Criminology with Integrated Foundation Year

Criminology is the scientific study of crime: why it happens, who commits it, how society responds to it, and what consequences flow from that response. It is an interdisciplinary field that draws on sociology, psychology, law, history and philosophy to build a rigorous account of criminal behaviour and the institutions, from the police and courts to prisons and probation, that are tasked with controlling it. Criminology challenges comfortable assumptions, asks awkward questions about power and justice, and takes seriously the experiences of both those who commit crime and those who are harmed by it.

At the University of Sunderland this four-year programme begins with an integrated foundation year, which provides a supported pathway into degree-level study for students who are returning to education or who need a more gradual transition into university work. The foundation year builds the academic skills, subject knowledge and confidence needed to succeed in the honours programme that follows. A year abroad is also built into the degree, offering the opportunity to study criminology and criminal justice in a different national context and to understand how crime and punishment are understood and managed differently across societies.

You will engage with the major theories of crime and deviance, study the history and sociology of criminal justice systems, examine specific areas such as youth crime, organised crime, cybercrime and gender-based violence, and consider the ethics and politics of punishment and rehabilitation. Research methods are central to the programme, and you will develop skills in both quantitative and qualitative approaches to studying crime and its contexts.

Graduates pursue careers in probation, the police, the prison service, social work, youth justice, victim support, policy research, NGOs and advocacy organisations. Many go on to postgraduate study in criminology, criminal justice or related social sciences, and some pursue careers in journalism, law or academia. The degree develops analytical and critical thinking skills that are valued well beyond the criminal justice system itself.