BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice and Youth Justice
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This Criminology degree provides a critical introduction to two significant and challenging social issues – crime and youth justice.
The youth justice system in England and Wales is responsible for sentencing and working with young people under the age of 18 who have committed a criminal offence. The system also intervenes with young people whose behaviour is problematic before they enter the formal court system.
The main aim of the youth justice system is the prevention of youth crime. As well as understanding criminal behaviour in people of all ages, you will explore the main issues around youth crime and the youth justice system, as well as how society responds to young offenders. Find us on Twitter @USWCriminology.
Get a glimpse of what it's like to study at USW before you apply
Year One: Criminology and Criminal Justice and Youth Justice Degree
- Applied Crime and Justice 1
- Perspectives In Criminology: Developmental Criminology
- Becoming a Criminologist
- Dod yn Droseddegwr (Through the medium of Welsh, Optional)
- Inside the criminal justice system
- Perspectives In Criminology: Power and Society
- Diversity, Crime and Justice
- Amrywiaeth, Trosedd a Chyfiawnder (Through the medium of Welsh, Optional)
Year Two: Criminology and Criminal Justice and Youth Justice Degree
- Prisons and Imprisonment
- Prisons and Imprisonment (Optional)
- Protecting the Public and Managing Risk (Optional)
- Ymholiad Troseddegol Cymhwysol (Through the medium of Welsh, Optional)
- Applied Criminological Inquiry
- Understanding the Probation Service
- Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Young Adults
- Understanding Youth Crime and Juvenile Justice
- Work Experience (Optional)
Year Three: Criminology and Criminal Justice and Youth Justice Degree
- Rehabilitation and Criminal Justice: Theory and Practice
- Working with Young People and Young Adults in the Justice System
- Dissertation (Optional)
- Working in Industry (Optional)
- Social Justice Internship (Optional)
- Trauma and Youth Offending (Optional)
- Contemporary Issues in Youth and Crime (Optional)
- Terrorism, Security & Extremism (Optional)
Teaching
Teaching on this course takes a challenged based approach, with interactive lectures and workshops, providing you with the knowledge and understanding of real world criminological issues. Outside of the classroom you will complete reading, library and topic-related research and project work.
You will be taught by research active world-renowned experts in criminology, in addition to hearing from expert practitioner guest speakers and taking topic-specific field trips.
Studying through the medium of Welsh
At least 40 credits of this course can be studied through the medium of Welsh, and specific scholarships, including the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol Scholarships are available to students who choose to do so.
Assessment
This course assesses students in a range of inclusive and authentic ways, preparing you for graduate employment. The majority of assessments are coursework based, and include group work, problem-solving and project management.
Featured Lecturer:
Professor Katy Holloway and Professor Fiona Brookman
Fiona Brookman is Professor of Criminology at the University of South Wales, UK. She has over 20 years of experience in teaching and research in the fields of policing, violence and homicide. Using mainly qualitative research methods, her research focuses on the dynamics and causes of homicide and violence, violence prevention and the investigation of homicide.
She has extensive experience of conducting in-depth interviews with violent offenders and of interviewing and shadowing homicide detectives and forensic scientists (in Britain and America). Her research is helping to enhance police practice and directly informing violence reduction initiatives. She currently leads a Leverhulme-funded project exploring the role of forensic science and technology in homicide investigation.
Fiona is Director of the Criminal Investigation Research Network (CIRN), a member of a Home Office Expert Advisory Panel on Serious Violence Policy and invited member of the National Police Chiefs Council Transforming Digital Forensic Research Working Group.
Fiona has over 70 publications including those in international journals as well as numerous chapters in edited collections. She is lead editor of the Handbook of Homicide (Wiley: 2017) and author of Understanding Homicide (Sage: 2006). She is currently writing the second edition of Understanding Homicide. Hear the podcast on Corporate Homicide and read more about Professor Brookman's research.
Professor Katy Holloway's research focuses on illegal drugs. She has conducted studies that have investigated a wide range of drug-related issues including: drug use among arrestees, the causal connection between drug use and crime among prisoners, the effectiveness of drug treatment, the use of Take-Home Naloxone among opiate users, the implementation of the Welsh Substance Misuse Strategy, and the characteristics of opiate overdose events.
Katy leads the Substance Use Research Group at USW and is currently leading a study of the misuse and diversion of opiate substitution medication. The philosophy of harm reduction underpins Katy’s research and she has recently been co-opted onto a sub-group of the Advisory Panel on Substance Misuse to investigate the potential benefits of introducing safer injecting facilities in Wales. Listen to an interview with Professor Holloway here.
We regularly revalidate courses for quality assurance and enhancement
At USW, we regularly review our courses in response to changing patterns of employment and skills demand to ensure we offer learning designed to reflect today’s student needs and tomorrow’s employer demands.
If during a review process course content is significantly changed, we’ll write to inform you and talk you through the changes for the coming year. But whatever the outcome, we aim to equip our students with the skillset and the mindset to succeed whatever tomorrow may bring. Your future, future-proofed.
The entry criteria below reflect our standard entry requirements for the course for September 2023. However, all applications received by the University are reviewed holistically and individually. Entry criteria for September 2024 is changing and will be published on ucas.com from 8th May 2023. Entry criteria for September 2024 will be updated on our website from the end of October 2023.
Contextual offers
We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, including your background (where you live and the school or college that you attended for example), your experiences and individual circumstances (as a care leaver, for example). This is referred to as a contextual offer and we receive data from UCAS to support us in making these decisions. USW prides itself on its student experience and we support our students to achieve their goals and become a successful graduate. This approach helps us to support students who have the potential to succeed and who may have faced barriers that make it more difficult to access university. Here is a link to our Contextual Admissions Policy.
Other qualifications and experience
We can also consider combinations of qualifications and other qualifications not listed here may also be acceptable. We can sometimes consider credits achieved at other universities and your work/life experience through an assessment of prior learning. This may be for year one entry, or advanced entry to year two or three of a course where this is possible.
To find out which qualifications have tariff points, please refer to the UCAS tariff calculator.
If you need more help or information or would like to speak to our friendly admissions team, please contact us here
Typical A-Level Offer
BCC - CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).
Typical Welsh BACC Offer
Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).
Typical BTEC Offer
BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).
Typical Access to HE Offer
Pass the Access to HE Diploma and obtain a minimum of 80 UCAS tariff points
Additional Requirements
GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics and English at Grade C or above, or their equivalent but consideration is given to individual circumstances
International Entry Requirements
We also welcome international applications with equivalent qualifications. Please visit the country specific pages on our international website for exact details.
English Requirements
In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.
However, if you have previously studied through the medium of English IELTS might not be required, but please visit the country specific page on our international website for exact details. If your country is not featured please contact us.
Full-time fees are per year. Part-time fees are per 20 credits. Once enrolled, the fee will remain at the same rate throughout the duration of your study on this course
August 2023 - July 2024 Fees
Full-time UK: £9000
Full-time International: £14400
August 2024 - July 2025 Fees
Full-time UK: TBC
Full-time International: £15260
Student Perks
At the University of South Wales, you’re investing in so much more than a degree. We strive to provide our students with the best possible experience, no matter what you chose to study. Whether it’s access to top of the range mac books and PCs, state-of-the-art facilities packed with industry-leading equipment and software, masterclasses and events led by industry experts, or a wide range of clubs and societies to meet likeminded people, better tomorrows start with extra perks.
Each course also has their own unique student benefits to prepare you for the real word, and details of these can be found on our course pages. From global field trips, integrated work experience and free course-related resources, to funded initiatives, projects working with real employers, and opportunities for extra qualifications and accreditations - at USW your future, is future-proofed.
Click here to learn more about student perks at USW.
Additional Costs
As a student of USW, you’ll have access to lots of free resources to support your study and learning, such as textbooks, publications, online journals, laptops, and plenty of remote-access resources. Whilst in most cases these resources are more than sufficient in supporting you with completing your course, additional costs, both obligatory and optional, may be required or requested for the likes of travel, memberships, experience days, stationery, printing, or equipment.
* Obligatory
| Item | Cost | |
|---|---|---|
| DBS | £55.42 | For 2nd year students electing to do the Professional Practice module where their placement requires it. The fee covers the cost of the enhanced check, online admin fees and the post office checks. |
| Placement expenses: work placement | £0 - £300 | 2nd year students can undertake a period of work placement if they take the Professional Practice module. Student's undertaking placement may incur costs associated with travel and expected workplace attire will vary according to the placement. |
| Other: Text books | £0 - £200 | The library will hold text books, but students may wish to purchase their own copies. |
Funding
Funding to help pay for (or cover) course tuition fees and living costs
Whilst you’re studying, you’ll have two main financial obligations – tuition fees and living costs. There’s lots of financial help available from the University of South Wales and external funding sources, that may provide loans (which have to be paid back) and grants, scholarships and bursaries (that don't).
To learn about course fees, funding options, and to see if you are eligible for financial support, visit our Fees and Funding pages.
UK students
Apply via UCAS if you are a UK residing applicant, applying for year one of a full-time undergraduate degree, Foundation Year, Foundation Degree or HND and you have not applied through UCAS before. If you are applying to study part-time, to top up your Foundation Degree or HND, or to transfer to USW from another institution, please apply directly.
International and EU students
Apply directly to the University if you live outside the UK.
Graduates have gone on to have very successful careers in the criminal justice system and youth justice systems with many working for Youth Justice Services, the Probation Service, Victim Support, the Police Force, Prison Service and other areas related to the justice system such as Women’s Aid, drug and housing agencies and Pupil Referral Units.
Many graduates also progress to a criminology PhD or criminology research degree.
Our Careers and Employability Service
As a USW student, you will have access to advice from the Careers and Employability Service throughout your studies and after you graduate.
This includes: one-to-one appointments from faculty based Career Advisers, in person, over the phone or even on Skype and through email via the "Ask a Question" service. We also have extensive online resources for help with considering your career options and presenting yourself well to employers. Resources include psychometric tests, career assessments, a CV builder, interview simulator and application help. Our employer database has over 2,000 registered employers targeting USW students, you can receive weekly email alerts for jobs.
Our Careers service has dedicated teams: A central work experience team to help you find relevant placements; an employability development team which includes an employability programme called Grad Edge; and an Enterprise team focused on new business ideas and entrepreneurship.
The Pontypridd Campus is made up of two sites: Treforest and Glyntaff. Our students love the community atmosphere, as well as living and studying in the same place. It’s quieter than the cities, with green open spaces and views across the valley.
It’s the community and friendships you’ll build that make this place special. Outside your studies you can experience our amazing sport facilities and Students’ Union.
Living in Halls is a great way to meet new people and make friends. We have high quality accommodation in Treforest, Cardiff and Newport.