Criminology and Sociology

Criminology and sociology share a fundamental interest in understanding how social structures shape human behaviour and experience, and the two disciplines reinforce each other productively when studied together. Sociology examines the broader patterns and processes of social life, including class, race, gender, power, and institutional organisation, providing the theoretical frameworks within which criminological questions are best understood. Criminology asks specifically why crime occurs, how it is defined and measured, who commits it, who is victimised, and how criminal justice systems respond, including whether those responses are just, effective, or consistent across different social groups.

The University of Stirling's four-year full-time Criminology and Sociology programme develops rigorous grounding in both disciplines within a university known for the quality of its social science research. You will study sociological theory from the classical to the contemporary, alongside the major perspectives in criminology, including strain theory, labelling theory, feminist criminology, and critical approaches to policing and punishment. The programme engages with research methods in both quantitative and qualitative traditions, preparing you to investigate social and criminological questions with appropriate rigour.

The year abroad gives you the opportunity to study criminal justice and social arrangements in a different national context, which is particularly valuable for understanding how the same phenomena are understood and responded to very differently across societies.

A typical entry tariff of 184 points reflects the academic expectations at Stirling for this programme.

Graduates pursue careers in probation, criminal justice agencies, social work, youth work, policing, policy research, the voluntary sector, and community development. The combination of sociological depth and criminological focus is valued in any role concerned with social harm, justice, and the welfare of vulnerable populations. Postgraduate routes include criminology, sociology, and social work.