What I plan to do with my Criminology and Policing degree

Second year BA (Hons) Criminology and Policing student Holly blogs about her plans for the future, and how her course has shaped them.

My name is Holly, and I am a second year student studying at ARU. The course I am currently studying is BA (Hons) Criminology and Policing, in the School of Humanities of Social Sciences. Outside of my studies I am a Student Ambassador for the University and a member of Cambridge and Coleridge Athletics Club.

Has my degree changed my career plans?

Before I started my degree, I was adamant I wanted to be a police officer, but I also had an interest in criminology. My course has given me the best of both worlds, as I got the opportunity to learn about both subjects on the same degree.

However, throughout my two years of study, I have had the opportunity to explore different career options for my degree, and currently, I would like to be a crime scene investigator. I still have plenty of time to explore more options, so I might change my mind again before I graduate.

When discussing my options with my lecturer, I soon learned that it is okay to keep an open mind and that being a police officer was not my only choice. The range of modules within the course really helped me understand what I was interested in and what I was not so interested in.

Alongside crime scene investigation, I enjoy learning more about prisons. From a young age, this has been a big interest, and I want to carry this on when I conduct my own research.

A module which I have just completed that has really drawn me in further to the prison lifestyle is Revolving Doors: Punishment and Rehabilitation. This module is run by Victoria Gadd, the course leader for Criminology and Policing.

Within the module, we have been taught about a wide range of topics such as different types of punishment, how prisons affect the families of prisoners, and types of rehabilitation for offenders.

This module has been inspiring, as it connected with my interest in prisons, and has given me a clearer sense of direction about what I want to do when I finish my degree.

What do I plan to do after I graduate?

This time next year I will be completing my dissertation, handing it in towards the end of April 2023.

Once I have finished my undergraduate degree, I plan to go on to do a Masters in Forensic Science, which has always been an interest for me, and I would like to complete this at ARU. Crime scene investigation is something I would like to pursue as a career in once I have completed my Masters.

Where do I see myself in 10 years?

In 10 years’ time I see myself, having completed my Masters, conducting research of my own around the idea of prison facilities and elderly offenders serving prison sentences.

I would like to complete this at ARU as researchers here have conducted research on similar subjects. For example, Natalie Mann, a Senior Research Fellow in the Policing Institute for the Eastern Region (PIER), investigates prison facilities, sexual offending and sex offender management.

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Holly is a Criminology and Policing student at ARU in Cambridge. Find out more about this, and other degree courses, at one of our Open Days.