Criminology (with Foundation Year)
BSc (Hons)
UCAS code: LL3F
Start dates: September 2025 / September 2026
Full time: 4 Years, or 5 if year abroad is chosen
Part time: Up to 11 years
Location: Headington
School(s): School of Law and Social Sciences, School of Education, Humanities and Languages
Overview
Are you fascinated by the world of criminology? Would you like to learn about how crime impacts the world today? At Oxford Brookes you'll experience an exciting blend of theoretical and practical study as you explore criminology in real world situations. You'll investigate who commits crime, why they commit it and how to prevent it.
Criminology with a Foundation Year is a unique integrated degree programme, enabling you to develop academic skills crucial to university study, such as critical analysis, academic writing and collaboration. We'll support you as you grow your confidence, get to know your strengths and build your knowledge.
In your first year, you'll undertake our Foundation in Humanities course, and you'll then progress to the three year undergraduate programme in Criminology, with an opportunity to do an optional study abroad as an additional year. With the diverse experience and skills you'll gain, you'll be fully prepared for a career in a variety of sectors.

Why Oxford Brookes University?
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Perfect Preparation
Build essential study skills with an integrated foundation year. Gain academic confidence, improve critical thinking, and strengthen subject knowledge for your degree journey.
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A distinctive social focus
Being part of the School of Education, Humanities and Languages, you’ll get to study the subject from a wide range of views.
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Leading lecturers
The unique social angle of the department also attracts renowned researchers in areas like immigration or drugs who teach on the course.
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Links with top organisations
Thanks to our partnerships with organisations like Thames Valley Police and the Tap Social Movement, you’ll have great options for work placement or real-life projects.
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Make the degree yours
Optional modules let you study topics that interest you, while the dissertation is your chance to focus on an area you care about.
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Learn a language
Our university-wide language programme is available to full-time undergraduate and postgraduate students on many of our courses, and can be taken as a credit on some courses.
Course details
Study modules
Teaching for this course takes place face to face and you can expect around ten hours of contact time per week in your foundation year, and around seven hours of contact time per week during your degree. In addition to this, you should also anticipate a workload of 1,200 hours per year. Teaching usually takes place Monday to Friday, between 9.00am and 6.00pm.
Contact hours involve activities such as lectures, seminars, practicals, assessments, and academic advising sessions. These hours differ by year of study and typically increase significantly during placements or other types of work-based learning.
Please note: As our courses are reviewed regularly as part of our quality assurance framework, the modules you can choose from may vary from those shown here. The structure of the course may also mean some modules are not available to you.
Careers
Criminology graduates often choose to work in law enforcement or the criminal justice system. But those aren’t your only options. Your skills will be ideal for a wide range of career destinations including:
- NGOs
- charities
- local authorities
- crime consultation
- community support
- security firms
- research.
We offer work placement options such as Citizens Advice, Shannon Trust (who work in prisons to promote literacy), Thames Valley Police, charities like ‘SAFE’, Support for Young People Affected by Crime, and Children Heard and Seen (CHAS). There is even a local brewery, Tap Social, who sell beer to support social justice movements, so you’ll have a great opportunity to get experience.
Entry requirements
Wherever possible we make our conditional offers using the UCAS Tariff. The combination of A-level grades listed here would be just one way of achieving the UCAS Tariff points for this course.
Standard offer
UCAS Tariff Points: 72
A Level: DDD
IB Points: 24
BTEC: MMP
Further offer details
Applications are welcomed from candidates with alternative qualifications, and from mature students.
Specific entry requirements
Please also see the University's general entry requirements.
English language requirements
Applicants whose main language is not English should have IELTS 6.0.
Please also see the University's standard English language requirements.
English requirements for visas
If you need a student visa to enter the UK you will need to meet the UK Visas and Immigration minimum language requirements as well as the University's requirements. Find out more about English language requirements.
Credit transfer
Many of our courses consider applications for entry part-way through the course for students who have credit from previous learning or relevant professional experience.
Find out more about transferring to Brookes. If you'd like to talk through your options, please contact our Admissions team.
Terms and conditions of enrolment
When you accept our offer, you agree to the Terms and Conditions of Enrolment. You should therefore read those conditions before accepting the offer.
How to apply
Application process
Full time international applicants can also apply through UCAS
Tuition fees
Questions about fees?
Contact Student Finance on:
Tuition fees
Please note, tuition fees for Home students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students in line with an inflationary amount determined by government. Oxford Brookes University intends to maintain its fees for new and returning Home students at the maximum permitted level.
For further information please see our 2025-26 tuition fees FAQs.
Tuition fees for International students may increase in subsequent years both for new and continuing students.
The following factors will be taken into account by the University when it is setting the annual fees: inflationary measures such as the retail price indices, projected increases in University costs, changes in the level of funding received from Government sources, admissions statistics and access considerations including the availability of student support.
How and when to pay
Tuition fee instalments for the semester are due by the Monday of week 1 of each semester. Students are not liable for full fees for that semester if they leave before week 4. If the leaving date is after week 4, full fees for the semester are payable.
- For information on payment methods please see our Make a Payment page.
- For information about refunds please visit our Refund policy page
Additional costs
Please be aware that some courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees. Specific additional costs for this course are detailed below.
Compulsory costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
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Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) initial check (if you undertake specific modules or placements in some providers) | £54 |
Optional costs
Additional costs | Amount (£) |
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It’s your responsibility to cover print / binding costs where coursework submission is required. Please note that a lot of the coursework is now submitted online. |
From £30 |
You may choose to purchase books to support your studies. Many books on our reading lists are available via the Library, or can be purchased secondhand. | £20-60 per book |
Accommodation fees in Brookes Letting (most do not include bills) |
£94-265 per week |
Accommodation fees in university halls (bills included, excluding laundry costs) |
£122-180 per week |
Graduation costs include tickets, gowning and photography. Gowns are not compulsory but typically students do hire robes, starting at £41. |
Typically £0-200 |
Students are responsible for their own travel to and from university for classes. BrookesBus travel is subsidised for full-time undergraduate students that are on a course with a fee of £9,250 or more, or living in an Oxford Brookes hall of residence. There is an administration fee for the production of a BrookesKey. |
From £10 |
Funding your studies
Financial support and scholarships
Featured funding opportunities available for this course.
All financial support and scholarships
Programme changes:
On rare occasions we may need to make changes to our course programmes after they have been
published on the website. For more information, please visit our
changes to programmes page.