Introduction to Criminology
Code: 100434 ECTS Credits: 6| Degree | Type | Year |
|---|---|---|
| Criminology | FB | 1 |
Contact
- Name:
- Jose Cid Moline
- Email:
- josep.cid@uab.cat
Teachers
- Helena Mulero Alcaraz
- Ferran Restrepo Arrufat
Teaching groups languages
You can view this information at the end of this document.
Prerequisites
A minimum B1 English level is highly advised to follow the course.
The subject is adapted to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG)
Language of the course:
Lectures: Catalan (But in case the course would be attended by exchange students with lack of knowledge of Catalan, the language will change to Spanish)
Seminars:
11 (Prof. TBD): Catalan
12 (Prof. Ferran Restrepo): Catalan
13 (Prof. Helena Mulero): Spanish
Objectives and Contextualisation
The aim of this subject consist of approaching the student to the criminological perspective of social problems, understanding the configuration or criminology as an autonomous discipline and reflecting on its main dimensions as a science and as a practice.
Learning Outcomes
- CM04 (Competence) Clearly argue the scientific autonomy of criminology.
- CM05 (Competence) Develop the values of effort and responsibility in individual and group work.
- KM02 (Knowledge) Identify the status of criminology as a scientific discipline.
- KM03 (Knowledge) Identify the relationship of criminology with the following scientific disciplines: Sociology, Psychology, Pedagogy and Law.
- SM03 (Skill) Interpret basic criminological texts with solvency.
- SM04 (Skill) Examining a social problem from the point of view of criminology.
Content
I. DEFINITION OF CRIMINOLOGY
1. What is criminology?
2. Object of criminology: crime, crime control methods, and victims.
3. Similarities and differences between criminology and other disciplines (Psychology, Sociology, Education, Law). Criminology, criminal investigation and crime science.
II CRIMINOLOGY AS A SCIENCE
4. Theories of crime and its historical formation
5. The process of scientific research. The problem of causality.
6. Research methods.
III. CRIMINOLOGY AS A PRACTICE
7. Crime prevention strategies
8. Actors and methods of crime prevention
9. Relation between theory and practice
IV. LAW AND CRIMINOLOGY
10. The focus of criminology in the process of criminalization
11. The law as a framework for criminological intervention
V. VALUES IN CRIMINOLOGY
12. Values in research and in practice
Activities and Methodology
| Title | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Type: Directed | |||
| Lectures | 19.5 | 0.78 | CM04, KM02, KM03, CM04 |
| Seminars | 19.5 | 0.78 | CM05, SM03, SM04, CM05 |
| Type: Autonomous | |||
| Group research project | 31 | 1.24 | CM05, SM04, CM05 |
| Individual assignments | 75 | 3 | CM05, SM03, CM05 |
Methodologies
The process of learning will be achieved through the following activities:
(i) Lectures. The professor will stimulate participation of students. Exercices will be done at the end of lectures to test the assimilation of the concepts.
(ii) Reading seminar. The student must work on a reading at home. In the seminar, students will need to answer questions on the reading and a practical activity on the subject of the reading will be carried out.
(iii) Seminars for the Group Research Project. The Group Research Project Students will be devoted to deepen into an specific crime problem. Students will have the possibility to chose among different subjects. During the seminar students will present their progress in the group work and will receive the feedback of the professors.
(iv) Tutorials. The student is expected to ask for individual and group tutorials to the professors of the course to solve problems.
(v) Exam preparation.
Annotation: Within the schedule set by the centre or degree programme, 15 minutes of one class will be reserved for students to evaluate their lecturers and their courses or modules through questionnaires.
Assessment
Continous Assessment Activities
| Title | Weighting | Hours | ECTS | Learning Outcomes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attendance and participation | 25% | 0 | 0 | CM05 |
| Essays | 25% | 0 | 0 | CM05, SM03 |
| Exam | 25% | 5 | 0.2 | CM04, KM02, KM03, SM04 |
| Group research work | 25% | 0 | 0 | CM05, SM03, SM04 |
1. Model of assessment
Continuous assessment. The student will be able to know the achievement and he/she will receive indications to improve.
Items of evaluation: Individual exercices (25%), Group Research Project (25%); Exam (25%) Attendance and Participation (25%). Attendance is 12.5% of the grade and partiicpation the other 12.5%. There are 6 levels of participation: A (Excelent); B (Very Good); C (Good); D (Pass); E (Need to improve); F (Improvement very needed)
2. Minimum requirements for passing the course and for being assessed
Minimum attendance of 80% to lectures and seminars, do the five reading exercices, do the group research work and do the exam, are requirement to pass the course.
Students will be assessed if they have carried out a set of activities whose weight is equivalent to a minimum of 2/3 of the total grade for the subject. If the value of the activities carried out does not reach this threshold, the subject's teaching staff may consider the student as non-assessable.
3. Requirements for passing the subject and resit
Minimum mark of 5 in the four items of assessment. In case of failure of the individual essays, group work and exam, a second chance will be given. In case of resit de maximum mark is 5.
4. Excellent achievement
The student with an average of 8/10 in the course and 8/10 in the exam will be granted 1 point extra. After counting this extra point, the honours will be granted to the students with the best final marks, equal or higher than 9.
5. Essays out oftime
Essays not presented at due time, will not be accepted and the student will get a 0 in the essay. Only excuses due to illness or similar serious reasons will be considered.
6. Excuses
Failure to comply with duties due to illness or other serious reasons will be considered, provided there is a valid certification. Abseces due to academic reasons must be accepted by the professor in advance.
7. Consequences of fraud
An student that cheat or attempt to cheat in the exam will get a 0,losing the right to a second chance. Plagiarism will conduct to a fail of the essay and, in case of recidivism the student will receive a fail mark, losing the right of being reassessed. Use of AI is not allowed to write essays and will be treated equally as plagiarism.
8. Punctuality
Classes start on time. Late arrival or leaving the calls befere the end is not admitted, provided there is not reasonable justification.
9. Requirement of respect to other students
Students are expected to have a respectful attitude towards the rest of the students. No offensive or discriminatory behavior (due to birth, race, sex, religion, opinion, or any other personal or social circumstance) will be admitted during classes.
10. Single assessment system
It will consist of three exams:
1rst) 4 questions on the book of S. Redondo and V. Garrido (2023). Principios de Criminología (5th ed). Tirant lo Blanch. Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 23.
2nd) 2 questions on the mandatory reading of the course
3rd) Exercise on a crime problem in which students should answer to some questions regarding on how they will carry out research on this topic.
Bibliography
1. TEXTBOOK
Students need to consult at least one of the following handbooks. These handbooks are also useful for several subjects of the degree.
Garrido, V. & Redondo, S. (2023). Principios de criminología (5th ed.). Tirant lo Blanch.
Newburn, T. (2017). Criminology (3rd ed.). Routledge.
2. COMPULSORY READINGS
Part 1 Definition of criminogy
Newburn, T. (2017). Understanding crime and criminology . Criminology (Chapter 1). Routledge.
Part 2. Criminology and science
Snipes, J., Bernard, T., & Gerould, A. (2019). Theory and crime. Vold's theoretical criminology (8th ed.). (pp. 1-13). Oxford University Press.
Part 3 Criminology and practice
Wilson. J. Q. & Kelling G. (1982). Broken windows: the police and neighbourhood safety. Atlantic Monthly, March, 29-38.
Part 4. Criminology and law
Sutherland, E. (1949). The problem of white collar crime (pp. 3-10). White collar crime. Yale University Press.
Part 5. Criminology and values
Newburn, T. (2017). Race, crime and justice . Criminology (3rd ed.). (Chapter 32). Routledge.
3. OTHER REFERENCE HANDBOOKS
Medina, J. (2011). Políticas y estrategias de prevencion del delito y seguridad ciudadana. Edisofer.
Larrauri, Elena (2018). Introducción a la criminología y al sistema penal (2nd ed.). Trotta.
Software
No computer program is used in this course.
Groups and Languages
Please note that this information is provisional until 30 November 2025. You can check it through this link. To consult the language you will need to enter the CODE of the subject.
| Name | Group | Language | Semester | Turn |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| (SEM30) Seminaris (30 estudiants per grup) | 11 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM30) Seminaris (30 estudiants per grup) | 12 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (SEM30) Seminaris (30 estudiants per grup) | 13 | Spanish | first semester | morning-mixed |
| (TE) Theory | 1 | Catalan | first semester | morning-mixed |