Overview
Develop your understanding of current issues in criminology and policing on our full-time degree course in Cambridge. Choose to study abroad for a semester and go on field trips in the UK or Europe. Jump-start your career in the criminal justice sector with practical modules on crime, policing, youth justice, the prison system and public service.
Careers
We work with employers to make sure you graduate with the knowledge, skills and abilities they need. They help us review what we teach and how we teach it – and they offer hands-on, practical opportunities to learn through work-based projects, internships or placements.
Our BA (Hons) Criminology and Policing will help you develop the skills and knowledge necessary for careers in many areas connected to the criminal justice system, including the police force, probation, prisons and youth justice. You will also be well equipped for work in the Border Force; the military; security; local government; and work in the public sector generally. If you are already working within the sector, it will allow you to progress your career to graduate level.
Our optional modules also give you the chance to study a language, allowing you to prepare for work in an international context.
You might also choose to continue your studies on a postgraduate course, such as our MA Contemporary Policing, MA Sociology, MA Criminology, or MA International Relations.
Modules & assessment
Level 3 (foundation year)
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Foundation in Law and Policing
This module will provide students with the necessary skills to begin studying at level 4 in courses related to Law, Policing and Criminology. Students will be introduced to the core skills necessary to succeed in higher education, including thinking critically, researching and referencing appropriately, demonstrating appropriate numeracy and ICT skills, and communicating effectively verbally and in writing. Students will also be introduced to specific concepts related to their degree programmes including an introduction to the English legal system, business law, criminal law and the criminal justice system and ethics. Real-world examples of the law in action will be highlighted, and students will practice applying the law to case studies. The module is made up of the following eight constituent elements: Interactive Learning Skills and Communication (ILSC); Information Communication Technology (ICT); Critical Thinking; Composition and Style; Ethics; Fundamentals of Law; Business Law; Criminal Law.
Year one, core modules
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Introduction to Policing
This module will develop your understanding of the origins of the modern Police Service and the nature of Police work in the broadest sense, including the social and political environment from which modern policing emerged and in which it currently operates. You will learn how and why the Police Service developed, the cultural and political ethos behind the service, and the legal and ethical frameworks that inform the sector. You will also study the demands placed on Police Forces and their officers, staff and volunteers, including potential developments in the future, and critically consider how the internet and digital media will effect changes to the policing landscape by facilitating the commission of existing crime types. You will also consider emerging types of new criminal activity, and responses that may be required from law enforcers to combat these, grounding this academically through a critical engagement with the debates and controversies that surround policing. To support this module and your continuing studies, you will develop and maintain a reflective learning log that will be used as the basis of tutorial work and your formative assessment. Throughout the Semester you will be assessed via a portfolio of tasks that will provide opportunities for formative feedback, including traditional assessment methods such as a short essay, in-class test and a presentation, as well as maintaining a blog as a reflective diary. You will be taught by weekly lecture and seminar. -
Crime News and Criminology
Crime is a major area of public policy and political debate. We are both fascinated by crime while afraid of it and eager to prevent it. Criminals can be portrayed as heroes, anti-heroes, victims or villains. Nevertheless, they are represented and understood as somehow 'other'. Despite these contrasting and confusing ideas, crime is an everyday experience, about which many of us have strong opinions. You will be encouraged to question how crime and deviance have shaped our thoughts, drawing upon its portrayal in the news, as well as fears of crime, political responses and crime prevention initiatives. You will be introduced to concepts that contribute to the social construction of crime, such as 'newsworthiness', 'criminogenic media' and moral panics, as well as some basic building blocks of Criminology itself. You will examine and discuss the types of crimes that are prevalent in the media news and consider current criminal justice issues and cases. In addition, you will decipher official statistics, such as those emerging from the Crime Survey for England and Wales, Police recorded crimes and conviction data, in order to establish a balanced view of the extent of crime in England and Wales. You will examine crime data (statistics, case studies, crime rates etc) and the sources from which they are gathered. Such data analysis will provide a framework for contextualising material that is often (partially and mis-) represented in the media, within an academic and realistic context. Each week, in a separate timetabled workshop following the lecture, you will research various current crime news media (radio, TV, newspapers, internet, blogs, wikis, journals etc) and analyse the construction of the news, the sources of information, the writing style of the genre and the public debate which often follows news. The aim of this section is to provide you with the key skills necessary to study at undergraduate level. You will carry out structured tasks each week, and develop a writing style through a variety of weekly exercises and diagnostic essays. The assessments will allow you to demonstrate understanding and begin to develop critical thinking skills (through the diagnostic essay), as well as understanding and application skills. -
Criminal Justice in England and Wales
Criminal Justice in England and Wales will introduce you to the criminal justice system in this country, taking you through the key elements of the justice system: Police, Courts, Prisons, Probation, and the Youth Justice System. Each week, you will be introduced to a different stage of the system and unpack some of the critical issues that are discussed in this area. For example you will learn about the role of police, and the benefits that a policing system provides, while also looking at the controversial aspects of policing, such as racism and the ongoing debate about how much force the police should use. You will also discuss the statement ‘prison works’ and examine the shifting landscape of the prison system in the context of overcrowding and privatization. During the research skills workshops, you will learn how to critically assess research on the criminal justice system, developing evaluation skills and knowledge of research methods in the process. You will learn how research is undertaken and have the chance to do this yourself in relation to issues of criminal justice, such as public attitudes to various elements of the criminal justice system. By the end of Criminal Justice in England and Wales, you will be able to demonstrate an appreciation of the complicated position of victims and offenders in England and Wales. You will be taught in weekly two hour lecture/workshops and one hour ‘research evaluation skills’ workshop. Your assessment will comprise a portfolio of work discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the criminal justice system. -
Policing Ethics
This module will introduce you to the ethical issues that might be encountered within the field of policing and the wider criminal justice system. You will examine key principles including accountability, fairness, integrity and respect, and look at the corresponding standards of professional behaviour and their development and application within the UK police force, with particular reference to ethical issues that have specific importance for policing, such as procedural justice, police conduct, confidentiality, corruption, and the use of force. You will explore the foundational ethical questions, including accountability, ideas of democratic policing, the ‘Peelian’ principles, and the ongoing debates about the purpose of policing and who is being policed. You will also look at ideas of professionalism and explore police culture. Through an examination of actual practice and the drivers behind change, you will consider the causes and effects of prejudice, the social problems that can arise from discrimination within and without the police service and criminal justice system itself, and the theoretical and legislative responses that have been developed in response to these issues. How do general social and academic ideas and legal frameworks impact upon the work of the police and public services? How have such services responded with initiatives of their own? You will attend a one hour lecture and one hour seminar each week for the whole semester, and your assessment will consist of an essay and a case study report. -
Basic Criminalistics
Criminalistics is the core discipline of forensic science; in many uses, especially North America, it's synonymous with forensic science. The study is built on one basic premise: that every contact or action leaves some trace (Locard's Principle). As scientific methodologies have improved over the years, so the nature of what constitutes a trace has changed considerably. This module will introduce you to the main categories of trace evidence (finger and other body prints, fibres, hairs, glass and paint fragments, impressions of tools, gun discharge residues, and body fluids) and will emphasise the importance of rigorous crime scene management and proper methods of evidence recovery. You'll also learn about recent developments in enhanced evidence recovery, and evaluate the relative evidential value of various kinds of recovered trace material. This will lead on to a brief introduction to the statistical interpretation of such evidence.
Year two, core modules
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Trials and Errors: Justice in Court
Trials and Errors will introduce you to the concept of miscarriages of justice and wrongful conviction. Each week, you will learn about some of the key barriers to ‘justice’ and critically examine controversial aspects of the criminal justice system; for example the mass production of guilty pleas, jury trials, expert witnesses and ‘trial by media’. You will draw upon a range of case studies to examine these issues, developing a theoretical understanding that is rooted in real-world examples. By the end of Trials and Errors, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge of the court process and how it can go wrong, as well as the strength and weaknesses of key aspects of the English and Welsh system. Trials and Errors will be delivered in weekly two hour lecture/workshops and one hour seminars. You will have the opportunity to present your ideas in class. Your assessment will comprise an essay and an in-class test. -
Researching Policing
Evidence-based policing relies on 'strong' evidence, but what is evidence and how do we decide how strong it is? How is it created? What are the different types? Is it ethical? This 'hands-on' module will allow you to develop practical skills and knowledge and not only understand evidence-based policing but also conduct and evaluate research in a wide range of social and criminal justice settings. You will carry out and present a piece of qualitative research and critically evaluate a study using quantitative methods of analysis. Your teaching will focus on the development of evaluative skills and practical competence in both qualitative and quantitative methods, giving you the kind of understanding that can only be gained through personal experience. It will also enhance your ability to critically assess published research findings and train you to select and apply appropriate methods in dissertations or projects as well as in your future employment. Your assessment will comprise a 2,000 word research report and a 15 minute presentation, and you will be taught by a weekly lecture and seminar. -
Evidence-Based Policing
Evidence-Based policing as a concept is not new: it draws on the same principles as the medical profession, in which doctors make decisions on how to treat patients based on the most up-to-date evidence. However it is widely accepted that policing and police practices as a whole are not based on rigorous evidence. Due to growing demand and financial pressures Evidence-Based Policing has become an attractive option for police agencies with its promise of using limited resources more efficiently and effectively by focusing on those strategies and tactics that reduce crime. This module will give you an overview of the 'rise' of Evidence-Based Policing, and a theoretical understanding of Evidence-Based Policing by allowing you to explore its three key principles: Targeting, tracking, and testing. You will discover what 'evidence' is by taking part in an in-depth discussion and an analysis of recent experiments on 'hotspots' policing and the use of body-worn video. You will also explore the steps agencies can take to embed Evidence-Based Policing in organisations and the challenges they face. You will be taught by weekly lecture and seminar, and assessed through an essay examining the implementation and effectiveness of Evidence-Based Policing and a case study report evaluating a research project.
Year two, optional modules
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Resilience and Emergency Management
Bringing together all the skills you've learned on the Public Service Foundation Degree course, this module will task you with identifying and understanding how the emergency services prepare for and operate at major disasters. You'll look at the ways government and emergency services prepare for and react to major disasters, and consider the advantages and difficulties of the multi-agency approach. Working in teams, you'll solve problems and come up with innovative preparations for, and take part in, major disaster exercises. You'll need to take a reflexive and critical view on the work of government and the emergency services to identify strengths and weaknesses in the current preparation for disasters. -
Theories of Deviance, Crime and Social Control
On this module, you'll explore explanations of deviant behaviour throughout the 20th century and theories of crime that are of both historical interest and contemporary relevance, identifying and policing the parameters of 'normality' in late modern, Western society. You'll also look at specific questions relating to the transgression of social norms and whether it is the result of specific environments. You'll not only gain a historical understanding of social explanations, but also learn to demonstrate the relevance of these theories to contemporary understandings of deviance and social control. You'll also explore Labelling Theory and Radical or Marxist Criminological theories, as well as more practical or policy oriented views of both Right and Left Realism, before going on to look at two recent and very influential approaches to understanding crime. You’ll then focus on the role of "power" and social control, and the role of "culture" and the recent work of cultural criminologists. Your assessment will comprise of a test and an essay. -
Cultures of War
The media is saturated with reports of war, ethnic and political conflict. Whilst there are rules of engagement for war, crimes are still committed during conflicts. On this module, you'll consider and evaluate the concept of 'war', through the conduct of governments and international bodies as well as combatants and non-combatants. You'll examine the causes of war and crimes committed in conflict-torn environments. Is war a natural consequence of human interaction? Is there a difference between a 'terrorist' and a 'freedom fighter'? Are there effective methods for resolving global conflicts? You'll explore some historical, political, legal and sociological explanations of combat, conflict and political unrest, agendas as well as the impact of patriotism, nationalism and fanaticism. You'll examine theories of war, rules of armed conflict and the roles of international courts and tribunals, as well as representations of war in the media (including the 'war on drugs' and 'war on terror'), conflict prevention and effective peace processes. You'll be encouraged to draw upon contemporary materials, and to keep up with recent media coverage of events. You'll be assessed through essays, one of them time constrained. -
Contemporary Issues in Prisons and Penology
On this module, you'll examine the proper aims and objectives of punishment and the role of rehabilitation in correcting criminal behaviour, focusing on the three core ideas of retribution, rehabilitation and restoration. You'll discover how, by taking a specific theoretical line, certain public policy measures are implied, and explore the roots of the sanctions we take for granted, such as the birth of the prison and the demise (in some countries) of the death penalty. You'll consider the impact of penal direction-changes, the emergence of rehabilitation as a 'model' and the growth of the 'penal industry' throughout the western world. You'll also examine some of the theories that have been generated to understand and direct various responses to unruly behaviour: the utilitarian tradition, the retributive tradition, just deserts, proportionality, rehabilitation, deterrence, restoration and reparation. You'll be assessed through an essay and a report in an agreed area. -
Violent Crime
On this module, you'll approach the study of violence from a range of perspectives, including criminal and legal, psychological, medical and biological. You'll explore a range of expressions of violence, and the sanctions that are employed through the criminal justice system, as well as examining the concept of evil and how rehabilitation or punishments relate to such an idea. You'll debate 'ordinary' and criminal aggression - from everyday assaults to serial murder - and examine these behaviours through a variety of theoretical explanations, such as vengeance, mass media, drugs, social context and biological impairment. In addition, you'll have the chance to evaluate the impact of research into the unplanned effects of aggression or 'legitimate force' in situations such as war and sport, as well as 'illegitimately', such as the aftermath of accidental injuries or deaths. Your assessment will take the form of an essay and a portfolio, including a structured classroom debate. -
Protest and Activism
Social and political movements have become a notable feature of national and international politics in the contemporary world. The Arab Spring, the Occupy Movement, G20 protests, WikiLeaks – these are all manifestations of protests, rebellion and activism today. Uprisings against state and international forces have a long history and have contributed to revolutions and changes in political systems the world over. On this module you will examine how ‘bottom-up’ forces have shaped politics and what role protests and activism plays in today’s political context: who the actors are, what power they have, how they have shaped politics and what role the new media plays in protests and in activism. You will engage with theoretical and conceptual tools to understand civil society, empowerment, protest, activism, rebellion and revolution, taking a historical approach to examining social and political rebellions and revolutions in the 20th and 21st century. You will also explore the role of key global actors, including social movements, NGOs, nationalist movements, ideological movements, global media, industry, as well as national and global institutions. A consideration of theoretical conceptions will help you to understand the mechanisms of social and political protests, and you will discuss the dynamics of uprisings and revolutions beginning with the suffragette movement and ending with #Occupy. You will also be able to attend a series of film showings relevant to the topics in addition to the lectures and seminars, while your assessment will comprise a case study and analysis. -
Crime and Place: Geographic Criminology and Crime mapping
Criminologists have long been interested in the role that place plays in the distribution and nature of crime. Over the last 200 years, scholars have been producing crime maps to explore the important relationship between the environment and criminal behaviour. Such crime and place studies now fall under the academic umbrella of Environmental (or geographic) Criminology. On this module, you’ll look at the issues and concepts central to an understanding of geographic or environmental criminology. In the first part, you'll consider key definitions, issues and concepts associated with the field, before going on to look at the history of crime mapping and its evolution to the present day. From there, you'll examine crime patterns at various spatial scales, and how offenders use the environment, exploring various theories and models that have been put forward to explain the processes involved in offence location selection. Finally, you'll look at the role that spatial approaches can play in crime prevention, operational policing and geographic profiling. You'll need to contribute each week, primarily through the completion of practical tasks and exercises. These exercises will use actual case studies designed to familiarise you with the principles and theories central to an understanding of this field. -
Leadership and Management
On this module you will develop your critical view of the Criminal Justice Sector in a broad sense, by studying current perspectives on leadership and management in the public sector and how these relate to the ever-changing political, social and economic contexts in which they operate. You will discuss the importance of effective management and leadership, and the impact of these on an organisation, starting by investigating leadership and management as concepts and tracking their history and development, before considering how they currently impact on the public sector as a whole and on individual organisations such as the police and how this is related to contemporary issues and debates. You will also consider debates about equality and diversity relevant to leadership. You will attend weekly lectures and seminars, and your assessment will comprise an in-class test, in which you will demonstrate your understanding of some of the key issues and topics, and a case study of a particular aspect of leadership and/management in the criminal justice sector. -
Project Preparation
Project preparation will provide you with guidance and support and information, in order to prepare for the major project in your final year. The topics will be built around staff supervisory expertise and topics may vary from year to year. However, during weekly sessions you will be guided on the following: selecting a suitable topic and research problem; literature surveys; how to develop research aims and objectives; ethics; and appropriate methodological tools.
Year three, core modules
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Undergraduate Major Project
The individual final Major Project module allows you to engage in a substantial piece of individual research, focused on a topic relevant to your specific discipline. Normally the topic will be agreed in consultation with academic staff and an appropriate supervisor will be appointed to supervise you in your chosen topic. The topic may also be drawn from a variety of sources including: Anglia Ruskin research groups, previous or current work experience, the company in which you are currently employed, or a professional subject of specific interest (if suitable supervision is available). The project topic will be assessed for suitability to ensure sufficient academic challenge and satisfactory supervision by an academic member of staff. The chosen topic will require you to identify and formulate problems and issues, conduct literature reviews, evaluate information, investigate and adopt suitable development methodologies, determine solutions, develop software and/or media artefacts as appropriate, process data, critically appraise and present your findings. Regular meetings with the project supervisor and or/group workshops should take place, so that the project is closely monitored and steered in the right direction. The assessment will normally include a substantial written report, including a bibliography. -
Politics and Public Service
On this module, you'll address the ideas that lie behind political approaches to public services and explore the relationship between these ideas and policy. You'll also examine the development of ideological approaches to public services, focusing on some broad approaches, namely, Welfarism, Neoliberalism and 'modernisation', each of which results in the eventual application of political ideology. -
Criminology in Policy and Practice
The objects of the Criminological enquiry – crime, policing, justice, punishment, fear, victims, control, order, security – have come to occupy a prominent and disputed place in the lives and consciousness of citizens and governing authorities. Your career may be determined upon how well you understand the system that you seek to work in. In this module, you will consider how criminological theory has informed the landscape of crime, order and control and impacted legislation, policy and practice. You will examine the political, economic and social contexts in which criminological research is shaped and carried out in order to usefully inform criminal justice policy. For example, you will consider complex issues such as balancing policing in the age of austerity against the growth of punitive populism, or allocating resources effectively between the prevention of terrorism or violence against women and girls. Scrutinising institutions such as the police, county councils and victim-focused charities, you will examine some of the tensions that exist within them such as decision-making, agenda-setting and resource allocation. You will think critically about the processes that are involved in turning ideas into action, building ‘joint working’ initiatives and managing policy implementation. Furthermore, you will consider some of the wider criminological issues you have studied in relation to the criminal justice work setting – how do cultural, political and patriarchal attitudes affect the shape of agenda-setting, and what could be the impact of vicarious trauma upon the agents whom we put so much trust? Criminology in policy and practice will provide you with the skills necessary to connect your degree with the criminal justice sector, its policies and practices. The module will be delivered by lectures and workshops, and your assessment will consist of a report and an essay.
Year three, optional modules
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Youth Justice Controversies
The Criminal Justice System incorporates a range of functions and agencies that are required to protect the public, uphold justice and the law, maintain public order, exact punishments and censures, recognise and accommodate victims and sustain public confidence. The system is guided by important principles, of which a central aspect is that every individual has rights, whether as suspect, defendant, convict, enforcer, employee, victim, witness or ordinary citizen. On this module, you'll uncover the complexities of the criminal justice system, notably around the issue of youth justice, and discuss theories explaining youth crime and youth culture. You'll analyse competing strategies in youth justice and their outcomes, discussing recent developments in youth justice legislation, policy and practice. You'll reflect on the issue of race, gender and drug abuse, and explore the recent youth justice innovations that have arguably changed the face of young offenders and issues of accountability. Your assessment will comprise a group presentation and a portfolio of patchwork texts. -
Sex, Sex Offending and Society
Sexual offences occupy a unique position in contemporary society and are a major concern for governments, academics, policy analysts and pressure groups around the world, yet the problem remains little understood and inadequately addressed. On this module, you'll examine the way certain activities have come to be defined and regulated as sex crimes and how particular definitions generate specific legal responses and treatments. You'll explore legal, policy and practice responses and you’ll look at sexual offending from the perspectives of offenders themselves, victims, society and the law. You'll also explore the prostitution has been criminalised; the potential of the internet and how technologies contribute to the increasingly problematic policing of sexually explicit materials; and aspects of the international sex trade, in particular the problem of human trafficking. Your assessment will comprise a portfolio, including either an analysis of current policy or an analysis of the portrayal of sex-related crimes through the media. -
Race, Racism and Cultural Identity
On this module, you'll explore the sociology of 'race', racism and ethnic divisions. You'll consider three related themes: the social origins and significance of racial and ethnic divisions, the varied causes, contexts and consequences of racism and antiracism, and the cultural consequences of migration. Although your primary substantive focus will be on race relations in contemporary Britain, you will also draw insights from historical and international comparisons. You'll also attend a series of student-led workshops, in which you'll apply sociological knowledge and understanding to current questions of 'race' politics and policy. The topics of these workshop will relate to key module themes, such as: the collection and use of racialised data in the criminal justice system, debates about the usefulness of the concept of institutional racism, and globalised Islam. -
Investigative Psychology
The psychological study of crime, criminals and victims within a legal framework is known as criminal or forensic psychology. On this module, you'll examine the role that psychology and psychological perspectives can play in the criminal justice process, paying particular attention to the application of psychology to police investigations including the collection, examination and use of investigative information and evidence, as well as to the role of the psychologist in the court room. You'll explore the different ways criminal psychologists contribute to police training, investigations and interviewing as well as their contribution to understanding evidence in the courtroom and how juries process that evidence. You'll also examine and evaluate the challenges and pitfalls of giving such advice. You’ll look at actual case studies designed to familiarise you with the types of criminal cases and associated outputs produced by criminal psychologists in a real world setting. You'll be assessed by way of a poster presentation on an aspect of offender profiling and through a profiling method evaluation. -
Capitalism, Power and the Discontented
On this module you will look at theoretical accounts of capitalism and the nature of power and the state in the modern world, and consider how these structures have been contested and critiqued. You are encouraged to critically reflect on how the capitalist economy works, examining both sympathetic and critical accounts of its core functions. You will also develop an understanding of why and how resistance to the system emerges. Capitalism is not just considered as an economic system however, but also as a political, cultural and social phenomenon. As such, while some readings and issues are drawn from political economy, you will engage with a range of theoretical writing on power, race, feminism, hegemony, and alternatives to the status quo, which each offer differing conceptions of how capitalism, power and mass discontent might be understood. You will also engage with a range of intellectual sources from cultural studies, politics and international relations, history, and sociology. Theoretical positions will be contextualised through the modern and contemporary context of neoliberal globalisation. How has the post-financial crisis political landscape been transformed? What debates are emerging over how and if the market economy might be changed? Why does resistance occur? What is the nature of power? What strategies can be effective in building a more humane society? You will be taught through lectures and seminars each week, with your assessment comprising one 3,000-word essay. -
Invisible Crimes
The crimes committed by corporate entities, or those individuals within them, often have a more profound economic, physical and social cost on individuals than those associated with 'conventional' criminal behaviour. The way corporate entities experience the process of criminal justice differs from the experience of individuals and despite increasing media interest, it's often difficult to obtain convictions against businesses that break the law. On this module, you'll explore the difficulty in defining corporate, white-collar and organised crime, and how they have been addressed by criminologists. You'll consider the links in the crime-power-media relationship, examining them through case studies, as well as texts and theories to understand the broader context. For your assignment, you'll select a case related to the subject and critically evaluate its development. -
Comparative and Global Criminal Justice
Comparative and Global Criminal Justice will introduce you to the profound economic, political, social and technological developments in the world since the late 1980s. These developments fuelled by globalisation have had huge implications for international criminal justice. You will examine the constant tension between the local and international notions of justice that these social changes have created. You will also critically analyse the ways comparative criminal justice researchers are studying international crimes and global justice issues such as genocide, gender-based violence, terrorism, human trafficking, capital punishment, and child labour. Importantly, you will develop skills necessary to analyse effectively criminal justice issues from a global perspective and be exposed to global institutions and organisation at the forefront of global justice issues. You will attend a one hour lecture and a one hour seminar each week, and be prepared for weekly discussions on key global justice issues. -
Concepts of Good and Evil
What role, if any, does the concept of evil play in our moral vocabulary? Is it a narrowly theological notion or does it usefully describe certain kinds of act and/or character? On this module, you'll examine contemporary accounts of evil, as well as looking at the concept of evil in the history of philosophy from Leibniz to the present. In addition to considering theoretical discussions of evil, you'll also consider phenomena such as war and terrorism and ask whether the concept of evil helps us to understand them. -
Policing and Counter-terrorism
Perceptions of rising extremism and growing insecurity have increased the opportunities for tighter and arguably more invidious forms of social control in western societies in the rhetorical 'war on terror'. On this module you will identify and critically examine terror-related issues through criminal justice, criminological and legal perspectives. You will investigate the shift from 'old' terrorism to 'new' terrorism, and apply a range of theoretical perspectives to selected cases of 21st century domestic and international terrorism. You will contrast various typologies of terrorist, such as the 'home-grown', the 'lone-wolf', religious extremist, animal rights activist or neo-Nazi, and consider the various types of media coverage that each category attracts. Counter-terrorist measures will be evaluated in relation to a number of factors, such as prejudice, propaganda, nationalism, xenophobia and religion. You will critically evaluate concepts such as universal human rights, freedom of speech, radicalisation, axis of evil and war on terror, and apply them to examples of strategies that have been utilised and justified in the international 'war against terror'. You will attend a one hour lecture and one hour seminar each week for the whole semester, and be assessed through two essays, one of 1000 and one of 2000 words. -
Preparing for Work
This module will act as a bridge between your higher education and future employment. Your learning achievements will be evaluated, identifying their strengths, weakness and skills and preparing you for the next step in your career in an orderly and planned fashion. You'll be assessed through submission of a progress file that demonstrates your achievements in Higher Education, either in printed form or as an e-portfolio.
Optional modules available in years two and three
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Anglia Language Programme
The Anglia Language Programme module will allow you to study a foreign language as part of your course. You may choose to take two language modules in place of options on your course from the second semester of your first year, or in the second or third year. You can choose from the following: Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Japanese, or Spanish. In order to experience the learning of a new language, you must select one that you have not learned before.
Assessment
For a full breakdown of module options and credits, please view the module structure (pdf).
Modules are subject to change and availability.
You’ll be assessed using a range of methods depending on the nature of the module. These include essays; portfolios; problem-solving activities; case studies; blogs; policy documents; presentations; and a major research project.
Where you'll study
Your department and faculty
At the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, we believe in thinking critically about the past, present and future to challenge perceptions and better understand communities and people.
With expertise from gender issues to literary analysis to exploring how the past has shaped our modern world, all our staff members are active researchers. This is reflected in our teaching, allowing us to support our students with the latest theories and practices, as well as essential employability advice.
Where can I study?
Cambridge
Our campus is close to the centre of Cambridge, often described as the perfect student city.
Events
You’ll have the chance to access talks and seminars at the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Criminology, with which we have close and supportive links.
Study abroad
You can apply to study abroad for one semester, and get funding to help you cover the cost
Fees & funding
Course fees
UK & EU students starting 2019/20 or 2020/21 (per year)
£9,250
International students starting 2020/21 (per year)
£13,500
How do I pay my fees?
Tuition fee loan
You can take out a tuition fee loan, which you won’t need to start repaying until after your graduate. Or alternatively, there's the option to pay your fees upfront.
Scholarships
We offer a fantastic range of ARU scholarships, which provide extra financial support while you’re at university. Some of these cover all or part of your tuition fees.
International students
You must pay your fees upfront, in full or in instalments. We will also ask you for a deposit or sponsorship letter. Details will be in your offer letter.
Paying your feesFunding for UK & EU students
Most new undergraduate students can apply for government funding to support their studies and university life. This includes Tuition Fee Loans and Maintenance Loans. There are additional grants available for specific groups of students, such as those with disabilities or dependants.
We also offer a fantastic range of ARU scholarships, which provide extra financial support while you’re at university. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.
Funding for international students
We offer a number of scholarships, as well as an early payment discount. Explore your options:
Entry requirements
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Main
- 96 UCAS Tariff points from a minimum of 2 A Levels (or equivalent).
- 3 GCSEs at grade C, or grade 4, or above which must include English Language or English Literature.
- If English is not your first language you will be expected to demonstrate a certificated level of proficiency of at least IELTS 6.0 (Academic level) or equivalent English Language qualification, as recognised by Anglia Ruskin University.
International students
We welcome applications from international and EU students, and accept a range of international qualifications.
English language requirements
If English is not your first language, you'll need to make sure you meet our English language requirements for postgraduate courses.
Improving your English language skills
If you don't meet our English language requirements, we offer a range of courses which could help you achieve the level required for entry onto a degree course.
We also provide our own English Language Proficiency Test (ELPT) in the UK and overseas. To find out if we are planning to hold an ELPT in your country, contact our country managers.
