History and Criminology BA (Hons)
Course code: V21C
Study mode: You study most days of the week and complete all course units /modules in the standard time., You take fewer course units/modules per week compared to full time., You take one or more course unit/module(s) at a time.
Course type: BA (Hons)
International: Available to study online
Study at: Argyll; HTC; Inverness; Moray; North, West and Hebrides; Orkney; Perth; Shetland; Inverness
Start in: January; September
Learning mode: You join virtual classes from your local campus or learning centre., You access classes and/or materials digitally., You will come together with other students for short, intensive periods (e.g., a day, week or longer).
Duration: Full-time: 4 years; Part-time : 8 years; Part-time modular: 12-14 weeks
How: You attend classes at scheduled times, shown on your timetable., You complete course tasks independently. These may be set by your lecturer or chosen by you.
What is special about this course?
The BA (Hons) History and Criminology covers a range of approaches, from thematic modules that cover a variety of places and historical periods, to concentrated and in-depth studies of the changing nature of crime and the social, political, historical and individual forces behind these changes.
Each year, you will build on your analytical and research abilities through a series of skills modules in both History and Criminology.
You can also choose to specialise in Scottish History at the upper levels and graduate with a BA (Hons) Scottish History and Criminology degree.
Please see our FAQ sheet for further information on this course.
Special features
- The joint honours degree in two complementary subjects will give you greater flexibility in employment, advanced study and research opportunities
- The degree can be studied full time or part time to suit your personal circumstances
- You can study individual modules for personal or professional development
- You can specialise in Scottish History at the upper levels to enable you to exit with a Scottish History and Criminology degree
- The humanities staff at UHI specialise in high quality video-conference teaching supported by a dynamic virtual learning environment and expansive online resources
- There are opportunities to volunteer at local museums and archives, and occasional voluntary field trips in the university's region also enhance the experience of your degree
- Exciting new modules based on staffs' cutting-edge research are offered at upper level
Entry requirements
Entry to year one:
- 3 Scottish Highers at grade BBC or above, or
- 2 A levels at grade BC or above
- At least two should be from the list of relevant subjects
- Applicants with other relevant qualifications or experience will be considered on an individual basis
- This is a Category 2 PVG course: PVG Scheme membership is required for specific optional modules/unit(s), where there is guaranteed contact with vulnerable groups in optional module/unit(s), but an alternative pathway exists to achieve target qualification. For further information visit our PVG scheme webpage
Advanced entry to year two:
- HNC Social Sciences (12 SQA credits) with 3 additional SQA credits at level 7 which is equivalent to 120 degree credit points, and at least grade C in the Graded Unit will be considered for direct entry to year two
Access routes
SWAP Access courses
If you are eligible to undertake Scottish Wider Access Programmes (SWAP), please visit our SWAP access list for further information on grade profiles and available subjects.
Other relevant humanities access courses will also be considered on an individual basis.
Useful links and information
For more information on what you’ll study on your degree, as well as our range of other degree options, please explore our Humanities subject area page.
You will study the following core modules:
- Comparative institutions of justice
- Introduction to criminological theory
- What is history?
You will also choose one history option module, which may include:
- A Middle Age? Europe c.1100‐1500
- Empire, environment and identity: Scotland, 1600-2000
- People, protest and power: themes in modern British history, 1780-1918
You will also choose two option modules from our range of humanities and social science subjects.
You will study the following core modules:
- Historians and history
- History of crime and punishment
- Politics of policing
You will also choose one history option module, which may include:
- A curious age: European society and culture
- Court, kirk and burgh in medieval and early modern Scotland
- Themes in American history
You will also choose two further option modules from our range of humanities and social science subjects.
You will choose at least two history option modules, which may include:
- Conquerors, crusaders and churchmen: the world of the Normans, c.911-c.1204
- Dynastic decline and religious violence: Valois France, 1550-1610
- Jacobites: patriots, rebels or opportunists?
- Land as power: the making of the modern Scottish landscape from the eighteenth to the twenty-first centuries
- Scots in North America: experience and identity
- Study of things: material culture of medieval and early modern Europe
You will also choose at least two criminology option modules, which may include:
- Gender, crime and justice
- Psychology of criminal justice
- Strange cases: crime literature and the construction of crime
- Victimology
PLUS
- Advanced social research methods OR
- Public history
You will choose one further module from one of your two subject areas to ensure that you have a total of three modules from each half of your degree.
You will complete a dissertation in criminology OR history. You will also study one option module from your chosen dissertation subject, plus three option modules from the other subject.
History options may include:
- Death and destruction: the social impact of the Thirty Years’ War (1618-1648)
- Deviants, rebels, outcasts and villains: history from the margins in medieval and early modern society
- Empire and ‘others’: the shaping of British imperialism in North America
- Reaching the ‘estate of manhood’ in medieval and early modern Europe
- The empire strikes back: how the British empire shaped Scotland""
Criminology options may include:
- Cultural criminology
- Globalisation of crime
- The darker side of the internet
- Understanding violence and crime in sport
How will I study my course?
- Full-time
- Part-time
- Part-time modular (standalone modules)
- This course is mainly delivered online with scheduled sessions and tutorials, including a weekly two-hour timetabled video conference lecture for each module
- Online study will be done via the university's virtual learning environment (VLE), with support from your tutors
- You may also be able to access sessions online from your local campus - please contact them directly for more information
- You may have the opportunity to undertake an optional residential at least once during the programme of study
- You will take part in a mandatory online induction in late August/early September of your first year. There may also be additional mandatory induction activities at the start of the academic year, in-person at your local campus or online, organised by your partner campus
- You will also have the option to take part in online inductions in September of years 2-4 and January of years 1-4, with the potential to attend at your local campus (on request)
How long will my course last?
- Full-time: 4 years @ 40 hours per week
- Part-time: 8 years @ 20 hours per week
- Part-time modular: 12-14 weeks per module (incl. assessment period) @ 13-14 hours per week
The number of hours per week indicates the total number of hours you should dedicate to the course, which includes a weekly two-hour video conference seminar for each module, online tutor-supported study and self-directed study.
- Argyll
- HTC
- Inverness
- Moray
- North, West and Hebrides
- Orkney
- Perth
- Shetland
- UHI House - Centre for History
Start date
- September
- January
Fees
For students normally domiciled in Scotland, with a term-time address in Scotland, the following fees apply:
This includes
- EU nationals with settled or pre-settled status in the UK,
- EEA/Swiss nationals with settled status in the UK
- EEA/Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time (120 credit modules) per year | £1,820 | £1,820 |
| Part-time (structured) (3 x 20 credit modules) per year | £915 | £915 |
| Part-time (unstructured per module) (per 20 credit module) | £305 | £305 |
For students normally domiciled in the rest of the UK (England, Wales and N. Ireland) or assessed as rest of the UK for fee status the following fees apply:
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time online per year (120 credit modules) | £6,120 | £6,420 |
| Part-time online (per 20 credit module) | £1,020 | £1,070 |
For students who do not normally reside in the UK studying online from their home country, or living in the UK but assessed as international for fee status, the following fees apply:
This includes EU/EEA and Swiss nationals without settled status in the UK and EEA and Swiss nationals with pre-settled status who are not self-employed or migrant workers in the UK.
| 2024-25 | 2025-26 | |
|---|---|---|
| Full-time online per year (120 credit modules) | £6,960 | £7,080 |
| Part-time online (per 20 credit module) | £1,160 | £1,180 |
A no fee increase guarantee is available for self-funding full-time and structured part-time rest of the UK and international undergraduate students for continuous study for the same award, up to the permitted standard time limit for the relevant award.
Funding
UHI has a number of scholarships, bursaries, awards, and discretionary fund opportunities available to new and current students. Please use the A-Z of funds or use the filter to see which ones may be relevant to you. All students are welcome to apply.
Further information on funding your studies is also available, please see the attached link or contact the relevant UHI partner.
Additional costs
Participation in any field trips or face-to-face activities will be at your own expense. Costs will vary dependent on your location etc. Attendance at such face-to-face events is optional and not essential for completion of the course.
What can I do on completion of my course?
Once you have successfully completed the BA (Hons) History and Criminology or BA (Hons) Scottish History and Criminology you might like to consider careers in:
- Teaching and education
- The media and journalism
- Government (local and national)
- Museums and the heritage sector
- Libraries and archives
- Community development work
- Police, prison and security services
- Court services
- Non-profit-making organisations
- Educational institutions and charities that work with young offenders or victims of crime
- Research at postgraduate level
- Research in the business and corporate sector
Can I progress into further study?
For information about further study options, please see our list of Postgraduate progression routes from Humanities degrees.
We also offer a range of postgraduate research degrees: MRes, MPhil and PhD.
I was still quite young when I finished school so although I did consider other universities, I decided to stay close to home. During my final year I was awarded the Highland Society of London prize which is presented to the best undergraduate dissertation in the Humanities and Gaelic network across the Highlands and Islands.
It was a huge honour to be given that prize and I'm grateful to my UHI mentor who supported me all the way. My advice to potential applicants would be to do it! Everything you could possibly imagine is within UHI and you can gain the qualification that you want while staying local.
Caitlin studied History at UHI Argyll.
I quickly realised that UHI provided the flexible learning opportunities and variety of content which fitted very neatly with both my interests and my lifestyle. The encouragement, support, advice and guidance – both collectively and individually – have been truly amazing.
My advice would be to explore everything that UHI has to offer prospective students of all ages, backgrounds and walks of life. The diversity of opportunities is matched by the breadth and depth of teaching experience and indeed the energy and enthusiasm of the students themselves; this partnership makes studying at UHI a unique and wholly rewarding experience.
This experience has been truly life-changing and I will forever be grateful for the opportunities afforded to me by UHI staff and fellow students.
Scott studies the BA (Hons) History at UHI Perth.
Apply for History and Criminology BA (Hons)
We are delighted that you are thinking about studying at the University of the Highlands and Islands. We operate a fair and open admissions system committed to equality of opportunity and non-discrimination. We consider all applications on merit and on the basis of ability to achieve, without discrimination on grounds of gender, age, disability, ethnicity and socio-economic background. We welcome applications from all prospective students and aim to provide appropriate and efficient services to students with disabilities.