Bachelor of Arts - History and Criminology (MV91)

Students are encouraged to consider the ways in which histories of crime and the discipline of criminology overlap and influence each other. Criminologists engage with some of the most pressing issues, decisions and dilemmas facing societies today. Students are encouraged to explore the nature of crime, criminal justice and punishment within wider social contexts and they can study an exciting range of topics, from the impact of computer games on crime, to terrorism and illegal migration, to policing and controlling society.

As students of history, they also discover both the early modern and modern periods, and explore challenging questions concerning the impact of political, social and cultural change on individuals, social groups, and regions. At Essex, they teach students to find their own critical voice, and to view history through the eyes of ordinary people, giving them the voice they often lacked at the time.

Students have the opportunity to indulge their interests in early modern and modern history and criminology by selecting modules from a wide range of specializations, such as:

• Colonialism and the British Empire • Urban life in Germany • Culture, identity and subjectivity • Public policy regarding health, the environment, crime and aging • Citizenship, multiculturalism and human rights

The Department of History has developed a strong research and teaching profile. The staff are amongst world leaders in their fields and they have strong links with the Essex Record Office, which is one of the best county record offices in the UK. Their students love them too: 92% of their history students expressed overall satisfaction with their course (NSS 2019).

The Department of Sociology, which teaches the criminology modules, is Top 20 in the UK for research excellence (REF 2014, mainstream universities, THE 2014) and Top 15 for criminology in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2020.