Criminology

Criminology is the social scientific study of crime, deviance, and the systems that societies build to respond to them. It examines why people offend, how crime is defined and measured, how victims experience harm, and whether the institutions of criminal justice, including police, courts, and prisons, actually reduce crime or achieve justice in any meaningful sense. These questions matter because crime and its consequences touch every part of social life, and because the policies and practices of criminal justice have profound effects on the communities and individuals they affect.

At Southampton Solent University, this three-year full-time Criminology degree includes a foundation year, providing a structured entry route for students who are building their academic foundations, and a sandwich year and work placement, giving you professional experience in a criminology-related setting before you complete your degree. You will develop your understanding of the social, psychological, and legal dimensions of crime alongside the research and analytical skills needed to engage rigorously with evidence. Solent's degree is designed to prepare graduates for the rewarding careers available across the criminal justice and social services sectors, and the practical dimensions of the programme support that preparation directly.

Criminology graduates go on to careers across a wide range of public, social, and community organisations. Police services, probation, the prison service, youth offending teams, victim support, social work, housing, and local government are all common destinations. Others work in policy research, journalism, advocacy, and the voluntary sector.

The analytical and research skills the degree develops are valued well beyond criminal justice itself, in any role where understanding social context and human behaviour is important. Postgraduate study in criminology, law, social policy, or social work is a well-established next step for those who want to develop specialist expertise. The typical entry tariff is 104 points.