Why I chose to study criminology at University College Cork

Crime is something which seems to be everywhere nowadays, from Netflix documentaries to the six o’clock news to video games.

So the growing popularity of criminology as people’s choice for an undergraduate degree is not too much of a surprise.

Criminology is a fairly recent addition to the UCC prospectus, and something which people still may not be aware of as an option for them to study.

Criminology is the study of crime, and its impact on victims and society, and the core modules in criminology draw upon the disciplines of sociology, criminology, law and psychology.

You also have the option to sample different subjects as well such as philosophy, history, cultural studies and a language.

On the course, you will study what crime is, why it happens, and who criminals are.

The course is very interesting, however, if you were expecting it to be similar to the hit TV drama series Criminal Minds, you would be mistaken.

Actually mentioning Criminal Minds to a criminologist makes them wince as it is not an accurate representation of the course, and the reason why many people have the wrong idea of it.

During our first week of the course, we were told that if we thought we would be profiling criminals, then we would be very disappointed.

The course is very theory- based, so if you were looking for the fast pace of your favourite crime shows, you wouldn’t find it here.

The idea people have of criminology is often very different to reality. This course is ideal for someone who wants to work in society, and challenge social issues on the basis of an analysis of crime and social deviance.

This course is very theory- based and you will spend the majority of your time reading various journal articles and books.

However, the theories you learn are actually interesting and you will begin to understand and view society as a whole differently, as you learn different theories on why things are the way they are.

Even if you do not remember the theories by name or what they entail, you will look at the make-up of society through a different lens.

The majority of the assessments on the course are done through essays, with fewer in person examinations. As someone whose favourite subject in school was English, this suits me down to the ground, but I would advise against it if the idea of writing a large amount of essays is something which makes you break out in a cold sweat.

Lectures can be quite big, with up to 200 students in some, this can make them quite intimidating for some students, but each module usually has a tutorial as well, which is the perfect time to ask questions if you have any, as these are done in smaller groups or 10-20 students.

The course is three years long, but there is also an international Erasmus option which allows you to do your third year abroad in a partner university. This makes the course four years long if you choose this, as you do your final year in UCC.

I am currently going into my third and final year of criminology in UCC. In school, I was never sure of what course I wanted to do in college, an affliction which is felt by many sixth year students when it comes time to fill out the dreaded CAO form!

I was always interested in crime, a trait passed down to me by my mother, who would spend my adolescence watching Criminal Minds on repeat. So when I stumbled across criminology as a course in UCC during one of the many pilgrimages through the pages of the course prospectus, I knew it would be something I would be interested in.

The main thing that appealed to me about studying criminology was the broadness of the course - as someone who did not know what they wanted to do, this was very attractive.

I thought by picking this course I could get an insight into many different areas that might not have been available if I had picked a more traditional college course.

I was not sure what to expect when I went into college on the first day, but once I heard what kind of topics we would be covering, I knew that I would enjoy the course.

After finishing your criminology degree there is not a clearly defined path on what to do next, which is a double-edged sword.

On one hand, it can leave you in the same confusing situation you were in at the end of secondary school, asking what am I going to do with the rest of my life. On the other hand, it gives you the freedom to move into an entirely new field or continue in one more closely tied to criminology. Many graduates from criminology go into the guards, become probation officers or prison officers.

This is a great course to do if you are like me and are unsure of what you want to do, as it is very broad. It will suit anyone who enjoys English, as the main variable to determine how well you do in this course is the amount of reading that you do.

Hopefully, this has given you some insight into a relatively new course in most colleges and if you think that criminology could be for you, I would recommend reaching out to colleges directly, or people you may know who are currently on the course or have completed their degree for more information.