Criminology Courses

Criminology is the scientific study of unlawful behavior in criminal activities. In their work, criminologists examine the types of persons who commit crimes, the reasons why people commit crimes, the impact of the crimes, and how to prevent people from committing crimes in the future.

Criminologists often conduct original research and use available data to uncover a criminal's behavioral patterns, as in the modus operandi of a serial killer, for instance. They also develop theories for the criminal activity and draw conclusions for the behavior. The work involved in criminology is designed to provide answers so that the intended behavior can be thwarted in advance of the crime.‎

Learning criminology can satisfy your strong interests in forensic science, cybersecurity, criminal law, and similar topics. Understanding the motivations of criminals is also a leading indicator to learning about criminology. You might seek to learn criminology to further your interest in street-level crimes, like robberies, physical assaults, and pickpockets.

Newer forms of criminal activities are taking place online. As such, there is a growing interest for people to seek a deeper understanding about cybersecurity issues, including online fraud, computer hacking, and criminal activity on the dark web.‎

Typical work for people with criminology knowledge includes careers in forensic psychology, criminal profiling, and forensic behavior. In standard criminology circles, a criminologist might be required to research a crime scene, interview any possible suspects in a crime scene, and collect criminal data.

Careers in online criminal fraud include working in cybersecurity for a computer security company, a financial institution, or a security agency. For these roles, you would need to have a strong background in computer programming, system architecture, and software analysis. These roles demand focus, concentration, and online knowledge of preventing computer hacks.‎

Taking online courses in criminology on Coursera helps you gain expert knowledge and understanding of online security, risk management, cyber responses, and terrorism activity. You can learn how criminals operate, the types of methods employed in criminal behavior, and how they hack into computer systems to disrupt normal activities.

You can use the information that you get from online courses to learn more about banking security and criminal fraud activities. Online learning can help you with real-world applications in criminology roles as well.‎