Criminology personal statement

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INSTEAD USE IT AS A GUIDE.

Example 1
"I have always been interested in criminology from an early age and have studied related subjects to it
at both GCSE and A level. Whilst at college I visited a local police station on an arranged tour and it
was after this experience that I became interested in a future career with the police service.
To achieve my aim I have decided to enrol on a criminology degree course that would strengthen any
future application to join the police. Over the past two years I have also under took part time
voluntary work with organisations that are involved in rehabilitating offenders and supporting the
victims of crime. This work has given me invaluable real life experience of the criminal justice system
and prison service as well as a deeper understanding of the reasons for criminal activity. I also now
have a clear practical interpretation of criminological theories and research methods, both areas which
I feel will be valuable additions to what I learn academically.
I am now looking to enrol at an exciting and reputable university and on a course that will help me to
fulfil my long term ambition. After reading the course content of your prospectus I started to take an
interest in your institution as it seemed to have everything that I was looking for. Furthermore during
a visit to your campus I was also impressed by the helpful and friendly attitude of the lecturers and
other staff. They all had time to talk to me about certain issues I was unsure of and freely offered me
their expert advice. I therefore feel that your Law & Criminology School will be the most appropriate
place for me to pursue my degree.
I consider myself to be a hardworking, mature and responsible individual who is looking forward to
the challenges of university life, both academically and socially."

Example 2

"Few issues attract more public attention and generate more public debate than those involving crime.
Read any newspaper, watch any news programme and a story are sure to be in there somewhere. Its
something that is part of our society and sadly an everyday occurrence for many people living in our
inner cities.
The study of crime, societys response to it and ways to prevent it are all areas that have interested me
from my teenage years. To me the reasons for criminal behaviour and breaking the law are varied and
interesting; its an area that I want to learn more about. This unhealthy interest in the criminal world
has encouraged me to pursue the subject at degree level and to seriously consider a career in a related
field.

My ambition in the future is to possibly join the police force, work with young offenders or be
involved in the legal profession in some capacity; however I have not fully made up my mind yet.
Whatever career path I do eventually decide on I have come to the conclusion that having a degree in
criminology will benefit me by firstly allowing me to keep my options open and secondly by
strengthening my application towards any job role that I do end up applying for.

I studied A level criminology and law at college and found that the course exceeded my expectations
and was even more enjoyable than I thought it would be. The classes and workshops were very
interactive and we had discussions on related issues where the lecturer would encourage students to
get involved and voice their opinions. There was a good combination of lectures and seminars along
with a lot of coursework that had to be done in your own time through research and report writing. I
found this challenging at first but later on in the course I came to appreciate it as it helped me to
become more self-disciplined and focused in my studies.

Studying the behaviour of criminals or investigating their crimes will always be challenging. To help
me better understand this field and to gain further experience in it I have worked over the summer
months as a volunteer with a local Victim Support charity. I got to work with both current, and exoffenders, assisting them through the behavioural rehabilitation process. I wouldnt have met the
kinds of people I did here anywhere else, the experience was absolutely amazing.

Presently I am looking for a course that will provide me with a critical outlook on crime and criminal
behaviour and also give me a strong grounding for any future career. My aim is to learn about key
legislation, the effective management of offenders, the concept of criminal justice and the need to
understand issues that relate to crime and criminality.

During my search for a university to study at I became aware of the reputation that your institution
has for providing degree qualifications that are meaningful and highly regarded. When I came to look
around your campus I got talking to the lecturers who were really helpful. I had a meeting with the
course leader and she explained the programme in detail, it sounded very interesting and seemed to be
exactly what I wanted to do. The modules on your course are set up to relate to real people in real-life
situations whilst at the same time as looking at the wider theories. The material covered in them is
also wide ranging, offering more than just the basics of the discipline.

Overall, I feel I have really matured and grown in confidence through what I have learnt at college
and my experiences of working with Victims Support. I believe I am now ready and fully prepared for
enrolling on a full time university degree course."