Criminology with Foundation

Criminology is the scientific study of crime, criminal behaviour, and the systems societies use to define, detect, and respond to it. It draws on sociology, psychology, law, and philosophy to understand why crime occurs, how it is measured and perceived, and whether the criminal justice system actually achieves what it claims to. These are not abstract questions: they bear directly on policing, sentencing, prison policy, youth justice, and the treatment of victims.

A degree in criminology develops your critical thinking, your ability to engage with evidence, and your understanding of some of the most contested issues in public life.

At the University of Reading, this four-year programme includes a foundation year, making it accessible to students who are returning to education or who need to build their academic skills before entering the main degree. The foundation year prepares you thoroughly for degree-level study in the social sciences. The main programme covers criminological theory, the sociology of deviance and social control, policing, courts and sentencing, victimology, and the comparative study of criminal justice systems.

Research methods and data literacy feature throughout, reflecting the empirical character of the discipline.

Criminology graduates are employed across a wide range of public, private, and third-sector organisations. The police service, probation, the prison service, youth offending teams, victim support organisations, and the Home Office all recruit people with this background. Law is a common postgraduate route for criminology graduates who want to move into legal practice.

Social work, community development, and policy research are further options. Journalism, campaigning organisations, and academic research are also destinations. The foundation year element of the degree means that Reading welcomes students who come to criminology by a variety of academic routes.