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Why do people commit crime? How should young offenders be treated? Can crime be prevented? What is the role of policing in society? As a Criminology student at Kent, you search for answers to these questions by examining the police, the courts, prisons and society as a whole.
Overview
The School of Social Policy, Sociology and Social Research is one of the best in the country for teaching and research. Criminology at Kent was ranked 2nd overall in The Times Good University Guide 2017 and 1st for research quality.
Our degree programme
You are taught across disciplines including law, politics, psychology and social research.
In your first year you take introductory modules on criminology and sociology. You can also choose from a range of options covering contemporary culture, media and youth behaviours.
In your second and final years, you deepen your understanding of crime and criminal justice. A wide range of options means you can focus on what interests you: areas covered include drug culture, forensic psychology, youth and crime, the sociology of imprisonment, and terrorism and modern society.
Study resources
Resources to support Criminology students include:
- specialist collections in social policy
- our library has a wide range of publications, reference materials and news resources
- the Student Learning Advisory Service can advise you on all aspects of effective learning and study skills.
Welcoming community
The School is a diverse and welcoming community, where you study alongside students of sociology, social policy, and culture and media. All students have their own academic adviser and our Student Support Manager can also help you with any problems. We run a peer-mentoring scheme where final-year students offer support to new students.
We host events where you can hear news of the latest research, assess a range of opinions on current topics and test your own views against the evidence presented. These include:
- specialist seminars
- workshops
- conferences.
The School has its own employability team who work with businesses and graduates to maximise opportunities for our students. We also hold an Employability Month in the School every February and run networking events throughout the year to help you develop your skills and contacts.
You may also be interested in joining the student-run Social Studies society, which arranges guest lectures and panel debates as well as social events and trips.
Your options
We offer our students the opportunity to spend a year or a term abroad at one of our partner institutions. You don’t have to make a decision before you enrol at Kent but certain conditions apply.
And don’t forget – at Kent you can always enhance your degree studies by signing up for one of our Kent Extra activities, such as adding much sought after analytical skills to your degree via Kent’s Q-Step Centre or learning a language.
Independent rankings
Criminology at Kent was ranked 2nd overall in The Times Good University Guide 2017 and 1st for research quality. In the National Student Survey 2016, 91% of Kent students studying Law and related subjects such as Criminology were satisfied with the overall quality of their course.
For graduate prospects, Criminology at Kent was ranked 2nd in The Times Good University Guide 2017. Of students taking Law and related subjects such as Criminology, who graduated from Kent in 2015, 94% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE).
Course structure
The course structure below gives a flavour of the modules that will be available to you and provides details of the content of this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation. Most programmes will require you to study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also have the option to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes offered by the University in order that you may customise your programme and explore other subject areas of interest to you or that may further enhance your employability.
Year abroad
The Year Abroad option available with this degree programme is an excellent opportunity to experience learning in a different cultural context and educational setting; providing the opportunity to develop your skills, confidence and networks internationally.
The Year Abroad is subject to availability and you must also meet the academic and attendance requirements, usually achieving an average mark of 60% at Stage 2, plus satisfactory attendance and coursework submission records.
See our A-Z course list for more details or contact our Go Abroad team. Subject to availability, work placements can be undertaken anywhere in the world.
Teaching and assessment
We use a variety of teaching methods including lectures, case studies, group projects and individual and group tutorials.
Learning outcomes
Knowledge and understanding
You gain knowledge and understanding of:
- the principal concepts and theoretical approaches in criminology, sociology and social policy
- the social processes that shape contemporary society and the relationships between groups
- the key international policy developments around human rights
- contemporary issues and debates in specific areas of criminal justice
- the main sources of data about crime and social welfare and a grasp of the research methods used to collect and analyse data
- patterns of social diversity and inequality and their origins and consequences
- interdisciplinary approaches to issues in criminology and the ability to use ideas from other social sciences
Intellectual skills
You develop the following intellectual skills:
- problem-solving and the ability to seek solutions to criminal issues and other social problems and individual needs
- research, including the ability to identify a research question and to collect and manipulate data to answer that question
- evaluation and analysis, to assess the outcomes of crime prevention and social policy intervention on individuals and communities
- sensitivity to the values and interests of others and to the dimensions of difference
- interpretation of both research data and official statistics
- identification and gathering of appropriate library and web-based resources, making judgements about their merits and using the available evidence to construct an argument to be presented orally or in writing.
Subject-specific skills
You gain the following subject-specific skills:
- identification and use of theories and concepts in criminology and analysis of policies and practices
- seeking out and using statistical data relevant to issues of crime and sociological issues
- undertaking an investigation of an empirical issue, either on your own or with other students
- understanding the nature and appropriate use, including the ethical implications, of diverse social research strategies and methods
- distinguishing between technical, normative, moral and political questions
- understanding the socio-legal context in which individuals and agencies operate
Transferable skills
You gain the following transferable skills:
- communication: communicating ideas and arguments to others, both in written and spoken form for both specialist and non-specialist audiences making short presentations to fellow students and staff; preparing essays and referencing the material quoted according to conventions in social policy
- numeracy: analysing and utilising basic statistical data drawn from research and official sources at a rudimentary level
- information technology: using IT to wordprocess, conduct online searches, communicate by email and access data sources
- working with others: developing interpersonal and teamworking skills to enable you to work collaboratively, negotiate, listen and deliver results
- improving own learning: exploring own strengths and weaknesses; having an appetite for learning and being reflective, adaptive and collaborative in your approach; studying and learning independently, using library and internet sources; developing skills in time management by delivering academic work on time and to the required standard
- problem-solving: developing the ability to identify and define problems, exploring alternative solutions and discriminating between them.
Careers
Of students taking Law and related subjects such as Criminology, who graduated from Kent in 2015, 94% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE).
You graduate with subject-specific knowledge that is essential if you plan to work in the broad area of criminal justice. You also develop the key transferable skills graduate employers look for. These include:
- the ability to analyse problems
- excellent communication skills
- teamworking
- an understanding of, and sensitivity to, the values and interests of others.
Graduate destinations
The variety of careers related to crime control has increased in recent years, with traditional justice agencies joined by companies in the voluntary and private sectors. Recently, our graduates have gone into:
- the police force
- criminal justice services
- social services
- the crown court.
Some graduates choose to go into more general areas such as banks and financial services; or on to further study.
Help finding a job
The School has its own employability team who work with businesses to maximise opportunities for our students. We also hold an Employability Month in the School every February and run networking events throughout the year to help you develop your skills and contacts.
The University has a friendly Careers and Employability Service which can give you advice on how to:
- apply for jobs
- write a good CV
- perform well in interviews.
For more information on the services Kent provides to improve your career prospects visit www.kent.ac.uk/employability.
Independent rankings
For graduate prospects, Criminology at Kent was ranked 2nd in The Times Good University Guide 2017.
According to Which? University 2017, the average starting salary for graduates of this degree is £17,000.
What our graduates say
“I enjoyed exploring cultural criminology. The School specialises in this area and many of the leading academics are based here.”
Emma Cooke
Criminology and Sociology graduate
Entry requirements
Home/EU students
The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications, typical requirements are listed below, students offering alternative qualifications should contact the Admissions Office for further advice. It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.
| Qualification | Typical offer/minimum requirement |
|---|---|
| A level | BBB
|
| Access to HE Diploma | The School is committed to widening participation and has a long and successful tradition of admitting mature students. We welcome applications from students on accredited Access courses. |
| BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma) | Distinction, Distinction, Merit. Health and Social Care or Public Services preferred. |
| International Baccalaureate | 34 points overall or 15 at HL |
International students
The University receives applications from over 140 different nationalities and consequently will consider applications from prospective students offering a wide range of international qualifications. Our International Development Office will be happy to advise prospective students on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about our country-specific requirements.
Please note that if you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes through Kent International Pathways.
English Language Requirements
Please see our English language entry requirements web page.
Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of pre-sessional courses in English for Academic Purposes through Kent International Pathways.
General entry requirements
Please also see our general entry requirements.
Fees
The 2016/17 annual tuition fees for this programme are:
| UK/EU | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | ||
| Part-time |
For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.
The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.
The University of Kent is currently considering whether to increase its regulated full-time tuition fees for all returning Home and EU undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250 in September 2017. This would be subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses might also rise by 2.8%.
For students continuing on this programme fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* If you are uncertain about your fee status please contact information@kent.ac.uk
UK/EU/International students on an approved Year Abroad for the full 2016/17 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Those on an approved Year in Industry pay an annual fee of £865 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status.
Funding
Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. Details of our proposed funding opportunities for 2016 entry can be found on our funding page.
General scholarships
Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.
The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence
At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. For 2016 entry, the scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications as specified on our scholarships pages. Please review the eligibility criteria on that page.