Undergraduate and Postgraduate Studies in Criminology and Social Work

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BA (Hons) Criminology Degree Scheme

The Department runs an undergraduate degree in criminology, an exciting discipline which seeks to understand the meanings, causes and consequences of crime. Criminology is also concerned with different responses to crime, such as prevention and punishment. Students of criminology have the opportunity to study many engaging issues relevant to contemporary everyday life, such as racist violence, the relationship between youth crime and media representations of young people, the role of new technologies in combating serious organised crime, and problems relating to overcrowding in prisons. A degree in criminology from Lancaster is highly valued by employers.

Crime is a subject about which most people like to express an opinion, the focus of extensive coverage in the mass media and popular culture, and a key target of government policy for several decades. Criminology is the discipline which seeks to understand the causes of crime and the character of responses to crime - including kinds of punishment and representations of crime in the mass media. The criminology of today draws on a range of different perspectives, for example social theory, history, psychology, and statistical analysis and this diverse base is reflected in the courses offered in the Lancaster degree programme.

A Critical Perspective

At Lancaster University we are committed to the fostering of a critical perspective within criminology. We aim to provide students with the knowledge to enable them to assess both official and common-sense notions of what does and what should constitute criminal justice, and what causes criminal behaviour. This critical perspective also means that we analyse dimensions of power, the impact of social and cultural change, and differences of gender, socioeconomic background, and ethnicity.

Criminological Expertise at Lancaster

All teaching staff on the Criminology degree are also active researchers. Their work is nationally and internationally known. It is important for students to be taught by research active staff because it means that
they can be sure what they are taught is informed by debates and empirical and theoretical investigation at the cutting-edge of criminological knowledge.

Our staff have strengths in both theoretical criminology and in conducting empirical research projects. The department is the site of innovative research across a wide range of areas and staff members publish their work regularly. You can find out more about our staff, their publications and research interests by following the research or people links on this website.

Where do our students go?

Our students go on to a wide-variety of roles in the public and private sector. Below are 'real-world' examples:

Criminal Justice Agencies: Cambridgeshire, Grreater Manchester, Lancashire, Metropolitan, Nottinghamshire and Suffolk Constabularies; HM Revenue and Customs; Probation Service

Central and Local Government: Home Office; Lancashire County Council; Manchester County Council

Social Welfare Organisations: Bury Social Services; Rainer (support services for young offenders); Kisimul School (school for people with special educational needs); Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Trust; Lifeline (drug charity) Age Concern

Other graduate employers: Esso Petroleum; Marks and Spencer; Railtrack ; Tesco Stores PLC; Wm Morrison; HBOS (corporate finance); Royal and Sun Alliance; MDEM (event management)

In addition, on finishing their undergraduate degrees some students opt for post-graduate studies, undertaking our Masters in Criminological Research for example. Others study for a PGCE to become teachers, or undertake our MA in Social Work, to become Social Workers.

A degree in Criminology here at Lancaster will give you plenty of options for your future career. You will receive support throughout your degree to build your CV. You can also undertake the Lancaster Award, which will give you an opportunity to have your employability enhancing activities formally accredited by Lancaster University, a scheme welcomed by employers.

The Public Face of Criminology

Read about how Criminologists shape on public debates and policy on crime here.

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