Bachelor of Law with Criminology (Hons)

at University of Bedfordshire - Luton Campus United Kingdom

Bringing together the emerging fields of forensic science and criminology, this course gives you the lab skills and practical crime-scene experience of the scientist combined with a criminological exploration of why people commit crime, and the role of the police and criminal justice system in its prevention.

Our degree provides you with a foundation in the biological and chemical sciences that apply to forensic science as well as exploring criminological theory, crime-scene investigation and the role of scene-of-crime officers. In the Criminology units, you gain understanding of how data can be analysed to identify and predict factors that may cause people to commit crime. You also explore the role of forensic science, the police and the criminal justice system in the prevention, deterrence and punishment of criminal behaviour.

The course has been designed to develop your skills in laboratory analysis; the interpretation and evaluation of evidence; and the communication of scientific findings. You also learn how to assess the strengths and weaknesses of different criminological explanations; make reasoned arguments; and bring together information from different sources.

Why choose this course?

• Explore topics at the forefront of current developments in forensic science
• Study in a specialist forensic laboratory, with key laboratory skills incorporated into most of the units
• Learn the skills and techniques needed to evaluate a real-life crime scene in our scene-of-crime lab, designed to resemble an 'normal' flat
• Work with a Forensic Science team that includes international experts in the psychology of criminal behaviour and forensics experts from a variety of operational backgrounds
• Acquire key transferable skills including in oral and written communication; IT; group and team work; analysis; critical thinking; and problem solving
• Take the course over four years and include a fee-free year in industry, gaining work experience, building your CV and making contacts for the future
• If you need a step up into higher education, start with a Foundation Year which guarantees you a place on the degree course

This is a course for our times, responding to the challenges of globalization. The degree will challenge those from the UK and beyond to think past their national perspectives. To get the full story you need to transcend geographical borders and traditional divisions.

Today's big stories are complex, simultaneously political, economic, hyper-local and global. You will learn about transnational organisations, critique theories relating to the role of the media and globalisation and practice journalism across various media platforms.

Why choose this course?

• Study with professionals from the industry, including alumni of this course, who will share practice examples, give you tips on entering the industry and help you develop your network
• Explore career options in regional, national and transnational reporting, or as a political, economic and foreign correspondent as you develop into a rounded journalist capable of seeing the whole 'global' story
• Develop your resourcefulness and enterprise – with an ability to identify and pursue stories and to challenge, test and critique evidence, while adhering to ethical codes of conduct
• Gain first-hand knowledge, by visiting national and/or international news organisations such as Reuters and Bloomberg, as well as UK/EU parliaments; work on the University community radio station and student newspaper or gain experience with local and regional newspapers and radio stations
• Benefit from a degree that gives you relevant transferable skills in publishing, copywriting, public relations, in-house press office positions, teaching, sports journalism, media research and digital media production, or enable you to continue to an MPhil or PhD research degree

This course shares its first stage with our other related BSc degrees to give you a foundation in the subject while providing a platform for specialist study in the second and third stages.

The course is broadly based yet carries enough depth to provide credible vocational skills; because of the wide range of courses taught in the department a number of special equipment is accessible in areas such as biometrics, robotics or computer graphics, which allows you to encounter the context of use of various concepts in Computer Science.

Computer Science is a complex and wide-ranging subject, and includes the study of computation theory, the design of systems and artificial intelligence.

This course shares its first stage with our other related BSc degrees to give you a foundation in the subject while providing a platform for specialist study in the second and third stages.

You will concentrate on essential areas such as systems architecture and security, acquire practical programming, modelling and software development skills before focusing on a chosen specialist area for your final stage project.

Why choose this course?

• Learn a broad-based range of subjects but in enough depth to give you high value vocational skills
• Study in a carefully structured but flexible way, sharing the first foundation stage with our other related BSc degrees before specialising in the second and third stages
• Develop your practical skills in a variety of programming languages
• Gain confidence in the use of specialist biometric, robotic and computer graphic equipment
• Explore the latest developments in artificial intelligence
• Challenge yourself as you decide which specialist area you would like to focus on
• Benefit from studying with highly qualified specialists in dedicated laboratories using the latest hi-tech equipment

In following this Master’s course, you develop the essential knowledge, attributes and professional skills you need to pursue or further your career in operational forensic casework.

The forensic industry is highly competitive, requiring skilled professionals across diverse fields including pathology, toxicology, drug analysis, fire-debris analysis, wildlife crime, microbial forensics, forensic genetics and document analysis. This course prepares you to meet the needs of the industry and enter a career in areas related to civil and criminal investigation as well as wider science- or research-based positions.

On the course, you develop your theoretical understanding and practical experience alongside your skills in analysing and evaluating your findings. You also learn how to communicate these findings to a variety of audiences, including other scientists, the court and the media. Units may include forensic chromatography; evaluation and presentation of evidence; forensic spectroscopy; and biological advances.

Why choose this course?

•  Learn from staff with experience in operational forensic casework. Develop your practical skills through hands-on experience in our exceptional laboratory facilities, including a Scenes of Crime Laboratory.
• Study a course informed by the latest research, ensuring you are aware of current and emerging developments in this specialist field.
• Gain a qualification, the skills and the knowledge to meet the wide-ranging needs of the forensic and other science-based industries, making you well-placed to enter a career in a number of specialised fields.
• Develop strong research skills for form the basis of those required for study at PhD level. Benefit from the University’s strong links to external stakeholders in the forensic industry and related organisations and practice sectors.
• Take up career opportunities that could include forensic consultancies; government agencies; related industries; and research and development

As the various elements of the mass media converge, it is increasingly appropriate to develop a broader understanding of how different aspects of the media interconnect. This course examines key issues of media and communication, introducing principles of cultural theories and media research methods.

For this course you must complete a series of units that address the central issues and concepts informing the study of the media in a culturally diverse environment as the nowadays society.

The course offers units dealing with fundamental principles and topics of the subject area (e.g. Current research in mass communications; Media institutions, structure and policies; and Research Methods in the area of media); and a core unit focuses on international development.

The course includes a final self-directed independent study project, in the form of a dissertation based on a research project. It is this project work that provides you with the opportunity to tailor the course to your own interests (subject to staff supervisory expertise).

You can start your studies in October and complete the course in 12 months. Alternatively start the course in February and complete it over 15 months

Why choose this course?

• Study the theories, which underpin the practice of media and communication, and discuss theoretical aspects of media through a range of case studies.
• Apply knowledge of the media and its cultural forms to the analysis of contemporary issues
• Employ skills in critical analysis, research, and communication as well as an array of generic and creative skills to propose solutions to contemporary issues in mass communications
• Develop and employ strong academic skills in research and critical thinking, problem-solving and analysis.
• Apply knowledge of cultural and media processes to the examination of policy and ethical issues, whether in the public domain or in other aspects of democratic participation and citizenship.
• Acquire skills needed to continue your studies and progress into MPhil and PhD.

This 2 year Master’s courses will give you the opportunity to be awarded a subject specific degree in Software Engineering and Applications with Project Management. The course will teach you the skills to become professional software developers and create applications with the latest emerging technologies.

If you want to solve real-world problems, evaluate advanced software engineering environments, and build complex software applications then this is the course for you.

The course will cover a range of topics including advanced programming to popular development platforms, open source frameworks, Big Data ecosystems Cloud Computing, and Project Management.

• 2-year subject specific degree with project management
• This course is ideal for Computer Science graduates and experienced programmers who want to solve real-world problems
• Development of advanced analytical and technical skills in core areas of software engineering, which include advanced programming, design patterns architecture patterns, data architectures, distributed and parallel systems, Hadoop, Cloud Computing and web services
• Development of professional skills in management of projects related to software engineering Achievement of critical understanding of core software engineering technologies, development platforms and related open source frameworks
• Acquire the skills related to research methodologies, ethics, and legal aspects, that is required for work within the areas of Computer Science.

The MSc Software Engineering and Applications is designed for graduates and experienced programmers who want to solve real-world problems, evaluating advanced software engineering environments and building up complex software applications based on emerging technologies.

The course covers a range of topics from advanced programming, design patterns and data modelling to popular development platforms, open source frameworks and cloud computing will be explored to open up your career.

The aims of the course are to provide you with a critical understanding of Software Engineering Techniques such as advanced programming, design patterns and databases.

You will be able to follow significant trends in system development, including software development, version control with GitHub, open source frameworks such as OpenCV and Tensorflow along with web services and cloud computing.

You will have developed your problem solving skills with respect to software engineering and develop your analytical and evaluative skills with respect to information technology.

Why choose this course?

The MSc in Software Engineering and Applications with Placement course is about building professional software developers and helping them to create applications of latest emerging technologies. It is an ideal course for Computer Science graduates and experienced programmers who want to solve real-world problems, evaluating advanced software engineering environments, and built up complex software applications based on emerging technology with improved readability, testability, and extensibility. A range of topics from advanced programming to popular development platforms, open source frameworks, Big Data ecosystem and Cloud Computing will be explored to fulfil the goal and to open up your career opportunities.

Companies are reporting that business is becoming ever more competitive and that industries are becoming more volatile. In order to remain competitive businesses are looking for project management graduates who are able to work in a flexible, collaborative way in order to help provide innovative solutions to often complex and open-ended problems.

The ability of organisations to develop projects and deliver them successfully is becoming increasingly important and the management of these projects is a much sought after skill.

This course is specifically designed to enable you to develop Project Management and Business skills through an exciting programme that links academic theory and real world business projects in realistic business settings.

You will be challenged to develop awareness of your own skills and learning needs and will be encouraged to offer innovative and creative approaches to Project Management and business problem solving.

Our recent investment of £1m in a new Electronic Engineering lab demonstrates our commitment to this discipline, and means you will be able to use state-of-the-art equipment and enjoy top-tier teaching as you study.

You will develop skills in a number of areas, including analogue and digital electronics, signal processing, sensors, digital communications, software engineering and embedded programming.

And through a combination of theoretical learning and practical application, you will quickly became adept at solving real-world engineering problems.

Accredited by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) on behalf of the Engineering Council for the purposes of fully meeting the academic requirement for registration as an Incorporated Engineer and partly meeting the academic requirement for registration as a Chartered Engineer

Why choose this course?
The course will provide you with academic and technical skills to analyse, interpret and make sense of electronic engineering. It will enable you to meet the demands of tomorrow’s electronic engineering.

• Learn skills in a number of areas, including analogue and digital electronics, signal processing, sensors, digital communications, software engineering and embedded programming
• Study using a combination of top-tier learning materials and hands-on practical experience
• Develop your knowledge and understanding of the commercial and economic contexts of engineering processes, and keep informed of emerging processes and technologies
• Gain a thorough awareness of the possible equality and diversity issues that exist in electronic engineering
• Explore the practical application of the computer software and hardware toolkits commonly used by electronic engineers
• Challenge yourself by analysing and solving real-world engineering problems
• Benefit from our well-established professional links with local and regional industry partners

In a constantly evolving field, there’s a growing shortage of qualified cybersecurity professionals with the up-to-the-minute expertise needed to keep on top of the game. This cutting-edge course equips you with the knowledge and skills employers are looking for.

Careers in the cybersecurity field offer huge potential for skilled graduates. This wide-ranging course is designed to develop the diverse skillset you need to identify and manage physical, natural and electronic security breaches and violations in all areas of cyberspace.

Our cutting-edge teaching and training techniques give you a thorough understanding of security processes and practices as well as the complexities and challenges associated with information security; the legal requirements around information-security domains; and post-incident analysis techniques.

Work-based learning and placements enable you to put theory into practice, as you build your ability to understand and analyse threat factors and multi-stage cyber attacks, and put controls in place to mitigate risk and impact.

Why choose this course?

• It is fully aligned with BCS, CESG and IISP requirements, making your qualification highly relevant to a range of employers
• You learn from a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts, trainers and active researchers
• Learning approaches are practice-based and include work-based and placement activities as well as interactive demonstrations by academic staff and guest speakers
• You apply your technical cybersecurity skills using secure virtualised and containerised environments
• Your degree qualification balances technical and management skills, enabling you to enter careers across a wide range of security contexts
• Take the course over four years and include a year’s placement in industry (see below) where you gain experience and make contacts for the future
• If you are stepping up into higher education, you can start with a Foundation Year which guarantees your entry to the Undergraduate course (see below)