BA Hons Criminal Justice

Course Code

AU005

Explore the most important modern-day issues in crime, punishment, justice, and the legal system with this BA (Hons) Criminal Justice degree from home at your own pace.

Study online and achieve your BA (Hons) Criminal Justice degree from anywhere in the world.
When you enrol, you’ll have access to an online library containing almost half a million books, journals, and industry literature, meaning you don’t need to trawl through the books in a library or buy expensive books.
Flexible entry requirements – previous work experience, degrees, qualifications, and studies will be considered when you apply for the degree.
Various funding options available, including student finance from the Student Loans Company (SLC).

Speak to an adviser

Find out more about this degree, our payment options, and how to apply by clicking on the ‘enquire’ button below and completing the form. One of our friendly course advisers will be in touch shortly.

Gain an in-depth understanding of the criminal justice system and criminal behaviour with this BA (Hons) Criminal Justice degree.

With this online criminal justice degree, you’ll cover a variety of subject areas such as crime and society; the English legal system; inequalities, discrimination, and prejudice in the modern world; civil liberties and human rights; and crime prevention.

During your studies you’ll gain a broad knowledge of areas within criminal justice while developing valuable transferable skills that will benefit your career such as analysing data, problem-solving, presentation and communication skills, report writing, and a critical understanding of the justice system and criminal behaviour.

Once you have successfully completed your criminal justice degree, you could work in a range of careers, including social work, youth justice, teaching, or probation to name a few.

Course Duration

You will have three to nine years to complete this online criminal justice degree.

Course Outcome

Once you have successfully completed all three levels of your BA (Hons) Criminal Justice degree, you will be awarded your degree certificate.

An introduction to your online academic community.
An introduction to your online academic community.
Personal skills demanded by employers and improving your career prospects.

Introduction to the study of criminology: 1700s to present day.
Theories about crime and models of criminal justice.
Explanatory factors for crime, such as social class, gender, family, health, education, race, and ethnicity.
Criminology sub-branches, e.g., victimology.

The criminal justice process in England and Wales.
The concept of justice.
Processes within the criminal justice system and the consequences of criminal justice.
The implications of discrimination in terms of age, gender, class, and race.
Competing views of the aims and objectives of policing, prosecution, the courts, and correctional services.
The complexity of the criminal justice remit, including issues ranging from property crime to contemporary slavery and cybercrime.
Dealing with new challenges in a period of shrinking resources.

Differences between case law and legislation.
How the legal system and parliament rub along together, and how the EU fits in.
Learn the jargon to help you understand more about the judiciary, delegated legislation, and categories of law.

Weighing up criminal liability, offence development, and different defences, both in case law and legislation.
The future of criminal offences with practical, real-life scenarios.

Inequalities within society and how they impact upon human development and wellbeing.
The paradox between right-wing theories of ‘meritocracy’ and how specific factors such as class, gender, age, and ethnicity can affect someone’s ability to succeed in the education system, influence health policy, and shape experiences in the workplace.
How discrimination and prejudice are used to justify unequal treatment of certain individuals according to factors outside of their control, despite claims of equality.
How these injustices affect people by creating feelings of alienation, marginalisation, and stigmatisation.

Scoping out a project and designing a methodology to undertake it.
How to consider different perspectives.
Developing a range of skills with wide application in the workplace.
The ethical issues of the work you are undertaking and how to incorporate ethics in decision making.

Range of crime and justice topics currently debated in the media, such as hate crimes, the age of criminal responsibility, global organised crime and terrorism, and miscarriages of justice.
Explore the deeper issue behind these topics: how the state should function, including policies that address social exclusion, the integrity of police investigations, and civil liberty versus surveillance.

What rights and freedoms do we really have?
How much power do the police wield?
The relationship between individuals and the state.

The study of crime in relation to the urban environments, including looking at how urban renewal, gentrification, and globalisation can impact crime rates.
The ways in which crime pattern analysis can be used to aid policing.
The concept of ‘green criminology’ which focusses on pollution, illegal trade in rare species, toxic waste, conservation, major ecological disasters, and climate change, and whether new laws need to be developed to deal with these emerging problems.

Understand the variety of police work carried out in England and Wales.
The policing functions, strategies, and accountabilities.
The wider implications of youth and community police relationships.
International aspects of policing and civil liberties.
Public order policing, community policing, police effectiveness, and information on police recruitment and working culture.

The belief that individuals unconsciously conform to social norms versus the believe that we all have the ability to think independently and challenge the system.
What is considered abnormal, deviant and criminal, and how the media exaggerates certain crimes and targets stereotyped groups.
Topical case studies such as global terrorism and resulting attitudes and the growth of subcultures.

Technological developments making the rise in cybercrime possible.
Links with other areas of the criminal justice system and how it relates to other parts of the programme.

The historical development of the youth justice system.
How society deals with young people and criminal behaviour.
Using the main current schools of thought to analyse today’s youth justice system.

The latest thinking which takes criminological ideas about the causes of crime and applying them to the practical aspects of crime prevention.
The strengths and weaknesses of crime prevention approaches.
The merits of situational versus social measures in crime prevention.
How communities, policing, and the environment influence crime control.

Applications for this degree will be considered on a case-by-case basis. We will take into account your work experience and previously gained qualifications or degrees when we discuss your application.

Eligibility

The standard entry requirements for this BA (Hons) Criminal Justice degree are either:

Two subjects at A Level or equivalent, as well as passes at grade 4/C or above in three subjects at GCSE level.
Completed a recognised Access programme or equivalent.

Non-native English speaker applications

If you have prior work experience, we are happy to consider you for this course if you can demonstrate that you have a motivation to study the degree. We will ask you for a personal statement that demonstrates your ability to study the course, as well as references and evidence of your previous work experience.If English is not your first language, we ask that you hold an IELTS 6.0 (no less than 5.5 in any element), or TOEFL iBT 80, or equivalent. We also offer an internal English test for applicants.

Your course fees will be £6,935 per level.

Ways to pay for your online degree

Student Loans (UK students)

Many students enrolling on an online degree choose to pay for their course with a student loan from the Student Loans Company (SLC). Loans are typically paid in two instalments during each academic year directly to your university to cover your tuition fees.

You may be eligible for student finance if your course is based in the UK, and it is your first degree.

For more information on the amount you can borrow and to check your eligibility for a student loan click here.

Once you have completed your course, you will start paying back your student loan when your income rises about the threshold which is currently £27,295 a year before tax.

Additional support is also available in the form of the Special Support Grant, which is for students receiving certain benefits, are a lone parent, or have certain disabilities. Students with children or adult dependents can also apply for:

Childcare grant to cover the cost of childcare while you study.
Parent’s learning allowance.
Adult dependent’s grant.

Complete the form at the top of this page to speak to an adviser and get more information about this payment option.

Pay in full

If you have the funds available, you can choose to pay for your course in one go. Alternatively, you can pay for a level in full through a fixed payment plan.

If you choose this method you can pay via credit or debit card (Visa, Mastercard, or Maestro) or by bank transfer.

Pay by instalments

You can choose to pay for your degree through a one-year payment plan for each level of study. This can be confirmed when you speak to a member of the team and a payment plan can be agreed separately with you. Please note, a holding fee will be deducted from the fees payable, and your remaining fees will form the basis of your payment plan.

After each level, you will need to confirm prior to the start of the next level whether you will be paying in full or continuing to pay via instalments for the following year.

This degree is available to study fully online, giving you total flexibility over your learning. You can enrol and study from anywhere in the world at your own pace, without needing to attend any classes. This method of learning allows you to achieve your degree from home, fitting your studies around your work and family commitments while allowing you to achieve your goals.

You’ll need access to a laptop, computer, or mobile device such as a smartphone or tablet and have access to the internet in order to access your learning materials and study this course.

You will have access to our online learning platform which includes virtual classrooms and lectures, as well as an online library which is free to access throughout your studies, giving you access to half a million books and journals.

Our online learning platform is also integrated with Zoom, allowing you to speak to your tutor during seminar session and access their valuable support and guidance. Your tutor will provide you with regular feedback, and you will also have the chance to connect with other like-minded students via our message and community boards to discuss the topics you’re currently studying.

You will be assessed using a variety of assessment methods to allow you to demonstrate your strengths. You will be assessed using the following methods to allow us to track your progress:

Assignments
Essays
Discussion-based assessments
Presentations
Case studies
Portfolios of work

Studying the topics covered in this online criminal justice degree will allow you to master a range of transferable knowledge and skills and improve your employability, including:

Researching and presenting information in different formats.
Analysing and evaluating data.
Communicating effectively in both written and verbal methods.
Interpersonal skills.
Efficient problem-solving.
Critical thinking.
Planning and managing your time effectively.

Once you have successfully completed your BA (Hons) Criminal Justice degree, you will have a range of knowledge and skills that are critical to a range of careers. Relevant career options for graduates of this degree include: