KEVIN ATTERBURY'S CRIMINOLOGY DOT.COM
WHAT DO YOU DO WITH A CRIMINOLOGY DEGREE?
(I'll make you famous)
(May I add before you start reading this ......... these are my own views ....... borne out of frustration, if you don't want to read it, print it out, look at it later, I don't care!!!!!!)
"Criminology is not, and does not include, moral or political philosophy. It does not not argue about the right of states or societies to limit the freedom of individuals to rob, rape, murder, or to commit suicide; or about the sense in which a stupid or deluded man can be said to be responsible for a crime. The criminologist is interested in differences between, and changes in, the views held by legislators, lawyers, philosophers, and the man in the street, on such topics, and the extent to which they reflect the facts established and the theories propounded by psychologists, anthropologists,and sociologists. Nor does criminology overlap with jurisprudence. To the criminologist the arguments of Beccaria and Bentham, Hart & Whootton, are flags that show where the wind of change is blowing, not battle standards round which to rally and skirmish." (Nigel Walker 1965, Crime & Punishment in Britain)
(So What do you do with a criminology degree?)
Good Question, and one that I have been asked over the past three years many times. The question goes well with all the other 'questions' that I and every other student gets asked when studying for a criminology degree, for example:
Q: Do you know how & why criminals commit crime?
Q: Do you get to show people how to commit crime?
Q: Do you know which company to ask for a good insurance quote?
Q: Do you get to meet some right dodgey characters?
(To any fellow students of criminology, answer these questions how you like, because the person who is asking them hasn't got a clue about criminology.)
Back to the main question, what do I do with a criminology degree now I have one? Well, I went out and got drunk straight after I got it. I worked hard for it so I deserved some reward. If you have worked hard and earned your degree, some reward is what you are also looking for........Some of you that take on a criminology degree already have some idea about what you want to do with it, but there are many out there who don't know what to do.Well the first thing that you can do is apply for every criminal justice job that is going. Then if that fails and you have done a really good job of your degree you could go for your Masters. What you could do is sit back and do nothing (not a good idea) Or you could argue your case for a good job in a different line of work.
Kev's Answer..........................
What you need to remember and what every employer needs to know is that, criminology is really a Multi - Discipline Subject. Having just spent three years studying for criminology haven't you learnt anything? ............ did you not study the following subjects? Law, Politics, Media Studies, Science, Sociology, Religion, History, Psychology, Business Studies, Mathematics, English, Presentation Skills and Information Technology....... just to name a few (I apologies to my former tutors if I have missed anything out, I'm sure that they will contact me to put me right) An employer who takes on a criminology student takes on more than just a criminologist. They take on someone who has been taught many key skills, someone who has been taught a discipline that requires them to understand about the society and world that we all live in. DO YOU WANT TO TALK FURTHER ABOUT THIS QUESTION?............. Contact me: k.atterbury@ntlworld.com or talk to your tutor, further to that most universities have good careers people who can help you out............ don't sit and wait for it to come to you, because it won't.
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