Course summary

Our BA (Hons) Criminology and Policing degree gives you an in-depth knowledge of contemporary  policing and criminal justice. You’ll learn from both academics and invited speakers with real-world policing experience, getting a genuine feel for key issues related to police work. In the first two years you concentrate on foundations of criminology and sociology. In years three and four you study the specific areas related to criminal justice and policing, such as: Criminal investigation and policing in practice. Cybercrime and policing technology. Drugs, addiction and society. Gender, crime and victimology. The sociology of race and ethnicity. If you are keen to work for the police, you have the opportunity to apply to be a special constable. This experience puts you in a great position to pursue a career in the police force or to work in the police service after graduation. We place a strong emphasis on developing your research skills, which are highly valued in the workplace. Whether it's collaboration, assessing evidence, writing reports, researching or completing project work, your criminology studies will make you extremely employable. After the first two years of study, you can choose to specialise in other areas or carry on studying this pathway. See more in the 'How the Course Works' section below. Our Criminology degree scored 85% for Teaching and Learning Resources in the 2021 National Student Survey.  Abertay is widely regarded as THE place to come for high quality teaching. But don't just take our word for it: The Times and Sunday Times UK University of the Year for Teaching Quality 2021. Guardian University Guide 2020 Top 10 in the UK for Student Satisfaction with Teaching, Course and Feedback. National Student Survey 2020 Top 10 UK Universities for Student Satisfaction.