Advice for students thinking about studying Criminology & Criminal Behaviour

Aimee graduated from BA (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Behaviour in 2023. Here's a blog she wrote whilst she was on the course offering advice to students thinking about studying this subject. 🙌

Why I chose Criminology and Criminal Behaviour
Hi, welcome to my blog! My name is Aimee, and I'm a second-year Criminology and Criminal Behaviour student at the University of Bradford.

I also work part-time at the University as a student ambassador where I get to speak to lots of different people who are also interested in criminology. If you’re thinking of studying this wide and amazing subject, I’m here to tell you why you should – this is a great way to determine if you want to study criminology or psychology.

My favourite things about the course
I learned so many new things in my first year, so I headed into my second year filled with so much excitement. I knew my second year was going to be different because this is where the marks really do count – so it was time to start looking into each module in more detail.

In my second year, I studied law, social work, and sociology (all of which were new to me) and I was very eager to learn more. Some of my assessments this year were group-based presentations, which I found to be very rewarding. But that being said, there have been times in my degree where I have felt overwhelmed because I was worried about my grades but that is what your personal academic tutor is there for – with the help of my tutors, I was able to get a good grade.

Why I chose the course
I chose to study criminology because I was really interested in why people commit crimes. From a young age, I used to watch true crime documentaries such as ‘Born to Kill’. A lot of people just choose to study criminology because they find the subject interesting, which is fine! If you have a passion for your chosen subject, then it will feel like you’re not studying at all!

Pro tip: don’t use Netflix as a source of information. Instead, look at the criminologists and psychologists that are speaking on those shows and explore their work further – then you can cite and reference them in your essays!

What I'm hoping to do with my degree after graduation
Looking into the future, which isn’t that far away! I’m still undecided about what I’m going to do once I’ve completed my undergraduate studies. I’ve been thinking about doing a Master’s course in criminology because I believe there is so much more to explore within this field. But I’ve also been looking at studying a PGCE so I can teach criminology to high school or A level students.

When starting your undergraduate studies, it’s okay to not know what you want to do after you graduate. You learn so much in these three years and your career perspectives may change, and that is perfectly normal! I am now preparing to move into my final year where I will graduate in May 2023 and trust me, your time at university will fly! You can make the most out of university by joining various societies where you can socialise and make friends with lots of people. You could also become a student ambassador where the opportunities to reach your potential are huge! I would say, if you want to study criminology then come to an open day where you can speak to academics and tutors to see if you like the course.

Standout things I've learned in my studies
When I started my degree, I did not know what to expect. I knew I was here because I wanted to look at why people committed crimes, but I did not understand how we were going to put this into practice and truly understand this. In my first year, the most important module, in my opinion, is criminological theory. This is the module which underpins the theories as to why males are more likely to be victims of crimes than females and other important theories that help us understand why people may commit crimes.

However, the study skills module is equally important because this shows you how to properly research and write educated essays through a portfolio assessment. In this year, I also undertook an introduction to crime scene investigation which was very interesting – who would have thought that the way glass shatters on someone can get them convicted of a crime? Overall, the first year is very important because you start to understand the different aspects of criminology through case studies, theories, and essay-based questions.
Best of luck for the future everyone!