Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Criminology

Course Title

MQF Level

Duration and Credits

3 Years

180 ECTS

Mode of Study

Full-time

Information for International applicants

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Applicants in terms of the 'maturity (adult learners) clause' are required to sit for a written examination due to be held in September. Successful candidates shall then be called for an interview conducted by an interviewing board appointed for the purpose.

Eligible applicants are required to pass both the written examination and the interview.

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You can submit your application online. The deadlines for submission of applications vary according to the intake and courses. We encourage all international applicants to submit their applications as soon as possible. This is especially important if you require a visa to travel and eventually stay in Malta.

You can compare your national qualifications to the local requirements by visiting our qualifications comparability webpage. Access more information about our admission process and English language requirements.

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The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Criminology will provide you with a general and detailed knowledge and understanding of crime and criminology, equipping you with the criminological theories and concepts which offer explanations as to why people engage in criminal acts. By enabling you to understand the role of the courts, policing and corrections in criminal justice, you will be able to address categorical issues in criminology such as class roles, sex, race/ethnic behaviour and social policy. The course will instil you with a capacity to use qualitative and quantitative methods of social research and social investigation. By the end of the course, you would have the ability to apply criminology theories, principles and concepts to address Ӳeal lifeԠissues and situations in the criminal justice field, and thus the ability to engage in critical thought and analysis.

Communication and Academic Skills Programme

The communication and academic skills programme complements students’ main course of study. It introduces them to writing and presenting as situated within academic contexts sensitive to specific disciplines and develops their competences for future careers.


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

CRI1017	Crime Scene to Court	4 ECTS
CRL1012	Introduction to Law for Criminological Studies	4 ECTS
CRM1002	Introduction to Policing	4 ECTS
CRM1004	Biological and Psychological Theories of Crime	4 ECTS
CRM1005	Introduction to Corrections	4 ECTS
CRM1020	Introduction to Criminology	4 ECTS
CRM1021	Sociological Theories of Crime	4 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

CRI1005	Organised Crime	4 ECTS
CRI1009	Interpersonal Violence	4 ECTS
CRI1011	Community Based Sanctions	4 ECTS
CRI1015	Myths and Realities of Crime: Societal Perspectives	4 ECTS
CRI1016	Methods of Criminological Research	8 ECTS
CRL1011	Criminal Procedure and Criminology	4 ECTS
YTH1023	Youth, Crime and Deviance	4 ECTS

Requirement for regular progression to Year 2: 60 ECTS credits

In addition to the compulsory study-units, students are required to choose study-units to the value of 4 ECTS credits from the elective study-units on offer during the year.


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

CRI2002	Criminal Investigation	4 ECTS
CRI2003	Psychology and Investigation	4 ECTS
CRI2004	Prison and Prisoners	4 ECTS
CRI2012	Victimology	4 ECTS
CRI2015	Maritime Domains and Crime	4 ECTS
CRM2012	Crime Prevention and Community Safety	4 ECTS
CRM2020	Key Issues: Drugs and Society	4 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

CRI1006	Violent Crime	4 ECTS
CRI2008	Risk and Security Management	4 ECTS
CRI2011	Practical Approaches to Research Methodology	4 ECTS
CRI2014	Contemporary and Comparative Criminology	4 ECTS
CRM1016	Restorative Justice	4 ECTS
CRM2019	Introduction to Forensic Pathology	4 ECTS
MRT2013	Ethics in the Criminal Justice System	4 ECTS

Elective Units (Elective units are offered subject to availability, a minimum number of student registrations and time-table constraints)

CRI2013	Criminology in Practice	4 ECTS
CRI2016	The Politics of Crime and Punishment	4 ECTS

Requirement for regular progression to Year 3: 60 ECTS credits


Year (This/these unit/s start/s in Semester 1 and continue/s in Semester 2)

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

CRM3011	Dissertation	12 ECTS	(NC)


Semester 1

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

CRI3002	Police Leadership and Management	4 ECTS
CRI3003	Psychology of the Courtroom	4 ECTS
CRI3004	White Collar Crimes	4 ECTS
CRI3005	Crime Mapping and Spatial Technologies	4 ECTS
CRI3008	Sentencing, Penal Policy and Management in Corrections	4 ECTS
CRI3013	Terrestrial Domains and Crime	4 ECTS
CRM3012	Terrorism and Counter Terrorism	4 ECTS


Semester 2

Compulsory Units (All students must register for this/these unit/s)

CRI3011	Criminal Careers and Intergenerational Phenomena	4 ECTS
CRI3012	Migration, Crime and Borders	4 ECTS
CRM3001	Cyber Crime	4 ECTS
CRM3009	Designing out Crime: Spatial Planning and the Environment	4 ECTS
CRM3010	Offence and Criminal Profiling	4 ECTS

Requirement for successful completion of Year 3: 60 ECTS credits

Requirement for award of B.A. (Hons) Criminology: 180 ECTS credits

This programme of study is governed by the General Regulations for University Undergraduate Awards, 2019 and by the Bye-Laws for the award of the Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Criminology under the auspices of the Faculty for Social Wellbeing.

At the end of the BA (Hons) Degree Programme, you will have:

An understanding of the multi-disciplinary nature of criminology, criminological theory, methods and substantive analysis.
An ability to apply analytical tools to specific areas of study, including crime and how it is defined, and various approaches to punishment.
An understanding of criminal justice agencies and how they operate, including the police, courts, prisons and probation, and the contours of decision-making in criminal justice.
The ability to analyse major theoretical issues in criminology and identify their applied relevance.
The ability to understand the evidence presented in criminological studies, and to assess the appropriateness of the methods used, their value and their limitations.
The ability to understand the social policy and practical application of the range of methods for controlling criminals and delinquents, and to evaluate the effectiveness of the applied crime/deviance control methods.

Non EU Applicants:

Fee per academic year: Eur 8,500

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As a criminologist, you will strive to understand why people commit crime, how they can be dissuaded from engaging in crime, how criminals/delinquents/potential delinquents should be treated, and how victims of crime could be helped. As a criminology graduate, you may find employment in the criminal justice system as a police officer, correctional officer or probation officer and in other agencies (even care agencies) that deal with criminogenic populations. In addition, you might find employment in the private sector (e.g. private policing, security and insurance agencies, digital gaming and cyber security).

This programme gives you access to the M.A. in Probation Services and the M.A. in Criminology (by Research) offered by the Department of Criminology. Alternatively, you may opt to further your studies abroad to pursue international work and career opportunities.

https://www.um.edu.mt/courses/overview/ubahcft4-2024-5-o/