Education Studies and Criminology

Education studies and criminology address questions about how societies form, regulate and sometimes fail the people within them. Education studies examines how learning is organised and delivered, how educational systems are shaped by policy and ideology, and what education is for in a pluralistic society. Criminology examines crime and deviance, how they are defined and measured, how the criminal justice system responds, and what approaches to prevention and rehabilitation are most effective.

Together they produce a degree with both intellectual depth and practical relevance to careers working with young people, communities, and the institutions that support them.

At the University of Derby you will follow a three-year programme that includes a foundation year option for students who need an additional preparatory stage before degree-level study. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, providing substantial professional experience and international exposure alongside your academic development. You will combine a multi-disciplinary social science approach to education with study of human behaviour from both criminal and community justice perspectives, examining current educational curriculum, policy and trends alongside criminological theory, youth justice, policing, and approaches to community safety.

Graduates of education studies and criminology are well placed for careers working with young people and communities in a range of settings, including youth justice, school support and education welfare, social care, probation and community justice, youth work, local authority community development, and the voluntary and charitable sector. Teaching at primary or secondary level is accessible through postgraduate routes such as the PGCE. Postgraduate study in social work, criminology, education, youth justice, or community development is a common next step for those seeking to enter regulated professional roles or develop specialist expertise.

The combination of educational understanding and criminological analysis is particularly valuable in settings that address disadvantage, exclusion, and the factors that place young people at risk.