APPLIED CRIMINOLOGY (CRIMINAL INVESTIGATION) at Canterbury Christ Church University

The Applied Criminology with Criminal Investigation provides you with an exciting opportunity to study crime and criminal justice and their relationship with society as well as to critically analyse aspects of police investigations from a range of perspectives and to understand the way in which crimes receive different levels of response depending upon their perceived seriousness.

This degree prepares you for a range of exciting career paths focussing on criminal justice and the treatment of victims and offenders. You will explore the true nature, extent and causes of crime, along with the methods used to manage crime and criminal behaviour.  Our experienced teaching staff will take you through key criminological theories, applying them to our understanding 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. 

You will also adopt a critical approach to criminal investigations, exploring police effectiveness in historic sexual abuse investigations, investigative interviewing and evidence. Further, there will be the opportunity to explore what the research evidence tells us about the practice, and relate it to ongoing debates about effectiveness, objectivity, bias, decision making, ethics and evidence based policing.

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, criminal investigation and criminal justice?  If so, Applied Criminology with Criminal Investigation may be the degree for you, as it provides an excellent grounding for a range of criminal justice career pathways. 

Through compulsory modules the Applied Criminology with Criminal Investigation programme at Christ Church will cover key criminological concepts to provide you with a strong grounding in criminology This grounding is then applied to specific areas of study such as Investigating Crime, Evidence Relating to Criminal Investigation and Investigating Sexual and Domestic Abuse. The nature of the programme enables you to develop your research skills and to cast a critical eye over the processes of criminal investigation.  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. This specialist approach is appreciated by our students and highly regarded by the professionals and companies who employ criminal justice professionals.

What will i study?

This course provides a thorough grounding in core criminological themes, concepts, debates and perspectives. You will also explore the essential concepts and practices within the criminal investigation processes, along with a consideration of the aspects of police function that relate to the National Intelligence Model. This will include how the investigation of specific crimes link to the intelligence function and the use of covert strategies within criminal investigations.

Students will further benefit from sessions that focus on study skills and employability to ensure success during your studies and in your career after graduation.

Where possible, trips or visits are offered to provide additional insight into the workings of the justice system.

Work experience

You will be guided in attaining relevant volunteering activities and part time work within the university and externally, to improve your employability. This can include experience in prisons, with the probation service, police, victim support, and a variety of charities. Employability is also enhanced through exposure to guest lecturers, who are experts and professionals in the field who contribute to the applied nature of the course and offer advice in gaining employment.

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. All volunteering activities, whether within the University or with outside organisations, can be formally recorded and can lead to an extracurricular award.

We work closely with a number of criminal justice professionals and organisations, as well as our colleagues in policing, forensics and law, to create opportunities for our students to experience criminal justice settings. When an opportunity for a visit arises, we make it available. Occasionally there are opportunities to participate in police training events[- and, for several years, students have been able to spend an afternoon at a local prison as part of an optional module. During the visit students speak to both staff and inmates, as well as seeing a range of facilities within the institution. Students are encouraged to reflect on the experience afterwards, and many consider that it challenges their perceptions, as well as encouraging them to pursue a career in offender management.