Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Security Studies

Criminal Law

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Criminal law principles — covering the definition of crime, elements of criminal offences, criminal responsibility, defences, and the legal framework for criminal justice in Kenya.

Introduction to Criminology and Security Studies

Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore

Foundational introduction to criminology and security studies — covering concepts of crime, security, criminological perspectives, security perspectives, and the relationship between criminology an...

Theories of Crime

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

Criminological theories — covering classical, positivist, sociological, psychological, and biological theories of crime, and their application to understanding criminal behaviour.

Security Studies

Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore

Security theory and practice — covering traditional and human security, security threats, security responses, the security architecture in Kenya, and the evolution of security studies.

Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism

Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

Terrorism and counter-terrorism — covering terrorism theory, radicalisation, counter-terrorism strategies, and the analysis of terrorist threats in Kenya and the region.

Research Methods in Criminology

Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore

Research methodology for criminology and security studies — covering quantitative and qualitative research, crime data analysis, and the application of research methods.

Criminal Investigation and Forensics

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Criminal investigation methods and forensic science — covering investigation techniques, crime scene management, evidence collection, and the use of forensic evidence in criminal justice.

Intelligence Analysis

Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore

Intelligence theory and practice — covering the intelligence cycle, intelligence collection, intelligence analysis, threat assessment, and the use of intelligence in security decision-making.

Border Security and Transnational Crime

Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

Border security challenges — covering border security theory, border management, transnational organised crime, human trafficking, and the analysis of border security threats.

Corrections and Penology

Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore

Correctional systems and penology — covering penology, prison management, offender rehabilitation, probation and parole, and the treatment of offenders.

Ethics in Criminal Justice and Security

Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore

Professional ethics in criminal justice and security — covering ethical principles, human rights, use of force, and the ethical challenges faced by criminal justice and security professionals.

Research Project or Internship

Year 4Semester 26 creditsCore

Final-year research project or internship — demonstrating mastery of criminology and security studies theory and practice through original research or a structured internship.

Criminological Theory and Research

Focus on the study of crime — covering criminological theories, crime causation, crime patterns, research methods, and the scientific study of criminal behaviour and its causes.

Security Studies and Intelligence

Focus on security theory and intelligence — covering security studies, intelligence analysis, threat assessment, security management, and the response to contemporary security threats.

Terrorism and Counter-Terrorism

Focus on terrorism and responses — covering terrorism theory, radicalisation, counter-terrorism strategies, de-radicalisation, and the analysis of terrorist threats in Kenya and the region.

Criminal Investigation and Forensics

Focus on criminal investigation — covering investigation methods, forensic science, crime scene management, evidence collection, and the use of forensic evidence in criminal justice.

Border Security and Transnational Crime

Focus on border security — covering border security theory, border management, transnational organised crime, human trafficking, and the analysis of border security threats.

Corrections and Penology

Focus on correctional systems — covering penology, prison management, offender rehabilitation, probation and parole, and the treatment and management of offenders.

HELB Undergraduate Loan

University Scholarships and Bursaries

County Government Bursaries

County Government Bursaries

BursaryKsh 30,000Kenyan

Bursaries provided by county governments for needy students from their respective counties.

Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan

LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan

Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited university programmes.

University Internal Bursaries

ScholarshipKsh 50,000Kenyan

Merit-based and need-based scholarships offered by individual universities, applied through the financial aid office.

Higher Education Fund (HEF)

BursaryKenyan

Kenyan undergraduate students placed by KUCCPS in public universities

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Education Assistance Programme

BursaryKenyan

Children of deceased or distressed advocates and law students in need

Continuous Assessment Tests

Coursework25% of the mark

Written tests covering criminological theory, security studies, criminal law, and research methods — assessed through mid-semester and end-of-semester examinations.

Case Studies and Security Simulations

Coursework30% of the mark

Crime analysis case studies, security risk assessment exercises, criminal investigation simulations, and policy briefs — assessed through portfolio review and practical evaluation.

Field Attachment Reports

Coursework20% of the mark

Reports from field attachments in law enforcement agencies, security agencies, or correctional facilities — documenting practical experience and professional reflection.

Final Examinations and Research Project

Examination25% of the mark

End-of-semester written examinations and a final-year research project demonstrating mastery of criminology and security studies theory and practice.

Commission for University Education (CUE)

Academic accreditationRequired

Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes. The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Security Studies is CUE-accredited at Egerton University, Chuka University, Kisii University, Laikipia University, and Tharaka University.

Crime Analyst

High demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 70,000

Analyses crime data and patterns — covering crime mapping, statistical analysis, trend identification, and the production of crime analysis reports for law enforcement agencies.

Security Analyst

High demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 75,000

Analyses security threats and risks — covering threat assessment, risk analysis, security intelligence, and security advisory for government agencies and private firms.

Law Enforcement Officer

High demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 65,000

Serves in law enforcement agencies — covering policing, criminal investigation, community policing, and law enforcement administration.

Intelligence Officer

Moderate demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 70,000

Collects and analyses intelligence — covering intelligence collection, analysis, threat assessment, and intelligence reporting for government security agencies.

Correctional Officer

Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 60,000

Manages offenders in correctional facilities — covering prison management, offender rehabilitation, and the treatment and management of offenders.

Microsoft Office Suite

SoftwarePrimary

Productivity tools including Word for reports and policy briefs, Excel for crime and security data analysis, and PowerPoint for briefings and presentations.

SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences)

SoftwarePrimary

Statistical analysis software for criminology and security research — covering crime data analysis, security statistics, and research statistics.

GIS (Geographic Information Systems)

Software

Mapping software for crime and security analysis — covering crime mapping, hotspot analysis, and spatial analysis of crime and security patterns.

OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence) Tools

Software

Open-source intelligence tools — covering social media analysis, online research, and the use of OSINT tools for security research and threat assessment.

University Library and Research Databases

Resource

University library resources — providing access to criminology journals, security studies databases, crime statistics, and case study materials.

Criminology and Security Studies is just about policing.

The programme covers criminological theory, security studies, criminal law, intelligence analysis, counter-terrorism, border security, and corrections — it addresses both crime and security comprehensively.

Graduates can only work as police officers.

Graduates work as crime analysts, security analysts, intelligence officers, correctional officers, researchers, policy analysts, and security consultants in diverse organisations.

Criminology and Security Studies is the same as Criminology.

This programme adds security studies — covering terrorism, intelligence, border security, and security management — making it broader than general criminology.

There are no jobs in this field in Kenya.

Kenya faces multiple security challenges including terrorism, border insecurity, and communal conflict, creating demand for trained professionals in government, NGOs, and the private sector.

The programme is not academically rigorous.

The programme involves criminological theory, security theory, research methods, law, and policy analysis — it is a demanding interdisciplinary social science degree.