What can you expect from a criminology degree at Royal Holloway?
Why do people commit crime? How should society respond? And what does justice really look like in practice? These big questions sit at the heart of everything we do in Criminology.
Studying Criminology at Royal Holloway means exploring criminal behaviour, punishment, and rehabilitation, while examining the wider social forces that shape people's lives and choices. You'll investigate core subject matter such as the causes of crime, the workings of the criminal justice system, and the policy debates that surround them. You’ll also have the opportunity to explore specialist topics including crimes of the powerful, cybercrime and terrorism.
Learn from leading experts
Our academics are internationally recognised researchers whose work informs real-world policy and practice. They bring that research directly into the classroom, so your learning is always current, challenging, and connected to the world beyond campus. Criminology at Royal Holloway delivers intellectually stimulating teaching with real world application delivered by staff who are genuinely invested in your success.
Meet our academic staff - see profiles
A degree to suit your interests
Criminology at Royal Holloway can be studied in combination with complementary subjects, letting you shape a degree around what fascinates you most:
• Criminology BSc (being developed for September 2027) dedicate your whole degree to the study of crime, justice, and society, with the freedom to explore the areas of criminology that interest you most.
• Criminology and Sociology BSc explore crime alongside the social structures and inequalities that shape it. This degree is also available with a Year in Industry.
• Criminology and Psychology BSc accredited by the British Psychological Society, combining the study of crime with the science of human behaviour. This degree is also available with a Year in Industry.
• Law with Criminology LLB understand crime and justice through both legal and criminological lenses. This degree is also available with a Year in Industry.
Explore all our courses
Skills that open doors
Alongside subject knowledge, you'll develop the skills employers actively seek: research design, data analysis, critical thinking, and clear, persuasive communication. It's a combination that works — Criminology at Royal Holloway is ranked 8th in the UK for graduate prospects (The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide, 2026).
Our graduates enter a wide range of careers, including roles with criminal justice agencies such as the Crown Prosecution Service, the police, the probation service, youth custody, and the prison service. Others build careers in the civil service, local government, media, the voluntary sector, and private industry — anywhere that analytical minds and an understanding of people, policy, and society are valued. Many of our students also progress to postgraduate study, going on to careers in research, evaluation, and policy in both academic and applied settings.
Employability and careers at Royal Holloway - read more.
A community, not just a course
You'll study on our beautiful, close-knit campus, just 40 minutes from central London — close enough to access the capital's courts, institutions, and opportunities, but with the community feel of a campus university. With one-to-one careers support, employer events, and plenty of ways to get involved beyond your studies, you'll graduate with far more than a degree.
Ready to find out more?
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