Sociology and Criminology

Sociology and Criminology is a pairing that asks how society produces crime and how society responds to it. Sociology provides the analytical framework: the tools to examine how social structures, inequalities, identities and cultural forces shape people's lives and opportunities. Criminology applies those tools to questions of crime, criminal justice and deviance, examining why some behaviours are criminalised while others are not, who is most likely to be harmed by crime, and how the institutions of policing, courts and prisons reflect and reinforce broader social inequalities.

Together they develop a critical and socially engaged understanding of some of the most important questions facing contemporary societies.

At Leeds Beckett University this part-time degree allows you to engage with social issues that define modern life, from crime, justice and inequality to identity, media, power and social change, at a pace that fits around other commitments. The programme includes a year abroad option, broadening your comparative perspective on how different societies approach crime and social inequality. You will develop your capacity for sociological and criminological analysis, building the critical thinking, research skills and social awareness that employers in the public, voluntary and research sectors value.

Graduates from Sociology and Criminology degrees go on to careers in probation, youth justice, social work, the police service, community safety, social research, policy analysis, journalism and the voluntary sector. Others find roles in local government, public health, human rights organisations and the civil service. The analytical and critical skills the degree develops are also valued in a range of private sector contexts.

Postgraduate study in sociology, criminology, social policy, criminal justice or law is a natural continuation for those wishing to deepen their expertise.