Why study this course?
Our Criminology and International Security BSc (Hons) degree will allow you to gain a wider understanding of criminology in an international context. Working with academics who are specialists in their field, you’ll examine the origins and responses to criminal behaviour.
This course differs from other criminology programmes in the School of Social Sciences and Professions as it focuses on criminology on an international scale. Our international links will provide you with opportunities to spend your second year semester abroad in Europe, USA or Japan.
More about this course
This undergraduate degree is taught by specialists in international relations, criminology and international security studies, many of whom are internationally recognised for the quality of their work. Their teaching will be enriched by lectures from visiting practitioners, who will talk about their experience of working in the international security field and provide valuable career insight.
On our course you’ll critically assess current policies and practices related to national, as well as international crime control. You’ll also investigate how they affect international relations and politics. Optional modules will allow you to develop specialisms in fields that interest you, including international law and order, conflict resolution and contemporary issues in criminology.
Your employment prospects are central to every module, therefore in your second and final years, you’ll have the opportunity to complete a work placement module. In the past our students have completed placements within a wide range of institutions, such as aid agencies, think-tanks and embassies.
The University’s London location will afford you the opportunity to access a range of social and political institutions that will inform your study, such as the Royal Courts of Justice and the British Library. We’ll also organise a number of trips to non-governmental organisations, embassies and relevant government bodies, where you’ll learn how international security and diplomacy work in practice.
Assessment
You’ll be assessed in a variety of ways including essays, exams, presentations, individual and group research projects, briefing papers, portfolios, reflective writing, as well as a final year dissertation or work placement.
Fees and key information
Apply nowEntry requirements
In addition to the University's standard entry requirements, you should have at least:
- a minimum of grades BBC in three A levels (or minimum of 112 UCAS points from an equivalent Level 3 qualification)
- GCSE English at grade C/grade 4 or above (or equivalent)
If you don’t have traditional qualifications or can’t meet the entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, you may still be able to gain entry by completing our Criminology (including foundation year) BSc (Hons) or Social Sciences and Humanities (including foundation year) BA (Hons) degree.
Accreditation of Prior Learning
Any university-level qualifications or relevant experience you gain prior to starting university could count towards your course at London Met. Find out more about applying for Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL).
English language requirements
To study a degree at London Met, you must be able to demonstrate proficiency in the English language. If you require a Student visa you may need to provide the results of a Secure English Language Test (SELT) such as Academic IELTS. This course requires you to meet our standard requirements
If you need (or wish) to improve your English before starting your degree, the University offers a Pre-sessional Academic English course to help you build your confidence and reach the level of English you require.
Modular structure
The modules listed below are for the academic year 2022/23 and represent the course modules at this time. Modules and module details (including, but not limited to, location and time) are subject to change over time.
Year 1 modules include:
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Thursday morning
The module aims to:
1. Examine the emergence and development of criminological theory
2. Examine the different ways in which different criminological traditions theorise crime and its social control
3. Examine how the assumptions which underpin different traditions provide for different strategies of intervention and control
4. Develop students’ learning and transferable skills in preparation for modules at levels 5 and 6. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Monday afternoon
- all year (January start) - Monday morning
The broad aim is to develop an understanding of the fundamentals of the study of international relations. In particular to:
1. Analyse historical precedents and the institutions underlying contemporary international relations.
2. Understand the contemporary challenges facing the world and the institutional and political factors which hinder, or help provide, solutions to these problems.
3. Make informed judgements about current international affairs – and future developments – within the larger theoretical frameworks and approaches to international relations. - This module currently runs:
- all year (January start) - Friday afternoon
The module aims to:
1. Examine the emergence and development of criminological and sociological theory
2. Examine the different ways in which different criminological traditions theorise crime and its social control
3. Examine how the assumptions which underpin different traditions provide for different strategies of intervention and control
4. Develop students’ learning and transferable skills in preparation for modules at levels 5 and 6. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Friday afternoon
- all year (January start) - Thursday morning
This module introduces students to the scope and functions of the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in England and Wales. It provides a broad overview of the mechanisms and aims of the CJS upon which students can build a more detailed knowledge of criminal justice policies, crime control, punishment and social control by the state, at levels 5 and 6. The module also specifically provides students with an introductory picture of the extent of officially recorded crime.
The module aims to:
1. Provide students with a solid grounding in the field upon which to build a grasp of issues relating to criminal justice
2. Review the historical development, structures and roles of key agencies responsible for the execution of justice in England and Wales
3. Identify key models of the Criminal Justice System such as the due process and crime control models
4. Consider recent, and significant, examples of changes in the CJS (such as the increasing levels of inter-agency cooperation)
5. Develop students’ knowledge of current policies relating to the ‘problem of crime’. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Thursday afternoon
- all year (January start) - Monday afternoon
This module aims to:
1. Provide a detailed account of the development of the Cold War and post-Cold War international systems at global, regional and sub-national levels;
2. Introduce students to key concepts related to diplomacy, peace and conflict;
3. Examine the role of diplomatic institutions and peace processes in attempts to contain or resolve violent conflicts;
4. Encourage the development of the skills of comparative analysis, by comparing conflicts in different regions;
5. Develop and encourage confidence in the use of appropriate analytical, written and oral skills.
Year 2 modules include:
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Tuesday afternoon
One of the central questions for the discipline of International Relations is to explain the behaviour of states in the international system. On this module you will explore two of the most important and significant approaches to addressing this question: IR theory and foreign policy analysis respectively.
On the first half of the module, you will explore the various theoretical perspectives which can be used to understand the dynamics of the international system and how they condition state behaviour. It explores both explanatory and critical approaches to this issue, the former seeking to explain how the international system operates, with the latter seeking to transform the nature of world politics in one way or another.
The second half of the module approaches the question from the perspective of foreign policy analysis, focusing on the decisions, structures and processes within states that produce international action. You will examine both models of foreign policy decision making and comparative national approaches to foreign policy.
Therefore, the module aims to:
• Develop your understanding of two key areas of the discipline of International Relations: IR theory and Foreign Policy Analysis;
• Enable you to apply theories and models to international affairs;
• Enhance your ability to explain and critically analyse contemporary world politics;
• Enable you to develop your academic writing skills, so you will be able to write about international politics with confidence. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Thursday afternoon
This module builds on level 4 introductory modules by focusing on specific categories of crime and behaviours, which have emerged as sources of concern. It gives attention to the emergence of concern about imagined dangerous groups, and moves on to more recent social anxieties. This includes the crimes associated with the socially and economically marginalized, and those associated with the economically and socially powerful.
The central themes revolve around why some behaviours and some groups of people are ‘constructed’ as the focus of concern and special treatment. Equally, it considers why some crimes, such as corporate crime, or state crime, usually receive less attention. This exploration encourages reflection on how and why certain behaviours are defined and constructed as ‘crime’, and ‘social problems’.
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Monday morning
This module aims to:
• Introduce students to competing theories of peace and conflict
• Explore the nature and causes of conflict in the contemporary era
• Provide an understanding of some of the institutions and organisations (governmental and non-governmental) that work in conflict situations
• Analyse the varied objectives and methods of such organisations
• Introduce the core practical skills for work in relevant fields, thus enhancing employability The broad aim of this module is to develop a grounding in the fundamentals of US foreign policy making in the context of contemporary international relations. In particular, to:
• Analyse policy making institutions and historical precedents underlying US foreign policy, and to grasp the way those precedents affect America’s approach to global events since the end of the Cold War and the attacks of 9/11.
• Assess the processes and limitations of US foreign policy making, the contemporary challenges facing the world and the American role in dealing with them, and the expectations of US influence in the world in coming years.
• Place American foreign policy within the larger theoretical frameworks and approaches to international relations.- This module currently runs:
- autumn semester - Friday afternoon
This module looks at the media impact on public perceptions of crime and justice.
It also looks at the way contemporary media and technologies influence criminal behaviour and influence the operations of the criminal justice system.1. Consider the various relationships between media, technology and crime
2. Develop an understanding of the role of the media in shaping perceptions of crime
and criminal justice, with a particular emphasis on marginalised and minoritized
groups3. Develop an awareness and familiarity with the emerging forms of deviant behaviour facilitated by contemporary technologies and/or the media
4. Provide an overview of the way technologies interact with crime and the criminal
justice system5. Provide students with an opportunity to develop their academic and digital literacies
to enhance their learning experience6. Develop summarising and analytical skills
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Monday afternoon
This module explores the practice of modern diplomacy. The first half of the module explores the historical emergence and evolution of diplomacy and the classic texts of diplomatic theory, before going on to concentrate on the roles and functions of traditional diplomatic institutions, systems and processes, such as embassies, foreign ministries, diplomatic services and international organisations.
The second half of the module explores the main challenges posed to diplomatic practice by global change in recent decades: the rise of inclusive multilateral diplomacy in the UN and other fora; the increasing importance of non-state actors in contemporary diplomacy; the impact of faster air travel enabling leaders to conduct their own diplomacy; the revolution in information and communications technology; and innovations in diplomatic institutions (such as the emergence of the European External Action Service).
A key theme running through the whole module is the evolving nature of international negotiation, which will be illustrated through detailed case studies of environmental, security and trade diplomacy.
This is a highly practical module. Students will have opportunities to develop their ability to blog and use Twitter, engage in simulated negotiations and interact with practitioners through visits to embassies and other institutions and/or practitioner classes.
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Wednesday morning
- all year (September start) - Wednesday afternoon
The module aims to:
1. Develop an informed grasp of the strengths and limitations of survey research including identification and consideration of the ethical issues which may arise
2. Develop students’ competence in designing and conducting primary quantitative research in relation to data collection, analysis and report-writing
3. Develop an informed grasp of the strengths and limitations of qualitative research including identification and consideration of the ethical issues which may arise
4. Develop students’ competence in designing and conducting primary qualitative research in relation to data collection, analysis and report-writing
5. Examine the ways in which quantitative and qualitative data are created and used in professional settings such as the Home Office, the Metropolitan Police, voluntary sector organisations related to the Criminal Justice System and private sector organisations such as MORI and Gallup and so to enable students to work towards a career in the field of Criminology. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Friday morning
The module aims to:
1. Explore the operational challenges and ethical dilemmas inherent in specialist police operations
2. Examine particular aspects of specialist policing in detail from both practical and academic viewpoints
3. Analyse the effectiveness of governance in relation to specialist policing operations
4. Compare and contrast different perspectives in relation to policing priorities.
5. To develop student communication and team working skills.
6. Improve critical analytical thinking for real world problems. - This module currently runs:
- autumn semester - Tuesday morning
The broad aim of this module is to develop an understanding of politics in the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region, in the context of contemporary international relations, and in particular to:
• describe and explain the processes by which the states and societies of the contemporary MENA region were formed;
• explore the main ideological currents that have influenced the political development of the MENA region, particularly those inspired by religion and nationalism;
• examine the interstate and international relations of the region, focusing on the sources of conflicts and the difficult relationship between the West and the region. - This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Tuesday morning
This module has three principal aims:
- 1. It will explore the historical origins of Union and its predecessor bodies in the first two decades after WWII.
- What agents and factors facilitated such a innovative development in European political history?
- 2. It will explore the political character of the Union. What sort of organisation is it in political terms? How democratic is it?
- 3. It will examine its principal policy outputs, including economic, monetary, social and foreign policies
Year 3 modules include:
- This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Tuesday morning
The broad aims of this module are to understand the fundamentals of security studies and its importance in an increasingly connected world. In particular to:
• Think in broad, conceptual terms about the changes in international security occasioned by the impact of globalisation, especially since the end of the Cold War in 1989, and evaluate the differing interpretations of its development and assess the processes through which it has occurred over time.
• Understand “Security” conceptually in both its international and national contexts.
• Evaluate the contested military and non-military terrain of globalisation and security issues. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Wednesday afternoon
The module aims to:
1. Give students the opportunity to reflect upon their learning to date and define and research a topic of interest to them in the light of that experience.
2. Give students the opportunity to design and plan an independent research project and to produce a research proposal outlining the field of interest, proposed methodology and ethical considerations.
3. Enable students to produce a written piece of research which demonstrates awareness of the relationship between criminology and related fields and the limits of knowledge. - This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Monday afternoon
- autumn semester - Monday afternoon
This module providing an advanced research element for PIR undergraduate courses aims to:
• enable the student to demonstrate an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, and be able to apply analytical techniques, problem solving and project management skills commensurate with a short dissertation.
• enable the student to synthesise skills and knowledge and apply them successfully to complex issues in a short dissertation.
• provide an opportunity to design a short dissertation relevant to their degree.
• allow the student to utilise research and analytical skills acquired during their programme of studies.
• enable the student to undertake relevant research and write up findings in short dissertation form. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Monday afternoon
This module providing an advanced research element for PIR undergraduate courses aims to:
• enable the student to demonstrate an understanding of a complex body of knowledge, and be able to apply analytical techniques, problem solving and project management skills.
• enable the student to synthesise skills and knowledge and apply them successfully to complex issues.
• provide an opportunity to design a research project relevant to their degree.
• allow the student to utilise research and analytical skills acquired during their programme of studies.
• enable the student to undertake relevant research and write up findings in dissertation form. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Thursday afternoon
This module aims to:
• Examine a range of approaches to the cessation of contemporary conflicts and the conditions that may be necessary for peace
• Explore the differing mechanisms and strategies for securing peace, including negotiation, mediation and arbitration
• Focus upon both the domestic and international actors involved in these processes
• Provide students with an understanding of relevant theories and empirical material for comparative analysis - This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Wednesday afternoon
The module aims to:
1. Provide the opportunity for the student to gain experience of a working environment
2. Enhance and extend their learning experience by applying and building on their academic skills and capabilities by identifying and / or tackling real life problems in the workplace
3. Provide the opportunity to reflect upon the culture and structure of a working environment and their activity within it
4. Develop new capabilities and skills in the context of a work environment. - This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Thursday morning
• To develop an understanding of the international human rights framework and consider debates and theories challenging this framework (including a critical assessment of the concept and implementation of the universality of human rights).
• To evaluate various international conventions on the protection of human rights, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• To examine violations of human rights in the light of various social and political contexts across the world and gain an understanding of how human rights applies in specific contexts; how such violations impact societies, communities and individuals; and how individuals and organisations work for justice in such harrowing circumstances. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Monday afternoon
This cutting-edge module explores one of the most exciting and rapidly expanding fields of contemporary diplomatic studies and an area which has seen a wide variety of innovations in state practice in recent decades. As public opinion has come to be seen as increasingly influential and important in world politics, states and other international actors have rediscovered public and cultural diplomacy, a form of diplomatic practice in which states engage with publics both abroad and at home. Due to changes in global communications, this form of diplomacy is undergoing rapid change, which makes it especially interesting and important.
The module examines the changing nature of public and cultural diplomacy in the context of the evolution of global political communications. It explores the nature of international political communication, evaluating key concepts such as propaganda, place branding and strategic communications, and examines the role of culture in world politics more broadly, including media such as film and the internet, as well as key actors such as celebrity diplomats. It explores competing definitions and interpretations of public and cultural diplomacy, along with how their practice has changed in recent decades, especially since the end of the Cold War.
This is a practically-oriented module which will ensure equitability in student learning experiences towards the overall degree qualification. . Blended learning is encouraged in the classroom through the use of multimedia and internet resources. This is complimented by students gaining experience of the nature of contemporary public diplomacy and international political communication through visits to embassies, guest lectures by serving or former public diplomats, and role-play exercises and simulations. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Friday morning
This module aims to exploit specialism’s residing within the criminology team in London met so that students can apply theories to exciting and relevant areas of criminology
The module aims to:
- Introduce students to theories and debates on the nature of crime control in the modern state
- Provide an overview of the major traditions of thinking within Criminology regarding the issue of illegal drugs their use and distribution
- Examine the way the attempts to control crime and deviance are examples of broader debates over social control
- Sensitise students to the ethical and social consequences that flow from the way in which contemporary society elects to punish offenders and prevent crime
- This module currently runs:
- spring semester - Thursday afternoon
The module aims to:
1. examine the debate over of the origin of a variety of forms of ideological, nationalist and religiously motivated violence in the form of 'terrorism'.
2. explore the dimensions of the new ‘terrorist’ threat.
3. examine the contemporary range of counter terrorist agencies and policies in the
national and international context. - This module currently runs:
- all year (September start) - Thursday morning
This module aims to:
• Examine competing theories of the modern state
• Evaluate the historical evolution of modern states
• Compare and contrast the range of different types of state across the globe, from democracies to authoritarian states
• Analyse the state in relation to contemporary 21st century issues, such as globalization, social welfare provision, and protest movements
• Encourage confidence in the use of appropriate analytical, written and oral skills, to enhance students’ transferable skills and employability - This module currently runs:
- autumn semester - Tuesday afternoon
a. To provide students with an overview of the key theoretical concepts within victimology.
b. To identify to some of the social and political factors that placed victims at the forefront of academic and professional discourses.
c. To encourage students to critically appraise the nature and extent of victimisation. To develop student ability to research, analyse, and communicate their thoughts relating to victimisation, victim policy and practice.
Where this course can take you
Our criminology and sociology graduates have gone on to careers including police officers, counter fraud criminal investigators, support workers, probation officers and teachers, securing jobs at the Metropolitan Police Service, HM Government, Rethink Mental Illness and the National Probation Service.
Continuing your studies with us
The School of Social Sciences has a wide range of exciting industry-linked postgraduate courses available on a full-time and part-time basis in criminology, security, diplomacy, international relations, sociology and psychology. The following courses would be ideal for progression after this course:
- Human Rights and International Conflict - MA
- Organised Crime and Global Security - MA
- Woman and Child Abuse - MA
- Corporate Social Responsibility and Sustainability - MSc
- Get into law with our Common Professional Exam - GDL
If you've already studied your undergraduate degree with us, as a graduate of London Met, you'll be entitled to a 20% discount on any further study with us.
Important information about this course
We're committed to continuously improving our degree courses to ensure our students receive the best possible learning experience. Many of the courses in our School of Social Sciences and Professions are currently under review for 2023-24 entry. We encourage you to apply as outlined in the how to apply section of this page and if there are any changes to your course we will contact you. All universities review their courses regularly and this year we are strengthening our social sciences and professions courses to better reflect the needs of employers and ensure you're well-equipped for your future career.
Additional costs
Please note, in addition to the tuition fee there may be additional costs for things like equipment, materials, printing, textbooks, trips or professional body fees.
Additionally, there may be other activities that are not formally part of your course and not required to complete your course, but which you may find helpful (for example, optional field trips). The costs of these are additional to your tuition fee and the fees set out above and will be notified when the activity is being arranged.
Discover Uni – key statistics about this course
Discover Uni is an official source of information about university and college courses across the UK. The widget below draws data from the corresponding course on the Discover Uni website, which is compiled from national surveys and data collected from universities and colleges. If a course is taught both full-time and part-time, information for each mode of study will be displayed here.
How to apply
If you're a UK applicant wanting to study full-time starting in September, you must apply via UCAS unless otherwise specified. If you're an international applicant wanting to study full-time, you can choose to apply via UCAS or directly to the University.
If you're applying for part-time study, you should apply directly to the University. If you require a Student visa, please be aware that you will not be able to study as a part-time student at undergraduate level.
When to apply
The University and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) accepts applications for full-time courses starting in September from one year before the start of the course. Our UCAS institution code is L68.
If you will be applying direct to the University you are advised to apply as early as possible as we will only be able to consider your application if there are places available on the course.
To find out when teaching for this degree will begin, as well as welcome week and any induction activities, view our academic term dates.
