Bachelor of Arts Criminology and Security Studies

Criminology and Security Studies is a branch of sociology (which traditionally examines human behavior, interaction, and organization) that also ties in research and concepts from other areas of study, such as philosophy, anthropology, biology, and psychology.

Criminology is the study of crime from a social perspective, including examining who commits crimes, why they commit them, their impact, and how to prevent them from committing a crime. Criminology is an analytical and applied field of study that focuses on the understanding, control, and prevention of crime and criminal behavior. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws from study areas such as sociology, anthropology, economics, psychology, psychiatry, history, political science, and philosophy. It also draws from professions such as law, medicine, and social work.

Security studies incorporate data analysis, leadership, and systematic thinking to identify and protect against a wide range of threats, including both man-made and natural causes of disasters and other shocks.

Students in Criminology and Security Studies programs look at how age, sex, education, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status affect crime levels, as well as the various methods the justice system uses to process relevant data. The end goal of criminology and security studies is to determine the root causes of criminal behavior and to develop effective and humane means for preventing it. These goals have produced several schools of thought within the discipline, each of which looks at different factors involved in deviant behavior and comes to different conclusions about how best to approach the issues.

Every threat a community or company faces from cyberattacks and terrorism to climate change and pandemics has the potential to significantly affect its members and operations. Professionals in the security sector work hard to not only lead recovery efforts after a disaster but to identify and eliminate these threats in the first place. Many criminologists consider themselves to be neutral public policy experts, gathering facts for various governmental officials responsible for drawing policy conclusions. However, some criminologists?like their counterparts in such fields as the atomic and nuclear sciences?maintain that scientists must shoulder responsibility for the moral and political consequences of their research. Thus, some criminologists have actively campaigned against capital punishment and have advocated in favor of various legal reforms. Criminologists who oppose this activist role contend that the findings of criminological research must be weighed along with political, social, religious, and moral arguments, a task best left to political bodies. Not denying the right of criminologists to express their opinions as ordinary citizens and voters, this view nonetheless maintains that a government by popular will is less dangerous than a government by experts.

Objectives of Bachelor of Arts Criminology and Security Studies

Criminology and Security Studies focuses on analyzing crimes and criminals in order to understand their motives and find ways to prevent future crimes. It also analyses trends and the impact of crimes on human societies. Another important aspect of Criminology is the evaluation of punishment and rehabilitation methods in order to determine their efficacy and ways to improve them.

Criminology incorporates and examines broader knowledge about crime and criminals. For example, criminologists have attempted to understand why some people are more or less likely to engage in criminal or delinquent behavior. Criminologists have also examined and attempted to explain differences in crime rates and the criminal code between societies and changes in rates and laws over time.

The programme is designed for students who wish to pursue careers in police services, forensic investigations, human rehabilitation services and security management.

Graduates of this programme will be prepared to take up managerial positions in the public sector especially in; the police service, prisons and probation departments. The private sector will find the graduates useful in security management and related roles. In general, it is expected that this programme will complement and sustain the professionalization of the police, prison and probation services in East Africa and beyond.

By the end of the course, the learner should be able to:

• Take up responsibilities in the dynamic security industry.
• Demonstrate leadership in the area of community policing
• Use the knowledge and skills acquired to take up entrepreneurial roles in the country and internationally
• Conduct research in criminology and the security field.
• Identify new models of peacebuilding and conflict management as a way of managing security.
• Identify emerging human security threats such as piracy, human trafficking, terrorism
  

What you will study

Year 1, Semester 1

• Communication Skills
• HIV and AIDS
• Introduction to Criminology
• Introduction to Sociology
• Introduction to Social Psychology
• Introduction to Security Management

Year 1, Semester 2

• Course Title
• Fundamentals of Development
• Computer Applications
• Indigenous and Modern Criminal Justice Systems
• Correctional Systems
• Research Methods
• Introduction to Criminal Law

Year 2, Semester 1

• Identity, Crime and Justice
• Domestic Violence
• Deviance and Crime
• Justice and Social Control
• Gender, Crime, and Justice
• Social Statistics

Year 2, Semester 2

• Crime Prevention and Community Safety
• Substance Abuse
• Organized Crime
• Patterns and Measurement of Crime
• Sociology of Law
• The Law of Evidence

Year 3, Semester 1

• Crime and Delinquency Theory
• Program Evaluation
• Institutional and Community Corrections
• Geographic Information Systems
• Political Sociology and Political Crime
• Criminal Procedure and Practice

Year 3, Semester 2

• Course Title
• Victimology
• Forensic Science and Cyber Crime
• Law Enforcement and Administration of Justice
• Economics of Crime
• Ethics and Emerging Issues in Criminal Justice
• Critical Thinking and Crime Analysis
• Internship

Year 4, Semester 1

• Contemporary Rehabilitation Approaches
• Human Rights, Justice, and Governance
• Community Policing
• Terrorism and Counter-terrorism
• Crime and Conflict Management
• Peace and Dispute Resolution

Year 4, Semester 2

• Correctional Counseling
• Environmental Criminology
• International Crime Control and Prevention
• Crime, Media and International Issues in Criminal Justice
• Criminal Justice Policy
• Disaster Management