Criminology is concerned with what behaviour is defined as crime and who has the power to define what constitutes crime. Criminology is commonly misconceived and confused with other subject areas like forensic science. Although criminology does of course explore crime, the focus is on the causes of crime and deviant behaviour, how this affects society and how the criminal justice system responds to this, rather than on crime scene analysis, forensics and criminal investigation.

Criminology is a research-led degree and develops students into analytical and critical thinkers. It explores crime as a social construct, asking important questions such as: What are the individual and societal causes of crime and deviant behaviour? Who in society is more likely to commit a crime? Does offender rehabilitation work? Who is likely to become a victim of crime? Why are some dangerous behaviours criminal and other aren't? And how does media attention and reporting impact crime and deviance? Criminologists are also interested in how to prevent crime, the purpose and effectiveness of punishment and how the criminal justice system can better respond to crime when it does take place.

Our Criminology with Security programme is one of the first of its kind, combining security, intelligence and terrorism studies with criminological theory. This course responds to recent global events which highlight the importance of security in preventing, controlling and responding to all forms of crime, whether originating in local, national or transnational contexts. You will explore the role of security services, such as MI5 and MI6, the challenges and threats societies face today and the approaches that different states and other institutions have taken to achieve, enhance and maintain security.

Some common career paths of our graduates include:

• Legal professions
• Postgraduate courses, research and teaching
• Government advisory departments
• Investigating justice and victim support
• Policing
• Prison service
• Probation service