Criminology and Criminal Justice BA (Hons) Undergraduate - September 2025/26* Entry

What’s the best way to deter a prolific repeat offender and reintegrate them into society? How do you divert a youth’s attention to education instead of crime? Should the focus be through punishment or rehabilitation? Questions like this sit at the heart of our BA (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice degree.

As a society, our fascination, curiosity and concern about criminal behaviour, crime and its connection to our daily lives is partly what draws so many people to study criminology. As well as examining what causes people to commit crime and how they respond to punishment and other deterrents, our Criminology and Criminal Justice degree provides practical knowledge and understanding of how the criminal justice system works. 

It aims to equip you with a broad set of social research skills to understand and analyse some of society’s biggest issues. Specialist modules allow you to focus on complex areas of human behaviour such as drug abuse, interpersonal and domestic violence, and organised crime, and the social issues that influence them. 

Our strong links with criminal justice agencies locally, nationally and internationally provide opportunities for direct experience. Previously, for example, students have heard from Greater Manchester and North Wales Police and volunteered at Victim Support. Your learning reflects contemporary debate around issues such as excessive police force or drug-related crime. 

Your skillset will be of use to any organisation requiring investigative work and/or with a remit to control crime. You knowledge and skills upon graduation could help prevent benefit fraud, tax offences or even border agency violations, to name just a few. As a result, this degree can open a wide range of careers including the police, prison, probation, security or youth offending services, social work, child protection, local or national government, NGOs, charities and more.

Why choose Bangor University for this course?

• Study the social, legal and political factors influencing crime, punishment and victimisation, and learn how agencies like the police, courts, prisons and probation manage offenders and prevent crime.
• Gain a better understanding of the UK’s criminal justice system with fieldtrips and guest speakers, which have previously included the police, probation service and National Crime Agencies.
• Taught by internationally respected researchers with expertise in representations of crime in media, victimisation, crimes of deception, the effects of crime on society and policy development in response.
• Core modules give you a firm grounding in the substantive, methodological and theoretical components of Criminology together with related aspects of the disciplines of law, sociology and psychology.

Additional Course Options

Criminology and Criminal Justice go hand-in-hand: the insight gained from studying crime, criminals, victims and our response and reaction to crime can inform how criminal justice is administered and delivered.

This criminology degree explores complex questions around why crime happens, how to deal with offenders and prevent crime. You’ll consider key criminal justice issues, such as sentencing of offenders, reputation and responsibilities of police forces, and public perceptions of fairness and justice.

A wide range of specialist optional modules allows you to study all manner of crime, from serial killers and sexual offending to cyber and violent crime. You can also choose modules from politics, social policy, sociology or history, tailoring your studies to your interests.

On this degree, you’ll be supported to develop the confidence and skills to ask and answer complex questions around victimology, criminality, offending, law enforcement and the delivery of justice. Our aim is to give you an appreciation of broader contributory factors like health, welfare, economics, education and society.

You’ll study the origins, functions and evolution of criminal law, alongside criminal justice institutions (police, prisons and courts), private companies and voluntary groups which play a role in offender management and crime prevention. All of this better prepares you to evaluate and develop practical solutions to crime – be that legislation and policymaking or policing, social services, imprisonment and rehabilitation.

Throughout your studies, you’ll hear first-hand experiences from guest speakers such as senior police officers, drug outreach workers and criminal justice staff. There’ll also be plenty of opportunities to debate trending news stories.

The placement year and optional work placement module give you the chance to experience work in a real-life situation. Past students have spent time with victim support and Citizens Advice, developing their communication skills and learning how to manage challenging situations.

What will you study on this course?

In Year 1, students will take the compulsory modules an Introduction to Criminology, an Introduction to Criminal Justice and Vulnerability and Risk. Students will choose a further 60 credits (three modules) from a list of options that includes topics such as:  an Introduction to Sociology, Social Policy and Society and Social Divisions.

In Year 2 and Year 3, students will take compulsory modules in the following: Crime & Justice in Modern Britain; Criminological Theory; Social & Political Research.

Across Years 2 and 3, students will also be able to choose further criminology and criminal justice modules from a list of options that may include: From Crime to Punishment; Perspectives on Youth Crime, Serial Killers; Organised Crime and Counter-terrorism; Policing Security and the State, Crime and the Media; Digital Policing and E-Crime, Understanding Criminal Courts, Injustice and Protest. Further optional modules will also be available in a range of closely related subjects, such as:  Forensic Psychology and Criminal Law.

The Year 3 Dissertation also offers students the opportunity to complete an independent research project in a topic of their choosing, under the supervision of an experienced staff member. There is also the opportunity to take a Work Placement module in either Year 2 or 3.

Please note course content is for guidance purposes only and may be subject to change.

General University Costs

Home (UK) students

• The cost of a full-time undergraduate course is £9,250 per year (2025/26).
• The fee for all integrated study abroad years is  £1,385 (2025/26).
• The fee for an integrated year in industry as part of a sandwich programme is £1,850 (2025/26).

More information on fees and finance for Home (UK) students.

International (including EU) students

• International Student Tuition Fees
• International Student Living Costs and Scholarships

Additional Costs
There are also some common additional costs that are likely to arise for students on all courses, for example:

• If you choose to study abroad or take the International Experience Year as part of your course.
• If you attend your Graduation Ceremony, there will be a cost for gown hire (£25-£75) and cost for additional guest tickets (c.£12 each).

Course-specific additional costs
Depending on the course you are studying, there may be additional course-specific costs that you will be required to meet. These fall into three categories:

1. Mandatory Costs: these are related to a particular core or compulsory module that you’ll be required to complete to achieve your qualification e.g. compulsory field trips, uniforms for students on placement, DBS Check.
2. Necessarily Incurred Costs: these may not be experienced by all students, and will vary depending on the course e.g. professional body membership, travel to placements, specialist software, personal safety equipment.
3. Optional Costs: these depend on your choice of modules or activity and they are shown to give you an indication of the optional costs that may arise to make sure your choice is as informed as possible. These can include graduation events for your course, optional field trips, Welcome Week trips.

General University Requirements

To study for a degree, you’ll be asked for a minimum of UCAS Tariff points. For a fuller explanation of the UCAS Tariff Points, please see www.ucas.com.

We accept students with a wide range of qualifications and backgrounds and consider each application individually.

All students need to have good basic skills and the University also values IT and communication skills.

As part of the University’s policy, we consider applications from prospective disabled students on the same grounds as all other students.

We also consider applications from mature students who can demonstrate the motivation and commitment to study a university programme. Each year we enrol a significant number of mature students. For more information about studying as a mature student, see our Studying at Bangor section of the website.

EU and International Students' Entry Requirements

For detailed guidance on the entry requirements for EU and International Students, including the minimum English Language entry requirement, please visit the Entry Requirements by Country pages. International applicants can also visit the International Education Centre section of our website for further details.

Bangor University offers International Incorporated Bachelor Degrees for International students whose High School qualification is not equivalent to the UK school leaving qualification. The first year (or Year 0) is studied at Bangor University International College, an embedded College on our University campus and delivered by Oxford International Education Group.

A degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice prepares you for a wide range of careers working for the agencies and organisations involved in enforcing the law, tackling and preventing crime, or improving personal safety.

Your skillset will be of use to any organisation requiring investigative work and/or with a remit to control crime. As a result, this degree can open up a wide range of careers including the police, prison, probation, security or youth offending services, social work, child protection, local or national government, NGOs and charities. You could help prevent benefit fraud, tax offences or even border agency violations.

Within the criminal justice system, you can consider areas such as the police, courts system, prison or probation service, youth offending, national intelligence and security agencies, private security, community justice, and victim support.

With further training, you could pursue a career in fields like law, forensic psychology, social work or social services, specialising in areas such as housing, family care or youth work.

Typical roles may include:

• Adult guidance worker
• Border Force officer
• Community development worker
• Counsellor
• Crime scene investigator
• Detective
• Local government officer
• Political risk analyst
• Prison officer
• Private investigator
• Probation or parole officer
• Researcher
• Social researcher
• Victim advocate
• Youth worker

Opportunities at Bangor

The University’s Careers and Employability Service provides a wide range of resources to help you achieve your graduate ambitions. 

Internships

Bangor University runs a paid internship scheme within the university’s academic and service departments.

Student Volunteering

Volunteering widens your experience and improves your employability. Find out more about volunteering on the Students’ Union’s website.

A ‘with Foundation Year’ option is available for this course. Apply for Sociology (with Foundation Year).