Criminology and Sociology

Crime is not simply a legal category; it is a social phenomenon shaped by power, inequality, culture, and the decisions of institutions. Criminology asks why crime happens, who it affects, how society responds to it, and whether those responses work. Sociology provides the broader analytical framework, examining how social structures, norms, and inequalities shape human behaviour and shape the very definitions of deviance and order.

Together, they make for a degree that is simultaneously rigorous and deeply relevant to contemporary debates about justice, policing, punishment, and social change.

At Liverpool Hope University, this three-year full-time programme gives you a grounded understanding of both disciplines. You will explore theories of crime causation, from classical deterrence theories through to sociological accounts rooted in inequality, labelling, and social exclusion. You will study how criminal justice institutions operate, including the police, courts, prisons, and probation services, examining their effectiveness and their relationship to wider social inequalities.

The sociology strand situates crime within broader questions about class, race, gender, and power, developing your capacity to analyse social phenomena critically and to evaluate competing explanations. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and work placement opportunities, giving you the chance to take your skills into real professional environments and to study criminology and sociology in an international context before you graduate.

You will develop strong skills in research methods, critical writing, and the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, all of which are highly valued by employers in the public and voluntary sectors.

Graduates of criminology and sociology go on to careers in probation, the police service, social work, youth justice, policy, campaigning, and research. Many work in the third sector in roles concerned with rehabilitation, community safety, and advocacy. Postgraduate study in criminology, social policy, law, or social work is a common and well-supported route.