Criminology with Counselling

Criminology with counselling is a pairing that addresses both the structural and the personal dimensions of crime, justice and harm. Criminology examines crime as a social phenomenon, asking why certain behaviours are defined as criminal, who has the power to make those definitions, why crime occurs and how the criminal justice system responds. Crucially, criminology focuses on causes, social contexts and institutional responses rather than on crime scene investigation or forensics.

Counselling, meanwhile, equips you with the interpersonal skills and theoretical frameworks for supporting individuals through distress, trauma and difficulty, often including the experiences of both victims of crime and those who have offended.

At the University of Salford you will study for three years full-time, developing a thorough understanding of criminological theory, the sociology of deviance, the operation of criminal justice institutions and the policy debates surrounding punishment, rehabilitation and prevention. Alongside this you will build foundational counselling knowledge and skills, including core counselling theories, listening and reflective practice, ethical frameworks and the personal development that professional counselling training demands.

Graduates from this combination are well suited to careers in probation, victim support, restorative justice, youth offending services, substance misuse work, mental health services in criminal justice settings, and community development. The counselling skills are particularly valuable in roles involving direct work with people who have experienced harm or who are navigating the criminal justice system. Many graduates pursue further professional training in counselling, social work, youth justice or psychology to build the qualifications needed for registered practice.

Others move into policy research, advocacy or community safety roles, where the combination of systemic understanding and people-centred skills is valued.