Criminology, BA (Hons)

This criminology degree at NTU delves beyond straightforward facts, exploring the nuanced shades of grey in crime through questions of values, perceptions, and human behavior. Students, driven by a commitment to a safer, fairer world, examine emotional responses to crime, the effectiveness of justice systems, and debates on rehabilitation, nature versus nurture, and societal influences. With a supportive teaching team, learners engage directly with victims, perpetrators, policymakers, and detectives to analyze crime's past, present, and future across urban and digital landscapes.Why pursue this course? NTU stands out as the only UK university offering paid placements in prisons, alongside customizable modules in areas like green criminology and cybercrime. Students connect with esteemed guest speakers and partners such as Notts Police and the Home Office. Core modules span key themes from criminal justice processes to global perspectives, with options for specialization in topics like media and crime or hate crime. Assessment includes coursework, written assignments, and practical tasks, fostering a comprehensive understanding.

Our whole sense of who we are as a society revolves around our relationship with crime. That’s why this criminology degree isn’t just about the criminal justice system — it’s about human beings. Who decides what’s wrong? Why is ‘justice’ such a contested word? Why are some communities so troubled? And why do so many people continue to ‘fall through the cracks’? This isn’t crime through a Netflix lens. This is real life: brutal, uncomfortable, but fascinating. From the core theories — Where does our criminal justice system come from? How do we measure crime? — we’ll move through increasingly global perspectives, as you build a worldwide understanding of the discipline. In Year One you'll be introduced to the key themes and issues in contemporary criminology. The core modules include: The Criminal Justice Process; Current Issues in Criminology; Constructing Crime; Crime Research and Crime; and Place and Justice. In Year Two your core modules will include: Managing Justice; Explaining Crime; Applied Criminology; Advanced Crime Research; and Crime Reduction and Community Safety. In your Final Year, your core modules are Future Directions in Criminology and your dissertation or research project. You’ll also have the opportunity to specialise through optional modules delivered by experts in their field. These options include: Media and Crime; Cultural Criminology; Crime, Race and Empire; Gender and Crime; Hate Crime, Identity and Citizenship; Drugs, Crime and Justice; Young People, Crime and Justice; Inequalities and Crime; Serious and Organised Crime; Green Criminology; and Cybercrime.