Social Sciences

Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Social Justice

The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Social Justice is a four-year degree programme that combines the study of crime and its causes with the analysis of social justice and inequality. Students study criminological theory, social justice, criminal law, sociology of crime, human rights, inequality and crime, criminal justice systems, restorative justice, research methods, crime prevention, and community justice.

The programme is offered at South Eastern Kenya University (SEKU), a CUE-accredited public university in Kitui. Graduates pursue careers as criminologists, social justice advocates, policy analysts, community justice officers, probation officers, researchers, human rights officers, and NGO programme officers.

The programme is delivered through lectures, seminars, case studies, research projects, and fieldwork. Students engage in crime analysis, social justice research, community justice projects, and field attachments.

Entry-level salaries for criminology and social justice graduates in Kenya range from KES 40,000–60,000/month depending on the role and organisation, with higher earnings in international organisations and NGOs. The programme suits students interested in understanding crime and advocating for social justice.

Skills RequiredCriminological Theory and AnalysisSocial Justice AdvocacyHuman Rights AnalysisResearch Methods in CriminologyCriminal Justice System KnowledgeCommunity Justice PracticesPolicy AnalysisRestorative JusticeInequality and Crime AnalysisCrime Prevention StrategiesKey SubjectsCriminological TheorySocial JusticeCriminal LawSociology of CrimeHuman RightsInequality and CrimeCriminal Justice SystemsRestorative JusticeResearch MethodsCommunity JusticeCertificationsKenya National Commission on Human Rights MembershipInternational Society for Criminology MembershipAmerican Society of Criminology MembershipSpecializationsSocial Justice and InequalityFocus on the relationship between inequality and crime — covering theories of social justice, poverty and crime, social exclusion, structural inequality, and the social determinants of criminal behaviour. Human Rights and Criminal JusticeFocus on human rights in the justice system — covering human rights theory, prisoners' rights, fair trial rights, police accountability, and the protection of human rights in criminal justice processes.

Restorative Justice and Community JusticeFocus on restorative and community-based justice — covering restorative justice theory, victim-offender mediation, community justice initiatives, and alternatives to traditional criminal justice.

Duration: 4 years
Public, up to: Ksh 189,004
Private, up to: Ksh 295,300
Job market: Moderate

The programme

What you study, how long it takes, and how it is delivered.

Practicalities

Study mode: Full-time
Attachment: 3 months
Average class: 30 students
Award: Bachelor

What you study

10 subjects

Criminological Theory
Social Justice
Criminal Law
Sociology of Crime
Human Rights
Inequality and Crime
Criminal Justice Systems
Restorative Justice
Research Methods
Community Justice

Modules

12 in the programme

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 Social Justice
Year 1Semester 13 creditsCore
Foundational introduction to criminology and social justice — covering concepts of crime, justice, criminological perspectives, social justice theory, and the relationship between crime and social ...
Social Justice and Human Rights
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Social justice and human rights theory — covering theories of justice, human rights frameworks, equality and non-discrimination, and the application of social justice principles to criminal justice.
Theories of Crime
Year 2Semester 13 creditsCore
Criminological theories — covering classical, positivist, sociological, psychological, and critical theories of crime, with emphasis on the relationship between social conditions and criminal behav...
Inequality and Crime
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
The relationship between inequality and crime — covering poverty and crime, social exclusion, structural inequality, race and crime, gender and crime, and the social determinants of criminal behavi...
Research Methods in Criminology
Year 2Semester 23 creditsCore
Research methodology for criminology and social justice — covering quantitative and qualitative research, crime data analysis, and the application of research methods to the study of crime and just...
Criminal Justice Systems
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
The criminal justice system — covering the police, courts, and corrections, the flow of cases through the system, and the structure and function of criminal justice institutions in Kenya.
Restorative Justice
Year 3Semester 13 creditsCore
Restorative approaches to justice — covering restorative justice theory, victim-offender mediation, conferencing, and the integration of restorative justice into the criminal justice system.
Human Rights in Criminal Justice
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Human rights in the justice system — covering prisoners' rights, fair trial rights, police accountability, human rights oversight, and the protection of human rights in criminal justice processes.
Community Justice and Crime Prevention
Year 3Semester 23 creditsCore
Community-based justice and crime prevention — covering community justice initiatives, crime prevention theory, community crime prevention, and the design and evaluation of community justice progra...
Criminal Justice Policy and Reform
Year 4Semester 13 creditsCore
Criminal justice policy and reform — covering policy analysis, criminal justice reform, social policy, and the development and evaluation of policies addressing crime and social justice.
Research Project or Internship
Year 4Semester 26 creditsCore
Final-year research project or internship — demonstrating mastery of criminology and social justice theory and practice through original research or a structured internship.

Specialisations

Social Justice and Inequality
Focus on the relationship between inequality and crime — covering theories of social justice, poverty and crime, social exclusion, structural inequality, and the social determinants of criminal behaviour.
Human Rights and Criminal Justice
Focus on human rights in the justice system — covering human rights theory, prisoners' rights, fair trial rights, police accountability, and the protection of human rights in criminal justice processes.
Restorative Justice and Community Justice
Focus on restorative and community-based justice — covering restorative justice theory, victim-offender mediation, community justice initiatives, and alternatives to traditional criminal justice.
Criminological Research
Focus on research in criminology and social justice — covering research methods, crime data analysis, programme evaluation, and the production of research on crime, justice, and inequality.
Criminal Justice Policy and Reform
Focus on policy and reform — covering policy analysis, criminal justice reform, social policy, and the development and evaluation of policies addressing crime and social justice.
Victimology and Victim Advocacy
Focus on victims of crime — covering victimology theory, victimisation patterns, victim support services, victim rights, and the advocacy and support of crime victims.

A day as a student

A typical day combines morning lectures on criminological theory, social justice, or criminal law with afternoon seminars, case studies, and research projects. Students engage in crime analysis, social justice research, community justice projects, and group discussions on contemporary crime and justice issues. Field attachments in government ministries, NGOs, probation offices, or community organisations provide hands-on experience, with students conducting research, developing policy briefs, and engaging in community justice initiatives. Research papers and case studies are regular assignments.

The trade offs

In its favour

Unique programme — the programme is one of the few in Kenya that specifically combines criminology with social justice, providing graduates with distinctive interdisciplinary expertise.
Social justice focus — the programme addresses the root causes of crime including inequality, poverty, and social exclusion, preparing graduates for roles in policy reform and community justice.
Growing NGO sector demand — the expansion of NGOs and international development organisations in Kenya creates demand for graduates with both criminology and social justice expertise.
Research-oriented — the programme develops strong research and analytical skills valuable in policy analysis, programme evaluation, and advocacy roles.

Against it

Single university offering — the programme is offered only at South Eastern Kenya University, limiting choice for students.
Niche career field — the combination of criminology and social justice is specialised, with fewer positions than broader criminology programmes.
Lower starting salaries — NGO and community justice positions may have lower starting salaries compared to private security or corporate roles.

What it costs

Tuition at both ends of the market, and how to pay for it.

What it costs, and where

Against 241 social sciences courses

Public153k to 189k

153k at Kenyatta University189k at University of Nairobi

Private158k to 295k

158k at KCA University295k at USIU-Africa

Annual tuition in Kenyan shillings, rounded. The upright tick is the median for this field, so a bar sitting entirely to its right is an expensive programme by the standards of its own subject.

The fine print

Verified educationnewshub+fee schedules: KU 153K, KCA 158K, USIU 295K/yr

Students can access HELB loans, university internal scholarships, and county government bursaries. Some human rights organisations and social justice initiatives offer sponsorships for criminology and social justice students.

Funding options

HELB Undergraduate Loan
University Scholarships and Bursaries
County Government Bursaries

Scholarships

5 recorded

County Government Bursaries
BursaryKsh 30,000Kenyan
Bursaries provided by county governments for needy students from their respective counties.
University Internal Bursaries
ScholarshipKsh 50,000Kenyan
Merit-based and need-based scholarships offered by South Eastern Kenya University, applied through the financial aid office.
Higher Education Loans Board (HELB) Loan
LoanKsh 60,000Kenyan
Needy Kenyan students enrolled in accredited university programmes.
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

Getting in

The grades, the alternatives, and who accredits the award.

What you need

KCSE mean grade: C+
Alternative entry: KCSE mean grade C+ or KCSE mean grade C with a Diploma in a relevant field from a recognised institution.

How you are assessed

4 components

Continuous Assessment Tests
Coursework25% of the mark
Written tests covering criminological theory, social justice, criminal law, and research methods — assessed through mid-semester and end-of-semester examinations.
Research Projects and Case Studies
Coursework30% of the mark
Crime analysis projects, social justice research papers, case studies, policy briefs, and community justice project reports — assessed through portfolio review and research output evaluation.
Field Attachment Reports
Coursework20% of the mark
Reports from field attachments in government ministries, NGOs, probation offices, or community organisations — 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 social justice theory, research methods, and analytical skills.

Accreditation

Accredited by the Commission for University Education (CUE) at South Eastern Kenya University. The programme is offered through the School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of Sociology, Anthropology and Community Development.

Accredited by

Commission for University Education (CUE)
Academic accreditationRequired
Statutory accreditation for all Kenyan universities offering degree programmes. The Bachelor of Arts in Criminology and Social Justice is CUE-accredited at South Eastern Kenya University.

Where it leads

The roles it opens, and what you leave with.

Where graduates go

5 roles

Policy Analyst (Criminal Justice and Social Justice)
Moderate demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 70,000
Analyses criminal justice and social policy — covering policy research, reform analysis, and the production of policy briefs for government, research institutions, and NGOs.
Community Justice Officer
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 55,000
Works in community justice initiatives — covering community crime prevention, restorative justice programmes, community engagement, and the coordination of community justice projects.
Probation Officer
Moderate demandKsh 40,000 to Ksh 60,000
Supervises offenders in the community — covering probation supervision, offender assessment, rehabilitation planning, and restorative justice facilitation.
Human Rights Officer
Moderate demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 65,000
Advocates for human rights in the justice system — covering human rights monitoring, advocacy, complaint investigation, and the promotion of human rights in criminal justice.
NGO Programme Officer (Justice and Rights)
Moderate demandKsh 45,000 to Ksh 70,000
Manages justice and rights programmes in NGOs — covering programme design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, and advocacy for criminal justice reform and social justice.

Graduate outcomes

Graduates work as criminologists, social justice advocates, policy analysts, community justice officers, probation officers, and human rights officers — in government, NGOs, research institutions, and community organisations.

Where these fields lead

8 careers

Tools you will learn

Microsoft Office Suite
SoftwarePrimary
Productivity tools including Word for research papers and policy briefs, Excel for crime and social data analysis, and PowerPoint for presentations and stakeholder briefings.
SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences)
SoftwarePrimary
Statistical analysis software for criminology and social justice research — covering crime data analysis, social inequality statistics, and research statistics.
NVivo (Qualitative Data Analysis)
Software
Qualitative data analysis software — covering qualitative research, interview analysis, focus group data, and the analysis of qualitative data in social justice research.
GIS (Geographic Information Systems)
Software
Mapping software for crime and social analysis — covering crime mapping, social inequality mapping, and the spatial analysis of crime and social conditions.
University Library and Research Databases
Resource
University library resources — providing access to criminology journals, social justice research databases, crime statistics, and case study materials.

Certifications

Industry links

Common misconceptions

Criminology and Social Justice is just about social work.
The programme covers criminological theory, criminal law, human rights, inequality, restorative justice, and research methods — it is a rigorous social science degree that combines crime analysis with social justice advocacy.
Social justice is just a political concept, not an academic subject.
Social justice is a well-established academic field covering theories of justice, human rights, inequality, institutional reform, and the relationship between social conditions and crime — it is studied rigorously in universities worldwide.
Graduates can only work in NGOs.
Graduates work in government ministries, the criminal justice system, research institutions, community organisations, international development organisations, and NGOs — with diverse career paths.
Criminology and Social Justice is the same as Criminology.
This programme adds a specialised focus on social justice — covering inequality, human rights, restorative justice, and community justice — making it distinct from general criminology.
The programme is not academically rigorous.
The programme involves criminological theory, social justice theory, research methods, law, human rights, and policy analysis — it is a demanding interdisciplinary social science degree.