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Security and Crime Science PG Cert

London, Bloomsbury

Multidisciplinary scientific approaches are rapidly becoming one of our most effective weapons in the fight against crime. This course will introduce you to the tools used to understand, prevent and reduce crime through scientific methodologies.

UK students International students
Study mode
UK tuition fees (2025/26)
£6,200
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Overseas tuition fees (2025/26)
£12,200
Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.
Duration
1 academic year
2 academic years
Programme starts
September 2025
Applications accepted
Applicants who require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 27 Jun 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Applicants who do not require a visa: 14 Oct 2024 – 29 Aug 2025
Applications close at 5pm UK time

Applications open

Apply for this course

Entry requirements

A minimum of a lower second-class Bachelor's degree from a UK university in a relevant discipline or an overseas qualification of an equivalent standard.

The English language level for this programme is: Level 3

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level.

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

International applicants can find out the equivalent qualification for their country by selecting from the list below. Please note that the equivalency will correspond to the broad UK degree classification stated on this page (e.g. upper second-class). Where a specific overall percentage is required in the UK qualification, the international equivalency will be higher than that stated below. Please contact Graduate Admissions should you require further advice.

About this degree

This Postgraduate Certificate is ideal for any graduate or experienced law enforcement practitioner who wants to explore the fascinating world of crime science, and develop quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills.

Combining expert analytical approaches from psychology, social science, statistics, mathematics, forensics, computing, geography and even architecture, you’ll learn to think critically about complex and evolving crime issues.

You’ll learn to think critically about complex and evolving crime issues from low-level interpersonal and property crimes in our communities, right through to larger scale financial crimes being committed by organised crime groups in cyberspace - then use advanced skills in statistical analysis and quantitative methods to design robust research projects to investigate them. 

Using real-life case studies and initiative design frameworks, you’ll develop an understanding of the theories, processes and application of crime prevention. 

You'll then apply this understanding to assess the impact of planned crime reduction initiatives, and generate your own novel proposals to address specific crime problems.

With a broad range of specialist optional modules to choose from, this course provides the ideal entry route for the study of security and crime science, building advanced data and crime prevention skills to suit your interests or professional needs.

Who this course is for

The programme is particularly suitable for applicants with a background in science subjects such as engineering or computer science, or social science subjects, such as psychology, criminology or geography, wishing to develop the skills necessary for a career or further doctoral research in this field.

Read about what it takes to study for a Master's at UCL

What this course will give you

This programme offers you the following benefits and opportunities.

  • Study at the UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science (UCL JDI) the first research institution in the world devoted specifically to reducing crime.
  • Learn specialist crime science skills to help you bring new perspectives and approaches to related work environments such as policing or information security.
  • Work with UCL’s renowned academics from across the physical sciences, social sciences and humanities. UCL is ranked 35th in the world for Engineering & Technology  according to the 2024 QS World Rankings.
  • Absorb the key theories that explain the temporal and spatial patterning of crime and terrorism events, and the countermeasures used to disrupt them.
  • Shape your studies to match your interests, with a wide range of optional specialisms including organised crime, risk and contingency planning, cybercrime and applied data science.
Read about what you'll get out of a graduate programme
Making an impact
UCL Portico building with welcome sign between columns.

Case study: Addressing crime hot spots in Latin America

We are supporting the implementation of hot spot policing in Latin America

The foundation of your career

Many of our graduates now work in the field of crime prevention and detection and community safety in both the public and private sector. 

Most of our graduates go onto roles in policy, government, security, and intelligence. Former students have secured roles at the Home Office, Ministry of Defence, CPS, Ministry of Justice, National Crime Agency and the Cabinet Office. Others have gone on to further doctoral research.

Employability

On this course, the UCL JIll Dando Institute will introduce you to the knowledge and skills that are shaping a new generation of crime and security practitioners. 

You’ll build quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills, and a broad knowledge of the field of security and crime science. You can then use this foundation to explore further paths into exciting careers in areas such as intelligence, data science, fraud and security analysis. The most popular industry sector for graduates is within Policy & Government and Security and Intelligence working for organisations such as CPS, Ministry of Justice, National Crime Agency and the Cabinet Office. 

Networking

You’ll have regular opportunities to connect, collaborate and build professional contacts as part of your course.

  • Benefit from the UCL Jill Dando Institute’s long-established links and partnerships with police forces, academic research centres of excellence, policy makers at all levels and a range of security organisations both abroad and here in the UK.
  • Take part in an extensive programme of influential events that play a crucial role in informing the wider debates around crime prevention. Regular events include the annual International Crime Science conference and the Women in Security showcase.
  • Join an exciting schedule of seminars and expert guest speakers. Previous speakers include voices from within UK police forces, UK government departments, forensic science providers, researchers from UK and overseas universities.

Teaching and learning

The programme is delivered through lectures, seminars, tutorials, projects and practical exercises. Practical work will involve the analysis and interpretation of datasets, and the development of new ideas for solving problems.

Assessment is through lab and project reports, practical exercises and computer-based tasks, unseen written examinations, coursework, presentations, and the dissertation.  

Each taught module consists of 150 hours of content, delivered as a mixture of lectures, seminars, tutorials and self-directed study.

Students can expect 6-8 hours of contact time per teaching week. The exact number of contact hours, composition, and assessment varies throughout the terms, and depends on the module choices of the student.

Modules

This programme can be taken as classroom based (full-time or flexible) or by distance learning. Students undertake 4 modules. 

This programme can be taken as classroom based and by distance learning. Students undertake 4 modules.

Modular-flexible students should take the module SECU0031 (Foundations of Security and Crime Science) first.

Compulsory modules



Optional modules






















Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability are subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

Students undertake modules to the value of 60 credits. Upon successful completion of 60 credits, you will be awarded a PG Cert in Security and Crime Science.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Where you'll study

UCL Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science building

The Department of Security and Crime Science at UCL is home to ground-breaking facilities including the Jill Dando Institute Research Laboratory (JDIRL), a Police Assured Secure Facility for the storage and analysis of sensitive data - the first facility of its kind at a European university. Through this, student can use datasets that would not otherwise be easily accessible. Students and researchers now also have access to our newly opened Forensic Science Evidence Interpretation Lab, where we address the critical issue of the interpretation of forensic evidence, and the Crime Science Immersive Technologies lab where technology-based experiments can be undertaken.

Find out more

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Graduate Open Events: Where can a UCL Engineering degree take you - Alumni Perspectives

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Where can a UCL Engineering degree take you? Join us for a panel and Q&A event with UCL Engineering alumni. You'll learn what you can expect from postgraduate study at UCL Engineering and get application advice from previous students! This is an opportunity for all applicants to hear personal experiences of studying with us, but may be most relevant to those applying from the USA, Latin and South America.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2025/26) £6,200
Tuition fees (2025/26) £12,200

Programme also available on a modular (flexible) basis.

Additional costs

There are no additional costs associated with this programme. The events, conferences and seminars arranged by the department are free to students. 

UCL’s main teaching locations are in zones 1 (Bloomsbury) and zones 2/3 (UCL East). The cost of a monthly 18+ Oyster travel card for zones 1-2 is £114.50. This price was published by TfL in 2024. For more information on additional costs for prospective students and the cost of living in London, please view our estimated cost of essential expenditure at UCL's cost of living guide.

Funding your studies

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students are advised to apply as early as possible due to competition for places. Those applying for scholarship funding (particularly overseas applicants) should take note of application deadlines.

There is an application processing fee for this programme of £90 for online applications. Further information can be found at Application fees.

You will need to complete our application, making sure to address the below points in your personal statement.

When we assess your application we would like to learn:

  • what attracts you to this particular programme
  • why you want to study this subject in the Faculty of Engineering Sciences at UCL, rather than elsewhere
  • how your academic and professional background meets the demands of this programme
  • if you are aware and comfortable with the fact that the programme includes courses on statistics and quantitative analysis, as well as a general emphasis on the scientific method and empirical research
  • where you would like to go professionally on completion of your qualification
  • if you are aware and comfortable with the fact that the programme differs from a traditional criminology programme, and instead focuses practically on how to prevent and detect crimes by treating the crime rather than the offender as the subject of analysis

Together with essential academic requirements, the personal statement is your opportunity to illustrate whether your reasons for applying to this programme match what the programme will deliver.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes (or one application for the Law LLM) in any application cycle.

Apply for this course

Got questions? Get in touch

Security and Crime Science
Security and Crime Science

scs-admissions@ucl.ac.uk

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