Criminology programmes are hosted within the University of Essex Department of Sociology. Essex offers supervision that covers a wide range of topics, and they take a global approach to the subject, with particular expertise in diverse regional settings. Students will work with a supervisor whose role is to guide students through the different stages of their research degree. In some cases, students may have joint supervision by two members of the staff and where appropriate with staff from other departments.

The Criminology group is the largest in the Department, with 11 full time members of staff who have particular research strengths in: crime and media; drug use and markets; women, crime, and criminal justice; green criminology and crimes against the environment; organized crime; prisons and rehabilitation; sexual labour, regulation and human rights; histories of crime, punishment and victimization; security and surveillance.