Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA Criminology
Explore how crime and criminal behaviour are related to other social issues.
Duration: 3 or 4 years
Year of entry: 2027
UCAS course code: M901 / Institution code: M20
- Typical A-level offer: AAB
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBB
- UK refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 35 points overall with 6,6,5 at HL
Overview
Course overview
- World-leading teaching: Learn from researchers, policy makers, specialist practitioners and individuals with lived experience, offering perspectives you won鈥檛 get from a textbook.
- Gain skills relevant to employers: Build a strong skillset in critical thinking, problem solving, active reasoning, verbal communication, research and data analysis as you study topics such as criminal justice systems, policing function, public policy and human rights.
- Top ranking Criminology department: We offer specialist training in the latest data analysis, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and research methods.
- Take the opportunity to apply for a Professional Experience Year, paid summer Q-Step internship or to study abroad. There are also experiential learning opportunities available such as spending time in a prison supporting prisoners to gain qualifications.
- Benefit from a flexible course structure and choose to study the subject areas that most interests you in the second and third years.
- 黑料网吃瓜爆料 is the most targeted university by top employers (High Fliers, The Graduate Market Report 2026) - an excellent place to learn and set yourself up for a successful career.
Open days
Join us on campus to learn more about your course, grab a chat with current students and academics, and explore our campus with its fantastic facilities.
It鈥檚 an invaluable opportunity to explore, discover, and enjoy some of the vibes that attract so many students to 黑料网吃瓜爆料.
Find out more about our upcoming open days .
Not in the UK or can鈥檛 make it? Not a problem. Check out our virtual open day content .
Contact details
- School/Faculty
- Contact name
- School of Social Sciences Admissions Office
- Telephone
- +44 (0) 161 306 0100
- ug-law@manchester.ac.uk
- Website
- School/Faculty overview
-
See:
Courses in related subject areas
Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.
Course details
Course description
What is Criminology?
Criminology is the scientific study of crime and deviance. Rather than focusing solely on legal definitions of crime, it explores the wider social issues that shape criminal behaviour and society's response to it. You'll examine topics such as why people commit crimes, how crime affects individuals and communities, media portrayals of crime, inequalities within the criminal justice system, and approaches to policing, punishment and rehabilitation.
It brings a wide range of disciplines together, including:
- Sociology
- Politics
- Economics
- Law
- History
- Geography
Studying criminology opens up a broad selection of criminal justice professions such as, police, probation, youth justice; voluntary sector; policy analyst which provide opportunities to have a positive impact in society.
Why you should study Criminology at 黑料网吃瓜爆料
The BA Criminology course at 黑料网吃瓜爆料 is for students that want to discover what causes people to commit crimes, and what the consequences of these causes are for both the individual and society, and what we can do to stop it. It鈥檚 for those who want to make real-world change in the global criminal justice system.
黑料网吃瓜爆料 has a strong background of research into criminal behaviour and the effects of rapid growth on society. As a department, our research is helping shape policy and social change.
We also have excellent links between academics and practitioners in the local area - this collaboration between experts and students provides great learning benefits.
As part of your studies, you鈥檒l:
- Discover how criminologists investigate complex problems, work with data and generate evidence to shape policy, practice and public understanding.
- Be supported by a learning environment that promotes discussion, debate and independent critical thinking.
- Benefit from networking and professional development opportunities via our student societies, like The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 University Criminology Society (MUCS).
- Learn from leading criminology experts in examining how crime intersects with wider political, social and economic factors - such as gender, class, ethnicity and inequality.
- Boost your employability through placements within the course, allowing you to gain work experience and make contacts, while putting the skills you鈥檝e learned into practice.
The BA Criminology course will give you highly employable skills, such as:
- Critical thinking
- Teamwork
- Problem solving
- Data analysis
- Research
- Communication skills
Special features
Join a student society
Benefit from networking and professional development opportunities through our student societies. The 黑料网吃瓜爆料 University Criminology Society (MUCS) is a long- established society for those who have an interest in crime and criminal justice. The Society promotes greater integration between students on different courses studying criminology with a range of events available, from career-related panels to escape rooms and quizzes.
Expand your network and enrich your experience with a placement opportunity
Apply for a paid summer Q- Step internship between Years 2 and 3. This is an excellent opportunity to gain work experience and make contacts while putting the skills you鈥檝e learnt into practice, which is great for interviews. Recent placements include the Home Office, the Ministry of Justice, and the College of Policing.
The Bridge: Stitching Opportunities
An experiential learning opportunity for final year students to spend time in prison supporting the prisoners with their textile qualification while also gaining important employability skills of their own.
Enhance your employability with a professional experience year
You will apply in Year 1 to a paid Professional Experience Year. If you meet the criteria, the Professional Experience Team and Careers Service will work with you to find a suitable placement in Year 2.
You will complete your Professional Experience Year in Year 3, extending your degree to four years, before returning to university to finish your final year.
Your degree title will include 'with Professional Experience', giving you an advantage of real- world work experience when entering the graduate job market.
Teaching and learning
You鈥檒l spend around 12 hours per week learning via a mixture of lectures, workshops and tutorials. The rest of your time will be used as part of self-directed study.
- Lectures are delivered to a large group of students, covering an overview of a particular subject.
- Tutorials are small groups where you鈥檒l discuss topics you鈥檙e studying in more detail.
-
Lab sessions and workshops are also delivered as part of your learning.
-
We offer skills sessions to boost your academic learning and employability.
If you apply to study abroad
in your second year, you鈥檒l complete course units in your host university - taught in English - that focus on criminology subjects or other topics of interest.
Coursework and assessment
You鈥檒l be assessed using a number of formats, including:
- Essays
- Short exercises or written pieces - for example: blogs and learning portfolios
- Project work
- Individual and group presentations
- Written exams
-
Oral exams
Helpful and detailed feedback will be given for all written and oral work.
Course content for year 1
In your first year, you鈥檒l:
- Have an introduction to the sociological and psychological explanations for crime and criminal behaviour.
- Study the criminal justice system and criminal law.
- Learn about things crime is shaped and impacted by such as politics and the media, as well as thinking about how different groups experience crime.
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRIM10002 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM10071 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM10421 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM10432 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM14442 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| LAWS10081 | 20 | Mandatory |
Course content for year 2
In your second year of study, you鈥檒l:
- Improve your understanding of criminology theory, and the practices and techniques used in contemporary criminal justice systems.
- Look in depth at theory and current issues around policing and punishment.
- Deepen your knowledge of research methods and quantative and qualitative analysis.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRIM20051 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM20411 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM20452 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM20692 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM20802 | 20 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM20701 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM22111 | 20 | Optional |
Course content for year 3
In your third year, you鈥檒l:
- Tailor your course around your interests and career ambitions with a unique range of optional units delivered by leading experts on original research projects. Some example topics include Drugs and Society, White Collar and Corporate Crime, Journeys Out of Offending, and The Criminal Psychopath.
- Develop your research and project management skills with a dissertation on a criminology topic of your choosing.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
| Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
|---|---|---|---|
| CRIM30610 | 40 | Mandatory | |
| CRIM30601 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM30641 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM30662 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM30792 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM30811 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM31051 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM31101 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM31142 | 20 | Optional | |
| CRIM31152 | 20 | Optional | |
| Displaying 10 of 11 course units for year 3 | |||
| Display all course units for year 3 | |||
Course content for year 4
For students that choose to do the Professional Experience year, you鈥檒l take on the learning from the Year 3 course content in Year 4 (see above).
What our students say
鈥淚'm really enjoying the combination of multiple disciplines from psychology to law. Within my psychology module, it was particularly interesting defining the aggravating factors for why some people would commit crime whereas other people wouldn't and learning about genetics and historical evolution.鈥
Ellie Mae Slack, BA Criminology
鈥淲hat I love about this course is that we鈥檙e taught by experts in the field and are lucky enough to have had multiple guest speakers at our lectures. These helped us gain a deeper understanding of the different agencies within the Criminal Justice system (think probation service, police, etc.), as well as allowing us to view the people working within these agencies as actors, rather than just an abstract idea on paper.鈥
Angelica Islam, BA Criminology
Facilities
- While studying with us, you鈥檒l have access to first-class facilities to interact with other criminology students, work on course modules, and put your learning into practice.
- You can volunteer at our award-winning - a great opportunity to work on real legal cases with solicitors and barristers, reviewing case files and refining your practical application of law.
- Volunteering in our Miscarriages of Justice Review Centre will give you experience of supporting clients' claims of innocence.
Disability support
Disabled students make up over 19% of University of 黑料网吃瓜爆料 students, and we are proud to offer an accessible and inclusive service via our . This support and advice is also available to , .
Careers
Career opportunities
黑料网吃瓜爆料 is the most targeted university by the UK鈥檚 top graduate employers (High Fliers Graduate Market Report, 2026).
Our graduates are highly sought after and go on to pursue careers in the following:
- Criminal justice system-related professions
- Police and offender management (for example, the Probation Service)
- Community justice
- Youth justice
- Victimisation
- National intelligence and security agencies
- Charity and voluntary sector organisations
- Social research
- Government
- Teaching
Throughout your degree, we will highlight the skills and knowledge you will gain on each course unit to help you identify the type of career you might be most suited to.
. Learn more about our dedicated and award-winning and the support available to both students and graduates.
Entry requirements
A-level
- AAB or ABB and EPQ with a minimum grade C
- We do not accept two A/S Levels grades in place of one A Level.
- Applicants must be studying at least one of the following A Level subjects: Law; Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.
- We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept thecombination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.
- We accept the Level 3 Diploma in Financial Studies (DipFS) as equivalent to an A-level if taken alongside two full A-levels from the list of acceptable subjects above
Duration of A-level study
If you have studied an advanced curriculum, where the examinations are spread over three years or more, please contact the academic School/Department for clarification on acceptability prior to applying. For some courses, offer will normally be based on three A Levels taken in the same sitting (normally within a two-year period).
A-level contextual offer
- BBB
- We do not accept two A/S Levels grades in place of one A Level.
- Applicants must be studying at least one of the following A Level subjects: Law; Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.
- We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept thecombination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.
- We accept the Level 3 Diploma in Financial Studies (DipFS) as equivalent to an A-level if taken alongside two full A-levels from the list of acceptable subjects above
Contextual offers are available for applicants who:
- live in the UK and will be under the age of 21 on 1 September of the year they will start their course; and
- live in an area of disadvantage or with low progression into higher education; and
- have attended a UK school or college for their GCSEs or A-levels (or equivalent qualifications) that has performed below the national average over multiple years.
See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.
UK refugee/care-experienced offer
- BBC
- We do not accept two A/S Levels grades in place of one A Level.
- Applicants must be studying at least one of the following A Level subjects: Law; Accounting; Economics; Finance; Business Studies; Development Studies; Government and Politics; Economic and Social History; Mathematics; Anthropology; Sociology; Philosophy; Religious Studies; English Language; English Literature; Geography; Psychology; Classical Civilisation; History; Archaeology; Communication Studies; Environmental Studies; World Development; Biology; Chemistry; Physics; Modern Languages.
- We accept native language A Levels providing they are taken in the same sitting as your other subjects. We will not accept thecombination of Mathematics, Further Mathematics and a native language.
- We accept the Level 3 Diploma in Financial Studies (DipFS) as equivalent to an A-level if taken alongside two full A-levels from the list of acceptable subjects above
UK refugee/care-experienced offers are available for applicants who:
- have been for more than three months; or
- have been granted refugee status by the UK government or have been issued a UK visa under one of the Ukrainian schemes (Homes for Ukraine, Ukraine Family Scheme or Ukraine Extension Scheme).
See our contextual admissions page for full details and to check your eligibility.
International Baccalaureate
35 points overall. 6,6,5 in Higher Level subjects .
Applicants studying the International Baccalaureate Career Related Programme (IBCP) should contact the admissions team prior to applying so that their academic profile can be considered.
GCSE/IGCSE
Applicants must demonstrate a broad general education including acceptable levels of Literacy and Numeracy, equivalent to at least Grade 4 or C in GCSE/IGCSE English Language and Mathematics.鈥疓CSE/IGCSE English Literature will not be accepted in lieu of GCSE/IGCSE English Language.
Please note that if you hold English as a second language IGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of鈥 our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications 鈥痮r achieve a higher grade in your IGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the admissions team in your academic School/Department for clarification.
Other entry requirements
Other entry requirements exist for this course. You may view these by selecting from the list below.
English language requirements
All applicants to the University (from the UK and Overseas) are required to show evidence of English Language proficiency鈥疶he minimum English Language requirement for this course is either:
- GCSE/iGCSE English Language grade C.
- IELTS 6.5 overall with no lower than 6 in any component.
- TOEFL (IBT) 90 overall with a minimum of 20 in each subset.
- iGCSE English (Second Language) grade B
- An acceptable equivalent qualification.
Please note we accept in-person IELTS tests taken in official IELTS test centres only. You should review our English Language requirements page for a list of acceptable IELTS tests.
If you hold English as a second language iGCSE qualification, we may also require you to offer one of鈥 our acceptable equivalent English Language qualifications 鈥痮r achieve a higher grade in your iGCSE than the one stated above. Please contact the academic School/Department for clarification.
The requires that every student requiring a visa to study in the UK must show evidence of a (common European Framework (CEFR B2 level) to be granted a Student Route visa to study at undergraduate or postgraduate level.
In addition, our academic Schools/Departments may require applicants to demonstrate English proficiency above the B2 level. Further information about our English Language policy, including a list of some of the English Language qualifications we accept, can be found鈥 .
English language test validity
Fees and funding
Fees
Fees for entry in 2027 have not yet been set. For entry in 2026 the tuition fees were 拢9,790 per annum for home students, and are expected to increase slightly for 2027 entry.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
We know that student finance can be complicated. The links below provide further information to help guide you.
Learn more about student finance options for UK students.
Learn more about fees and finance for international students .
As an international student you may be eligible for our Global Futures Scholarships . This is open to students starting their studies in September 2026.
Application and selection
How to apply
Apply through .
Home-schooled applicants
Non-standard educational routes
Mature students are some of our most well-equipped learners, bringing skills and attributes gained from work, family and other life experiences. 聽Students come from a whole array of backgrounds, study every kind of course, undertake full-time and part-time learning and are motivated by career intentions as well as personal interest. 聽There is no such thing as a typical mature student at 黑料网吃瓜爆料.
The application process is the same as for other prospective undergraduates.聽 If you require further clarification about the acceptability of the qualifications you hold please contact the academic School(s) you plan to apply to. 聽Further information for mature students can be found here ( http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/mature-students/ )
Regulated by the Office for Students
黑料网吃瓜爆料 is regulated by the Office for Students (OfS). The OfS aims to help students succeed in Higher Education by ensuring they receive excellent information and guidance, get high quality education that prepares them for the future and by protecting their interests. More information can be found at the .
You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at 黑料网吃瓜爆料, including our Degree Regulations and Complaints Procedure, on our .