Best A-Levels for Studying Criminology

Criminology is the study of crime and deviant criminal behaviour. It is an increasingly popular degree subject thanks in no small part to the rise of true crime dramas and documentaries. Criminology is a fascinating science, and those who study this subject will learn to analyse criminal behaviour. Much of the focus of a criminology course is on understanding the ways that crime can be motivated, as well as how to manage crime, control crime, and prevent it from happening.

Because criminology is such an interesting subject, and one with growing popularity, places on criminology courses are increasingly competitive. To give yourself the best chance of securing a place, you should think carefully about the A-levels you choose. Some degree courses require that you take specific A-levels to even be eligible to apply: criminology is not one of these. However, there are some A-levels that are more highly regarded by admissions officers and will be better suited to assist you in your study of criminology, than others. So which A-levels should you choose? And which A-levels should you avoid? Here’s everything you need to know about the best A-levels for studying criminology:

Why Study Criminology?

Criminology is a multidisciplinary course that leans on a range of other disciplines including sociology, psychology, psychiatry and social anthropology. It is an interesting and varied degree and one in which students display a large amount of satisfaction.

There are many great reasons to choose to study criminology. The first, and most obvious of these is that you want to work within the criminology field, either as a criminologist or in some other aspect of the criminal justice system. Other professions that individuals with criminology degrees go on to work in include: police officers, prison officers, criminal profiling, forensic psychology, loss adjustment, fraud specialist, intelligence official, and the paralegal sector. The skills you will learn as part of your criminology degree are valuable and transferrable, meaning that even if you choose not to pursue a career as a criminologist, you will still finish your degree course equipped with a host of essential skills that will be highly valued in the world of work.

Other reasons you might choose to study criminology include:

• The opportunity to explore a subject that is fast-paced and dynamic. Because criminals and the crimes they commit are continuously changing, the opportunities for learning will never end. New research in the criminology arena is released all the time, which can be incredibly exciting for students in the field.
• Criminology is a versatile course: more so than many other subjects. Many criminology courses offer total freedom of module selection within a range of criminology-related areas. This means that you can also study psychology, sociology, economics, history and mathematics, tailoring your course to your unique interests, and ensuring it best suits your future career goals too.
• You will play your part in helping to keep society safe. Exploring why people break the law is a key part of tackling crime and patterns of crime. If you want to play a big part in keeping people safe, then studying criminology could be the perfect way to do so.

The Type of Knowledge Needed for a Criminology Degree

Criminology is challenging and interesting and is a highly intellectual field, meaning that you will need to be able to demonstrate certain knowledge bases and skill sets to be accepted onto a criminology course. Like any degree-level course, you cannot study criminology in the UK without studying A-levels, or equivalent qualifications, and securing the required number of UCAS points. The grades you will need to obtain, and the number of UCAS points you will need will vary from institution to institution, with the current range for criminology courses ranging from EE A-levels (or 32 UCAS points) to A*AA A-levels (or 152 UCAS points).

Some of the other skills and knowledge you will need to demonstrate on your UCAS application in order to be accepted onto a criminology degree include:

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Analytical thinking skills, including a knowledge and understanding of maths and statistics
• An interest in culture and society and a desire to understand sociology and anthropology, and the impact that they have on the criminal mind
• Good research, problem-solving and critical thinking skills
• A desire to work within the field of criminology or pursue a related career path
• Personal integrity and the ability to empathise with those from different backgrounds or with different lifestyles

Your written personal statement will provide you with the opportunity to demonstrate these skills and to showcase why you’re right for a place on your chosen course. Your personal statement should also include details of any relevant work experience you have undertaken, and give an insight into why you have chosen the field of criminology.

Studying criminology at degree level is a huge commitment, both in terms of time and money. A criminology degree usually takes three years to study. However, some universities will give their students the option of taking a sandwich year (a placement year gaining hands-on experience within their field), which will increase your course to four years. It’s important, therefore, to be sure that you have the knowledge you need and that you are committed to studying criminology before you complete your application.

Essential A-Levels for Studying Criminology

Almost all criminology courses will ask that you have a GCSE in maths with at least a C grade, and many will also ask that you have a GCSE in English language with at least a C grade too. In addition to this, you’ll be expected to have at least five GCSEs at grade C or higher before you can apply to university in the UK. Once you have met the GCSE requirements for your chosen course, it’s time to pick your A-levels. The good news is that most universities do not specify the essential A-levels you will need to study criminology. This means that if you have already selected your A-level options then your chosen subjects shouldn’t prevent you from submitting a UCAS application.

Whilst no A-level subjects are considered mandatory, there are some that are valued more highly than others because they are so relevant to your chosen course. Many universities place value on students that have studied either a sociology A-level, a psychology A-level, or both, for example. This is because criminology leans heavily on both of these fields, and many of the theories and methodologies you will build on within your criminology degree will be based on rudimentary sociology and psychology theories and practices. College admissions officers will look favourably on applicants that have already studied at least one of these subjects, therefore.

If your school or college offers it, you can study an A-level in criminology. This is a really popular course, covering all aspects of crime, and you will learn about different types of crimes, explanations for why people commit crimes and how we deal with criminals. Studying an A-level in criminology is also a great way to confirm that you enjoy the subject before you commit to studying it at degree level, so it is well worth studying if it is available to you. However, don’t worry if you can’t take an A-level in criminology. As this isn’t the most widely available subject, it is not expected that you will study it, and is not a requirement to go on and study criminology at degree level.

Other A-Levels for Studying Criminology

Criminology can be either an arts-based (BA) or science-based (BSc) degree and knowing whether you wish to study criminology as a BA or BSc will help you to determine which other A-levels will be beneficial to you. To study a science degree, for example, a firm understanding of science and a science background will be incredibly beneficial: an A-level in biology in particular will be valuable if you intend to focus on criminology as a science. By contrast, if you wish to study a BA in criminology then you should demonstrate your writing and research skills by taking at least one essay subject at A-level. Examples of essay subjects include English Literature, English language, history, geography, psychology and economics are all examples of essay subjects that would enhance your UCAS application when applying for criminology degree courses. A-level maths may also be considered beneficial, as this will demonstrate your analytical and research skills, and because statistics (and the ability to understand and assimilate them) is such a key element of criminology both as a science and as an art.

As we have already outlined above, most universities do not ask that you take specific A-levels in order to apply for a criminology degree course. However, it’s important to note that a general studies A-level cannot usually be counted as part of your points total. Whilst many schools will ask their pupils to take general studies as a mandatory course, and this can be useful, you should not consider this one of your three A-level options on your UCAS application, but instead as an added extra. For this reason, you should still choose three additional A-levels, one of which should be an essay subject to enhance your application. Traditional academic subjects tend to be more highly valued by university admissions officers than hands-on courses (food technology is an example of those subjects which are considered to have lesser value) so thinking about your skill set, and which traditional academic subjects you enjoy most, and perform best in, is a great way to choose the right A-levels for you.

Sheffield University, which is listed as one of the best universities to study criminology in the UK, provides a handy list of A-level subjects which develop the knowledge-based, theoretical and conceptual learning most relevant to their courses. This is a handy resource to refer to when choosing the right A-level subjects for you, and is included in full below:

Getting the Right A-Levels for Criminology

As well as ensuring that you study the right subjects, the most important thing that you can do is choose subjects that you enjoy and that you excel at because, when getting a place on a criminology course, your grades will be almost more important than the subjects that you choose. According to the Guardian’s University Guide from 2019, the ten best universities to study criminology in the UK are:

• University of Surrey (You will need ABB grades to be accepted onto this course and one of your A-levels should be in a science subject)
• University of Sheffield (You will need AAB grades to be accepted onto this course)
• Swansea University (The offer range is ABB-BBB to study criminology here)
• University of Portsmouth (The offer range is ABB-BBB to study criminology here)
• University of Leeds (You will need AAB grades to be accepted onto this course and two of these A-levels should be in ‘traditional academic subjects’)
• University of Gloucestershire (The offer range is BCC to BBB to study criminology here)
• University of Sterling (You will need BBB grades to be accepted onto this course)
• Lancaster University (You will need ABB grades to be accepted onto this course)
• Nottingham Trent University (Offers to study criminology here range from 112 – 120 UCAS Tariff points from up to four qualifications)
• Coventry University (You will need BBC grades to be accepted onto this course. General studies is excluded)

It’s important to note that very few of those universities outlined above give any guidance on which subjects you should choose, but they are all very clear on the grades they expect their students to achieve. So, if you’re concerned about meeting your academic goals, why not choose subjects you enjoy and know that you will excel in? Because you’re likely to perform better in subjects you enjoy and securing the right grades is essential to getting into your chosen university.