we'll send you the CAS. We're a licenced Sponsor under the Points Based System. To comply with our duties as a Sponsor, we're required to check other aspects of your application in addition to your academic achievements, for example any previous studies, financial status and your immigration history in the UK. For course entry requirements (inc. English requirements) please refer to the specific page for the course you are interested in (www.plymouth.ac.uk/study). A recognised English language qualification (e.g. IELTS) would be required or successful completion of one of the University's pre-sessional English Language courses. Check our country pages to find out more about application from your specific home country www.plymouth.ac.uk/international/study/international-students-country-guides. International fees, please visit our fees and funding pages www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/fees. If you have any questions please contact [email protected]
Entry requirements
Qualification requirements
UCAS Tariff - 32 - 80 points
A level
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016) - PPP - MPP
Access to HE Diploma
Scottish Higher
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme - 24 - 25 points
Extended Project
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma - PPP - MMP
T Level - P
English language requirements
| Test | Grade | Additional details |
|---|---|---|
| IELTS (Academic) | 6 | With 5.5 in all elements. |
Full details of English Language requirements can be found on our website.
English Language Requirements
https://www.plymouth.ac.uk/international/how-to-apply/english-language-requirements
Student Outcomes
Operated by the Office for Students
Employment after 15 months (Most common jobs)
Go onto work and study
The number of student respondents and response rates can be important in interpreting the data – it is important to note your experience may be different from theirs. This data will be based on the subject area rather than the specific course. Read more about this data on the Discover Uni website.
Fees and funding
Tuition fees
No fee information has been provided for this course
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
For all information about tuition fees, please visit our fees and funding pages at www.plymouth.ac.uk/study/fees
* Fees are correct at the time of publication and may be subject to change.
Provider information
University of Plymouth
Drake Circus
Plymouth
PL4 8AA