Why study Criminology at Manchester?
At a glance
- Study at a university ranked in the UK top 10 for Criminology (The Guardian University Guide 2026).
- See justice in practice through field trips, including visits to Manchester Crown Court.
- Use real-world data through Manchester’s Q-Step programme to investigate crime and learn how to question evidence.
- Hear from professionals across policing, prisons, probation, youth justice and the third sector.
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Frequently asked study questions
Criminology looks beyond the headlines to ask why crime happens, who it affects and how society responds.
You will get a chance to explore research themes including:
- organised crime;
- policing;
- prisons;
- drug markets;
- violence;
- exploitation;
- and digital crime.
Looking at these issues from different viewpoints can challenge assumptions about crime and help you understand how it affects people, communities and society.
You may start to think differently about crime, justice and responsibility.
Studying at Manchester brings you into contact with academics researching issues such as:
- policing;
- punishment;
- organised crime;
- digital technologies;
- and advanced data analysis.
Their work reaches beyond the University, with research helping to shape responses to domestic abuse and contributing to UK policy reform.
Criminology encourages you to question ideas about who commits crime, why it happens and how society should respond.
By examining evidence and different explanations, you’ll see why questions around policing, punishment, inequality and justice rarely have simple answers.
Over time, you will be able to become more confident in questioning claims about crime, weighing up different arguments and forming your own views based on evidence.