BA (Hons) Criminology Bachelor's degree at Durham University
BA (Hons) Criminology at Durham University. Criminology at Durham asks a deceptively simple question: what is crime? Rather than treating that as settled, the course keeps returning to it from different angles, legal, social, political, psychological, so that students build up a…
About this course
Criminology L370 - Durham University Skip to main content BA (Hons) Criminology What is crime? From the provider’s course page.
BA (Hons) Criminology is a Bachelor's degree (BA (Hons)) at Durham University, based in Durham Campus. It runs 3 years, studied full-time.
For Sociology graduates from this provider, 85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 60% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £31,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Law, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Limited evidence Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 85% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 91% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 4 modules
- Introduction to Criminological TheoryCompulsory
Module details
will help you develop a sociological perspective on issues of crime, criminality and deviance. It introduces a range of key criminological theories and concepts through examination of four classic criminological studies, followed by an overview of theoretical development in Criminology over the course of the 19th and 20th centuries.
- Social Research MethodsCompulsory
Module details
will introduce you to the concept of social research and practice-based inquiry. You will learn how to produce and analyse different kinds of data and develop some basic practical skills in designing and carrying out social research yourself.
- The Criminal Justice LandscapeCompulsory
Module details
outlines current debates within the field of criminal justice studies. You will learn about the key agencies of criminal justice including the Crown Prosecution Service, courts, prisons and the police. This module also introduces you to volunteering opportunities within the criminal justice system and actively encourages you to get involved in your local community.
- Critical Scholarship in the Social SciencesCompulsory
Module details
aims to support the transition to university-level study by helping you develop the foundational academic skills that are needed throughout the rest of your degree. Through it you will learn key academic conventions and skills, for example: reading and evaluation; writing and argument; presentation and discussion; and so on.
Year 2 2 modules
- Contemporary Criminological TheoryCompulsory
Module details
demonstrates how traditional theoretical models and concepts in Criminology have informed contemporary criminological thought. You will also learn how these recent developments are situated within recent social and political contexts, covering for example radical, realist, gender, control, cultural and postmodernist perspectives.
- Research Methods in ActionCompulsory
Module details
supports your development of applied research skills. At the core of the module is a group-based research project you design and carry out on a topic of your choosing. In addition, you will learn a range of methods and techniques for analysing both quantitative (statistics) and qualitative (textual / verbal / visual) data.
Year 3 1 modules
- DissertationCompulsory
Module details
In your final year, you will design and carry out a Dissertation project on a topic of your choosing, in the area of Criminology, Sociology or Social Policy. This may take the form of an empirical research study or, alternatively, a critical discussion of scholarly work on the topic. Your final 10,000-word dissertation thesis comprises one third of your final-year mark and is an excellent opportunity to develop expertise in a topic of personal interest or relevance to a future career area.
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
Across the three years you'll build a foundation in criminological theory and the workings of the criminal justice system before moving into more specialised territory. You'll examine how crime is defined and measured, how criminal law operates in practice, and how institutions such as police forces, courts and prisons actually function day to day. As you progress, you'll have the chance to study areas such as Criminal Law, Human Rights, Public Law and Family law, alongside criminology-specific options, allowing you to shape the degree around the questions that interest you most, whether that's the causes of offending, the treatment of victims, or the mechanics of the justice system itself. Teaching combines lectures, seminars and independent research, with an expectation that you'll read widely, argue your case, and back it up with evidence rather than assumption.
Who it's for
This course suits someone who's curious about people and society and isn't satisfied with easy explanations for why crime happens or how justice is delivered. If you find yourself questioning news reports about sentencing, policing or prison reform, or you're the kind of person who enjoys picking apart an argument to see whether it really stacks up, you'll feel at home here. It asks for a willingness to read, discuss and sometimes change your mind, seminars often turn into genuine debate, and you'll need to be comfortable putting forward a view and defending it. Many students are drawn to criminology because they want to understand social problems rather than just describe them, and some arrive with an eye on careers in the justice system, policy or research, while others simply want to understand the world more clearly. Most entrants have come through A-levels or equivalent, typically with results in the 144–159 UCAS tariff range, though this reflects what students have generally achieved rather than a strict requirement.
Careers & job market
Nationally, Law graduates (a field encompassing criminology) tend to move into a wide range of work: 85% are in employment or further study within 15 months of graduating, and 55% of those working are in roles classed as highly skilled. Earnings vary considerably, nationally, graduates in this field typically start on between £23,000 and £30,000 fifteen months after finishing their degree, with figures ranging from around £19,550 to £27,600 after three years and £24,225 to £34,200 after five years. These are national figures drawn from Graduate Outcomes and LEO data, not projections specific to Durham or a guarantee of what any individual will earn, and they reflect the spread across the whole graduate population rather than a single expected outcome. Criminology graduates go on to a mix of paths, including further study, roles in the criminal justice system, policy work, research and beyond, drawing on the analytical and evidence-based skills built throughout the degree.
University & format
The course is delivered full-time over three years at Durham University's Durham Campus, leading to a BA (Hons) degree, and taught entirely in English. Durham is a public, research-intensive university and a member of the Russell Group, founded in 1832, with a current student body of around 19,520. It holds a Silver award in the Office for Students' TEF 2023 for teaching quality and was.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
The provider publishes contextual-offer information. Eligibility and any reduced offer are applicant-specific.
Placement year. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 97% |
| Other | 3% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students typically held strong UCAS tariffs. Check how your predicted grades compare and whether a contextual offer applies.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code L370). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page (England 2026/27 cap where not stated).
Check fees at Durham University →For students who normally live in England
2026/27 Student Finance England figures. Maintenance support is means-tested and this two-point view is not an entitlement calculator. The course total uses its published length and home fee where both are available; a missing full-time fee uses the clearly labelled England-cap scenario, while part-time fees and unknown lengths are never guessed. Use the official calculator. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland use separate systems: SAAS, Student Finance Wales, and Student Finance NI.
Starting on or after 1 January 2027?
The Lifelong Learning Entitlement is a separate system. A new learner’s tuition entitlement is currently stated as £39,160 (about 480 credits at 2026/27 fee levels), subject to prior study and eligibility. Check the official LLE guide.
Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: can cover eligible tuition up to the applicable limit and is paid straight to the provider.
- Maintenance Loan: up to £10,830/yr away from home outside London (England, 2026/27), means-tested on household income.
- Repayment: 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below it; written off after 40 years.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
England figures shown; Scotland, Wales & NI run their own schemes, check gov.uk.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Law graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £31,000 | £25,000 – £37,000 | 15 |
| 3 years after | £26,500 | £21,500 – £30,500 | 95 |
| 5 years after | £30,500 | £26,500 – £39,000 | 100 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Paralegal / TraineeTraining contract or pupillage route · 0–2 yrs
- 2Solicitor / BarristerQualified practitioner · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior AssociateLeading matters and clients · 5–9 yrs
- 4Partner / In-house CounselPartnership or heading legal · 9+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Law nationally
National figures for Law graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Limited evidence. Published sample: 15; treat comparisons cautiously. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Law courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,352 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Protective service occupationsDiscover Uni category · 25% of published destinations
- Science, engineering and technology associate professionalsSOC 2020 31 · 15% of published destinations · ASHE median £34,828
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 45; response rate: 50%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Job market & outlook
How Law graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- First-pass document review
- Standard contract drafting
- Legal research summaries
- Routine due diligence
More human than ever
- Advocacy and negotiation
- Judgement on ambiguous facts
- Client trust and ethics
- Strategy in disputes and deals
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Law graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Law firms
- Barristers' chambers
- In-house legal teams
- Government Legal Service
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Law graduates.
Law Firm Associates of all Practice Areas: Discuss your Overseas Relocation with Duke and Rawson – Australia/Asia/Middle East/Europe/Offshore/UKDuke and RawsonLaw Enforcement Success SpecialistAurorLaw Firm HR & Operations Lead - 12-Month ContractCharalle GroupLaw Firm Finance & Practice Manager, Leadership & OpsMcKinlay LawLaw Internship: Disputes & IBC – In-OfficeCanon SphereLaw Firm Front Desk & Guest Services (Oxford)Owen ReedIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
For comparison, the standard full-time England tuition cap is up to £9,790 per year in 2026/27; the actual fee varies by course and provider. If you normally live in England, eligible students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan, plus a Maintenance Loan for living costs. Under Plan 5 you repay 9% of income above £25,000, nothing below that, and the balance is written off after 40 years.
Where graduates go
85% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £31,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 83.4% · in work or study 85% · continued 91%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
University of Durham
Law across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Durham Campus
698 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Law right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Durham University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £32,000 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Durham University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Durham University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Durham University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
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What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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