Criminology

Criminology is the study of crime as a social phenomenon. It asks why crime occurs, who commits it, who is victimised, how society defines and responds to rule-breaking, and what the consequences are of punishment and reform. Rather than treating crime as simply a matter of individual wrongdoing, criminology situates it within wider social, economic, cultural, and political contexts, drawing on sociology, psychology, law, history, and philosophy to produce a genuinely multi-disciplinary understanding of one of the most pressing challenges facing any society.

At Nottingham Trent University in Nottingham, this three-year full-time programme gives you a thorough grounding in criminological theory alongside practical research skills and an understanding of the criminal justice system as it operates in practice. You will study classical and contemporary theories of crime and deviance, the sociology of law, policing and order maintenance, the courts and sentencing, imprisonment and community justice, victimology, and the politics of crime control. The programme also equips you with research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, so that you can engage critically with evidence, evaluate policy, and contribute to debates about how society should respond to crime and harm.

Nottingham Trent's connections with criminal justice practitioners enrich the programme, bringing real-world perspectives into the academic curriculum.

Criminology graduates go on to work in probation, the prison service, youth offending teams, the police, social work, victim support, community justice, policy, and the voluntary sector. Many continue to postgraduate study in criminology, social work, law, or policy studies, deepening their specialisation and opening pathways to more senior or specialist roles. The analytical, ethical, and communicative skills developed by a criminology degree are valued across any organisation concerned with justice, welfare, or social change.