Student giving a presentation in front of a West Yorkshire Police background.

Year of study

2025

Key details

Start date(s)
September 2025
Location
Leeds City Campus
School
Criminology, Investigation and Policing
UCAS tariff points
104-136
Study Mode
Full-time (3 years)
Study abroad
Yes

Do you want to delve into the causes of crime? Are you fascinated by the inner-workings of the Criminal Justice System?

Choose Criminology with Police Studies to immerse yourself in the field of criminology, while learning about the key issues relating to the policing profession.

You’ll explore a range of subjects relating to both disciplines, from police investigation, policing sexual exploitation and community policing, to debates about rehabilitation and punishment.

The Student Contract

About this course

The modules you study will help you to understand the theories that have informed the disciplines of criminology and police studies. You’ll also develop your research skills by working on research projects.

Your employability is our biggest priority, so we offer a range of modules that will prepare you for a variety of careers. You’ll also put theory into practice during your professional work placements. We have great links with employers in the fields of criminology and police studies, which will give you the chance to gain degree-relevant work experience.

By the time you finish your studies, we aim to have helped you to become a confident, articulate, knowledgeable and critical graduate with a set of transferable skills that will make you ready for a range of graduate roles.

Why study with us?

  • Stand out from other Criminology graduates by specialising in Police Studies. We’ve designed this programme with senior police officers to meet the demand for a graduate police force.
  • Prepare for a future career with the police by reflecting on the key issues affecting policing and allied occupations.
  • Graduate with professional work experience and a network of contacts, thanks to the placements included with your degree.
Student on work placement at West Yorkshire Police.

Course modules

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Year 1

During your first year, you'll study four core modules.

Introduction to Criminology - Core

Explore and examine the origins of criminology, some of its historical debates, concepts, literature and research.

You'll look at the core perspectives and theories related to crime and criminality.

Find out about the history and development of criminology as an academic discipline.

Violence in Society - Core

Explore criminological understandings and situations of violence in society.

We'll cover the types, characteristics, and forms of violence and violent acts within society.

You'll distinguish between individual acts to organised actions of groups and states, all whilst unpacking the ambiguous content and perception of violence.

You'll give due consideration to the frequently neglected victims of violence.

The module framework includes criminology, sociology, psychology, law, cultural studies, political science and sociobiology.

Policing and Protecting the State - Core

Learn about policing UK society, starting with the history of police development, roles and structures, and addressing modern day criminal activity.

You'll explore how police maintain trust and confidence in communities, and the impact on modern criminal behaviours.

We'll cover policing strategies, internal police cultures - looking at areas including gender and race - and how attitudes have changed over time.

You'll also examine criminological theories to understand how and why crime is committed and its relationship to police interventions.

Social Science Skills - Core

Learn the basics of social research, academic writing, presenting and professional development.

Combine your learning from personal experience with an ability to engage in an empathic, ethical and compassionate way.

Reflect on and develop your employability profile, find and apply for placements, and complete a Professional Challenge Project or work placement at the end of semester two.

In the second semester, you'll begin to understand the importance of social research by examining how sociological data may be collected, analysed, displayed and explained effectively.

You'll look at different ways of communicating research and identify the methods used by historical and contemporary criminologists and sociologists.

You'll get advice throughout the year relating to the professional application of your skills.

You'll have regular personal tutor meetings, giving you more personal support and professional skill development.

Year 2

During your second year, you'll study four core modules.

Tackling Crime and Policing Issues - Core

Explore how police and partner agencies prevent and detect crime and disorder.

You'll examine contemporary policing issues and discuss tactical and strategic interventions.

We'll encourage you to widen your thinking on how to target and resolve crime, looking at community relationships.

We'll cover sexual exploitation, cyber crime, domestic violence, drug abuse and inquisitive crime.

You'll also look at radicalisation, terrorism and improving trust and confidence in communities.

Imprisonment to Rehabilitation - Core

Explore the theory of desistance and the concept of rehabilitation within the practice of the criminal justice system, particularly in relation to the prison system and probation delivery.

You’ll be given an overview of offender management in prisons and the community in England and Wales, as well as the opportunities to critically examine the management, treatment and control of individuals processed through the system and the pressures it faces.

You’ll draw up on a range of lived experience perspectives to support your learning, alongside a recognition of wider policy and political climates through case study examples.

Victimology - Core

Get an understanding of the history and theories of victimology, the term 'victim' and the social construction of victims.

You'll reflect on the relationship between social inequalities and victimisation in domestic violence, hate crime, sexual violence and corporate crime.

Learn about victimology theories and the experiences and interactions of the victim for both the crime and the criminal justice system.

You'll be encouraged to think critically of the term 'victim' and consider how to improve the victim's experiences.

Research Methods and Professional Placement - Core

You'll explore how to collect, analyse, display and explain social science research data.

You'll find out what it means to be research literate and how to apply this to employment, policies and organisational considerations.

We'll focus on qualitative and mixed methodology in one semester and quantitative methodology in another semester.

You'll look at different ways to communicate research and identify methods used by social scientists.

You'll be able to critically evaluate the strength of research findings and identify appropriate ethical considerations.

You'll also develop skills to plan and begin an independent research project.

You'll finish the module with a six-week professional placement, using your research methods skills and knowledge to think about how research may inform the approaches taken in the workplace.

You can opt to do at least 60 hours of volunteer work instead, spreading out your placement activity over two semesters.

Year 3

During your final year, you'll study two core modules and will be required to choose two option modules.

Dissertation - Core

Your final year dissertation project is the culmination of your studies.

It's an independent project guided by the support of your supervisor.

It can either be a theoretical-based piece of work, investigating a particular issue within social sciences, or you can take on a piece of primary research.

It should bring together knowledge and understanding from other modules to create a research project that could generate new knowledge, or develops our understanding of the topic.

The proposal for the research project undertaken in SOC 6044 will have been developed and assessed within SOC 5042 Contemporary Research 2.

Professional Learning Through Work - Core

You'll have a flexible range of opportunities to enhance your professional skills and graduate opportunities as this module will be tailored to each student's development.

You'll apply the theoretical understanding you've been developing throughout your degree to a chosen professional context. This could include a work-based project or skills development approach where you will identify and address specific gaps in your portfolio of graduate-level skills.

Policing Priorities - Core

You'll develop an in-depth understand of 21st century policing issues such as cybercrime and terrorism.

We'll explore the role of intelligence agencies and how effective they are at fighting security issues in Britain.

You'll get a critical awareness of the role of police and agencies such as the National Crime Agency and British Security Service (MI5).

Justice, Punishment and Human Rights - Option

Critically explore concepts, debates, literature and research on justice, punishment and human rights.

You'll consider whether the criminal justice system balances these three elements.

In the first semester, you'll explore the history of punishment. You'll assess the importance of protecting human rights within punishment and look at the work of philosophers including John Locke, Jeremy Bentham and Michel Foucault.

In the second semester, you'll critically analyse the philosophies of punishment -
deterrence, incapacitation, rehabilitation and retribution - underpinning the criminal justice system.

Organised Crime - Option

Explore how police, partner agencies and government bodies combat transnational and corporate crime that transcend regional, national and international boundaries.

You'll discover how law enforcement and government bodies have to work together to prevent and detect these often clandestine crimes.

We'll explore the exchange of weapons, drugs and stolen property, and the exploitation of people through human trafficking and modern day slavery.

Scrutinise the infiltration of governments and businesses through fraud, corruption and money laundering.

We'll also look at how technology and the internet facilitate transnational crimes.

Genocide Studies - Option

Get a critical introduction to the interdisciplinary field of Genocide Studies.

You'll explore case studies relating to historical and contemporary instances of genocide, and interrogate the memorialisation of genocide.

You'll evaluate international legal mechanisms of genocide prevention.

We may address themes including the relationship of genocide to cognate categories in international legal discourse such as crimes against humanity and ‘ethnic cleansing’, sociological, criminological and social-psychological approaches to perpetration, the aftermath of genocide and the emerging concept of ecocide.

Young People, (In)Justice and Crime - Option

Develop a critical understanding of the definitions, explanations and responses related to youth justice and crime.

Understand how to critically appreciate the impact of ethic, gendered, political and cultural inequality and difference in the experience of youth justice and crime control.

Explore issues pertinent to social justice and injustice with regards to children and young people’s lives, through a variety of contemporary theoretical and policy related lenses.

Criminalised Women - Option

Explore the lives and experiences of criminalised women, often a marginalised and unheard demographic of the criminal justice system.

With a growing body of work, underpinned by feminist thought, aiming to recognise the gendered experiences and challenges of criminalised women, you’ll unpick and offer a space to develop critical thought and challenge the patriarchal and neo-liberal agendas within society.

You’ll discuss the intersecting layers of system failure, marginalisation and stigma which saturate women’s experiences, alongside the gendered stereotypes the women face. You’ll consider what can influence both women’s offending and desistance from crime, drawing upon research, policy and practice.

Crimes of the 21st Century - Option

We'll explore how much criminological theory can help us understand criminality and harm in the 21st century.

We've already seen dramatic transformations with protests and uprisings, climate change, a global financial crisis and the birth of social media and the dark web.

You'll critically assess which theories can help us understand and respond to the negative consequences of these changes, and why we are willing to inflict harm on others and ourselves.

Professional work placements

Experience matters. That's why we embed professional work placements within the majority of our standard undergraduate degrees.

How does it work?

Careers and Placements will work with you to find a placement or help you to arrange your own, whether that's in Leeds, another part of the UK or even abroad. You will be able to take part in a series of workshops, events and live ‘employer challenges’ to boost your confidence and prepare you for your placement.

During your placement, you could have an opportunity to gain degree-relevant work experience, build your knowledge of career sectors and secure valuable employer references and industry contacts. This experience will help you to shape your career decisions and find the right path for you.

Your placements will give you experience in the type of role you’d like to work in, whether that’s with a charity, in a school, on a community project, in a youth setting or working with victim support organisations.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Professional Work Placements

Learning and teaching

Assessment

A variety of assessment methods are used, matched to the learning outcomes for your programme, allowing you to apply and demonstrate the full range of knowledge and skills that you have developed.

For more details on specific assessment methods for this course contact hello@leedstrinity.ac.uk

Programme delivery

Your time on campus, learning through in-person teaching, is at the heart of your academic experience and the way we deliver our programmes. This is supported and further enhanced by additional engagement activities and opportunities provided online and through digital teaching materials. This blended approach seeks to ensure a positive learning and teaching student experience.

Your programme of study has been carefully designed around a three-phase model of delivery:

  1. Preparation: You will be given clear tasks to support you in preparing for live teaching. This could include watching a short-pre-recorded lecture, reading a paper or text chapter or preparing other material for use in class.
  2. Live: All your live teaching will be designed around active learning, providing you with valuable opportunities to build on preparation tasks, interact with staff and peers, and surface any misunderstandings.
  3. Post: Follow-up activities will include opportunities for you to check understanding, for staff to receive feedback from you and your peers to inform subsequent sessions, and for you to apply learning to new situations or context.

Preparation, Live and Post teaching and learning and the digital materials used will vary by course, but will be designed to help you structure your learning, take a full and active part in your course, and apply and test your developing knowledge and skills.

Learning and teaching

At Leeds Trinity we aim to provide an excellent student experience and provide you with the tools and support to help you achieve your academic, personal and professional potential.

Our Learning, Teaching and Assessment Strategy delivers excellence by providing the framework for:

  • high quality teaching
  • an engaging and inclusive approach to learning, assessment and achievement
  • a clear structure through which you progress in your academic studies, your personal development and towards professional-level employment or further study.

We have a strong reputation for developing student employability, supporting your development towards graduate employment, with relevant skills embedded throughout your programme of study.

We endeavour to develop curiosity, confidence, courage, ambition and aspiration in all students through the key themes in our Learning and Teaching Strategy:

  • Student Involvement and Engagement
  • Inclusion
  • Integrated Programme and Assessment Experience
  • Digital Literacy and Skills
  • Employability and Enterprise

To help you achieve your potential we emphasise learning as a collaborative process, with a range of student-led and real-world activities. This approach ensures that you fully engage in shaping your own learning, developing your critical thinking and reflective skills so that you can identify your own strengths and weaknesses, and use the extensive learning support system we offer to shape your own development.

We believe the secret to great learning and teaching is simple: it is about creating an inclusive learning experience that allows all students to thrive through:

  • Personalised support
  • Expert lecturers
  • Strong connections with employers
  • An international outlook
  • Understanding how to use tools and technology to support learning and development

Entry requirements

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.

Entry requirements for this course:
QualificationGrade
UCAS tariff104-136
GCSE requirementsGCSE English Language at C (or 4) or higher will be required

Fees and finance

UK Home fees £9,250 per year
Full-time

Funding

UK Home Students:

Tuition fees cost £9,250 a year for this course in 2024/2025.

Part-time tuition fees will be prorated accordingly to the number of credits you're studying.

Depending on government policy, tuition fees may change in future years.

Tuition fees for 2025/2026 entry will be confirmed, subject to government approval, later in 2024.

Living costs, e.g. accommodation, travel, food, will also need to be taken into consideration.

Leeds Trinity offers a range of bursaries and scholarships to help support students while you study.

International Students, including EU Students:

Visit our webpage for international students.

Part-time study is not available for international students on a Student Route Visa. 

Additional costs

We advise students that there may be additional course costs in addition to annual tuition fees:

  • Recommended and required reading lists will be provided at the start of your course. All the books and e-books are available from our Library to borrow but you may choose to purchase your own.
  • On some courses there may be additional costs, such as field trips, equipment, accreditations, that may be part-funded by the University. More details will be provided at the start of the course.
  • You'll need to include placement/s travel and associated costs too, however the University will contribute a standard amount towards your total expenditure.
  • The University provides students with a £6 printing credit each academic year which can be topped up either on campus or online.

How to apply

For full-time undergraduate courses, you apply through UCAS. That's the University and Colleges Admissions Service.

On your application form, you'll need to know our institution code - it's L24 - and the course code. If you click through to the UCAS website using the button below, it'll take you to the right place with all the information you need.

You'll need to write a personal statement - we've prepared a guide to help you.

Applications are now open for courses starting in September 2025. The UCAS application deadline for courses starting in September 2025 is 29 January 2025.

There's lots more information about the application process on the UCAS website, or you can get in touch with our admissions team who will be happy to help:

Graduate opportunities

Providing you with the opportunity to develop the professional skills and experience you need to launch your career is at the heart of everything we do at Leeds Trinity University.

Your degree will give you the knowledge and transferable skills for careers in the police and associated policing professions, education, social work, the third sector, social services, youth offending teams and a variety of roles within the Criminal Justice System. You could also consider postgraduate study within the field of criminology.

After you graduate, Careers and Placements will help you as you pursue your chosen career through our mentoring scheme, support with CV and interview preparation and access to graduate employability events.

To find out how we can help you make your career ambitions a reality, visit:

Careers

Meet the team

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Criminology and Sociology Shaun McDaid
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