Criminology

During your Foundation Year, you will undertake modules to enable you to enhance your academic skills and equip you with the tools you’ll need to study with confidence. You’ll carry out a personal project so you can study an area of interest related to your chosen future subject specialisation.

You’ll be introduced to the main perspectives, investigation methods, key studies and controversies in key areas of psychology. You’ll study sociology and criminology, focusing on social inequalities and patterns of crime.

Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto the first year of our Criminology BA (Hons) degree.

We’ll look at ethical issues arising from historical and cultural differences in the definition and management of crime, as well as how to understand people at the margins of both society and criminal justice, such as women and young people.

Experience is crucial, so you’ll put theory into practice on your professional work placements. You’ll benefit from our links with local criminal justice agencies and other networks, which will give you the chance to gain degree-relevant work experience.

By the time you graduate, you’ll have a thorough knowledge of how the Criminal Justice System works, including how society is policed and individuals are punished.

Using the key theories and practices of criminology, you’ll also develop critical thinking skills that will enable you to ask key questions about crime, deviance and social control.

Why study with us?

• Build your self-confidence, academic skills and core subject knowledge in preparation for progression onto degree-level study.
• Learn from the experts. Our courses are developed and taught by active researchers within the field of criminology.
• Take charge of your learning through group discussions and collaboration.
• We work closely with criminal justice practitioners, ensuring your course content blends theory and applied criminology.
• You’ll be assessed through various methods, such as coursework, debates, presentations, posters and more, but not via exams.

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Modules by Year

Foundation Year

Core modules (students are required to take):

• Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence
  We'll help you develop core academic skills such as using electronic resources, planning and note-taking, communication skills related to essay and report writing and delivering presentations. You'll learn how to manage your time, how to prioritise and how to manage stress, and you’ll become more confident in engaging with collaborative learning, debates, discussions and critical reflection.
• Project
  You’ll study an area of interest related to your chosen degree. You’ll work individually on your project, whether that's a written report, a presentation and oral examination, a film or a series of blog posts. You’ll undertake problem-solving learning, and formative feedback and support will be provided throughout, helping develop your self-confidence.
• Foundations in Sociology and Criminology
  ​This module focuses on social inequalities and patterns of crime, exploring concepts including socialisation, norms and values, social control, crime, victimisation and retribution. You will examine crime statistics, social trends and theories and review policies on social problems and criminality. We'll encourage you to apply sociological concepts to familiar social issues, and you'll work in groups to understand trends and academic theories, as well as taking part in debates, discussions and critical reflection.

Students are also required to choose one option module from:

• Issues in Criminology and Policing
  In this module, you’ll focus on critical and contemporary issues in criminology and policing. You’ll look at how criminology can be explained and related to society and explore current trends and issues in modern day policing. You’ll examine concepts including crime, deviance, victimisation and retribution, as well as non-crime related social trends and will learn how to apply criminological theories to criminology and policing problems. Throughout this module you will develop your understanding and problem-solving skills and use a range of online resources to enhance and support your learning.
• Foundations in Psychology
  With this module you’ll be introduced to the main perspectives, investigation methods, key studies and controversies in key areas of psychology. You will explore the history of psychology and its themes such as cognitive behaviour, sociology, biology and developmental theories. You will learn via a blend of lectures, discussions and group workshops and develop familiarity with key concepts through individual research.

Year 1

Core modules (students are required to take): 

• Introduction to Criminology
• Violence in Society
• Policing and Protecting the State
• Social Sciences Skills

Year 2

Core modules (students are required to take): 

• Crime, Media, Culture
• Transnational and Corporate Crime
• Victimology
• Research Methods and Professional Placement

Year 3

Core modules (students are required to take): 

• Dissertation
• Professional Learning Through Work

Students are also required to choose two option modules from: 

• Justice, Punishment and Human Rights
• Crimes of the 21st Century
• Policing Priorities
• Gender and Society
• Surveillance Societies

Professional work placements

Experience matters. That's why we include professional work placements with every undergraduate degree.

How does it work?

Our myFuture team will work with you to find your perfect placement or help you arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK, or even abroad. The team will also arrange a series of workshops and events to boost your confidence and give you a taste of what your placement will be like.

During your placement you'll learn new skills, gain experience in a role that's directly related to your degree, and secure valuable employer references for your CV.

Our students have completed placements in a wide range of roles and organisations, including forensic hospitals, HM Prison Service, the Police National Computer, Leeds City Council anti-social behaviour projects, crime prevention projects, charities that support ex-prisoners, the homeless and drug and alcohol abusers, and educational providers for children with behavioural problems.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Professional Work Placements

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

• high quality teaching
• an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
• a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

• Student Involvement and Engagement
• Inclusion
• Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
• Digital Literacy and Skills
• Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

• Personalised support
• Expert lecturers
• Strong connections with employers
• An international outlook
• Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Programme delivery

Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.

Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:

1. Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
2.  Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
3. Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.

Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.

Assessment

A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.

For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, including the recently introduced T Levels, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.

Applications are welcome from mature students with few or no formal qualifications.

Any previous relevant work experience and learning will be assessed and, where appropriate, accredited as part of the application process.

This course is not available to students on a Student Route Visa.

UK Home Students:

Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2022/2023.

Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2023/2024*.

* This fee is subject to approval and may change depending on government policy.

Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.

Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.

Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.

Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.

Additional costs

We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees:

• Recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
• On some courses there may be additional costs, such as field trips, equipment, accreditations, that may be part-funded by the University. More details will be provided at the start of the course.
• You'll need to include placement/s travel and associated costs too, however the University will contribute a standard amount towards your total expenditure.
• The University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.

For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.

On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.

New applicants can submit an application for available courses starting in September 2022 until 30 June 2022. After this date, all applications will go through Clearing. If you’ve already applied to go to university through UCAS but don’t hold an offer, you can apply through UCAS Extra until 4 July 2022.

You can now register and start your application for 2023, although you cannot submit it until 6 September 2023. The UCAS application deadline for courses starting in September 2023 is 25 January 2023.

You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.

There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:

• call 0113 283 7123 (Monday to Thursday, 9.00am to 5.00pm, or Friday 9.00am to 4.00pm)
• email admissions@leedstrinity.ac.uk 

Apply now

Graduate opportunities

Providing you with the skills and industry experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.

A Criminology degree opens doors to a wide range of careers across the Criminal Justice System, including police, prison and probation services. Your degree will also prepare you to work directly with offenders, as a probation officer or prison services officer, or in a more analytical role, such as a data analyst for HM Prison and Probation Service or local government.

After you graduate, our myFuture Team will support you in reaching your career goals through our Alumni Mentoring Scheme, one-to-one CV and interview preparation appointments and access to our on-campus graduate events.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Careers and Employability