Criminology Durham University

Overview

Description

In broad terms, Criminology is concerned with understanding crime, deviance and criminal justice.  Criminologists ask, for example, why it is that some people are more likely to be victims or perpetrators of crime than others; how crime can be effectively controlled and prevented; and even how we come to define particular activities as “criminal” or not in the first place.

Overall, the course progressively develops your critical understanding of Criminology through the examination of key concepts and theories as well as substantive issues related to crime and criminal justice.  Alongside this, the course teaches critical analytical and methodological skills to equip students with the practical expertise required to engage with and carry out Criminological research.  As such, by the end of the course, graduates will be able to draw upon conceptual and empirical material to critically analyse complex Criminological issues in a scholarly fashion.

The Criminology BA course offered by Durham University is based on a modular structure, with students required to take the equivalent of six modules (some of which may be ‘double modules’) within each year of study.  Over the course of the degree, modules become increasingly focused on specialist topics and issues, with the chance to undertake a Sociological research project on a specific topic of substantive interest in the final year of study.