Criminology and Sociology

Criminology and sociology address complementary questions about how societies function, how rules are made and broken, and what happens when they are. Criminology examines crime and deviance in all their dimensions: why crime occurs, how it is distributed across populations and places, how criminal justice systems respond to it, and what the consequences of different responses are for individuals, communities and society as a whole. Sociology provides the theoretical foundations for understanding the social structures, inequalities and processes within which crime and justice are embedded.

Together they give you a comprehensive analytical framework for one of the most pressing sets of social problems.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, this three-year full-time degree explores crime, its causes, patterns, consequences and institutional responses within the wider context of social theory and empirical research. You will engage with classical and contemporary criminological and sociological theory, study research methods in depth, and examine specific topics in criminal justice including policing, prisons, courts, rehabilitation, youth justice, cybercrime, organised crime and the sociology of punishment. The programme includes a sandwich year with work placement opportunities, giving you the chance to gain professional experience in a criminology, justice or social research context before you graduate.

Typical entry is around 120 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates go on to careers in the criminal justice system, including the police, probation service, prison service, courts and youth offending teams, as well as in social research, policy analysis, the charity and voluntary sector, local government and community work. Many also pursue postgraduate qualifications, including conversion routes into social work, law and counselling. The analytical skills, research competence and understanding of social systems developed through this degree transfer well into any career concerned with justice, inequality and the wellbeing of communities.