From Crime to Punishment: an Introduction to Criminal Justice (FutureLearn)

Offered by University of York,
From Crime to Punishment: an Introduction to Criminal Justice (FutureLearn)

What is crime? How does criminal justice work in England and Wales? Find out more by following a case through the system. What happens when a crime is allegedly committed in the UK? Now’s your chance to find out. On this course you’ll follow a suspect through the journey of investigation, prosecution and adjudication.

Class Deals by MOOC List - Click here and see FutureLearn's Active Discounts, Deals, and Promo Codes.

You’ll step inside the courtroom - discovering how criminal justice processes work in England and Wales - and learn about the criminal law and key institutions like the police and the courts.
What topics will you cover?
Week 1: Definitions of crime; measuring the extent of crime
Week 2: Investigation and prosecution
Week 3: The trial process
Week 4: Sentencing
What will you achieve?

  • Identify different definitions of ‘crime’
  • Describe, in basic terms, key processes in criminal justice including investigation, prosecution, defence, adjudication and sentencing
  • Develop a reasoned view on the values underpinning criminal justice processes in England and Wales, and on the effectiveness of institutions including police, lawyers, and courts
Go to Class
MOOC List is learner-supported. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Related Courses

Why We Post: the Anthropology of Social Media (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
University College London

Why We Post: the Anthropology of Social Media (FutureLearn)

Discover the varying uses of social media around the world and its consequences for politics, relationships and everyday life. This free online course is based on the work of nine anthropologists who each spent 15 months in fieldsites in Brazil, Chile, industrial and rural China, England, India, Italy, Trinidad and Turkey.

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
Introduction to English Common Law (Coursera) Coursera
University of London

Introduction to English Common Law (Coursera)

The common law of England and Wales is one of the major global legal traditions. This MOOC will give you an introduction to this influential legal system including its history, constitutional background, sources and institutions. You’ll learn about the different ways in which laws are made and interpreted, the English court system and the increasing importance of European Union and human rights law. Now is an especially exciting time to be learning about English common law, given the potential changes that lie ahead in today’s political, economic and social environment – all these pose challenges to and opportunities for the law.

Oct 5th 2026
5-12 Weeks
Designing and Building Institutional Anti-Racist Spaces (Coursera) Coursera
Wesleyan University

Designing and Building Institutional Anti-Racist Spaces (Coursera)

Designing and Building Institutional Antiracist Spaces (D-BIAS) is a course whose mission is to teach and apply tenets of equity, anti-racism, and cultural justice to students from Institutions to achieve social change. The course is aimed at educators and administrators in educational spaces, lawyers and advocates in spaces that touch civil rights, equity, and whose Institutional mission it is to achieve greater cultural equity.

Sep 21st 2026
4 Weeks
Euro Noir: Transcultural Identities in European Popular Crime Narratives (edX) EdX
KU Leuven University,KULeuvenX

Euro Noir: Transcultural Identities in European Popular Crime Narratives (edX)

Learn how crime novels, films and television dramas can help investigate European cultural identity. The crime genre, arguably the most popular narrative genre in Europe, is an ideal object of study for evaluating how the process of Europeanisation has impacted the forms of cultural production, distribution and reception. Have you ever wondered what has made crime narratives so popular throughout Europe? If yes, this course is a perfect fit for you!

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Babies in Mind: Why the Parent's Mind Matters (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
The University of Warwick

Babies in Mind: Why the Parent's Mind Matters (FutureLearn)

Find out how parents and caregivers influence children’s minds, from conception through infancy, with this free online course. This course will explore how the mind of the parent influences the developing mind of the child, from conception through infancy and into later life. We will take you on a journey that begins in pregnancy, exploring the importance of the ability of the mother-to-be to think about her baby while still in utero, alongside the impact of emotions such as anxiety and depression.

Self Paced
4 Weeks
Dernières nouvelles du crime (FUN) FUN
le cnam

Dernières nouvelles du crime (FUN)

Ce cours présente les grandes tendances et évolutions de la criminalité, ce qui définit la criminalité dans une société et ce qui influence son évolution. L'État établit de nouvelles interdictions qu'il assortit de sanctions pénales au fur et à mesure de l'évolution de ses propres intérêts, mais surtout pour répondre à de nouvelles formes de criminalités, car le crime est un phénomène aussi évolutif que protéiforme.

No sessions available
5-12 Weeks
The Psychology of Criminal Justice (edX) EdX
University of Queensland,UQx

The Psychology of Criminal Justice (edX)

Learn how behavioural science can improve our criminal justice system. This course systematically explores the effectiveness of the law and justice system from a psychological perspective. By experiencing a fictional case first hand, you will learn about the psychology of law and some of the misconceptions commonly held about criminal justice.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Justicia Restaurativa: las víctimas como pieza central de un nuevo modelo de Justicia (edX) EdX
Universidad Carlos III de Madrid - UC3M,UC3Mx

Justicia Restaurativa: las víctimas como pieza central de un nuevo modelo de Justicia (edX)

Law

Claves de una Justicia penal de calidad, basada en la comunicación y la superación de los efectos del delito. En este curso conocerás las bases de un nuevo enfoque para la Justicia penal. A través de los seis módulos que integran el curso podrás conocer los orígenes, funcionamiento y potencialidades de la Justicia restaurativa.

Self Paced
Self-Paced
Black Tudors: The Untold Story (FutureLearn) FutureLearn
FutureLearn

Black Tudors: The Untold Story (FutureLearn)

Discover the little-known history of Black Africans in Tudor England and challenge your preconceptions of Black history. Explore the forgotten lives of Black Tudors in Renaissance England. “Before the English founded their first surviving colony in the Americas, or began regularly trafficking enslaved Africans across the Atlantic, Africans lived free in Tudor England. ‘Black Tudors’ uncovers the experiences of men and women long forgotten by history.” – Dr. Miranda Kaufmann

Self Paced
5-12 Weeks
An Introduction to American Law (Coursera) Coursera
University of Pennsylvania

An Introduction to American Law (Coursera)

This course will give you a glimpse into six different areas of American law: Tort Law, Contract Law, Property, Constitutional Law, Criminal Law, and Civil Procedure. You will gain insight into the complexities and dilemmas that arise from the application of law in different settings, and what is distinctive about American approaches.

Sep 28th 2026
5-12 Weeks