BSc (Hons) Criminology and Cybercrime Bachelor's degree at the University of Portsmouth

Learn how to practically use key Microsoft applications and demonstrate this knowledge in their studies and future careers. You will also learn of the potential and risks of AI software and how to use it responsibly in the classroom, as well as in assessments.

It also means you understand the value of scholarships, allowing you to move on to postgraduate programs at the University of Portsmouth.

You'll develop academic writing skills and critically analyse texts and images. Present your analysis to deepen self-awareness and understand diverse perspectives in a global context.

You'll explore theories of international relations, the nature of the international system, and factors like conflict, globalisation, and international organisations. You'll also dive into key global issues such as climate change, gender, and human rights.

You'll appreciate how these fields intersect and impact each other, gaining insights into the connections between people, their environment, and societal practices. Additionally, you'll be introduced to technological innovations and examine how they are applied in society from a sociological perspective.

You'll develop an awareness of how people, politics and place are intertwined and get introduced to criminology with a sociological analysis of urban crime, its cause and effects on society.

You'll gain an overview of the history of legal scholarship. By the end of the module, you'll have a solid understanding and the ability to apply essential legal knowledge and skills. This will prepare you to progress onto degree level study at the University of Portsmouth.

You'll learn how to use academic databases and journals through a series of tasks which will have direct relevance to topics you studied in other modules. You'll develop your abilities in academic writing by writing a short essay, case study analysis or similar written artefact in each lecture session.

Strengthen your understanding of argumentation, rationalisation of evidence, and assessing the credibility of sources.

You'll explore the evolution of cyberspace, uncovering how the digital world works, where it came from, and the challenges shaping its future. You'll take part in activities that reveal the realities of cybercrime - from online fraud and digital piracy to hacking, surveillance and cyberwarfare - while examining how policy, law enforcement and technology companies respond to these threats. You'll develop your understanding of online deviance by analysing online harms, digital subcultures and extremist communities, developing critical insights into how we can build safer and more resilient online spaces.

Discover different criminal justice systems, explore how they've developed over time, and learn how they operate today at national and international levels. Examine the roles and experiences of key groups, including suspects, victims and professionals working across criminal justice services. Explore how core agencies function and interact, and develop your understanding of how criminal justice institutions work together within wider justice frameworks.

Exploring various cybercrime approaches and cases, you'll gain experience in each stage of cybercrime investigations. using forensics applications, you'll learn the basics of capturing and analysing digital evidence. Conduct of investigations, the management of evidence and control of crime scenes are all covered. throughout the module, relevant laws are considered and placed in context. Finally, you'll l learn how to present digital forensic evidence in a court of law.

Explore foundational criminological theories that seek to explain why some people engage in crime while others conform to social rules. Examine how biological, psychological and social influences - including genetics, cognition and environment - shape decisions about law-breaking. Develop a critical understanding of how different theories interact, so you can build a well-rounded perspective on crime and criminal behaviour.

You'll also take a look at some of the major organisations battling cybercrime, and think about these cases in terms of human rights debates on privacy, expression and information in cyberspace. By engaging with these perspectives while analysing developments in cybercrime, you'll get a deeper understanding of the criminal and social justice matters at play.

You'll look at the groups that engage in these practices, and their impacts on cybercrime theory. You’ll analyse cyber-threats to organisations and states, gaining understanding of related contemporary challenges. By the end of the module, you’ll have an understanding of the cyberwarfare, cyberespionage and cyberterrorism issues that states and corporations face.

You'll explore radicalisation, and sociological and psychological theories of individual and social motivation, and consider the role of gender identity and women within terrorist groups. Critically evaluate various types of terrorist groups, including religious terrorism, far-right terrorism, far-left terrorism, ethno-nationalist/separatist terrorism, and single-issue terrorism. You'll also learn about the strategies employed by states to combat terrorism and evaluate their effectiveness.

You’ll work independently and in groups with your classmates on research projects, identifying and responding to inherent ethical issues involved in your projects and considering their societal impact. Finally, you'll develop and produce the results of your research projects in a variety of forms.

You’ll analyse the essence of security, exploring how security needs are addressed around the world and on a national level, down to a community and even an individual basis. You’ll explore different forms of societal risk and insecurity, and approaches to dealing with security threats, taking into account the nature and impact of economic and political developments.

You'll analyse major cases of economic crime and weigh up their wider societal implications. You'll also learn how to recognise disciplinary perspectives, become familiar with the key investigating organisations, identify investigative techniques, and gather and analyse real case information.

Through interactive lectures with academics, speakers and professionals, you'll discuss, debate and complete practical exercises exploring wildlife crime alongside your classmates. You'll spend time examining wildlife crimes and the factors behind them, as well as environmental justice and sustainability.

You'll explore the topic of illicit substances and their legal categories, while thinking about the historical and contemporary developments of the illegal drug trade and its impact on communities within a global context. You'll consider drug use within prisons, festivals and within the LGBTQ+ community, analysing and debating prohibition, activism and harm reduction within a criminological context.

Combining law, language analysis and psychology, you’ll look at the different tools and methods used for analysing texts. You’ll investigate grammar, orthography, metaphor, punctuation, capitalisation, layout and text management, salutations, spelling and distinctive markers, style of printing, and the use of upper-case letters. You’ll also explore the different methods used for detecting lies and deception, and apply forensic linguistics tools in written and verbal case reports.

In this module, you'll dive deep into real cases of environmental injustice and inequality across the globe, looking at the nature, scale and range of environmental crimes and harms. Through interactive lessons, you'll debate thorny issues like: Who should be held accountable for climate change impacts? How can we balance economic growth with sustainability? Is environmental activism ever justified in breaking the law?

You'll ask and investigate what hate crime is, how much of it there is, who is involved and affected, where, when and why it is occurring, and what can be done about it. You’ll be encouraged to develop your own independent, analytical and creative thinking as you explore this important subject.

You'll the theories that underpin organised crime and gang culture, and then the origin, structure and operations of various international organised crime groups. You will then assess how governments have sought to combat the organised crime phenomena and the global challenges in doing so.

You'll look at the psychological factors behind the measures that the police, the government and security personnel take in ensuring public security. You’ll also explore a security issue in-depth through an essay and devise a research project proposal aimed at creatively addressing a real-world security problem, alongside defending ethical positions.

You'll examine the criticisms and challenges of criminology as a social science, thinking about the part it plays in creating social order. You'll also explore theories of social control and cultural resistance through debate and published ideas on the subject, which will help you develop an understanding of justice and dissent.

You'll examine this hidden part of the internet from the perspectives of criminology, law, culture, computer science and economics. You'll learn about the technology required to access it, the online communities that use the dark web, the ways the authorities monitor it, and even how its portrayed in the media.

You’ll evaluate sources such as legal records, cheap print, newspapers and novels, to discover what was considered a crime during this period and explore changing approaches towards ‘deviant’ behaviour. You’ll see how behaviours we now consider private were publicly policed, and how this involved religion and the community. You’ll analyse changes from corporal punishment and torture towards modern ideas of policing. You’ll also consider debates about the impact of urbanisation on patterns of crime, and the use of criminal prosecution as a means of social control, for example in relation to enforcing gender roles and controlling the poor.

You'll examine reforms, rights and roles of victims, and think critically about how effective existing professional practices are. You'll look at published literature and debate with your classmates to develop your intellectual curiosity and knowledge of social justice when it comes to the experiences of victims of crime.

You'll think critically about youth justice systems, victims' experiences, and different approaches to rehabilitation, hearing from expert guest speakers who will provide real-world insights. By evaluating new research and debates, you'll learn key skills in ways to support young people and strengthen their communities.

You'll learn about crimes against humanity (such as war crimes and genocide), state crimes against democracy, state-corporate crime, contemporary slavery and human trafficking - shining a light on oppression and injustice. By examining the responses to these crimes, you'll think about the ways international judicial, state and inter-governmental, and global civil society actors tackle state crime. You'll develop your ability to think critically about complex global issues, taking many different perspectives into account.

Working alongside the clinic team, you'll learn how the clinic works while assisting in research and working with clinic clients. You'll use what you’ve learned so far on your degree to help develop clinic materials, conduct community research or participate in awareness projects, building your understanding of real clinic processes.

As you're guided through how different forensic techniques are used in our crime scene simulations, you'll weigh up the value of physical evidence found at crime scenes and learn how to communicate your investigative findings. You'll also consider how forensic science fits into criminal investigations and the wider criminal justice system. By the end of the module, you'll know which scene processing methods to use in which cases, as well as how to compare analysis techniques and evaluate evidence.

You'll explore the complex relationships between ethics, laws and imprisonment policies. Alongside your classmates, you'll focus on pressing issues like mental health, violence and gender while arguing for a more humane, effective prison system.

You'll examine the history, role and organisational structures of the police in the UK, including the wider policing `family' and agencies that are involved in governance and oversight of the police. You’ll tackle the changing nature of crime and the associated challenges for the police, alongside associated governance, trust and legitimacy issues.