Criminology with Social Policy

Criminology with Social Policy is a combination that examines crime and the policy responses to it from complementary angles. Criminology asks why crime occurs, who commits it, who is victimised, and how criminal justice systems operate. Social policy addresses the broader framework of government intervention in social life, examining welfare, housing, health, education, and poverty as both contexts for crime and as areas where policy choices directly shape social outcomes.

The combination develops your ability to analyse social problems rigorously and to evaluate the effectiveness of the policy responses societies devise.

At the University of Liverpool, this three-year full-time programme includes a year abroad, adding an international and comparative dimension that is particularly valuable in a field where different countries take strikingly different approaches to crime and punishment. You will study criminological theory, the sociology of deviance, policing and penal policy, and research methods alongside welfare state theory, housing and urban policy, health and social care policy, and comparative social policy. Liverpool's strong research culture in both fields is reflected in the programme's engagement with current debates and empirical evidence.

Graduates from Criminology with Social Policy are well placed for careers in the public and third sectors. The civil service, local government, charities, housing associations, public health bodies, and policy research organisations all employ people with this background. Criminal justice roles in the probation service, prison service, and youth offending teams are common destinations.

Policy analysis, social research, advocacy, and community development are further career paths. Many graduates go on to postgraduate study in criminology, social policy, social work, or law. The year abroad strengthens your CV and develops the comparative perspective that policy professionals increasingly need as they navigate international evidence and cross-border challenges.