Students preparing for their graduation ceremony at Canterbury Cathedral

Criminology and Cultural Studies - BA (Hons)

UCAS code MV99

This is an archived page and for reference purposes only

2017

Criminology at Kent examines the major political issues surrounding crime and explores the wider sociology and social policy context. Taught by staff with internationally recognised expertise in criminology and cultual studies. We work regularly with criminal justice agencies, and people from these agencies occasionally lecture on the course.

Overview

Cultural Studies at Kent is an innovative subject with distinctive perspectives on all forms of present day culture. You will explore significant connections between popular culture, the arts and everyday life by crossing traditional social sciences/humanities boundaries.

Combining these subjects gives a thorough, yet broad understanding of the surrounding issues, concepts and theories.

A term abroad

Students undertaking criminology joint degrees have the opportunity of spending the second term of their third year at San Diego State University in California as part of an international exchange programme. While at San Diego State, University of Kent criminology exchange students can select from a number of module options delivered by the well-respected School of Public Affairs, which offers courses in fields such as criminal justice and criminology, public affairs and administration, and urban and transborder studies.

Think Kent video series

In this talk, Dr Marian Duggan discusses her current research project which is an analysis of how the Domestic Violence Disclosure Scheme (also known as ‘Clare’s Law’) is operating in Kent. Billed by the Government as a domestic violence ‘prevention policy’ and regularly referred to in the media as a ‘success’, she evaluates exactly how this scheme is operating in practice, whether it is achieving its aims of violence prevention and how useful a tool it is in reducing the average of two women a week who are killed in the UK as a result of domestic violence.

Independent rankings

Criminology at Kent was ranked 2nd overall, 2nd for graduate prospects and 1st for research quality in The Times Good University Guide 2017. In the National Student Survey 2016, 91% of Kent students studying Law and related subjects such as Criminology were satisfied with the overall quality of their course. 

Of students taking Law and related subjects such as Criminology, who graduated from Kent in 2015, 94% were in work or further study within six months (DLHE).

Course structure

The following modules are indicative of those offered on this programme. This listing is based on the current curriculum and may change year to year in response to new curriculum developments and innovation.  

On most programmes, you study a combination of compulsory and optional modules. You may also be able to take ‘wild’ modules from other programmes so you can customise your programme and explore other subjects that interest you.

Year abroad

Going abroad as part of your degree is an amazing experience and a chance to develop personally, academically and professionally.  You experience a different culture, gain a new academic perspective, establish international contacts and enhance your employability.

Students can apply to spend a Term or Year Abroad as part of their degree at one of our partner universities in North America, Asia or Europe. You are expected to adhere to any progression requirements in Stage 1 and Stage 2 to proceed to the Term or Year Abroad.

To be eligible for the year abroad all students must obtain an average of 60% in the first and second years of their degree. In addition, those students studying on a Tier 4 visa must ensure they comply with the prevailing UKVI visa regulations governing course changes that are applicable to their individual circumstances. 

The Term or Year abroad is assessed on a pass/fail basis and will not count towards your final degree classification. Places and destination are subject to availability, language and degree programme. To find out more, please see Go Abroad.
 

Teaching and assessment

We use a variety of teaching methods, including lectures, case study analysis, group projects and presentations, and individual and group tutorials. Many module convenors also offer additional ‘clinic’ hours to help with the preparation of coursework and for exams.

Assessment is by a mixture of coursework and examinations; to view details for individual modules click the 'read more' link within each module listed in the course structure.

Programme aims

The programme aims to:

  • produce graduates with analytical and knowledge-based skills relevant to employment in the professions, public service and the private sector
  • provide a broad knowledge and understanding of key concepts, debates and theoretical approaches in criminology and cultural studies, and the relationship between criminology and cultural studies, particularly the development in recent years of the overlap area of cultural criminology
  • develop new areas of teaching in response to needs of the community
  • promote an understanding of contemporary debates on cultural issues and the cultural aspects of political, economic and social issues
  • provide an understanding of the historical processes that have shaped the distinctive peculiarities of modern western culture as it has emerged over the last two centuries, and the underlying patterns of meaning that can link what can otherwise seem to be very disparate phenomena
  • understand the emergence of social problems (including crime) and the responses of welfare and criminal justice institutions, including analysis of the theoretical, political and economic underpinnings of these responses
  • help students to link theoretical knowledge with empirical enquiry and to identify and understand different ideological positions
  • develop problem-solving skills and an understanding of the nature and appropriate use of research methods used in social science research
  • teach students key writing, research and communications skills
  • give students the skills and abilities to enable them to become informed citizens, capable of participating in the policy process and equipped for a dynamic labour market.

Learning outcomes

Knowledge and understanding

You gain knowledge and understanding of:

  • the principal concepts and theoretical approaches in criminology and cultural studies
  • the ways in which images and popular stereotypes of crime are constructed and represented
  • the principles that underlie criminal justice policy, how they have changed over time and how they relate to the workings of particular agencies of welfare and crime control
  • contemporary issues and debates in specific areas of criminology and cultural studies, particularly where these overlap
  • the main sources of data about crime and social welfare and a grasp of the research methods used to collect and analyse data
  • distinctive patterns of modern culture and the historical development and consequences of the split between 'elite' and 'popular' culture
  • interdisciplinary approaches to issues in criminology and cultural studies and the ability to use ideas from other sources.

Intellectual skills

You develop the following intellectual skills:

  • problem-solving and the ability to seek solutions to crime criminal behaviour and other social problems and individual needs
  • research, including the ability to identify appropriate research questions in criminology and cultural studies and to collect and interpret data to answer such questions
  • evaluation and analysis, to assess the outcomes of criminal justice, crime prevention and social policy intervention on individuals and communities
  • sensitivity to the values and interests of others and to the dimensions of cultural difference
  • interpretation, to analyse a range of cultural material from image to text, and understand wider contexts and implications.

Subject-specific skills

You gain the following subject-specific skills:

  • the identification and use of theories and concepts in criminology to analyse issues of crime and criminal justice
  • the identification, use and application of cultural theories and concepts to the analysis of cultural processes and products in everyday life
  • seeking out and use of statistical data relevant to issues of crime and criminal justice
  • knowing how to use methods of cultural analysis in examining the content and presentation of different media and art forms
  • understanding the nature and appropriate use, including the ethical implications, of diverse social research strategies and methods
  • distinguishing between technical, normative, moral and political questions.

Transferable skills

You gain the following transferable skills:

  • studying and learning independently, using library and internet sources
  • developing an appetite for learning and being reflective, adaptive and collaborative in your approach
  • making short presentations to fellow students and staff
  • communicating ideas and arguments to others, both in written and spoken form
  • preparing essays and referencing the material quoted according to conventions in social policy
  • using IT to wordprocess, conduct online searches, communicate by email and access data sources
  • time management by delivering academic work on time and to the required standard
  • working with others: developing interpersonal and teamworking skills to enable you to work collaboratively, negotiate, listen and deliver results.

Careers

Criminology

Kent has strong links with local probation and youth justice agencies, police and social services, which means that you get the opportunity to meet leading practitioners in the field at guest lectures and seminars. Through your studies, you gain key skills including getting to grips with challenging ideas, working independently and in a team, and expressing your ideas to others.

Recently, our graduates have gone into areas such as police forces, local authorities, criminal justice services, youth services, social services and the Crown Court, more general areas such as banks and financial services, or on to further study.

Cultural Studies

Cultural Studies provides a useful background for a wide range of careers. The skills you acquire, such as improved communication skills, the ability to work as part of a team and independently, the ability to analyse complex ideas and the confidence to offer your own innovative solutions, are all considered essential attributes by graduate employers. The programmes are especially good preparation for professional or postgraduate training in the media and cultural industries.

Our graduates take up careers in advertising and design, journalism, broadcasting, teaching, arts administration, publishing, public relations, research, information services, leisure industry management, tourism and heritage, personnel, local government, and the organisation of social and community projects.

If you have chosen to take the Year Abroad option you will have further increased your portfolio of skills by gaining experience of living and studying in a different culture. You will have learnt to appreciate and assess different approaches to criminology giving you a uniquely global perspective.

Entry requirements

Home/EU students

The University will consider applications from students offering a wide range of qualifications. Students offering alternative qualifications should contact us for further advice. 

It is not possible to offer places to all students who meet this typical offer/minimum requirement.

New GCSE grades

If you’ve taken exams under the new GCSE grading system, please see our conversion table to convert your GCSE grades.

Qualification Typical offer/minimum requirement
A level

BBB

Access to HE Diploma

The University will not necessarily make conditional offers to all Access candidates but will continue to assess them on an individual basis. 

If we make you an offer, you will need to obtain/pass the overall Access to Higher Education Diploma and may also be required to obtain a proportion of the total level 3 credits and/or credits in particular subjects at merit grade or above

BTEC Level 3 Extended Diploma (formerly BTEC National Diploma)

Distinction, Distinction, Merit. Health and Social Care or Public Services preferred.

International Baccalaureate

34 points overall or 15 at HL

International students

The University welcomes applications from international students. Our international recruitment team can guide you on entry requirements. See our International Student website for further information about entry requirements for your country.

If you need to increase your level of qualification ready for undergraduate study, we offer a number of International Foundation Programmes.

Meet our staff in your country

For more advise about applying to Kent, you can meet our staff at a range of international events. 

English Language Requirements

Please see our English language entry requirements web page.

Please note that if you are required to meet an English language condition, we offer a number of 'pre-sessional' courses in English for Academic Purposes. You attend these courses before starting your degree programme. 

General entry requirements

Please also see our general entry requirements.

Fees

The 2017/18 tuition fees for this programme are:

UK/EU Overseas
Full-time
Part-time

For details of when and how to pay fees and charges, please see our Student Finance Guide.

UK/EU fee paying students

The Government has announced changes to allow undergraduate tuition fees to rise in line with inflation from 2017/18.

In accordance with changes announced by the UK Government, we are increasing our 2017/18 regulated full-time tuition fees for new and returning UK/EU fee paying undergraduates from £9,000 to £9,250. The equivalent part-time fees for these courses will also rise from £4,500 to £4,625. This was subject to us satisfying the Government's Teaching Excellence Framework and the access regulator's requirements. This fee will ensure the continued provision of high-quality education.

For students continuing on this programme, fees will increase year on year by no more than RPI + 3% in each academic year of study except where regulated.* 

The University will assess your fee status as part of the application process. If you are uncertain about your fee status you may wish to seek advice from UKCISA before applying.

Fees for Year Abroad/Industry

As a guide only, UK/EU/International students on an approved year abroad for the full 2017/18 academic year pay an annual fee of £1,350 to Kent for that year. Students studying abroad for less than one academic year will pay full fees according to their fee status. 

Please note that for 2017/18 entrants the University will increase the standard year in industry fee for home/EU/international students to £1,350.

General additional costs

Find out more about accommodation and living costs, plus general additional costs that you may pay when studying at Kent.

Funding

University funding

Kent offers generous financial support schemes to assist eligible undergraduate students during their studies. See our funding page for more details. 

Government funding

You may be eligible for government finance to help pay for the costs of studying. See the Government's student finance website.

The Government has confirmed that EU students applying for university places in the 2017 to 2018 academic year will still have access to student funding support for the duration of their course.

Scholarships

General scholarships

Scholarships are available for excellence in academic performance, sport and music and are awarded on merit. For further information on the range of awards available and to make an application see our scholarships website.

The Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence

At Kent we recognise, encourage and reward excellence. We have created the Kent Scholarship for Academic Excellence. The scholarship will be awarded to any applicant who achieves a minimum of AAA over three A levels, or the equivalent qualifications (including BTEC and IB) as specified on our scholarships pages.

The scholarship is also extended to those who achieve AAB at A level (or specified equivalents) where one of the subjects is either Mathematics or a Modern Foreign Language. Please review the eligibility criteria.

Full-time

Part-time

The Key Information Set (KIS) data is compiled by UNISTATS and draws from a variety of sources which includes the National Student Survey and the Higher Education Statistical Agency. The data for assessment and contact hours is compiled from the most populous modules (to the total of 120 credits for an academic session) for this particular degree programme. Depending on module selection, there may be some variation between the KIS data and an individual's experience. For further information on how the KIS data is compiled please see the UNISTATS website.

If you have any queries about a particular programme, please contact information@kent.ac.uk.