Rethinking the Criminology Curriculum

This article reviews the evidence base for a range of contemporary, student-centred curriculum design methodologies, including inquiry-based learning (IBL), problem-based learning (PBL), project-based learning (PjBL), challenge-based learning (CBL), place-based learning and competency-based education (CBE), and considers their applicability to the design of a contemporary undergraduate criminology degree. Drawing on systematic reviews, meta-analyses and recent empirical literature, the article evaluates the theoretical underpinnings, andragogical benefits and structural limitations of each approach. It situates these findings within the requirements of the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education Subject Benchmark Statement for Criminology (QAA, 2022), which explicitly positions research and critical enquiry as foundational to the discipline and calls for curriculum designs that embed equality, diversity and inclusion, education for sustainable development, and professional partnership. The article argues that no single methodology is sufficient on its own and that a principled hybrid model, drawing selectively on the strengths of each approach, offers the most coherent and evidence-informed basis for criminology curriculum design. Implications for degree revalidation, staff development, assessment design and partnership are discussed.