Sociology and Criminology

Sociology and criminology together provide the conceptual tools to examine some of the most fundamental and urgent questions about social life: why do some people commit crime while others do not, what makes some acts criminal in the first place, how do institutions of justice operate, and what do their operations reveal about the distribution of power and inequality in society? Sociology provides the overarching frameworks for understanding social structures, cultural forces, and the processes through which difference becomes inequality. Criminology applies similar rigour to the specific territory of crime, deviance, policing, and punishment.

At Warwick you will study this three-year full-time programme at a research-intensive university, with a year abroad available as part of the degree. You will engage with social theory, research methods, and empirical investigation of contemporary social phenomena, alongside criminological theory, the sociology of policing and criminal justice, punishment and penology, victimology, and comparative criminal justice. The degree develops your ability to make sense of a world undergoing rapid social change, to evaluate evidence critically, and to write and argue with clarity and precision.

Warwick's strong research culture means you will engage with cutting-edge thinking in both disciplines.

Graduates of sociology and criminology enter careers in the criminal justice system, including the police, probation, and the prison service, as well as in social work, community development, policy research, journalism, the civil service, and the voluntary sector. The analytical and research skills the degree develops are also valued in human resources, public administration, and many organisations concerned with social inequality, diversity, and justice. The year abroad adds an international dimension that is particularly valuable for roles in comparative criminal justice or international human rights.

Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in criminology, sociology, social policy, or law.