Hi! My name is Angelica and I’m a 3rd year Criminology student. I’ve always been fascinated by detective shows and when I found out that Manchester offered a Criminology course (which was the best overall out of my other picks) it didn’t take too much convincing for me to come to UoM.

What I love about this course, is that we are taught by experts in the field and are lucky enough to have had multiple guest speakers at our lectures. These helped us gain a deeper understanding of the different agencies within the Criminal Justice system (think probation service, police, etc.), as well as allowing us to view the people working within these agencies as actors, rather than just an abstract idea on paper. On top of this, teachers are responsive with their feedback, and especially in 3rd year, there’s really fun optional modules (I picked one called Mass Violence!!).

One of my favourite modules to date has to be Criminal Law, which we actually undertook in first year. It was eye-opening to see how law and criminology worked hand in hand to dictate what counted/didn’t count as an offence and how nuanced that area of law is.

In terms of opportunities for work within this field, I’d say that it is varied. As Criminology is quite interdisciplinary, your expertise can be used in whichever agency you prefer, whether that is through using your data analysis skills to help make informed decisions, or through your leadership skills in the probation service. In terms of actual opportunities, definitely check out the IG page @criminologyuom or even the Careers Connect website. We also have a criminology society (MUCS) which holds events and is open to non – criminology students too!

If you really want to know if this course is for you, ponder over your interests and take a leap of faith if they align with what you want to do in the future!

Written by Angelica Islam, 3rd year BA Criminology Student.  

Related