Criminology

By studying criminology you develop your understanding of the social and personal aspects of crime, victimisation and responses to crime and deviance. You also develop skills in generating and evaluating evidence, making reasoned arguments and ethical judgments and analysing and interpreting data.

Over the course of your degree you develop a wide mix of subject-specific and technical skills, you should consider these skills developed on your course as well as through your other activities, such as paid work, volunteering, family responsibilities, sport, membership of societies, leadership roles, etc. Think about how these can be used as evidence of your skills and personal attributes. Then you can start to market and sell who you really are, identify what you may be lacking and consider how to improve your profile.

Working as an AntiSocial Behaviour Reduction Officer

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Prospects

Many criminology graduates go on to work for employers associated with the criminal justice system, including the police (as police officers but also in a range of force support roles such as IT or crime analysis), the prison service and the legal profession. Other popular destinations include social work (including criminal justice social workers and other specialist project-based work), youth and community work, work with offenders and the probation service.

Graduates also find work in support roles and rehabilitation, including mental health support and drug rehabilitation. A significant number of graduates enter employment in a range of social welfare posts, such as housing (as housing officers or in outreach support roles), homelessness officers, work with refugees and victim support/counselling.

Beyond these specifically related fields, criminology graduates can use their qualification to apply for work open to all graduates, where personal skills and the possession of a good honours degree are the main requirements.

Where are the jobs?

Many criminology graduates enter employment in central or local government, the police or prison services, or in other non-profit making organisations, including the NHS, educational institutions and charities that work with young offenders or victims of crime. Opportunities also exist in the private sector. For further details investigate:

• Government and public administration - includes social services, emergency services, youth-work and community education.
• Social care - employers in the sector help people overcome a range of difficulties and barriers. Includes social work and probation services.
• Charity and development work - this ever expanding sector covers a huge range of employers dealing with all areas of society.

Jobs directly related to your degree

• Community development worker
• Police officer
• Probation officer
• Social worker
• Prison officer
• Non-commercial solicitor

Jobs where your degree would be useful

• Adult guidance worker
• Further education lecturer
• Housing manager/officer
• Local government administrator
• Social researcher
• Youth worker

Although some of the jobs listed here might not be first jobs for many graduates, they are among the many realistic possibilities with your degree, provided you can demonstrate you have the attributes employers are looking for. Bear in mind that it's not just your degree discipline that determines your options. Remember that many graduate vacancies don't specify particular degree disciplines, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

You can find more about the skills you develop during your course, the jobs listed above, plus case studies and where to find these jobs at Prospects.

Included with the permission of AGCAS. For the latest version of this publication, see www.prospects.ac.uk. For permission to reproduce, contact copyright@agcas.org.uk