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Criminology

BA (Hons) & Foundation Year

Summary

Study level

Undergraduate

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Foundation Year Entry Degrees

Full time

4 years

Location

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Faculty of Social Sciences and Technology

What makes Arden University special?

Education for everyone, everywhere

Whether you're constrained by location, cost, time, or other life commitments, we're passionate about giving you access to higher education that fits into your busy, modern life.

You decide how and where to study

We offer a wide range of flexible undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in both our online and blended study modes.

Full support both online and on-site

We're also proud to offer non-standard entry, meaning your work experience and previous qualifications are taken into account when assessing your application.

Strong focus on employability

You will gain in-depth subject knowledge and transferable skills that employers from a huge range of industries will value. Many of our courses at Arden are also accredited by leading professional bodies in the UK.

Course Overview

Are you interested in a future career in criminology but aren’t sure if you’re ready for university study? Arden University’s BA (Hons) Criminology with Foundation Year will provide you with the support you need to complete your full degree with confidence, all while preparing you for rewarding careers across the criminology sector.

Our criminology programme empowers you to develop a theoretical grasp of behaviour, victimisation, the socio-legal landscape, and societal responses to crime. You’ll also examine the inner workings of the criminal justice system, media portrayals of crime and victimisation, the societal approach to crime, and the future of social control. All these dimensions, and more, are comprehensively explored through the lens of global criminological theories, complemented with insights from related disciplines like psychology and sociology.

Throughout the course, you’ll delve into a diverse spectrum of criminal activities, victimisation experiences, and miscarriages of justice. From in-depth examinations of serial killers and violent offenders to probing pivotal cases such as Zahid Mubarak, Stephen Lawrence, Sarah Everard, and Mark Duggan, our programme offers a comprehensive exploration of today’s criminal justice system. This will prepare you for potential careers as a police or probation officer, or roles in human rights, criminal investigation, or intelligence services.

The team behind the course are academics, practitioners, and researchers with experiences encompassing a wide spectrum of areas such as victim support, crime prevention, case management, social care, and much more. This dynamic blend of experience guarantees you’ll acquire the competencies needed to not only address the present challenges of the sector but also anticipate its future demands.

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Career development resources

You'll have online access to a huge range of career development tools from the day you start studying.

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Course details and modules

Our foundation year modules have been designed to give you a tailored and fully supportive introduction to university study. This first year will prepare you for success in higher education by introducing you to the academic skills and subject-specific knowledge required to excel in criminology.

Your remaining modules have a holistic and applied focus to reflect the real-world criminal justice skills you need to excel in your future career. They cover areas such as state and corporate crime, intelligence policing, terrorism, human trafficking, serious and organised crime, cybersecurity, serial killers, contemporary policing issues, and more.

Just some of the fascinating modules you’ll study on this course include:

Crimes of the Powerful

Examine state-driven and state-corporate illegal activities, from police brutality to corporate corruption. Investigate hidden aspects of criminology through cases like genocide and white-collar crime, shedding light on the dynamics of power.

Defending the Realm

Explore intelligence policing, its role in decision-making, and its challenges in combating global crime. Understand the complexities of intelligence operations by analysing real-world cases like Operational Forte and Morecambe Bay's Cockling Disaster.

Policing Priorities

Trace the evolution of policing through history to the present day. Navigate issues like policing by consent, police culture, safeguarding, and the changing landscape of policing, providing a comprehensive understanding of modern policing dynamics.

For me personally, I feel that the support network as a whole is exceptional. It's not just one particular part of Arden either. It's not just the students, and it's not just student support, it's everything, all combined. Everyone is on the same page. The inclusion portal now is fabulous, I love it, you know, I got really excited when I saw that.

Laura Pearson

Criminology/Sociology student

Modules

Your studies will begin by reviewing key preparatory academic study skills, followed by an introduction to both criminology and cybercrime at Level 4. At Level 5, you will have the opportunity to choose one of these pathways, in which your remaining modules will help you learn the latest sector-specific skills needed by employers. Explore the cybercrime specialisation here.

Foundation year modules

Preparing for University Success
Exploring the Social World
Advancing your Academic Skills
Examining Social Justice
Planning for Your Future Success
Investigation & Innovation Project

Level 4

Becoming a Criminologist (20 credits)
A History of Crime and Punishment (20 credits)
Crime, Media, and Culture (20 credits)
Cybercrime: The Essentials (20 credits)
Policing Priorities (20 credits)
Working within the Criminal Justice System (20 credits)

Level 5

The Prison (20 credits)
Youth Crime and Justice (20 credits)
Defending the Realm (20 credits)
Green Criminology (20 credits)
Researching the Field (20 credits)
Crimes of the Powerful (20 credits)

Level 6

Serial Killers (20 credits)
Victimology (20 credits)
Miscarriages of Justice (20 credits)
Professional Practice: A case study (20 credits)
Dissertation (40 credits)

Authentic assessments. No exams.

No exams in sight! You’ll find that our innovative assessments have a real-world focus and are embedded with real skills you can use in your future career.

Study support

Custom-made support for your criminology degree studies

Alongside the extensive support available to all students studying with Arden, this course features its own personalised support system to help you succeed with your studies. This includes:

- Engagement checks to ensure you have the tools and support for assignment submissions.

Academic personal tutor scheme for personalised support and guidance.
Weekly virtual programme team lead drop-ins for any questions you have.
Assessment workshops to clarify assessment requirements, marking criteria, and learning objectives.
Formative submission opportunities and feedback across all modules.
Office hours with module leaders, including a booking system for 1:1 support.
Additional academic support workshops in collaboration with our library and academic skills tutors.

Gain real-world experience while you study

Through unique Arden initiatives, this degree gives you the chance to gain all-important experience to help you stand out from the crowd.

- Virtual Programme Group (VPG): Through VPG, students have the chance to collaborate with the Programme Development Team in the school to shape our programmes. Selected students will provide invaluable feedback to the team, playing a crucial role in shaping new degrees.

- Volunteer Lecturing Assistant (VLA): As a VLA, you will work alongside our teaching staff, gaining valuable teaching experience at the higher education level, building confidence, and contributing to the vibrant learning community here at Arden. You’ll be supported by academics who will offer guidance, training, and support.

- Volunteer Research Assistant (VRA): As a VRA, you will assist Arden teaching staff or our partner organisations with ongoing projects, developing your skills in research design and application with the support of a member of our staff. This will also help you build your network within the research environment.

Study options

This course is available to study through Arden’s blended learning study mode at our campuses in London Tower Hill and Manchester.

Having flexible study is so important to me… I’ve had to do last-minute school runs to drop my nephews off, but Arden has been so understanding and the flexibility of study suits my life perfectly.

Ryan-Jay Walsh

BA (Hons) Criminology and Psychology

Full-time blended learning

How does it work?

When you choose our blended learning study mode, each week you’ll have eight hours of timetabled classes spread over two days at the Arden campus of your choice. This is combined with around 25 hours of independent study, which takes place through ilearn, our university campus in the cloud. ilearn contains all the resources you need to study successfully. As a blended learning student you’ll also have access to our Library Portal, an extensive digital library with thousands of journal titles, eBooks, and a range of academic and industry databases that you can use to research and gain in-depth information on your area of study. At Arden, all of your course materials are provided free of charge, removing the need for you to buy expensive textbooks to study your degree successfully.

Blended learning is the best option for students who prefer the structure of regular face to face classes with their tutor and fellow classmates, and is particularly suited to students who live within commuting or driving distance of one of our UK campuses.

If you're a student from England who is enrolling on a blended learning course with Arden (based in one of our UK campuses) then you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan and Maintenance Loan to help pay for your living expenses. You can find more information on our fees and funding page. If you're a student from Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland you can find information about obtaining a student loan to cover your costs from your student finance body.

Learn more about blended learning

Introducing your Digital Backpack

Once you’ve enrolled on your Criminology with Foundation Year degree with Arden you’ll get access to your Digital Backpack, a toolkit of digital resources we’ve put together to help you succeed during your time studying with us.

Here are some of the digital resources you’ll have available throughout your course:

Office 365 subscription
Integrated zoom video conferencing
Careers support in-person and online available through Arden Futures, your careers platform, to help you throughout your career journey whether you are a Career Starter, Changer or Developer
Free online access to our Library Portal, which includes thousands of eBooks and journals, as well as industry databases which we’ve carefully hand-picked to support your studies – all yours for free while you study with us
Subscription to Togetherall for an abundance of mental health support

Entry requirements

At Arden University we consider applications on a case by case basis. If you have significant work experience, have qualifications you have gained elsewhere, or a degree or qualification that isn't a clear pathway to this degree - we are more than happy to discuss your application.

What you need to study with us

Our aim is to make learning as accessible as possible by ensuring that you can study in a flexible and convenient way. That's why we keep our requirements simple. All you need is a laptop or desktop PC (we recommend one running the latest version of Windows), and a good internet connection. Through ilearn, our online university campus in the cloud, you'll be able to access your course calendar, support services, learning materials, and our online library containing thousands of ebooks, as well as tools for creating assignments, keeping notes, and collaborating with other students on your course.

Find out more

Eligibility

To be eligible for our BA (Hons) Criminology with Foundation Year, you should normally have:

At least 3 x GCSEs or 45 credits at Level 2 or equivalent. If your qualifications are older than 3 years, we will also ask to see a professional CV.
If you do not meet these requirements, you may be considered based on a minimum of 12 months of professional work experience evidenced by a CV and reference.
We also offer this course as a standard bachelor’s degree without foundation year. To view the course details, please click here.

English proficiency

IELTS 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any element); or TOEFL iBT 80; or equivalent
Alternatively, evidence you have previously studied in English, such as a letter to show that the Medium of Instruction was in English, can be accepted.

Course fees and funding

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I am a student from

Use the dropdown above to find course fees and funding information for your country. If you can’t find information for your country in the dropdown, visit our International support page.

Meet the faculty

Dr. Emma Winlow obtained her undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Criminology and Crime & Justice from the University of Chester and completed her PhD at the University of Gloucestershire. A public criminologist, Emma has extensive leadership and management experience in higher education and is passionate about accessibility, inclusion, and employability in teaching and learning. She established the School of Criminal Justice with these practices in mind. Emma is also a member of the British Society of Criminology and the British Society of Criminology’s Teaching and Learning Network.

Dr. Emma Winlow

Head of School – School of Criminology, Criminal Justice and Law

Career prospects

This course provides you with the foundations you need for further study in the field and a range of universal, transferable skills that will allow you to apply your knowledge across diverse sectors.

related courses

What will the BA (Hons) Criminology with Foundation Year do for me?

You’ll graduate from this course with real practical insight into today’s evolving criminology field that you’ll be able to apply immediately to your future role. Just some of the things you’ll learn include:

The knowledge and academic study skills needed to succeed at university.
The different causes, patterns, consequences, and responses to crime across the UK and globally.
Real-world criminal justice expertise directly from lecturers with a wealth of experience in their fields.
The modern digital and analytical tools needed to work across courts, policing, probation, prison, and victims’ services.
Skills applicable to a range of exciting career opportunities across the sector.

During your Foundation Year, you'll get comprehensive support and preparation for your university journey, including:

Introduction and preparation: our Foundation Year courses introduce you to university-level teaching, learning, and assessment methods. You'll develop essential study skills, research techniques, and critical thinking abilities, laying a strong foundation for your degree studies.

Personalised support: our academic staff will guide you throughout your Foundation Year. They'll ensure a smooth transition into your degree programme, providing the support you need every step of the way.

Direct relevance to your future degree: your programme content is carefully designed to align with Arden's degree courses. Studying a Foundation Year will equip you with subject-specific knowledge and interdisciplinary exploration, establishing a solid base for your chosen degree.

Improved degree outcomes: we prioritise not only your academic preparation but also your success. By boosting your confidence, academic skills, and understanding of the subjects, we empower you to achieve the best possible degree outcomes and expand your career opportunities.

What can I do after Arden University?

By earning a degree in criminology, you’ll be well-positioned for a range of exciting opportunities once you graduate. As well as the possibility of continuing on to further study at the master’s level, your degree will open doors in areas such as:

Criminal justice system (police, prison, or probation)
Criminal investigative services
Government, social, or community services
Voluntary sector
Working with charities
NGOs (non-governmental organisations)
Work with the Home Office
Higher Education

Industry skills

The course stands out in that the topics you’ll study have a global focus that is relevant anywhere in the world. Avoiding the Western-centric focus of many undergraduate criminology courses, your course content will give you experience and knowledge you can apply to careers both at home and internationally.

Campaign for Social Science

Arden University is a member of the Campaign for Social Science.

The Campaign demonstrates how social science improves public policy, society, and all our lives. It highlights the value of applied social science research and advocates for its greater use in decision-making and in government. It is supported by a coalition of universities, social science societies, and publishers.

As a member, Arden receives access to case studies, research into the value provided by social sciences, and insights into the employability of social science graduates. Through this, you will gain a better understanding of the skills you are learning and their value to employers.