Overview
How can we improve services for crime victims? What causes miscarriages of justice and how can we prevent them? What should we do when children commit crime? Study Applied Criminology with Criminal Investigation at CCCU and explore answers to some of society’s biggest questions.
Our innovative and interdisciplinary course focuses on the intersections between crime, justice, and society, enabling you to understand the importance of cooperation and communication between agencies within criminal justice. You'll learn about the impact of social problems and structures, which will equip you with a strong foundation in criminological theories and a critical understanding of criminal justice processes.
You’ll explore who commits crime and why, learn how the criminal justice system treats victims, and why the law criminalises some harmful behaviours but not others. Our emphasis on learning through experience will enable you to practise investigative interviewing and ethical decision making. You’ll also analyse aspects of police investigations from a range of perspectives. Our applied focus builds key skills, preparing you for a wide range of careers in criminal justice and beyond and enabling you to become skilled practitioners capable of working effectively in multidisciplinary and multiagency environments.
What's more, you'll have access to unique facilities and resources where you can practise real-world decision making in our Hydra Suite. You'll also have opportunities to work with real cases (e.g. Miscarriages of Justice, Missing People), not only putting your learning into practice, but gaining key transferrable skills in communicating with industry professionals.
We know employers are looking for dynamic, open-minded graduates who can adapt, innovate, and collaborate. So we have designed a new way of teaching and learning to ensure that you are work-ready for when you graduate.
My CCCU degree has opened up a whole new world and inspired me to examine my true potential as a graduate. I am now looking beyond my current role to what I can achieve personally and professionally.Anthony, CCCU alumni, now Detective Investigator, Metropolitan Police
Entry requirements
Qualification type |
Grades |
|
A Levels |
BBC |
|
BTEC |
DMM |
|
Access |
15 Distinctions and 30 Merits |
|
International Baccalaureate |
29 Points |
|
Combinations |
A combination of qualifications totalling 112 UCAS points |
Find out more information about entry requirements.
International students
Find out about IELTS requirements. Depending which country you're from, there may be specific entry requirements. Check your country to see if this is applicable to you.
If you have any questions about entry requirements for this course, please contact our Course Enquiry Team.
112
UCAS Tariff Points
Module information
We know employers are looking for dynamic, open-minded graduates who can adapt, innovate, and collaborate. So we have designed a new way of teaching and learning to ensure that you are work-ready for when you graduate. Alongside the modules below you will choose from our new curriculum that will help you achieve student success, engage with contemporary topics and work with industry or the community.
As well as the core modules, you will also have the opportunity to study a number of option modules. The availability of specific option modules may vary from year to year. This will be subject to a minimum number of students choosing the module and staff availability. It means we cannot guarantee the availability of a particular option module. However, we will ensure you have a choice of option modules.
Core/optional modules
How you’ll learn
You will be taught through a combination of lectures, workshops and tutorials and you will typically have contact time of around 9 hours per week, supported by additional online materials.
Key knowledge is provided through lectures, guided reading and online materials, and this is supported by class activities and discussion, which help you to apply theory to real life scenarios and problems. Some teaching is also delivered through workshops which blend knowledge delivery with discussions or activities, as well as helping with key skills development. Teaching sessions are interactive, allowing you to engage with material on a deeper level. Tutorials are available to provide one to one support.
When not attending lectures, seminars, workshops or other timetabled sessions you'll have access to a range of resources to help you continue learning through self-study. This typically involves reading journal articles and books, undertaking research in the library, working on projects, and preparing for coursework assignments/examinations, workshops and seminars.
Your lecturers will direct you towards specific readings and/or activities where appropriate to complete before / after class and provide tutorials where necessary to support your learning.
We also recommend that you set up student study groups and support each other with your studies as research shows that we learn much better in communities.
A range of additional study skills and employability workshops are available within the University to help you reach your full academic and career potential.
Each 30 credit module requires approximately 200 hours of learning, of which approximately 50 hours of this is taught class contact time with the remaining being independent study.
You will study six modules per year and this is typically 1,200 hours of study per year (37.5 hours per week).
The teaching team have academic expertise across a range of criminological issues, including: policing, mental health, criminal justice and crime, the history of crime and punishment, migration and crime, drug related crime and drug treatment, youth justice and victimology. They are also involved in research activities in these and other areas, and they bring this research expertise into their teaching. Many staff have published in these areas and have practical experience in them too.
The core team is supported by other teams in the University, such as the law, policing and forensic investigation teams, and a range of professionals currently working in the field who provide guest lectures.
Staff use their research expertise to inform teaching, and they provide you with opportunities to be involved with research to help develop you academically and personally. Our criminology staff and students were central to a pilot of the Bystander Initiative, which aims to support students and staff to identify and prevent sexual harassment, assault and coercive behaviour. The pilot was successful, and a modified version of the initiative is now available University-wide.
We will work closely with you throughout your degree, guiding and enhancing your learning to ensure that you produce the best possible work, as well as making the subject enjoyable. Our interactive sessions will encourage you to work with us and your peers to develop your understanding and knowledge around crime and criminal justice.Dan BurrowsCourse Director of Applied Criminology
How you’ll be assessed
Assessments are a core part of the course and each module has 1-3 assessments that contribute to the 4000-word assessment quota. The course is designed to ensure that each assessment is well supported by written guides, study skills sessions, a study toolkit and staff guidance, and the course provides you with a range of assessment types to allow you to develop skills that are required in criminal justice professions. We also provide opportunities for you to gain formative feedback informally before you complete the formal assessments that count towards your final mark by providing opportunities to gain feedback on assessment plans.
There are formal or 'summative' assessments during each of the modules and assessment methods include a range of coursework assessments such as essays, reports, portfolios and oral presentations, as well as written and online examinations. In your final year you have the opportunity to undertake a dissertation in an area of your choice with close supervision from a member of academic staff. This can include conducting your own research project and offers a valuable opportunity to demonstrate that you can manage your work independently, thus helping your employability skills. The grades from formal assessments count towards your module mark and feedback is provided to ensure that you can improve future assessments.
Feedback
The team is dedicated to providing high quality feedback on all assessments to enable you to understand what action you need to take to improve your work / marks. We try to ensure that feedback is student focused and constructive. Tutorials also enable you to discuss your work. We aim to provide you with feedback within 15 working days of hand-in for all assessments and use a range of feedback methods to meet the needs of our students.
Your future career
You will have the potential to enter a range of careers in crime, criminal justice and related fields on completion of this course, as the design of the Applied Criminology with Criminal Investigation course at Christ Church gives you the opportunity to gain the knowledge and skills that are core to criminal justice careers and transferable to other related careers. Graduates of the course typically secure posts within the police, the prison service, the probation service, youth work, private companies working in security, and third sector organisations working in crime control and victim support.
Further opportunities exist as investigators for: National Crime Agency, the Military, Independent Office for Police Conduct, Criminal Cases Review Commission, Security Services, HM Courts and Tribunals Service, and so on. Postgraduate study is also an option for Applied Criminology with Criminal Investigation graduates and you will be encouraged to make the most of the volunteering and networking opportunities available throughout your degree course in addition to your studies in order to enhance your employability.
Just thought I'd say thanks! I can distinctly remember being an undergrad criminology student at Christ Church and thinking 'I want to publish something in the British Journal of Criminology someday' and now my first journal article is about to be published. I'll always be grateful for the wonderful teaching and enthusiasm, it really set me on my way.ThomasGraduate in Applied Criminology with Legal Studies
Fees
The 2025/26 annual tuition fees for this course are:
| UK | Overseas | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time | £9,535 | £15,500 |
Tuition fees for all courses are payable on an annual basis, except where stated. The fees represented here are for study with Canterbury Christ Church University. If you are looking to study at a partner institution, please visit their website for fees information.
Please read the 2025/26 Tuition Fee Statement for further information regarding tuition fees and year on year fee increases.
Home (UK) Fees
The Government has announced that it will increase the tuition fee cap by 3.1%, in line with inflation, for the 2025/26 academic cycle. Subject to parliamentary approval, the University intends to increase our tuition fees in line with this and as per our terms and conditions. This means that from September 2025 our undergraduate home tuition fees are expected to be £9,535.
Overseas/International Fees
Undergraduate / PGCE tuition fees for international students are not set by the UK Government.
- Read advice about funding your degree
- See information about the financial support available for undergraduate studies
- If you would like information about paying your fees, please contact accounts.receivable@canterbury.ac.uk
- For specific fee queries, please contact fees@canterbury.ac.uk
Industry links
We have a range of external criminal justice professionals and other experts involved in the delivery of the course. We work with them to aid course development in order to ensure our degree is current, accurate and relevant to criminal justice employers.
We actively consult and collaborate with a range of criminal justice and related organisations and these change on a yearly basis, in response to changing operational commitments of these organisations and trends in criminal justice. Collaborations include police forces, the prison service, charities and academics from other higher education institutions.
We promote volunteering to our students and provide support and advice in identifying and applying for volunteering posts and work experience. We have previously developed projects where students work and volunteer with staff on research related activities, giving valuable experience and enhancing employability skills. We work closely with a number of criminal justice professionals and organisations, as well as our colleagues in policing, forensics and law, to create opportunities for our students to experience criminal justice settings.
As access to criminal justice facilities can be restricted due to security issues, we hire a range of guest lecturers to come to the University and provide sessions on their area of expertise. These lecturers are professionals who are currently working in the field and often go beyond their lecturing remit to support students in accessing information, gaining work experience or giving careers advice.
Professional accreditation
The Applied Criminology course adheres to and is guided by the Criminology Benchmark Statements, which define expectations as part of the UK Quality Code for Higher Education.
Regulated by the Office for Students
The Office for Students (OfS) regulates Canterbury Christ Church University. The OfS is the independent regulator of higher education in England. It aims to ensure that every student, whatever their background, has a fulfilling experience of higher education that enriches their lives and careers. Further details about its work are available on the OfS website.
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Duration:
3 yearsUCAS code:
M901Location(s):
CanterburyStudent life
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