Jump-start your career in the criminal justice sector with our specialist Criminology and Policing degree.
in the country for the number of graduates going into paid employment or further study.
Source: GOS
Explore the English legal and criminal justice systems, including the police, courts, prisons, probation, and youth justice system.
You’ll discover the origins, cultural and political ethos, and legal and ethical frameworks of the system, as well as complex issues including media representation, public attitudes and the position of victims and offenders.
Study at an award-winning university
We were named Times Higher Education University of the Year 2023. We've also been awarded a Gold rating in the Teaching Excellence Framework – a reflection of the outstanding education we offer our students.
Work towards your career goals from day one. You’ll have opportunities to engage with professionals from the criminal justice sector through guest lectures, workshop events, study trips and research projects.
We’ll support you to get involved in justice causes and campaigns, charities and voluntary work that contributes to civic duty so you can gain relevant experience in the criminal justice system. You’ll also boost your CV as you become proficient in critical analysis, research and communication.
You could also develop a specialism or start a career in research by taking part in our academic shadowing scheme or Cambridgeshire County Council’s violence prevention analysis programmes.
In Year 1, you’ll start to explore the key elements of England’s criminal justice system: police, courts, prisons, probation, and youth justice. You’ll also consider how media representations of crime shape public perceptions.
In Year 2, you’ll examine the ‘rise’ in evidence-based policing, major disaster planning, and how you can make a difference in the world, researching, pitching and evaluating an idea that could make a positive contribution to society.
Finally you’ll learn more about the youth justice system and how agencies use criminological theories, before pooling your learning in a Major Project.
Modules are subject to change and availability, and may vary by location. If you have the choice of optional modules, these are indicated with a *.
To prepare you for university study, you can take a foundation year at the start of this course. Find out more about foundation years.
You can choose to take an optional placement year as part of this course. Placements typically happen in Year 3, and your course will take four years overall. Find out more about placement years.
Read profiles of teaching and research staff on this course.
Senior Lecturer
Senior Lecturer
Senior Lecturer
Deputy Head of School
Senior Lecturer
Join our student community and benefit from award-winning learning facilities, including extensive library and IT resources.
There's the opportunity to go on field trips in the UK and overseas, and study abroad for a semester with funding available to help cover the cost.
You can access support, should you need it, with study skills, careers advice, health and wellbeing, and more.
UK students, apply through Clearing for a September 2025 start
Call our Clearing line
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