Criminology and Criminal Justice

Criminology and criminal justice examines how societies define and respond to crime, drawing on sociology, psychology, law and social policy to understand the full cycle from offending through detection, prosecution, sentencing and rehabilitation. The discipline is both analytically rigorous and practically engaged: it asks why crime occurs, how the criminal justice system works, what its outcomes are, and what better alternatives might look like. Criminal justice focuses particularly on the institutions, processes and policies that constitute the formal response to crime, from policing and the courts to prison and probation.

At Swansea University you will study criminology and criminal justice over four years of full-time study, exploring the complex factors that shape criminal behaviour, the social and legal decisions that define certain acts as criminal, and the ways society responds to deviance and harm. You will engage with criminological theory from classical to contemporary perspectives, examine research on the causes and patterns of crime, and analyse the workings of the criminal justice system in critical detail. The programme develops your ability to evaluate evidence, construct arguments and apply criminological insight to real-world questions of policy and practice.

The typical tariff of 136 reflects a programme that rewards analytical thinking, ethical reasoning and engagement with challenging social questions.

Graduates work across the criminal justice system and in related public and voluntary sector roles, including the police, probation, prisons, youth offending teams, social work, victim support services, domestic abuse organisations, policy research bodies and the civil service. Many go on to postgraduate study in criminology, criminal justice, social policy or law, building on their undergraduate knowledge to pursue specialist research or professional qualifications. Others apply their skills in human resources, journalism, education, community development and international development roles where understanding social harm, policy and institutional response is directly relevant.