Criminology BA Welcome Pack
Welcome to BA Criminology 2025.
Criminology tackles questions such as what is crime? How much of it is there? How are laws enforced? Why is crime concentrated in particular areas? How do you judge and evaluate evidence? How can crime be prevented? How do we best support victims and survivors? Additionally, Criminology asks us to imagine what society ought to be like, could or should we defund the police or abolish prisons?
As you can see there are lots of questions but studying BA Criminology will help develop your skills and knowledge so you can begin to answer these and importantly, start to ask many more of your own. What differentiates a criminologist from the person on the street, we have immersed ourselves in studying Criminology in depth and now is your opportunity to do the same
Our Criminology degree provides you with a gradual development of criminological knowledge that progressively advances across the years. A range of different assessment strategies allow you to explore your strengths and weaknesses, developing transferable skills for the future.
Throughout your studies at the University of Northampton, you will be registered as a student member of the British Society of Criminology [BSC] free of charge. This offers a unique opportunity to engage with wider criminological discourse and attend conferences and events. Further information about the British Society of Criminology can be found on the BSC website.
Your Course Leader
Dr Paula Bowles
Senior Lecturer in Criminology
paula.bowles@northampton.ac.uk
Welcome and Induction Sessions
This is your induction timetable for your BA Criminology degree with in person sessions starting on Monday 22 September, If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Dr Paula Bowles: paula.bowles@northampton.ac.uk
Monday 22 September – Friday 3 October
Welcome Week activities
From karaoke to outdoor cinema, wellbeing walks to Silent Disco, and much more – there’s something suitable for everyone.
See our Welcome timetable to find out more.
Monday 22 September 2025
Session: Welcome and Induction
- Time: 1 – 3pm (BST)
- Location: SN305, Senate building, Waterside campus
The first session of the week is with Dr Paula Bowles and will cover some of the important information, you will need for your studies. You will also meet your BA Criminology peers who you will be seeing a lot of over the next three years.
Wednesday 24 September 2025
Session: Meet Your Course Leader: Dr Paula Bowles
- Time: 11am – 1pm (BST)
- Location: Open Space, outside LH201 on the second floor of the Learning Hub, Waterside campus
Just look for the Criminology banner, and you will find me. If you have any questions or you just want to say hello, come along anytime between 11am – 1pm.
Thursday 25 September 2025
Session: Business & Law Welcome Fair
Don’t miss the fun of the fair! Music, games, sweet treats and more (including prizes to be won). Join our business and law student and staff community for an afternoon of fun, friendship and first-year festivities. No need to book, just turn up!
- Time: 12 – 4pm (BST)
- Location: Town Hall, Creative Hub, Waterside campus
Session: The Future of Criminology: Plenary with Dr Manos Daskalou
- Time: 1 – 3pm (BST)
- Location: Morley Room, First Floor, Senate Building, Waterside campus
This year, Criminology at UON is celebrating its Silver Jubilee. In 2000, Dr Manos Daskalou created the first Criminology degree and in this session, he will be considering what the future might hold for the discipline and of course, you!
Friday 26 September 2025
Session: Meet Your Personal Academic Tutor [PAT]
- Time: 1 – 2pm (BST)
- Location: Open Space, outside LH201 on the second floor of the Learning Hub.
Use this time to introduce yourself to your Personal Academic Tutor [PAT] who will help you navigate through the next three years of your studies. Remember this person is likely to be one of your future referees, so it pays to build a professional working relationship with them. Furthermore, they will be a font of all UON knowledge, if they do not know the answer to your questions, they will know who best to ask.
Session: Quiz Social
- Time: 3 – 5pm (BST)
- Location: LH013, Learning Hub
After a busy Welcome Week, time to relax and get to know your peers from BA Criminology, BA Criminology with Psychology and BA Law with Criminology. You will be joined by members of the Criminology Team, as well as Ayshea O’Brien (Course Leader for the BA Law with Criminology) for a friendly quiz. Join a team, have a chat, eat some snacks and try your hand at some criminological questions. Feel free to bring a friend, the more the merrier.
Preparation
To start thinking criminologically, keep an eye on the news, whether written, visual or oral. Consider what is the biggest crime problem in your locality, the country and globally. How would you begin to tackle these problems?
The Criminology Team has a wide range of social media accounts which we would encourage you to follow:
In addition, the Criminology Team manage and write a regular blog. Throughout your studies we would encourage you all, to contribute to the blog your own thoughts on crime, criminology or your wider academic experience. You can find previous examples of student writing on our blog site.
Enhancing skills, building networks and engaging in the wider University community
Each year, the Criminology Team arranges a variety of guest speakers and events open to students. We are working in partnership with the Office for Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner to deliver a range of workshops involving practitioners from local organisations, survivors/victims, students and academics. These discussion workshops seek to change the narrative around Violence Against Women and Girls [VAWG]. Extra-curricular events such as this offer opportunities to develop your networking skills and build relationships both in and outside of the University, invaluable for career planning.