This course is an exciting development and rests on this long and esteemed tradition of criminological research and teaching at the University; the current staff within the Centre for Criminology and Socio-Legal Studies are all actively involved in advancing knowledge in this discipline. This course will enable you to understand why crime has become a dominant social problem, how crime and criminal behaviour are related to other social issues and how we can best research the challenges which face the criminal justice system. It will give you the necessary analytical skills to critically engage both with complex data and the intricate policy debates within the field of criminology. The course will also enable you to develop skills relevant to a variety of key professions concerned with criminal justice and crime reduction, including the police, prisons, offender management, youth justice and community safety.