Criminology and Data Analytics

Criminology and data analytics is an emerging combination that brings together the social scientific study of crime and justice with the quantitative and computational tools that are transforming how research in those fields is conducted. Criminology has always depended on data, from crime statistics and victimisation surveys to court records and recidivism rates, but the growing availability of large and complex datasets and the development of powerful analytical methods have opened new possibilities for understanding crime patterns, evaluating interventions, and informing criminal justice policy. This combination equips you to work at that frontier.

At the University of Manchester, a research-intensive institution with global standing, this three-year full-time programme gives you a thorough grounding in both disciplines. You will study criminological theory, criminal justice systems, policing, penology, and the sociology of crime alongside programming, statistical analysis, data visualisation, machine learning, and the ethical dimensions of working with sensitive data. Manchester's research strengths in both social science and data science, and its location in a major city with rich connections to the criminal justice system and public sector, provide a distinctive context for this kind of applied study.

The typical entry tariff of 152 points reflects the academic demands of a programme that combines rigorous social theory with technical data skills.

Graduates are exceptionally well placed for careers in criminal justice research, policy analysis, policing analytics, data roles in government and public services, and research organisations working on crime, inequality, and social justice. The combination of criminological knowledge and data skills is rare and increasingly valued by employers who need analysts who can both understand the data and contextualise what it means. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in criminology, data science, or quantitative social science, and the programme is excellent preparation for research careers in academia or policy institutes.