Criminal Investigation BSc (Hons)

Studying Criminal Investigation gives you an exciting opportunity to critically analyse aspects of police investigations from different perspectives and understand the way crimes receive different levels of response.<br/><br/>Criminal investigation is a central part of police activity, and media coverage can influence the public perception of the police, their accountability and legitimacy. This course is an excellent choice if you want to gain a solid grounding in police criminal investigations while also developing broad knowledge and skills that will prepare you for a wide range of careers in criminal justice and beyond.<br/><br/>The increase in crime, and the way crime is committed today, provides very different challenges to those facing detectives of the past. On this course you will seek to understand the current context within which detectives work and adopt a critical approach to criminal investigations, exploring investigative history, police effectiveness in volume, serious and complex, and major crime investigations, historic and current sexual and domestic abuse investigations.<br/><br/>**Specialist facilities**<br/><br/>We have invested significantly in a Hydra suite that will allow our students to simulate crime scenarios under ‘close-to-real’ conditions You will have the opportunity to use the Hydra facility during some modules (e.g. decision making) to allow you to directly experience highly realistic incidents, situations and scenarios as part of your integrated learning. You will also be able to gain some applied knowledge of criminal justice processes through our ‘courtroom’ which is a lecture theatre which simulates a courtroom and which used to be a courtroom in the past.<br/><br/>**Location**<br/><br/>This course is run at our Canterbury Campus in Kent. Canterbury is just 50 miles south-east of London and less than an hour by high-speed train from St Pancras. Located on a UNESCO World Heritage Site the campus offers state-of-the-art buildings, right in the centre of a vibrant and world-famous cathedral city. You’ll benefit from a campus with excellent learning and teaching resources, music venues, a superb sports centre, a well-stocked bookshop and plenty of coffee bars and places to eat. A short walk away is Augustine House our award-winning library and home to a vast range of learning resources and student support teams.

University isn't just an education, it's the start of your career. At Canterbury Christ Church University (CCCU), you'll get to explore a number of exciting career paths, whatever you study.<br/><br/>CCCU is ranked top 5 UK university for employability (Uni Compare Rankings 2026), highlighting its excellent student careers and employability support. The university is home to career-relevant courses and industry-standard facilities. For example, film students can showcase their creativity in the fully equipped film/TV studio, forensics students can test their observational abilities in mock crime scenes, and nursing students can practice their skills in simulated hospital wards.<br/><br/>With a campus in a World Heritage Site, Canterbury is also less than an hour on the train from London and is buzzing with student life. You've got beautiful coast and countryside right on your doorstep, and plenty of opportunities to make friends. With CCCU's range of clubs and societies, including Tennis, Musical Theatre and Dodgeball, you're bound to meet your friends for life.<br/><br/>Apply now to secure your place at CCCU this September.