BA Criminology
About this course
BA (Hons) Criminology, a sociology degree centred on understanding crime and deviance from a social perspective. Core topics include Statistics, Research Methods and Social & Cultural Analysis. Research projects run through the second and final years, and the third year is built around a compulsory dissertation. Students may also take an optional placement with a local community organisation. The first year lays the groundwork through Introduction to Criminological Theory, Social Research Methods, The Criminal Justice Landscape and Power, Rights and Justice in Globalising Contexts, plus Critical Scholarship in the Social Sciences, which covers the academic skills needed across the degree. First-year optional modules have included Classical Sociological Theory, Culture and Identity in a Globalising World and a language module from the Centre for Foreign Language Study. The second year centres on Contemporary Criminological Theory and the 40-credit Research Methods in Action, where students design and run a group research project on a topic of their choosing. Second-year options have included Crime, Power and Social Inequalities, Policing and Police Community Placement, Violence and Abuse in Society and Sociology of Health and Medicine. The final year pairs a compulsory Dissertation, an independent criminological research project, with options spanning cybercrime, drugs, race and youth justice through modules including Cyberculture and Cybercrime, Drugs and Society, Race, Racism and Social Justice in Britain and Youth in Crisis: Young People, Crime and Justice.
Written by AI from the university's course page and module list. It can get details wrong, so check the official course page before you rely on it.
Entry requirements
A level: AAB IB: 35 with 665 in higher level subjects.
Admissions (2022 entry, home applicants)
Offer rate 74%: 225 offers from 305 applications, from the university's Freedom of Information return.
What students say
Based on about 24 final-year students who answered (a small group: a rough guide only)
- Teaching on my course: 88%
- Learning opportunities: 78%
- Assessment and feedback: 75%
- Academic support: 88%
- Organisation and management: 82%
- Learning resources: 92%
- Student voice: 77%
Do students stay on the course?
Based on about 70 students who started
- Continued on course: 90%
- Left higher education: 7%
- Moved to a lower qualification: 3%
What graduates do next
Based on about 60 graduates who answered, across similar courses at this university
- Working: 58%
- Working and studying: 22%
- Further study: 12%
- Unemployed: 2%
Most common jobs
- Business and public service associate professionals: 17%
- Elementary occupations: 12%
- Business, Research and Administrative Professionals: 9%
- Administrative occupations: 8%
- Protective service occupations: 8%
- Find their work meaningful: 77%
- Feel on track for their future plans: 66%
- Use what they learnt on the course: 50%
Where graduates work (5 years on)
Based on about 100 graduates, across similar courses at this university
- North East: 19%
- North West: 8%
- Yorkshire and the Humber: 11%
- East Midlands: 4%
- West Midlands: 4%
- East of England: 9%
- London: 25%
- South East: 10%
- South West: 3%
- Wales: 3%
- Scotland: 2%
Who gets in
Based on about 75 students who started
- A levels: 99%
- Other qualifications: 1%
Accreditation & quality ratings
TEF 2023 (whole university): Silver overall, Silver for student experience, Gold for student outcomes.
Modules
- Introduction to Criminological Theory - 20 credits
- Social Research Methods - 20 credits
- The Criminal Justice Landscape - 20 credits
- Power, Rights and Justice in Globalising Contexts - 20 credits
- Critical Scholarship in the Social Sciences - 20 credits
- Example optional modules
- Contemporary Criminological Theory - 20 credits
- Research Methods in Action - 40 credits
- Example optional modules
- Dissertation - 40 credits
- Example optional modules
Questions about this course
How much do graduates of BA Criminology at Durham University earn?
The median salary is £30,000 after 15 months, £26,500 after 3 years, £30,500 after 5 years. After five years the middle half of graduates earn between £26,500 and £39,000. The £30,500 median after five years is £4,000 more than the UK median for Sociology.
What do graduates of BA Criminology at Durham University do next?
92% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing (Graduate Outcomes 2023-24).
Are students happy with the teaching on BA Criminology at Durham University?
88% of final-year students were positive about the teaching in the National Student Survey 2025-26.
What grades do I need for BA Criminology at Durham University?
The typical offer is AAB at A level. The average entrant had 150 UCAS points.
What is the offer rate for BA Criminology at Durham University?
74% of home applicants received an offer for 2022 entry: 225 offers from 305 applications, according to the university's Freedom of Information return.
Does BA Criminology at Durham University include a placement year or year abroad?
The course has an optional placement year and an optional year abroad.
How many students continue on BA Criminology at Durham University?
90% of students continued into their second year, and 7% left higher education.