BA (Hons) Criminology and Law course preparation

Suggested reading

You’ll be given lots of information about which textbooks to read and introduced to the University Library, as well as the many ebooks we have for you to access, when you begin your studies in September.

In the meantime, there are a few textbooks you might like to read before starting your degree if you can. We don’t recommend rushing out to buy texts before you arrive. But if you can pick these up second hand, borrow from a library or access online, we suggest the following:

Croall H (2011) Crime and Society in Britain, 2nd Ed, Pearson
Muncie J & McLaughlin E (2013) Sage Dictionary of Criminology, 3rd Ed, Sage
Law J (2015) Oxford Dictionary of Law, 8th Ed, OUP
Newburn T, (2017) Criminology, 3rd Ed, Routledge

During your first week, you’ll be provided with electronic copies of the academic programme handbook and an administrative rules and procedures handbook. The contents of each will be explained during your first formal introductory sessions. You’ll also be required to attend a range of introductory sessions where tutors and other staff members will provide you with guidance on how to access and use our virtual learning platform, Blackboard, our library, and the roles of various colleagues in the School and Departments, such as your personal tutor.

You’ll also be provided with a handbook for each individual module that will include details of the aims and outcomes for each module. These will include details of the teaching and learning methods, assessment methods and weightings, assessment criteria, details on coursework submission and feedback dates and procedures, extension procedures, module attendance requirements and details of the title and contents of your weekly module lectures and weekly seminar/workshop tasks and the supporting reading for each topic comprehensive reading list of key texts.

Useful materials

British Society of Criminology Blog. Explores current issues on crime, criminology and criminal justice
Serial. A true crime podcast series which delves into a new true crime story in each episode
They Walk Among Us. An award-winning weekly UK true crime podcast covering a broad range of cases, produced in partnership with the Law & Crime Podcast network
UK True Crime Podcast. Posts weekly episodes, offering new perspectives and insights on true crime stories in the UK

University of Oxford Centre for Criminology. Hosts a series of criminology podcasts and blogs discussing a wide-range of issues in criminology and criminal justice
Law in Action. BBC Radio 4’s long running legal podcast, featuring reports and discussions on matters relating to law.
Law Pod UK. Brought to you by barristers at 1 Crown Office Row, Law Pod UK covers developments across all aspects of civil and public law in the United Kingdom.
BBC Radio 4 Best of Today. Offers insights, analysis and expert debates as key policy makers are challenged on the latest news stories.

Things to do over summer

Here are some suggestions about what it would be good for you to do before you formally begin your studies. These are just suggestions, you won’t be examined on these. But learning is something that doesn’t just take place in formal settings. In fact, most of what you learn at university should be from what you read, listen to and watch by yourself.

Especially but not only documentaries. Some are more easily available than others and some you may have to pay for. We’d recommend, for example:

13th.
This is an excellent Netflix film about how the mass incarceration of Black people in the United States has come about historically and how it mirrors the slavery of the nineteenth century. Brilliant. The Dirty Money series on Netflix is also very good on aspects of crimes of the powerful.
The House I Live In.
This is a powerful documentary by Eugene Jarecki about the failure of the ‘war on drugs’. It argues that the war on drugs has led to massive harm in the United States and globally.
Before the Flood, An Inconvenient Truth, Our Planet and A Plastic Ocean
All really interesting and powerful films about environmental crisis. Of course, there is also a wealth of documentary material now emerging about the pandemic. It has been argued for some time now that disruption of natural environments and closer proximity of humans and non-human species has elevated the potential for these pandemics. It is how the Ebola, SARS and Coronavirus pandemics each originated. This is not new, human diseases have long emerged from such inter-species interaction (the smallpox that nearly wiped-out indigenous Americans for example was originally transferred from animals to humans in Europe – by the time Europeans invaded the Americas they had developed immunity, but the native population hadn’t). But the ever greater pressure that humans put on the environment for land, the greater the danger.
Capitalism a Love Story, Inside Job and Too Big to Fail
All are worth watching to develop an understanding of the financial crisis of 2008 – the response to which included tripling your tuition fees. Again, most of what happened was attributable to legal practices and values. A number of criminologists / zemiologists would argue that such destruction should not have been permitted to happen. It is interesting that many of the top people who pursued policies that led to the crisis have seen their careers rise, rather than fall.
Auschwitz, Nazis and the Final Solution and Nazis: A Warning from History.
Both very good documentary series you should be able to find online.
The Corporation
An online documentary that was released alongside a very good book of the same name by Joel Bakan. They both examine how the normal structure and legal status of corporations have led to massive harms. Free online.
The War You Don’t See
By John Pilger. This is available free on his website johnpilger.com. It is a searing indictment of lying and deceit by government and media that manufactured public consent for the Iraq war.
Fourteen Days in May
A harrowing fly on the wall documentary about an American prisoner on Death Row. Brilliant and agonising. Don’t watch it alone.

As you watch or read, ask yourselves these three questions:

What are the harms that are being described? How are people or planet adversely effected?
Can I identify anything that might be considered to be causal factors in creating this harm?
Do these harms arise because of deviance? Or conformity and obedience?

As a Criminology and Law student, you’ll need to have a good knowledge and understanding of current events (at home and abroad) so getting into the habit of paying attention to news and political events will certainly help you with your studies. You may be doing some of these things already; if so, keep up the good work.

Join our community

Follow our School and our student societies on social media so that you can start connecting with your colleagues and chat to current students about their experiences.

School of Law, Criminology and Policing

@ehu_lcp

School of Law, Criminology and Policing

@ehu_lcp

Criminology society

@ehucriminologysociety

Policing society

@ehupolicingsociety

Connect with us on LinkedIn

LinkedIn is the largest professional networking site with over 610 million members worldwide. It’s very useful for networking and securing opportunities.

Find advice on creating a LinkedIn profile.

Once you’ve created your profile, join our School group and connect with your lecturers and your colleagues, along with employers as you progress through your degree so that you gradually build your network.

Think of the future

Beginning your degree is the first step on your career journey and it’s never too early to start thinking about your future career. Within our School we have a dedicated careers advisor – Emma Bonati – who is on hand to help you with all things career related. Emma and the Careers Team can assist with matters such as: developing a CV, writing a job application, securing part-time work etc.

Before you join us in September, start to get familiar with the Edge Hill Careers Team. You can also follow them on socials for regular updates: @ehucareers

It may also be useful to browse some career websites such as Prospects and Target Jobs.

Volunteering

Volunteering is a valuable way to not only achieve personal development but also to build transferable and specific skills sought by employers. Find more advice on volunteering.

If you are unsure of where your degree can take you – don’t worry. Your Personal Tutor, lecturers, the Careers Team and the Work Placements Team are all here to offer advice and support to help you on your journey and throughout your studies. You will be invited to numerous workshops, panel events and careers fairs where you can interact with employers, build connections and learn about possible career pathways.

Meet your programme leader

Dr Sean Creaney

[email protected]