Social Policy with Criminology

Social policy and criminology are disciplines that together offer a comprehensive framework for understanding the relationship between social conditions, inequality, disadvantage and responses to crime. Social policy examines how governments and societies attempt to address human needs and social problems through welfare systems, healthcare, housing, education and employment policy. It is concerned with the distribution of wellbeing and the ways in which social, economic and political structures produce and perpetuate inequality.

Criminology examines crime and deviance as social phenomena: why crime happens, how it is defined and responded to, how criminal justice systems function and whom they affect. Together, they give you powerful analytical tools for understanding some of the most pressing challenges facing contemporary societies.

At the University of Bristol, this three-year full-time degree, which is available with a foundation year for students who benefit from additional preparation, engages with social issues related to human wellbeing, inequality, disadvantage and crime in a genuinely analytical and critical way. Bristol's strong research reputation in both social policy and criminology means you will be taught by staff who are actively contributing to knowledge in these fields. You will explore real-world challenges in a global context, drawing on social, political, public policy and economic theories to understand how policy is made, how it affects different populations, and how crime and its control intersect with broader social inequalities.

Research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, are central to the curriculum.

You will develop critical analytical skills, the ability to evaluate evidence and policy, and the capacity to think clearly about complex social questions.

Graduates move into social research, policy analysis, the civil service, criminal justice and probation, social work (with further training), voluntary sector and charity roles, journalism, local government, and international development. Postgraduate study in social policy, criminology, law or social work is a well-established pathway.