Course summary

Drawing on the world-leading research of the Centre for Criminal Justice Studies at Leeds, this programme will enable you to develop an advanced, critical understanding of crime and criminal justice in contemporary society. You will explore complex questions concerning the nature and causes of crime, trends and patterns in offending and different theoretical perspectives on crime, criminals and crime prevention. You will examine the various contexts in which crime takes place, including the role of individual, social, legal and political factors in shaping crime and responses to crime. You will study the structure and operation of the criminal justice system, including the police, the criminal courts, prisons and probation, as well as the role of private and voluntary agencies in preventing crime and managing offenders. Core modules will give you a firm grounding in the legal, substantive, methodological and theoretical components of criminology and criminal justice studies. Besides essential subject knowledge, you will gain the study and research skills required to analyse and interpret evidence and data critically, to produce original knowledge, to develop an assured, independent perspective and to communicate your thinking on key issues in contemporary crime and criminal justice. The programme offers a range of optional modules to allow you to focus on topics that suit your interests and further your career ambitions. Quantitative Research Methods (QRM) Pathway At the end of Year 2, you will have the opportunity to apply for a place on our BA Criminal Justice and Criminology Quantitative Research Methods pathway. This pathway will help you develop advanced analytical skills, which are in high demand across the public, private, and third sectors. You will learn statistical analysis techniques and their application to real data (e.g. survey data, national statistical data) using statistical software. You will also write a dissertation in which you will analyse quantitative data to examine questions in criminal justice or criminology. This pathway is open to all students who attain an overall 2:1 grade in second year and a 2:1 grade in the Researching Crime and Criminal Justice module.