Top Four Reasons to be a Criminologist

Where there is civilisation, there is crime. It is a global concern, both on a local and international scale. And academic study of crime has been around for a very long time, examining everything from why people commit crimes to how disorder can be prevented. We’ve highlighted four reasons why you should consider becoming a criminologist.

Birmingham City University not only has a wide range of Criminology courses, but our Crime and Society Research Centre conducts cutting edge research into a variety of criminal justice subjects.

Change Perceptions

Often, crime is seen as a wholly “bad” thing. Media coverage is almost always negative, and therefore the subject can be a little daunting. But one of the main things Criminologists try to do is look past the “good vs. evil” status quo and give a more balanced view of crime and those who commit it.

Criminologists have helped shed light on the deep lying reasons why some people choose to break the law, exploring the social, economic and psychological circumstances behind these decisions. Criminology also explores rehabilitation, researching the best methods for reeducating and rehabilitating offenders so they can rejoin society as a reformed person. All of this helps to add further understanding to the otherwise one-note coverage seen on TV and in newspapers.

Help Your Community

Taking on opinions in the media is just one of the ways your work as a criminologist can have a positive impact on the world. Another is a little more direct – your research can really help your local community.

Criminologists often work alongside local law enforcement, security companies, prisons and outreach programmes when working on their research, to ensure their findings are as relevant as possible to those who can go on to use the research to improve how they tackle crime. This means your work can directly help improve the lives of those living in your area.

Work in Different Areas

Variety is the spice of life, and that is as true in the world of criminology as it is anywhere else! If you’re really interested in one area of crime, such as cyber crime, you can focus all of your time researching its many aspects. But if your interests are spread a little more evenly, you can work collaboratively with others to create some very specific research projects.

Not only that, but you can explore your interests across the world. As the planet gets more connected through advancements in technology, there are more and more opportunities to apply your research in different cities, countries and continents.

Always Evolving

And finally, the one thing that is universally true about crime is that it is always changing. Criminals will always find new ways of breaking the law, and therefore those tasked with preventing crime have to be always adapting.

This means that the study of crime is a constantly shifting one, always full of new opportunities for research and study. As a criminologist, this opens up a whole career full of interesting new avenues to explore. How many careers do you know that can offer you that?

Does pursuing a career as a criminologist sound like something you might be interested in? Then check out our range of Criminology courses, or find out the latest research from our Centre for Crime and Society.