Why study this course?
The Criminology and International Security BSc (Hons) degree will allow you to gain a wider understanding of criminology in an international context. Working with academics who are specialists in their field, you’ll examine the origins and responses to criminal behaviour.
This course differs from other criminology programmes in the School of Social Sciences and Professions as it focuses on criminology on an international scale. Our international links will provide you with opportunities to spend your second year semester abroad in Europe, USA or Japan.
More about this course
This undergraduate degree is taught by specialists in international relations, criminology and international security studies, many of whom are internationally recognised for the quality of their work. Their teaching will be enriched by lectures from visiting practitioners, who will talk about their experience of working in the international security field and provide valuable career insight.
On our course you’ll critically assess current policies and practices related to national, as well as international crime control. You’ll also investigate how they affect international relations and politics. Optional modules will allow you to develop specialisms in fields that interest you, including international law and order, conflict resolution and contemporary issues in criminology.
Your employment prospects are central to every module, therefore in your second and final years, you’ll have the opportunity to complete a work placement module. In the past our students have completed placements within a wide range of institutions, such as aid agencies, think-tanks and embassies.
The University’s London location will afford you the opportunity to access a range of social and political institutions that will inform your study, such as the Royal Courts of Justice and the British Library. We’ll also organise a number of trips to non-governmental organisations, embassies and relevant government bodies, where you’ll learn how international security and diplomacy work in practice.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 1 modules include:
Introduction to Criminological Theory (core, 30 credits)
Introduction to International Relations (core, 30 credits)
Introduction to criminological and sociological theory (core, 30 credits)
Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (core, 30 credits)
Peace, Conflict and Diplomacy since 1945 (core, 30 credits)
Year 2 modules include:
Approaches to International Relations and Foreign Policy (core, 30 credits)
Crime in Context (core, 30 credits)
Peace and Conflict in Theory and Practice (core, 30 credits)
American Foreign Policy (option, 15 credits)
Crime, Media and Technology (option, 15 credits)
Diplomacy Old and New (option, 30 credits)
Measuring and Interpreting Crime (option, 30 credits)
Perspectives on Policing (option, 30 credits)
Politics of the Middle East (option, 15 credits)
The Politics of the European Union (option, 15 credits)
Year 3 modules include:
International Security in an Era of Globalisation (core, 30 credits)
Criminology Project (alternative core, 30 credits)
Project 1 Semester (alternative core, 15 credits)
Project 1 Year (alternative core, 30 credits)
Conflict Resolution and Peacebuilding (option, 30 credits)
Criminology Work Experience (option, 15 credits)
Human Rights and Conflict (option, 15 credits)
Public Diplomacy and Global Communication (option, 30 credits)
Social Control, Drugs and Organised Crime (option, 30 credits)
Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism (option, 15 credits)
The Politics of Modern States (option, 30 credits)
Victims and Crime (option, 15 credits)
Where this course can take you
Our graduates have been employed in the diplomatic services, governmental organisations, non- governmental organisations specialising in international development, overseas aid, human rights and environmental fields. Graduates have also gained employment in research and teaching, international business and the media.
