Undergraduate courses/ Criminology and Policing courses/ Criminology with Psychology

Key facts

Typical offer

UCAS points:

112

A Level:

BBC

BTEC:

DMM

Contextual Offer:

Minimum of one to two grade reduction from our typical offer. Full details at dmu.ac.uk/contextual

Key facts

Duration:

3 yrs full-time

Study mode:

Full-time

UCAS code:

L3C8

Institution code:

D26

See all the key facts and full entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

112

A Level:

BBC

BTEC:

DMM

Contextual Offer:

Minimum of one to two grade reduction from our typical offer. Full details at dmu.ac.uk/contextual

UCAS code

L3C8

Duration

Three years full-time

Study mode

Full-time

See all the key facts and full entry requirements

Overview

Our Criminology with Psychology degree blends criminological, sociological, and psychological theories, and explores crime's causes, responses, and legal frameworks. You’ll develop transferable real-world skills, such as critical thinking, alongside professional skills, such as communication and problem solving, to challenge inequality and promote social justice. This course equips you with practical knowledge to understand global criminological issues and create meaningful change in society which enhances your employability and prepares you for diverse careers in criminal and social justice.

  • Industry-led learning: Gain knowledge and insight into local, national and global criminological contexts from experienced academics working at the edge of criminological research, who have practice experience and strong links to criminal justice and professional organisations like the British Society of Criminology.
  • Study at an SDG Global Hub: DMU is the only university in the UK to be a global hub for one of the UNs Sustainable Development Goals - SDG 11, Sustainable Communities and Cities.
  • Focused learning: Block teaching lets you focus on one subject at a time.
  • Personalise your learning: Choose from a range of optional modules aligned to your interests.
  • Tailor your degree: Undertake an independent research project shaped by your own interests, values, and career ambitions within criminology.
  • Build key skills: Develop key personal, professional and criminological investigation skills that employers are looking for.
  • Become career ready: Our graduates thrive in roles such as police constable, criminology lecturer, health adviser, and support worker - making an impact at organisations like Leicestershire Police Authority, Loughborough College, Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, and Cygnet Health Care.
  • Global experience: As part of DMU Global, previous students have studied state crime at Auschwitz, subcultures in Chicago, and genocide education in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Students will have the opportunity to explore and compare penal systems across the Atlantic, learning collaboratively with students at California State University, Chico.

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What you will study

Introduction to Studying Criminology

Introduction to Studying Criminology helps you develop the skills and confidence to begin your university studies. You will explore topics such as how crime and justice are represented in the media and everyday life, while learning to connect these debates with criminological ideas and evidence. Through practical activities and discussion, you will develop your academic reading, writing and critical thinking, including how to evaluate sources and use AI responsibly. The module provides a foundation for becoming an independent, curious and reflective criminology student.

Principles of Social Research

This module introduces you to the principles of social research. You will recognise and apply critical thinking, explore the concept of ethics in research, and reflect on biases and positionality. You will explore philosophical questions and how different world views shape our understanding of crime, harm and justice.

Applied Psychology

Introduces students to the discipline of psychology, an overview of five core areas: biological, cognitive, developmental, personality and social psychology.

Journeys Through Justice

You will explore the concept of justice and what it means in the context of criminology. Through examining the institutions of criminal and social justice such as police, prisons, probation, courts and the community sector, you will explore pathways through justice and how it may or may not be achieved. This module encourages critical reflection on the complexities, inequalities, and challenges that shape contemporary understandings of justice. You will critically assess whether contemporary justice systems can deliver fair and equitable outcomes.

Block 3 for this year is currently to be confirmed.

Explaining Criminological Issues

This module builds on ‘Contemporary Issues in Criminology’ and explores core criminological theories in relation to crime, harm and victimisation. From the classical to the contemporary, these criminological theories are positioned within wider debates and applied to complex problems in crime, harm and justice. You will develop your ‘criminological imagination’ as this module prepares you for the module ‘Emerging Issues in Criminology’.

Communities of Justice

This module builds on ‘Journeys Through Justice’ and explores the Institutions, practices & interactions of justice. You will explore the debates on the nature of imprisonment, punishment, rehabilitation and desistance. This module will consider debates on race, power, gender, criminalisation, youth justice as they apply to communities of justice.

Choice of modules

You will be able to choose two 15 credit modules, one from Criminology and one from Psychology. Criminology optional modules include Children and the Criminal Justice System, Domestic Violence and Abuse, Restorative Justice in Practice. Psychology options include Psychology of Mental Health and Psychology of Social Problems. Optional modules may be subject to change.

Researching Justice Journeys

This module builds on your knowledge from ‘Principles of Social Research’ and develops your research skills leading into the third year. You will develop your knowledge and understanding of how to research crime and society through exploring key research methodologies.

A placement year is an excellent opportunity to build confidence, develop transferable skills, establish professional networks and gain valuable insight into your chosen sector. We have a long history of partnering with local, national and international employers to provide students with valuable work experience and prepare them for the graduate recruitment market.

You may take an optional placement year between their second and final years, gaining first-hand experience of working in a professional environment and applying your learning in a real-world setting. Our dedicated placement team within the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences can support you in finding a suitable placement, help develop your employability skills and experience, and provide guidance and support during your time in industry. A placement year can help you explore potential career paths, understand where your skills and interests lie, and strengthen your CV. You then return to your final year with enhanced real-world experience, greater confidence and a clearer sense of your future career direction.

Planning Social Research

Building on what you have learnt, this module supports you to design your final year research project. You will be challenged to identify a research area you feel passionate about and craft an academically robust research proposal. The teaching team will help you to explore advanced ethical, theoretical and philosophical fields of debate in relation to your chosen topic, supporting you to become an expert in your field of speciality.

Justice in a Globalised World

In this module, you will explore advanced theoretical and philosophical perspectives on crime in a global context. You will develop a critical understanding of current global justice issues including transnational crimes such as human trafficking and arms trafficking. You will also develop your knowledge and understanding of international justice organisations and prevention/response mechanisms.

Choice of modules

You will be able to choose one of two 15 credit psychology modules to develop critical and contemporary knowledge on psychological and crime related issues. Current options include Criminological and Forensic Psychology, Counselling Psychology and Cyberpsychology. Please note that optional modules may be subject to changes.

Final Project

This module is designed to enable you to complete an independent project. You will integrate your  knowledge and skills from across the degree programme to complete a final project. This project will be in the form of one of the following:

  • An extended essay
  • An empirical based research project
  • A social activism project based on your project proposal from module Planning Social research.

Note: All modules are indicative and based on the current academic session. Course information is correct at the time of publication and is subject to review. Exact modules may, therefore, vary for your intake in order to keep content current. If there are changes to your course we will, where reasonable, take steps to inform you as appropriate.

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Criminology with Psychology in the spotlight

A summer of second chances

A summer of second chances

De Montfort University Leicester is at the heart of a new initiative to help ex-offenders kickstart their careers.

July 2026

Our facilities

Home to students and staff from Health and Life Sciences courses spanning pharmaceutical, healthcare, lab based and social science disciplines.

The facilities and spaces in the Hawthorn Building are designed to replicate current practice in health and life sciences. You will receive guidance and support from expert academic and technical staff.

Substantial investment has developed our teaching and learning facilities to help you expand your practical experience and theoretical knowledge beyond the classroom.

Our Crime Scene House presents investigative scenarios which allow students to apply their learning in a real-life practical environment. We also have a 19th Century Crown Court and contemporary mock courtroom, that students visit to explore histories of crime, punishment and justice, for example the Leicester witch trials.

Additionally, the Undercroft offers dedicated break out spaces and study spaces allowing for collaborative and interprofessional learning beyond the classroom.

Criminology facilities

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Hawthorn Building exterior
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Our expertise

For Psychology academics please see our Psychology BSc programme.

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Dr John Mann

Senior Lecturer and Programme Lead

John is the Criminology programme lead at DMU. His research explores alcohol and other drugs, including human enhancement drug use, and sociological theories of addiction through a political economy lens. His teaching focuses on criminological theory, and on the relationship between alcohol and other drugs and crime. John is a member of multiple substance use research networks.

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Dr Brian McShane

Senior Lecturer in Criminology and Criminal Justice (Admissions Lead)

Brian specialises in children and young people, violence and prevention and youth cultures and justice. His research explores young people’s experiences of violence, music-based desistance, and non-statutory justice services. He has conducted research with Youth Justice Services on violence prevention and has practice experience working on violence reduction programs in local government.

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Dr Xiaoye Zhang

Senior Lecturer in Criminology

Xiaoye specialises in performance studies and social sciences, exploring crime and punishment in China’s modernization through ethnographic research. She has taught in Hong Kong, Shanghai, and the UK. With experience in theatre projects and special needs education, she facilitates drama workshops in criminal justice settings and supports domestic violence victims.

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Dr Nicola Collett

Senior Lecturer in Criminology (Deputy Programme Lead)

Nicola specialises in identity construction among individuals with convictions. She has experience coordinating youth justice projects with Leaders Unlocked and conducting research funded by Police and Crime Commissioners. She leads on supporting undergraduate dissertation students and supports both MA and PhD students. Nicola is also the Chair of the Criminal Record Research and Reform Network. Nicola is also the Chair of the Criminal Record Research and Reform Network, and sits on HMP Leicester's Employment Advisory Board.

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Dr Ruth Mckie

Senior Lecturer in Criminology (Subject Lead)

Ruth expertise lies in environmental crime and harm. Her research focuses on climate change denial and criminology, exploring the impacts of environmental crimes and animal abuse. Ruth actively contributes to criminological research and policy discussions on these critical issues.

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Dr Kim Sadique

Associate Professor

Kim specialises in genocide prevention and education, chairing the Academic Advisory Board of Remembering Srebrenica and leading initiatives to combat hate and promote community cohesion. A scholar-activist, she is committed to amplifying survivor voices. As a DMU SDG Fellow, she focuses on SDG 16, promoting peace, justice, and strong institutions.

What makes us special

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DMU Global

Our innovative international experience programme DMU Global aims to enrich your studies and expand your cultural horizons, helping you to become a global graduate, equipped to meet the needs of employers across the world. Through DMU Global, we offer a wide range of opportunities including on-campus and UK-based activities, overseas study, internships, faculty-led field trips and volunteering, as well as international exchanges.

Previous opportunities have seen Criminology students gain a better understanding of state crime at the Auschwitz concentration camp, explore sub-cultures in Chicago, visit Bosnia and Herzegovina to explore the experiences of victims of the Bosnian genocide, and travel to Malmö, Sweden, to engage in comparative police training and education alongside Swedish police trainees.

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Internships

DMU offers three internship schemes with an emphasis on on-the-job training across a range of areas including Criminology and Criminal Justice specific opportunities. Criminology students were recently invited to apply for a research assistant role on a frontrunner scheme project looking at the impact of criminal records, led by staff from the Criminology team. Students gained experience planning, conducting and presenting research with other students, towards developing a wide range of professional skills to enhance their employability and develop their confidence.

Criminology students have also taken part in the Employing Potential Summer Series attended by sector leaders, helping to facilitate the event and subsequently conducting telephone research with local businesses. Students have benefitted from networking opportunities and the opportunity to play a key role in impactful, funded research.

Where we could take you

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Volunteering

Our strong links with criminal justice and allied agencies enable you to volunteer within the sector. You will be supported to find opportunities that suit your personal and professional development. Students studying Criminology degrees have:

  • Volunteered with Leicester Youth Justice Services and Nirvana FC, a community football team in Leicester mentoring young people subject to court orders for their offending behaviour.
  • Participated in unique prison-university partnerships where they volunteer to learn alongside prison learners, with feedback from both sets of participants being extremely positive.

You can also access volunteering and research opportunities across varied sectors through De Montfort Students’ Union and DMU Local to develop your practical and professional skills and enhance your employability upon graduation.

Students at the Careers Hub

Graduate careers

Graduates from this course have gone on to work in a variety of roles across a range of well-respected sectors including the police service, criminal justice, healthcare, and research. Recent graduates have secured roles in the following sectors:

  • Law and Order: Policing, Youth Justice, Crime Prevention
  • Community and Support Services: Community Safety, Victim Support, Social Work, Substance Misuse Services
  • Custodial and Probation Services: Prison Service, Probation Service and Partners
  • Education and Policy: Teaching, Policy-related Roles, Academia

We have an employability lead for Criminology who develops employment links and hosts events to encourage you to think about your career. Previous events include a Frontiers for Future Careers webinar series, where local and national organisations hosted session with our criminology students. Guests included CJS agencies, charities and career support services.

Take your next steps

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Open Days - Book your place

We’d love to welcome you to one of our university Open Days where you can see for yourself what we have to offer.

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Find out about Leicester

We’re a campus-based university situated in the city centre, with the hub of activity in Leicester right on your doorstep - we’re one of the few universities in the UK where you’re getting the best of both worlds.

How to apply

Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Criminology with Psychology BA (Hons)
Programme code:
L3C8

UCAS applications

Apply now
  1. Register on UCAS Hub (create an account)
  2. Fill in your UCAS application form:
  3. Personal details (name, contact, residency)
    • More about you (any mental health conditions or long-term illnesses, parenting responsibilities, whether you’ve served in the armed forces)
    • Education history (qualifications taken or pending)
    • Employment history (if applicable)
    • Course choice
  4. Write your personal statement (why you want to study the course, skills, achievements, future goals)
  5. Get your reference (usually from a teacher/tutor/employer)
  6. Pay the UCAS fee (single choice or multiple choices)
  7. Submit the UCAS application before the deadline.
Save these details for your application.
Programme title:
Criminology with Psychology BA (Hons)
Programme code:
L3C8

Apply directly as an international student

Find out more and apply
  1. Visit DMU’s international section and select the course you wish to apply for as an undergraduate or postgraduate student.
  2. Prepare your documents - gather the essentials:
    • Academic transcripts and certificates
    • Personal statement
    • English language proficiency evidence (e.g., IELTS)
    • Portfolio (if required by the course)
    • Copy of your passport
  3. Complete the application - submit via the DMU Online Portal
  4. Submit the application and supporting documents - you can still receive a conditional offer even if some documents will follow later
  5. Application review and offer - DMU’s Admissions team will assess your application and issue:
    • A conditional offer (pending remaining docs, test results, etc.)
    • Or an unconditional offer, if all requirements are fulfilled

Related courses

Criminal Investigation and Policing Studies BA (Hons)

Criminology BA (Hons)

Degree in Professional Policing BA (Hons)

Key facts

Course title

Criminology with Psychology

Award

BA (Hons)

UCAS code

L3C8

Institution code

D26

Study level

Undergraduate

Study mode

Full-time

Start date

September

Duration

Three years full-time

Fees

2026/27 UK tuition fees:
£9,790

2026/27 international tuition:
£16,800

Fees in subsequent years may rise. See the undergraduate tuition fees page for details

Additional costs

Entry requirements

Typical offer

UCAS points:

112

A Level:

BBC

BTEC Extended Diploma:

DMM

Contextual Offer:

DMU operates a generous contextual offer for students from underrepresented backgrounds in Higher Education.

This is a minimum of one to two grade reduction from our typical offer and full details including eligibility criteria can be found at dmu.ac.uk/contextual

T Levels:

Merit

Access to HE:

Pass with 30 Level 3 credits at Merit

International Baccalaureate (IB):

26

GCSEs:

5 x GCSEs at grade 4/C or above including English and Maths

English language requirements

If English is not your first language an IELTS score of 6.5 overall is essential.

English language tuition, delivered by our British Council-accredited Centre for English Language Learning, is available both before and throughout the course if you need it.

Additional costs

The core textbooks for all modules are available in the Kimberlin Library, and journal articles in your reading lists are also mostly available electronically from your myDMU login.

Some students like to purchase their own text books or print course documents and we suggest allowing approximately £200 per year for this.

All students are required to pay for their DBS check if required for your programme or placement.

In addition students will be required to pay for their travel costs to placements or project locations.

All students are provided the opportunity to participate in DMU Global trips. These trips are subsidised by the University, and the cost and subsidy varies by location.

Learn more about fees and funding information.