Criminology | Top-up - Keele University

Year of entry

2027 - for 2027 entry see here - for 2026 entry see here

UCAS code

L613

Duration of study

1 year

Criminology | Top-up - BSc (Hons)

Engage with criminology at an advanced level and convert your current qualifications into a full undergraduate degree. Our one-year Criminology BA will develop your understanding of key areas such as punishment, migration and state crime, providing you with the skills and knowledge to progress onto further study or to pursue career opportunities in the field.

Enquire about this course Clearing 2025 Book an open day Apply now Apply direct Apply via UCAS

Why study Criminology | Top-up at Keele University?

Transform your current qualifications into a ‘top-up’ undergraduate degree

Keele pioneered the teaching of undergraduate Criminology in the UK

Benefit from established links with criminal justice practitioners

Top 15 in the UK for graduate employability (Uni Compare Rankings 2026)

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Next steps

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Course structure

Modules for Criminology | Top-up

Our courses are designed to develop the skills, experience and expertise you'll need to succeed in your chosen career, informed by the latest research, teaching methods, student feedback, and employer insights. Module details are representative of what we intend to deliver on the course, but may change to reflect best practice and academic development. This information should therefore not be considered a definitive list of available modules.

Compulsory modules

Dissertation for Criminology - ISP
This module provides an opportunity to produce a substantial piece of independent work of your own choosing in consultation with a supervisor. This generally involves either conducting a review of the literature on a topic that interests you or carrying out a piece of criminological research (such as interviewing criminal justice professionals, or analysing media coverage). It provides hands-on research training that enables you to put into practice the knowledge obtained in the first and second years of study.

Harm, Justice and Power
What, and who, is criminology for? Criminology has debated whether it should focus on helping governments improve policies, or whether it should challenge unequal power relations and systemic injustices. A variety of perspectives on justice and power have emerged, including the idea that criminology's focus should not simply be on crime but on social harm. You will apply these perspectives to themes including state crime, environmental harms, borders and migration, hate speech, and harms associated with capitalism, neoliberalism, and austerity.

Policing the 21st Century
The module will explore changes, challenges and opportunities in 21st century policing relating to topics such as decision making, public protection, response policing, roads policing, vulnerability and risk, domestic abuse, counter terrorism, community policing, policing and the digital and police investigation. The module will include visits from practitioners working in policing or related fields and is particularly useful if you are considering a career in policing through the Degree Holder Entry Programme (DHEP).

Crime prevention, partnerships and community safety
This module explores the issue of crime prevention and reduction through the lens of multi-agency partnership working involving a range of partner agencies from across criminal justice, local government, the public sector and beyond. It explores the shift from the rhetoric of 'crime prevention' to 'community safety' in the aftermath of the Morgan Report (1991) and in the context of the 1998 Crime and Disorder Act and subsequent legislation focussing on community safety, anti-social behaviour and localised crime reduction initiatives.

Optional modules

Engaged Social Science
Moving on from the previous skills modules, you will further consider how your degree can link to a range of life skills and careers through engagement with community groups, activists and people working in public and private sectors. You will be supported in your next steps either through transition to the workplace or postgraduate study.

Advanced Professional Placement in Social Sciences
This module gives students opportunities to contribute to the world beyond the University, where the specialist knowledge, research, analytical, and communication skills developed as part of your Social Science degree can be used and can make a difference. The workplace or volunteering opportunity may be, for example, with a local government agency, a charity, a community group, a criminal justice agency, a school or education provider, or another suitable opportunity identified by the student and approved by the module leader.

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Double Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework

Keele is one of only 15 broad-based universities in England - out of over 100 - to have been awarded Gold in both the 2017 and 2023 Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF) exercises, demonstrating our consistent teaching excellence.

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Additional opportunities

Explore more

There are a range of additional opportunities for this course.
Please note that undertaking one may impact the availability of another.

Entry requirements

These are the typical entry requirements for this course for a range of UK and international qualifications. If your qualifications aren't listed, please contact us to check if we can accept them. If you don't think you'll meet the stated requirements, you may be able to access this course via a Foundation Year.

Students would need to have completed the equivalent of 240 credits of prior learning in an area relevant to the programme to access Level 6. These may include:

A relevant HND with a grade of Merit or above
A relevant Foundation degree with a score of 50% or above
Level 5 of a relevant undergraduate degree with a score of 50% or above or
An international equivalent

Applicants whose first language is not English must provide a language test certificate and achieve an IELTS score of 6.0 overall (or equivalent) with no less than 5.5 in any component.

English language requirements

All our courses require an English language qualification or test. Most students meet this through a 4 or C in GCSE English. Please visit our English Language pages for details, including test information for international students. For students who require a test, this course requires a result from Group A.

Alternative and contextual offers

We're committed to ensuring equality of opportunity for applicants with the potential and motivation to succeed, regardless of background. We offer alternative offer schemes with clear eligibility criteria, including contextual offers, offers for those studying in the Keele region, and recognition of a range of additional qualifications.

General information

The entry grades outlined indicate the typical offer, along with any subject specific requirements. This is for general information only. Keele University reserves the right to vary conditions based upon a candidate's application. For international students, find out how we work with approved agents as part of our admissions process.

Social life, societies and sports

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Accommodation

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Local area and travel

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Boost your employability

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Fees and funding

Tuition fees for 2027/28 2026/27 academic year

The tuition fee for UK Home students starting in 2027/282026/27 is set by the UK Government and will be £10,050£9,790.

International: Band 1, £18,200 for the 2026/27 academic year

International fees for 2027/28 entry have not yet been confirmed. We review all tuition fees annually and will update this page once they are finalised.

In subsequent years of your course, UK Home fees may change in line with government policy or legislative requirements. For continuing international students, fees will increase each year in line with RPI, capped at a maximum of 5% per year.

For details of our international fee bands visit our Undergraduate tuition fees page.

Financial support

Going to university can be daunting as well as exciting. It's important to understand the costs and financial support available.

Our Student Financial Support team offers confidential advice and guidance to help you manage your money, resolve issues with Student Finance, create a budget, explore your options if you're facing financial hardship, and access any funding you are eligible for, such as bursaries and scholarships.

For more information visit our undergraduate fees and funding pages.

Additional costs

The additional costs listed below apply to the 2026/27 academic year. Costs for 2027/28 entry will be confirmed closer to the time, so the information below should be used as a guide only.

Optional costs

There may be optional costs that students can choose to incur to enhance their learning experience. These are not required to complete the course. Details of these optional costs are outlined below to help you plan accordingly.

Students may also incur general expenses related to university study, such as for printing, textbooks and other materials. Students who undertake a placement may be responsible for additional costs, such as travel, accommodation, and subsistence costs. For further information, please refer to the additional costs information.

Students who take the optional Work Placement module may be expected to pay travel costs (usually one day weekly) to their placement. Students who take the optional Work Placement module may need to apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check, if they plan to work with e.g. schools and charities. The current costs for a DBS check are detailed on the additional costs webpage.

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Your future career

Keele is Top 15 in the UK for graduate employability
(Uni Compare Rankings 2026)

Keele’s Careers and Employability team offers a variety of personal and career development opportunities to enhance your employability. From mock interviews, careers guidance and CV advice, to careers fairs and networking events, along with helping you find part-time and graduate employment - the team will support you throughout your studies and beyond.

Find out more about Careers and Employability Support at Keele

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Teaching, learning and assessment

Teaching

Criminology at Keele is taught by research active staff through diverse teaching methods and assessments.

Your teaching sessions will include lectures, seminars and workshops which will enhance your learning experience, engaging with discussions with academics and peers. You will explore criminological issues and social problems, encouraging independent learning with opportunities to demonstrate your ideas and solutions for subject matter. This is further enhanced through your final year dissertation/independent study project and web-based learning.

The teaching team have excellent links with local, national and international practitioners and policy makers who regularly attend lectures and seminars to offer their expertise. This gives students the opportunity to see how the learning is applied in practice and also to ask questions directly of those 'on the ground' whilst gaining an understanding of the work experience requirements for entry into different professions.

Assessment

From essays, class tests to poster presentations, we use a broad range of assessment styles to reflect the knowledge and skills gained throughout the programme. These allow you to demonstrate your learning of problem-solving skills and critical analysis for criminological research.

Other assessment methods include:

Open-book examinations – E.g. Testing your theoretical knowledge in the form of essays, case studies and/or multiple-choice questions.
Reports/critical reviews – E.g. Evidence of applied and practical learning in written form, similar to that in real-world professions such as policy reports.
Research design projects – E.g. Devising and answering research questions with evidence and data analysis.
Portfolios – E.g. Evidence of independent learning to support job applications.
Reviews – E.g. Analysis of criminological research including a summary and evidence/critical review.

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Book an open day

Criminology | Top-up BSc (Hons)

Year of entry

UCAS code

Duration of study

Criminology | Top-up - BSc (Hons)