University of the West of Scotland
Criminal Justice / Criminal Justice (Policing) BA (Hons)
University of the West of Scotland

Key Course Facts

Student Reviews

Below you can see course specific reviews for 55 graduates of Criminal Justice / Criminal Justice (Policing) BA (Hons) at University of the West of Scotland for each of the survey questions in comparison to the average for all UK degree courses in Social Policy.

Overall student satisfaction
59 /100
55 total respondents
The NSS is commissioned by the Office for Students

Salary

Salary of Graduates in Social Policy

Important: Salary data below is not course specific, but contains data of all students of Social Policy at the university. Due to data collection methodology, salary data is mainly based on data related to undergraduate students.

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £21500 £18500 £21500
25-75 percentile range £19000 - £25000 £12500 - £20500 £17500 - £25000


Salary of all UK Graduates of Social Policy

  15 months after graduation 3 years after graduation 5 years after graduation
Median salary £24750 £21858 £25736
25-75 percentile range £21060 - £28402 £17180 - £27818 £19394 - £32862

Course Description

OVERVIEW

BA Criminal Justice / Criminal Justice (Policing) – the only one of its kind in Scotland – will help you develop expertise in criminology and criminal justice, social science, research methods, law and policy so that you’re ready to work in related areas in policing, prisons and the third sector.

After Year 2, you’ll have the option to continue to study criminal justice or to specialise in policing through our policing specialism options.

We work closely with experts and practitioners in criminal justice to provide a firm understanding of criminology and criminal justice in Scotland, the UK, Europe and internationally. Our exciting degree includes topics such as: prisons and policing, forensics, terrorism, youth justice, victimology and exploring the journeys of those who come into contact with the justice system.

  • PRACTICAL FOCUS

Guest speakers form part of this degree to further deepen your understanding of the subject. We run an annual Criminal Justice Employment Information Day which has in the past been attended by the Scottish Prison Service, Police Scotland, SACRO, Victim Support and Turning Point Scotland amongst other relevant organisations and institutions.

  • CAREER PROSPECTS

Jobs

The BA Criminal Justice will prepare you for employment in the police and prison services, criminal courts and third sector criminal justice services in roles such as general administration and management.

Graduates will also find opportunities in restorative justice and mediation, community safety, and working with offenders, victims and witnesses. 

As well as other major organisations linked with criminal justice in Scotland and the UK, Criminal Justice graduates have gone on to work for:

// Police Scotland // The Scottish Prison Service // The Police Investigations and Review Commissioner // Sacro // Turning Point Scotland // The National Crime Agency // The Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service

Further Study

Graduates from this courses may be able to undertake further study at master's and research level in areas relating to criminology.

Jobs & Career Perspectives

15 months after graduation, graduates of this course were asked about what they do and, if they are working, about their current job and their perspectives.

Current jobs

Required skill level of job after 15 months

Jobs of graduates of this course (15 months after graduation)

Example below based on all graduates of Criminal Justice / Criminal Justice (Policing) BA (Hons) at University of the West of Scotland

15% Information Technology Professionals
15% Media Professionals
10% Managers, directors and senior officials
10% Teaching Professionals
10% Business, Research and Administrative Professionals
10% Quality and Regulatory Professionals
5% Science, engineering and technology associate professionals
5% Natural and social science professionals
5% Elementary occupations
5% Business, Research and Administrative Professionals

Grading & Study Time

You are taught and assessed through a wide and varied selection of approaches. In addition to standard essays and reports in assessment there are a number of experiential learning and assessment activities implemented throughout the programme including mock children’s hearings and criminal trials. There are opportunities to showcase student work through organised poster presentation exhibitions, and further engagement with criminal justice professionals from organisations including Police Scotland, the Police Investigations and Review Commissioner, Victim Support Scotland and many more through guest lectures and workshops.

Entry Requirements / Admissions

UCAS Tariff of Accepted Students for this course

Qualification requirements

HNC in Care and Administrative Practice or Applied Science with B required in graded unit for entry to Year 1 Sufficient science and discursive subjects and a strong academic profile to be competitive. English and Maths at least at National 5 Grade B.

HND Legal Services: AAA in Graded Units. Other relevant HND qualifications will be considered on an individual basis; please contact us for advice.

Year 1 Entry with SWAP (BBB) in the following subjects: Access to Humanities; Access to Social Sciences; Access to Law and Criminal Justice

English language requirements

test Grade Additional Details
IELTS (Academic) 6

IELTS 60 with 5.5 minimum in each skill / component.

Cambridge English Advanced

176 overall with no sub-test less than 169

Cambridge English Proficiency

176 overall with no sub-test less than 169

Trinity ISE

ISEII with the minimum of a Pass in all sub-tests

PTE Academic 54

An overall score of 54 with no element below 51

TOEFL (iBT) 78

no sub-test less than: Reading: 17; Listening: 17; Speaking: 17; Writing: 17

ENGLISH LANGUAGE REQUIREMENTS: For applicants whose first language is not English, the University sets a minimum English Language proficiency level. These are shown below.

Visit www.uws.ac.uk/scholarships
Get advice on which foundation courses are best for you to still study Criminal Justice / Criminal Justice (Policing), BA (Hons), if you do not meet the minimum requirements in terms of UCAS score, A levels, or English language requirements.

Costs

Tuition Fees Criminal Justice / Criminal Justice (Policing) BA (Hons)

Scotland £1820 year 1
England UK £9250 year 1
Northern Ireland £9250 year 1
Wales £9250 year 1
Channel Islands £9250 year 1
Ireland £9250 year 1
EU £14500 year 1
International £14500 year 1

Additional fee information

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - SCOTTISH STUDENTS:

Eligible Scottish domiciled students can usually apply to have their tuition fees paid for them each year of their studies by the Student Awards Agency Scotland (SAAS). If you're not sure about your eligibility, you should contact SAAS. You need to apply to SAAS each year of study to have your tuition fees paid directly to UWS.

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - UK, IRISH & GIBRALTARIAN STUDENTS:

Eligible students who are domiciled in England, Wales, or Northern Ireland as well as from the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, Gibraltar or the Republic of Ireland will qualify for tuition fees of £9,250 per academic session of study to a maximum of three years if you are studying on a four year bachelor degree course (eg. BAcc (Hons) / BA (Hons) / BEng (Hons) / BSc (Hons)). So, if your degree is four years' duration, you will only be charged tuition fees for three years. Similarly, if you are studying a five year integrated master's degree course (eg. MEng (Hons)) the you will only be charged tuition fees for four years.

  • TUITION FEE INFORMATION - INTERNATIONAL (NON-EU) & EU STUDENTS:

These tuition fees apply to all non-EU, EEA, and all other EU students (excluding those from Republic of Ireland and Gibraltar, whose fee level is as per UK (non-Scottish) students - see section above for more details).

  • ADDITIONAL COSTS:

The cost of attending university is an investment in your future career.

In addition to tuition fees and living expenses, some courses involve extra costs such as consumable study materials, field trips, equipment and uniforms. You may also want to purchase some core texts and technology such as a new laptop etc. Some of these additional costs are optional, some, such as uniforms or safety equipment may be mandatory.

Check the course entry on our website for more more information

Average student cost of living in the UK

Rent £518
Water, gas electricity, internet (at home) £50
Supermarket shopping £81
Clothing £35
Eating out £33
Alcohol £27
Takeaways / food deliveries £30
Going out / entertainment (excl.alcohol, food) £24
Holidays and weekend trips £78
Transport within city £17
Self-care / sports £20
Stationary / books £13
Mobile phone / internet £13
Cable TV / streaming £7
Insurance £51
Other £95
  
Average student cost of living £1092

London costs approx 34% more than average, mainly due to rent being 67% higher than average of other cities. For students staying in student halls, costs of water, gas, electricity, wifi are generally included in the rental. Students in smaller cities where accommodation is in walking/biking distance transport costs tend to be significantly smaller.

How to apply

Application deadline:

January 1, 2025

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Possible Entry Points:

  • year 1 (Default entry point)
  • year 2
  • year 3
  • year 4

University Rankings

Positions of University of the West of Scotland in top UK and global rankings.

Rankings of University of the West of Scotland in related subject specific rankings.

Law

    • #11 
    • #104 
    Law
    The Guardian University League Tables by Subject
    [Published 09 September, 2023]
    • #11 
    • #107 
    Law
    CUG The Complete University Guide - By Subject
    [Published 08 June, 2023]

See all 20 university rankings of University of the West of Scotland

About University of the West of Scotland

Located in the Scottish town of Paisley, we find the University of the West of Scotland (UWS). This institution also owns and operates three other secondary campuses in Ayr, Blantyre and Dumfries. Paisley campus is attended by a medium-sized student population of roughly 10,000 and provides the opportunity to study a selection of programmes related to Nursing, Engineering, Social Sciences, Business, and Computing.

List of 62 Bachelor and Master Courses from University of the West of Scotland - Course Catalogue

Where is this programme taught

Paisley Campus
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