- UCAS course code
- M901
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Early clearing information
This course is available through clearing for home and international applicants
If you already have your exam results, meet the entry requirements, and are not holding an offer from a university or college, then you may be able to apply to this course.
Contact the admissions team
Bachelor of Arts (BA)
BA Criminology
Duration: 3 or 4 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: M901 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
Industrial experience
Scholarships available
Field trips
- Typical A-level offer: AAB
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBB
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 35 points overall with 6,6,5 at HL
Fees and funding
Fees
Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £26,500 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.
Policy on additional costs
All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).
Scholarships/sponsorships
Scholarships and bursaries, including the Manchester Bursary , are available to eligible home/EU students.
Some undergraduate UK students will receive bursaries of up to £2,000 per year, in addition to the government package of maintenance grants.
You can get information and advice on student finance to help you manage your money.
Course unit details:
Understanding Punishment
| Unit code | CRIM20692 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 20 |
| Unit level | Level 2 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 2 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This course unit introduces some of the central issues and concepts involved in a critical consideration of punishment and penal systems. We will explore the main theoretical perspectives and apply these to some contemporary problems in the field.
Indicative content: (1) The aim of punishment and societal structure (i); (2) The political economy of punishment (ii); (3) Punishment and discipline (iii); (4) Punishment and culture (iv); (5) Probation, electronic monitoring and risk (v); (6) Restorative Justice (i); (7) Prison (ii); (8) The death penalty and life imprisonment (iii); (9) Fines and Intersectionality (iv); (10) Wrap up and essay guidance.
Pre/co-requisites
None, though prior knowledge of theoretical approaches to explaining crime and deviance would be an advantage.
Aims
The course unit aims to provide a thorough understanding of the main theoretical perspectives as well as justifications and explanations on punishment and their application to current issues in penal policy.
Learning outcomes
On completion of the course unit, successful students will be able to: (1) demonstrate knowledge on the main theoretical frameworks and explanations of punishment; (2) apply them to critically explain contemporary issues in punishment and penal policy; (3) accurately summarise and use complex material to address practical and policy problems in punishment.
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching and learning across course units consists of: (1) preparatory work to be completed prior to teaching sessions, including readings, pre-recorded subject material and online activities; (2) a weekly whole-class lecture or workshop; (3) a tutorial; and (4) one-to-one support via subject specific office hours.
Employability skills
- Other
- (i) analyse, critique and (re-)formulate a problem or issue; (ii) rapidly and thoroughly review/rate argument and evidence from targeted bibliographic searches; (iii) plan, structure and present arguments in a variety of written formats and to a strict word limit, (iv) express ideas verbally and organise work effectively in small teams for a variety of written and oral tasks; (v) obtain, manipulate and (re-)present different forms of data; (vi) manage time effectively; (vii) reflect on and improve performance through feedback.
Assessment methods
Coursework (90)% and online question/quizzes (10%)
Feedback methods
Formative feedback (both individual and collective) will be given (1) on tasks and contribution in class, (2) developing essay plans. Detailed summative feedback will be given on the submitted essay via Blackboard (Grademark).
Recommended reading
Garland, D. (1990) Punishment & Modern Society. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 |
| Tutorials | 10 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 70 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Fiamma Terenghi | Unit coordinator |
| Emily Turner | Unit coordinator |
Additional notes
Across their course units each semester, full-time students are expected to devote a ‘working week’ of around 30-35 hours to study. Accordingly each course unit demands around 10-11 hours of study per week consisting of (i) 3 timetabled teacher-led hours, (ii) 7-8 independent study hours devoted to preparation, required and further reading, and note taking.
Information
Restricted to: LLB (Law with Criminology) if not choosing LAWS20452 or LAWS20412 and BA (Criminology) for which this subject is compulsory. LLB (Law), BA/LLB (Law with Politics) and BA Social Sciences (BASS).
Other students from the Faculty of Humanities as approved by the Course Unit Director.
This course is available to incoming study abroad students university wide.
Pre-requisites: None.