Criminology BA
AAB at A level; graduates earn a median £24,000 three years on.
Typical A level offer
AAB
100% of entrants came with A levels · 95% stay on after year 1 · York course page, Discover Uni
Year 13 · applying
What do you need to get in?
AABtypical A level offer
Typical offer — the grades most applicants are asked for. Contextual offer: BBB, for applicants from under-represented backgrounds.
York course page, read 19 September 2026 · Discover Uni entry profile
Who actually got in: 100% with A levels. Based on 55 entrants.
Other qualifications5
| Qualification | Typical offer | Required subjects |
|---|---|---|
| Access | 36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit or higher | — |
| BTEC | DDDDDD We consider a range of BTEC qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications. For example: Distinction, Distinction in BTEC Level 3 National Diploma | — |
| IB | 35 points35 points overall | — |
| T Level | Distinction overall including grade A in the Core T Level subjects in AccountingDistinction overall including grade A in the Core T Level subjects in Accounting; Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing; Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction; Digital Bus | A in the Core T Level subjects in Accounting |
| Scottish Highers | AABBB | — |
Years 1–3
What do you study?
5compulsory modules in year 1
Compulsory modules this year: social & cultural skills 43% · law & public administration 40% · language & communication 10% · transversal skills 7%.
Module — one course unit, usually a term or a year long; “core” means everyone takes it. One UK credit is about ten hours of study; a full year is 120 credits.
York course page · optional modules vary by year
Year 1 · 5 core · 100 credits ≈ 1,000 hours
- Explaining Crime and Deviance
What you learn (7)
- explain the historical development of criminology as a field
- describe debates underpinning theoretical explanations of crime
- organise own schedule to complete independent study tasks
- apply social theory concepts to analyse historical events
- apply social theory concepts to analyse current issues
- present coherent arguments in spoken discussion
- compose coherent arguments in written form
- Foundations in Social Psychology
What you learn (9)
- describe key theories in social psychology
- explain methods used in social psychological research
- apply social psychological concepts to interpret everyday situations
- situate psychological phenomena within broader social contexts
- relate personal identity to wider societal structures
- identify relevant academic literature related to a research topic
- evaluate literature to support empirical claims
- communicate complex psychological ideas in written form
- communicate complex psychological ideas orally
- Social Harm and Injustice
What you learn (9)
- explain the concept of social justice
- describe real-world implications arising from social justice issues
- describe the historical development of social harm theory
- explain the relationship between social harm theory and criminology
- outline the key arguments underpinning social harm theory
- reflect on policy implications of social harm and justice theories
- apply social harm and justice theories across diverse sectors and policy areas
- compare local and global applications of social harm and justice theories
- evaluate how social harms and injustices affect different groups differently
- The Criminal Justice System
What you learn (6)
- identify the key agencies within the criminal justice system of England and Wales
- explain the functions and powers of criminal justice agencies
- describe how the criminal justice system operates in practice
- describe how the criminal justice system processes offenders
- evaluate the effectiveness of offender treatment within the system
- apply criminal justice system knowledge to a specific case study
- Criminal Justice and Inequality
What you learn (1)
- describe key theories explaining the causes of inequality in crime and disorder governance
Year 2 · 5 core, 2 optional · 100 credits ≈ 1,000 hours
- Understanding Contemporary Crime
What you learn (4)
- apply criminological theories to analyse contemporary global crime issues
- critique media and public portrayals of crime and deviance
- present arguments effectively through varied written formats
- explain how media representations of crime and deviance are constructed
- Doing Research
What you learn (10)
- describe key principles underpinning social science research
- apply core social science research principles to a study
- identify ethical issues arising in social science research projects
- respond appropriately to ethical dilemmas during research activities
- evaluate quantitative or qualitative techniques for a research problem
- investigate a social science problem using chosen research techniques
- reflect on personal learning progress throughout the module
- plan own professional development based on reflective insights
- collaborate with peers to complete shared research tasks
- present complex research ideas clearly to an audience
- Crime, Control and Globalisation
What you learn (8)
- explain features and tensions of crime control in a globalised context
- describe political, law enforcement and judicial responses to global crime
- describe regional and international cooperation mechanisms against global crime
- construct critical written arguments supported by evidence and examples
- identify different types of transnational crime
- analyse the impact of transnational crime on political and economic development
- analyse the impact of transnational crime on social and cultural development
- describe key theoretical frameworks used to analyse global crime
- Crime and the Life Course
What you learn (7)
- explain the purpose and value of life course and developmental criminology
- apply life course criminology concepts to varied case scenarios
- evaluate criminal justice system responses to offending across the life course
- evaluate government and ngo interventions addressing criminality
- describe how intersecting social identities shape offending and desistance
- explain how crime and societal responses are socially constructed
- describe how perceptions of crime change over the life course
- Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
What you learn (3)
- analyse current challenges facing the criminal justice system in England and Wales
- relate criminal justice problems to historical, social, cultural and economic change
- explain the harmful effects of crime on victims, communities and society
2 optional modules
- Working in the Criminal Justice System
What you learn (7)
- describe various job roles within criminal justice agencies
- compare different occupational roles in the criminal justice system
- evaluate current debates surrounding criminal justice employment
- analyse sociological concepts relevant to criminal justice work experiences
- apply criminological theories to practitioners' lived experiences
- present a scholarly argument using visual materials
- produce a written scholarly argument
- Victimology and Victimization
What you learn (11)
- explain Christie's Ideal Victim Theory and its purpose
- evaluate the usefulness of Ideal Victim Theory for understanding victimisation
- apply Ideal Victim Theory to analyse varied victim scenarios
- evaluate criminal justice system responses to different victim groups
- evaluate government and NGO responses to different victim groups
- describe how intersecting identities shape experiences of victimisation
- explain how situational and social context constructs victim status
- analyse how dominant values and beliefs shape institutional responses to victims
- assess policy responses to victims of crime
- assess practice responses to victims of crime
- describe features of a victim-centred response for diverse forms of victimisation
Year 3 · 2 core, 9 optional · 60 credits ≈ 600 hours
- Influencers and Ideas in Criminology
What you learn (5)
- assess how criminological theoretical arguments are constructed
- identify key arguments presented by influential criminology authors
- evaluate how authors' arguments extend or challenge wider theories
- explain points of agreement and disagreement between criminological theories
- critique academic reasoning to identify scope for argument
- Dissertation
What you learn (13)
- design a research project using qualitative and quantitative methods
- carry out rigorous analysis of a sociological or criminological topic
- explain a chosen topic using relevant disciplinary theories and perspectives
- relate a chosen criminology topic to relevant policy context
- synthesise theoretical knowledge to construct complex arguments
- communicate arguments about contemporary social issues and debates
- identify policy implications arising from criminological research findings
- analyse complex sociological or criminological concepts and theories
- apply theoretical concepts to develop understanding of social worlds
- identify ethical issues relevant to a research project
- apply ethical principles when interacting with research participants
- design research procedures that protect participant wellbeing
- plan and manage a self-directed research workload effectively
9 optional modules
- Working in the Criminal Justice System (if not taken in Year 2)
What you learn (7)
- describe various job roles within criminal justice agencies
- compare different occupational roles in the criminal justice system
- evaluate current debates surrounding criminal justice employment
- analyse sociological concepts relevant to criminal justice work experiences
- apply criminological theories to practitioners' lived experiences
- present a scholarly argument using visual materials
- produce a written scholarly argument
- Crime, Gender and Sexuality
What you learn (11)
- explain sociological approaches to gender and sexuality
- explain criminological approaches to gender and sexuality
- apply sociological theories to issues of gender and sexuality
- apply sociological concepts to analyse sexual offences
- evaluate formal social responses to gender- and sexuality-related crimes
- evaluate informal social responses to gender- and sexuality-related crimes
- explain how formal control strategies shape gender and sexual identities
- explain how informal control strategies shape gender and sexual practices
- analyse how legislation regulates gender and sexuality
- analyse how state policies regulate gender and sexuality
- analyse how policing strategies regulate gender and sexuality
- Policing and the Police
What you learn (6)
- explain how historical developments have shaped modern policing
- analyse theoretical approaches relevant to policing
- analyse policies relevant to the police and policing
- evaluate current trends in policing practice
- critique established police practices
- examine policing responses to a specific crime type in depth
- Drugs: Prevalence, Policy and Practice
What you learn (9)
- compare UK and international drug policy approaches
- evaluate the effectiveness of different drug policy approaches using evidence
- analyse structural and individual explanations for drug use
- propose flexible and creative policy or practice responses to drug use
- critique conflicting qualitative and quantitative evidence on drug theory and policy
- construct a well-supported argument on the strength of drug-related evidence
- critique competing perspectives on harm reduction and recovery approaches
- explain political, social and clinical influences shaping drug policy and practice
- challenge oversimplified models of drug policy and practice
- Vulnerability, Deviancy and Social control
What you learn (6)
- explain how behaviourist policy agendas impact vulnerable individuals and groups
- situate contemporary behaviourist trends within their historical development
- analyse theories relating to social control
- analyse policies and practices relating to social control
- identify links between care and control within welfare and disciplinary systems
- critique the blending of care and control in contemporary welfare practice
- Prisons and Penal Policy
What you learn (9)
- describe the historical development of imprisonment in England and Wales
- debate the conflict between punitive and rehabilitative approaches to imprisonment
- evaluate the effectiveness of combining punishment and rehabilitation in prisons
- identify the current legislation governing prisons in England and Wales
- discuss contemporary debates on imprisonment in England and Wales
- formulate a critical perspective on current imprisonment practices
- explain the historical evolution of imprisonment practices in England and Wales
- describe current legislation and enforcement systems governing prisons
- analyse the political and moral influences shaping imprisonment policy
- Environmental Justice, Harm and Policy
What you learn (7)
- explain the causes of environmental harm
- describe the human impacts resulting from environmental harm
- identify unequal distributions of environmental benefits and burdens
- critically investigate the drivers behind environmental inequality
- apply theories of environmental justice to analyse unequal harm distribution
- explain unequal distributions of environmental harm using theoretical frameworks
- evaluate policy responses addressing unequal environmental harm
- Gender, Violence and Justice
What you learn (10)
- critique explanatory frameworks for violence
- analyse gendered dimensions of violence frameworks
- identify contexts in which violence occurs
- analyse contexts in which violence occurs
- describe the role of activism in addressing gendered violence
- evaluate limitations of activism, policy and practice approaches
- conduct independent research on a chosen gendered violence topic
- analyse limitations of existing policy frameworks
- identify options for policy change
- produce a policy briefing document
- Crime and Justice in Online Space
What you learn (7)
- identify key technological challenges facing criminal justice agencies
- analyse how technological change affects criminal justice practice internationally
- assess how everyday technology use shapes victimisation risk
- analyse individual experiences of technology to explain vulnerability to cybercrime
- critically evaluate mainstream criminological theories against current cybercrime trends
- identify regulatory and legislative responses to cybercrime
- analyse the effectiveness of policy responses to cybercrime
“What you learn” restates each module’s published learning outcomes in our own words, as short skill statements in the same form as the GCSE and A level curriculum, with the help of an AI model; fields of knowledge follow the twelve fields of the knowledge sphere. The university’s module page, linked from each title, is the authoritative description.
After graduating
Where does it lead?
£24,000median pay three years after graduating
Lower quarter£19k
Median£24k
Upper quarter£29k
Median — the middle earner: half earned more, half less. Pay is for graduates of this subject at this university who finished in 2016-18, not adjusted for inflation; based on 250 graduates.
Discover Uni dataset (HESA and Office for Students, CC BY 4.0, contains HESA data); earnings from the Longitudinal Education Outcomes data (Department for Education) · aggregation level 12, 14, 22
Half of graduates earned between £19,000 and £29,000. Five years on, the median is £29,000. 95% were in work or further study 15 months after finishing; 59% of those in work were in professional or managerial jobs.
All outcome figures7
| Measure | Value | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Continue after year 15% left | 95% | 40 |
| In work or study, 15 months on15% studying | 95% | 15 |
| Professional or managerial job | 59% | 75 |
| Pay 15 months on, median | £26,000 | 45 |
| Pay 3 years on, median | £24,000 | 250 |
| Pay 5 years on, median | £29,000 | 255 |
Money
What does it cost?
£10,050a year for UK students, 2027/28 entry
Tuition fee loan — paid straight to the university; repayments start the April after you leave, at 9% of income above the threshold. UK fees are capped by government and rise with inflation; placement and study-abroad years are usually charged at a lower rate.
York fees page · source
About £30,150 in fees over 3 years, covered by a tuition fee loan you repay only when earning above the threshold. International students: £27,800 a year (2027/28).
National Student Survey 2025-26
What do students say?
96%agreed the course was good overall (question 26)
NSS — a yearly survey of final-year students at every UK university; 76% of this course’s final year answered. Small groups can swing a lot year to year.
National Student Survey, via Discover Uni · 30 students answered
Highest: 100% agreed on question 20; lowest: 64% on question 24.
All questions26
| Question | Agree |
|---|---|
| Question 1 | 86% |
| Question 2 | 79% |
| Question 3 | 79% |
| Question 4 | 71% |
| Question 5 | 79% |
| Question 6 | 79% |
| Question 7 | 86% |
| Question 8 | 79% |
| Question 9 | 75% |
| Question 10 | 79% |
| Question 11 | 79% |
| Question 12 | 86% |
| Question 13 | 86% |
| Question 14 | 64% |
| Question 15 | 86% |
| Question 16 | 86% |
| Question 17 | 86% |
| Question 18 | 79% |
| Question 19 | 84% |
| Question 20 | 100% |
| Question 21 | 88% |
| Question 22 | 82% |
| Question 23 | 82% |
| Question 24 | 64% |
| Question 25 | 88% |
| Question 26 | 96% |
Question texts are published by the Office for Students; the dataset carries only the question numbers.
Modules, entry requirements and fees are facts read from University of York’s course page on 2026-09-19 and may change; the university’s page is authoritative. Descriptions are not reproduced. Outcome figures are from the Discover Uni dataset. University of York is a trade mark of the university; sch.today is independent of it.