Criminal Justice BSc (Hons)

Why choose this course?

This course will enable you study a wide range of criminal justice topics, considering the causes of crime, its consequences for individuals and society, and responses to crime.

You will explore how the criminal justice system works, including policing, imprisonment and rehabilitation strategies.

Notions of justice in a global context will be considered, alongside an examination of justice and miscarriages of justice through case studies. You will hear from practitioners who work in the criminal justice system and have opportunities to conduct field work in areas of criminal justice in order to root your classroom learning in real world situations.

Please note: this course is still subject to validation. Some course information may not be available at this time.

Attendance	UCAS code/apply	Year of entry
3 years full time		2024
4 years full time including foundation year		2024
4 years full time including professional placement		2024
4 years full time with study exchange		2024
6 years part time	Apply direct to the University	2024

Location

Penrhyn Road

Reasons to choose Kingston University

Through a work placement or volunteering internship option you will be able to apply and practice your skills and gain valuable experience for your future career.
You will learn about the criminal justice system, debate the application of justice, and consider miscarriages of justice in a case study approach.
You will learn from fieldwork and practitioners to root your studies in real world contexts.

Kingston's Department of Criminology, Politics and Sociology

What you will study

Example modules:

Crime, Law and Justice
Youth Justice
Drugs and Criminal Justice
Evidence, Judgement and Justice

Foundation year – Social Sciences

If you would like to study this degree at Kingston University but are not yet ready to join the first year of a BSc (Hons) course, you may want to consider studying this course with a foundation year.

Find out more about the foundation year

Future Skills

Knowledge to give you the edge

Embedded within every course curriculum and throughout the whole Kingston experience, Future Skills will play a role in shaping you to become a future-proof graduate, providing you with the skills most valued by employers such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability.

As you progress through your degree, you'll learn to navigate, explore and apply these graduate skills, learning to demonstrate and articulate to employers how future skills give you the edge.

At Kingston University, we're not just keeping up with change, we're creating it.

Learn employability enhancing Future Skills

A female engineering student, in the engineering lab.

Social Sciences Café

Social Sciences Café (SSC) is a series of events within the Department of Criminology, Politics and Sociology (CPS) which aims to help prepare students for life after graduation. Students can take part in seminars on employability skills and postgraduate studies; speaker and panel events on topical issues that engage the broader Kingston University (KU) community; and social events linked to key moments in the academic calendar.

SSC is often visited by KU graduates working in the public, private and third sector in the UK and around the world, who are keen to share their career journeys and advice for students at an early stage of their career planning, as well as professionals for ‘meet the employer' advice and networking sessions.

After you graduate

Graduates will be well placed for careers in the criminal justice system, charities, and the private sector.

There are many employers located in London. For example, the Police (six police services), the Prison Service (14 prisons) and Probation Service, 32 local authorities (community safety, trading standards, youth justice work), the Crown Prosecution Service, College of Policing, Security Service, the Police Foundation, Liberty, Amnesty International, the National Health Service (fraud), Amnesty International, private sector (e.g. G4S and Securitas) and Charities (e.g. Appeal, Victim Support, NACRO).

These organisations offer a range of roles, using practical skills (interviews, managing cases), analysis work (exploring data and crime trends), research (writing proposals and collecting research data), and management (managing security contracts, managing offenders).

You may also have the opportunity to apply for a postgraduate course required to become a probation officer, a conversion course/SQE to pursue a law career or a postgraduate qualification to pursue a research career in the Home Office and Ministry of Justice, among other research opportunities.

Entry requirements

Typical offer 2024

128-144 UCAS tariff points for BSc (Hons); 64 tariff points for BSc (Hons) with foundation year.
BTEC Lvl3 National: Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM)
Candidates are normally required to hold five GCSE subjects at grade C/4 or above, including Mathematics and English Language.

International

We welcome applications from International Applicants. Please click here to view our standard entry requirements from your country
All non-UK applicants must meet our English Language requirements. For this course it is Academic IELTS of 6.5 overall, with no element below 5.5

Country-specific information

You will find more information on country specific entry requirements in the International section of our website.

Find your country:

Typical offer and UCAS points explained

Like most universities, we use the UCAS Tariff point system for our course entry requirements.

Find out more about UCAS Tariff points and see how A-level, AS level, BTEC Diploma and T-level qualifications translate to the points system.

Teaching and assessment

Timetabled learning and teaching on this course includes lectures, small group tutorials and seminars.

Academic support

Our academic support team here at Kingston University provides help in a range of areas.

Dedicated personal tutor

When you arrive, we'll introduce you to your personal tutor. This is the member of academic staff who will provide academic guidance, support you throughout your time at Kingston and show you how to make the best use of all the help and resources that we offer at Kingston University.

Feedback summary

We aim to provide feedback to you on your assessments within 20 working days.

Your timetable

Your individualised timetable is normally available to students within 48 hours of enrolment. Whilst we make every effort to ensure timetables are as student friendly as possible, scheduled learning and teaching can take place on any day of the week between 9am and 6pm. For undergraduate students, Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities, but there may be occasions when this is not possible. Timetables for part-time students will depend on the modules selected.

Who teaches this course?

You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on this course. The team includes senior academics and professional practitioners with industry experience. Postgraduate research students may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader.

Professor Sylvia Collins-Mayo

Dr Kevin Barker

Dr Josh Bullock

Dr Elisabeth Carter

Dr Joanna Jamel

Dr Francis Dodsworth

Dr Tolulope Eboka

Dr Laura Garius

Course fees and funding

2024/25 fees for this course

The tuition fee you pay depends on whether you are assessed as a 'Home' (UK), 'Islands' or 'International' student. In 2024/25 the fees for this course are:

Fee category	Amount
Home (UK students)	£9,250* Foundation Year: £9,250
International	Year 1 (2024/25): £16,200 Year 2 (2025/26): £16,800 Year 3 (2026/27): £17,500 Year 4 (2027/28): £18,200

For courses with a sandwich year, the fee for the placement year can be viewed on the undergraduate fees table. The placement fee published is for the relevant academic year stated in the table. This fee is subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body.

* For full time programmes of a duration of more than one academic year, the published fee is an annual fee, payable each year, for the duration of the programme. Your annual tuition fees cover your first attempt at all of the modules necessary to complete that academic year. A re-study of any modules will incur additional charges calculated by the number of credits. Home tuition fees may be subject to annual increases but will not increase by more than the fee caps as prescribed by the Office for Students or such other replacing body. Full time taught international fees are subject to an annual increase and are published in advance for the full duration of the programme.

Eligible UK students can apply to the Government for a tuition loan, which is paid direct to the University. This has a low interest-rate which is charged from the time the first part of the loan is paid to the University until you have repaid it.

Need to know more?

Our undergraduate fees and funding section provides information and advice on money matters.

Additional costs

Depending on the programme of study, there may be extra costs that are not covered by tuition fees which students will need to consider when planning their studies. Tuition fees cover the cost of your teaching, assessment and operating University facilities such as the library, access to shared IT equipment and other support services. Accommodation and living costs are not included in our fees.

Textbooks

Our libraries are a valuable resource with an extensive collection of books, e-books and journals as well as first-class facilities and IT equipment. You may prefer to buy your own copy of key textbooks – this can cost between £50 and £250 per year.

Computer equipment

There are open-access networked computers available across the University, plus laptops available to loan. You may find it useful to have your own PC, laptop or tablet which you can use around campus and in halls of residences. Free WiFi is available on each of the campuses. You may wish to purchase your own computer, which can cost from £100 to £3,000 depending on your course requirements.

Photocopying and printing

In the majority of cases written coursework can be submitted online. There may be instances when you will be required to submit work in a printed format. Printing, binding and photocopying costs are not included in your tuition fees, this may cost up to £100 per year.

Field trips

There may be optional trips to London-based criminal justice system institutions or events which would incur a travel cost of approximately £25 per year.

Course changes and regulations

The information on this page reflects the currently intended course structure and module details. To improve your student experience and the quality of your degree, we may review and change the material information of this course. Course changes explained.

Programme Specifications for the course are published ahead of each academic year.

Regulations governing this course can be found on our website.