APPLIED CRIMINOLOGY at Canterbury Christ Church University

Are you interested in understanding crime, criminals, victims and criminal justice?  Would you like to pursue a career in the criminal justice system?  Criminology is the study of crime and criminal justice and their relationship with society. This degree therefore prepares you for a range of exciting and remarkable career paths focussing on criminal justice and the treatment of victims and offenders. Crime is ubiquitous in today’s society, it dominates national and world news reports and is a constant feature in entertainment media and this degree programme allows you to explore the true nature, extent and causes of a range of crime types and the methods used to manage crime and criminal behaviour.  You will do this by exploring key criminological theories and applying them to understand different types of crime, the experiences of offenders and victims in the criminal justice system, and the ways in which society constructs crime problems and responds to criminal behaviour. The varied expertise of the teaching staff allows you to explore these themes from a range of perspectives. You will also be supported by a range of criminal justice professionals and agencies, who teach on the programme and provide volunteering and networking opportunities to help prepare you for your career.

why applied Criminology?

Are you aspiring to embark on a career that is interesting, exciting, varied and challenging?  Are you interested in contributing to crime prevention, harm reduction and victim support? Are you interested in understanding crime, criminals, victims and criminal justice?  If you are, Applied Criminology may be the degree for you, as it provides you with an excellent grounding for a range of remarkable and sustainable criminal justice and related career pathways. 

The Applied Criminology programme at Christ Church covers key criminological concepts in your compulsory modules, thereby providing you with a strong grounding in criminology.  This grounding is then applied to specific crime types / scenarios, such as interpersonal violence, drug crime, terrorism and political violence, hate crime and youth crime in compulsory modules and a range of optional modules are offered to allow you to specialise in the types of crime that interest you most. The nature of the programme enables you to develop your research skills and to cast a critical eye over the processes of criminalisation and crime control and set these processes within wider social, economic and political contexts.  We have developed close links with local, national and international criminal justice agencies to enhance our distinctive ‘applied’ focus to learning about crime. Through our ‘insights from practice’ initiative, you will experience a range of guest speakers who are professionals and practitioners working within the justice system.

What will i study?

The BSc Applied Criminology course provides a thorough grounding in core criminological themes, concepts, debates and perspectives through a range of compulsory modules (shown below) and applies these theories to a range of crime problems, allowing you to see their relation to real life problems or scenarios. A range of optional modules are then offered to allow you to study in specialised topics related to criminology, such as mental health, media, prisons, policing and drug related crime or environmental crime, allowing you to specialise in specific areas of interest. Sessions that focus on study skills and employability are also included as a core part of the programme, to ensure your success in study and gaining a career after graduation.

Criminology works well studied in combination with other degree programmes, as it is a rendezvous subject in which ideas from a range of disciplines are applied to the problem of crime. Students can combine Applied Criminology with a number of other subjects, including Forensic Investigation, Psychology or Sociology. A full list of possible combinations is available further down the page. Students who combine with another subject study the core criminology modules and the flexibility is offered through the option to study two subjects and optional modules.

Work experience

We promote volunteering to our students and provide support and advice in identifying and applying for volunteering posts and work experience.We have previously developed projects where students work and volunteer with staff on research related activities, giving valuable experience and enhancing employability skills. Staff are always keen to identify and develop such opportunities where possible. We even offer an optional module based around voluntary work which enables students to reflect on how their knowledge and skills can be applied to make a difference in a real setting. All volunteering activities, whether within the University or with outside organisations, can be formally recorded and can lead to an extracurricular award.