Criminology

Criminology is the study of crime as a social phenomenon: what it is, what causes it, how it is measured, how society responds to it, and what the evidence says about the effectiveness of different responses. It draws on sociology, psychology, law, and policy studies to examine questions that have real significance for how communities and societies function. In the oldest law department in Wales, Aberystwyth's criminology programme is taught by academics with expertise in both legal and social science dimensions of the subject, ensuring you develop understanding of crime from multiple perspectives.

This four-year full-time degree at Prifysgol Aberystwyth includes an integrated foundation year, which provides an additional year of academic preparation before the main degree begins. This makes the programme accessible to students who are genuinely engaged with questions of crime, justice, and society but may benefit from additional preparation for degree-level study. A typical entry tariff of 56 points for the foundation year pathway reflects the inclusive approach of the programme.

You will explore what crime means and why certain behaviours come to be regarded as criminal, the consequences of being labelled criminal, and how society responds to offending through detection, prosecution, punishment, and rehabilitation. You will also examine the impact of crime and criminality on victims and on society in general, engaging with victimology, restorative justice, and the debates about what purpose punishment actually serves. Research methods in both qualitative and quantitative traditions are central to the curriculum.

Graduates from criminology programmes go on to careers in the police service, probation, prison service, youth justice, victim support, social work, policy research, the voluntary sector, and community safety. Many also continue to postgraduate study in criminology, law, social policy, or criminal justice.