- UCAS course code
- VL53
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Bachelor of Arts (BASS)
BASS Philosophy and Criminology
Duration: 3 or 4 years
Year of entry: 2025
UCAS course code: VL53 / Institution code: M20
- Key features:
Study abroad
Industrial experience
- Typical A-level offer: ABB including specific subjects
- Typical contextual A-level offer: BBC including specific subjects
- Refugee/care-experienced offer: BBC including specific subjects
- Typical International Baccalaureate offer: 34 points overall with 6,5,5 at HL, including specific subjects
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:
Criminology and Criminal Justice in Action
| Unit code | CRIM20701 |
|---|---|
| Credit rating | 20 |
| Unit level | Level 2 |
| Teaching period(s) | Semester 1 |
| Available as a free choice unit? | Yes |
Overview
This course explores the 'inside story' of career paths within the criminal justice system and related fields, aided by a diverse array of guest speakers. It examines the contested role of criminological theory and research in this applied work. Who are the 'experts' seeking to influence these professions, and to what extent are they successful? Does criminological knowledge form an integral, albeit implicit, part of everyday operations within these professions? What are the everyday pressures experienced by front-line and managerial staff? How are these services dealing with the impact of funding austerity and other political and social pressures? Delivered with support from key criminal justice agencies, this course will allow you to understand the lived experience of staff, gain insights into criminology 'in action', and develop practical skills that will enhance your professional development.
Indicative content: (1) Course Introduction ; (2) Experts, evidence & 'research utilisation'; (3) Criminology in criminal justice; (4) Ethics in criminal justice research; (5) Criminal justice careers ; (6) View from practice: prisons; (7) View from practice: police; (8) View from practice: probation; (9) View from practice: youth justice;
(10) Course summary & assignment support.
Pre/co-requisites
None, though prior knowledge of the criminal justice system would be an advantage
Aims
The unit aims to (1) encourage intellectual awareness of the issues involved in criminal justice-related professions; (2) explore the potential of criminology to impact on those professions; and (3) enhance student employability through the development of marketable skills.
Learning outcomes
On completion of this unit successful students will be able to appreciate: (1) the potential of criminological theory and research to impact upon criminal justice agencies; (2) the breadth of careers in the Criminal Justice System and other related fields; (3) the challenges and demands of working in these fields.
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.
Transferable skills and personal qualities
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
| Method | Weight |
|---|---|
| Written assignment (inc essay) | 100% |
Feedback methods
Formative feedback (both individual and collective) will be given on (1) on tasks and
contribution in class, (2) the group presentation. Detailed
summative feedback will be given on the submitted essay via Blackboard (Grademark).
Recommended reading
Local and national websites of the key criminal justice agencies. Loader I, and Sparks I (2010) Public Criminology? London: Routledge.
Study hours
| Scheduled activity hours | |
|---|---|
| Lectures | 20 |
| Tutorials | 10 |
| Independent study hours | |
|---|---|
| Independent study | 70 |
Teaching staff
| Staff member | Role |
|---|---|
| Landon Kuester | 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.
Indicative content (subject to availability of guest speakers)
- INTRODUCTION and CJS ‘REFRESHER’
- EXPERTS, EVIDENCE & ‘RESEARCH UTILIZATION’ FOR CRIMINAL JUSTICE
- CRIMINOLOGY IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE: FROM THEORY TO PRACTICE
- ETHICS & CRIMINAL JUSTICE RESEARCH
- CRIMINAL JUSTICE ‘QUESTION TIME’ PANEL (TBC; NB, guest speakers)
- VIEW FROM CJ PRACTICE: PRISONS (guest speakers)
- VIEW FROM CJ PRACTICE: POLICE (guest speakers)
- VIEW FROM CJ PRACTICE: YOUTH JUSTICE (guest speakers)
- VIEW FROM CJ PRACTICE: PROBATION (guest speakers)
- SUMMARY & GROUP PRESENTATIONS
This course is restricted to students on the BA Criminology, Law with Criminology and BA Social Sciences (BASS) programmes. Other students may be accepted at the discretion of the Course Unit Director.
This course is available to incoming study abroad students university wide.
Pre-requisites: none
Co-requisites: none