Criminology

Entry requirements

A 2:1 or equivalent in a social science subject.

Applications from students with a 2:2 or equivalent or a non-social sciences degree will be considered dependent on any relevant professional or voluntary experience, previous modules studied and/or personal statement.

Months of entry

October

Course content

How do we understand crime? How can it be prevented? Why should crime be punished, and how should we go about it? Criminologists engage with some of the most pressing issues, decisions and dilemmas facing societies today. On our course you explore the nature of crime, criminal justice and punishment within wider social contexts.

Criminology at Essex builds on strong sociological foundations and reflects the diversity of staff interests, including leading contributors to studies of women, young people and criminal justice, prostitution, homicide, victimisation, visual criminology and media, organised crime and law enforcement, terrorism and surveillance, environmental crime and more. Our courses provide critical, conceptual and theoretical analyses of crimes and harms, from the local to the global.

The course provides you with a strong grounding in the key theories, understandings and issues covered by cutting-edge criminology. You explore a wide range of topics, including:

• The analysis, politics and prevention of crime
• Globalisation and various forms of crime
• Security and the state
• New criminological theory
• Terrorism, counter-terrorism, surveillance and human rights.

You also develop the skills needed to make your own contribution to the field, gaining a critical and coherent perspective on empirical research and examining the key assumptions and ideological underpinnings of qualitative and quantitative research.

Our Department of Sociology was rated top 10 in the UK for research quality (REF 2014) and 7th in the UK in the QS World University Rankings by Subject (2020).

Information for international students

Entry requirements

You can find international entry requirements for most countries on our webpage www.essex.ac.uk/international. If your country is not listed, please contact Postgraduate Admissions at pgadmit@essex.ac.uk.

Pre-sessional English Language courses

If you need to improve your English language skills before joining your main degree course, we offer pre-sessional English courses on our campuses in partnership with Kaplan International Pathways. To learn more, please visit www.essex.ac.uk/international/pre-sessional

Funding

You can explore scholarship opportunities for your country at www.essex.ac.uk/international or view our university-wide scholarships at www.essex.ac.uk/scholarships.

Fees and funding