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Criminology and Sociology BA (Hons)

UCAS code: ML93

Immerse yourself in the study of crime, harm and the criminal justice system. Understand how society works and changes. Prepare for a wide range of potential careers and visit London and a European city as part of your course.

Overview

Course length: 3 years full-time
5 years part-time
Start dates: September 2024
September 2025
Location: Edge Hill University
Example offers: BCC-BBC (A Level) or DMM (BTEC) View full entry criteria
Subject(s): CriminologySociology and Social Sciences
Faculty: Arts and Sciences
Department: Law, Criminology and Policing
Two students stand in the Sunken Garden on campus while another sits on the grass and rests against a tree.

What is the role and function of the criminal justice system? How does social status affect justice and rights? And how do social trends play their part? You’ll learn all of this and more on our criminology and sociology degree.

At Edge Hill, we examine sociological developments in cultural, political and historical contexts. You’ll learn about the social structures, institutions, processes, organisations and groups that frame our lives. You’ll explore issues including how societies generate social harms, criminalising some, but leaving others legal. Perhaps you’ll take the opportunity to join one of our educational trips to boost your experience even more – we visit London, Amsterdam and cities across Europe.

You’ll graduate with expertise in criminology and sociology. You’ll also gain lots of transferable skills that will set you up for a wide choice of potential careers. We’ll help you to build your experience through archival work or engaging in local community activism.

Course features

  • International students can apply

  • Learn a language option available

  • Sandwich year option available

  • Studying abroad option available

What you'll study

In your first year, we’ll introduce you to the core themes across criminology and sociology. You’ll study the criminal justice process, criminological and sociological theory, political sociology and cultural studies. We’ll look at criminology in the context of a number of case studies of significant changes in society. You’ll also have the chance to take part in an educational field trip to London.

Compulsory modules:

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Criminology and the Modern World
Critical Issues in Sociology
Introduction to the Criminal Justice Process
Introduction to Criminological Theory
Power in Society
Sociology of the Everyday

In Year 2, you’ll continue to build on your theoretical knowledge. You’ll study critical criminological theory, armed conflict and political violence, racism, and the relationship between the media and criminal activity. We’ll look at class, culture and conflict in British society. You’ll develop the skills that will set you up for a successful graduate career, including getting involved with community activism. There’s also an optional field trip to Amsterdam.

Compulsory modules:

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Critical Criminological Theory
States, Conflict and Political Violence
Broken Britain

Two of:

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Challenging Childhoods
Crime, Law and Society
Crime, Media and Criminology
Gender, Sex and Violence
Generating Reputations
‘Race’, Crime and Criminology
Violence and Society
Work Experience Module
Youth Justice
Language 1

One of:

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Self-Directed Study
Work-based learning and Employability
Youth Studies: Key Concepts and Issues
Representations of Childhood and Popular Culture
Children’s Cultural Worlds
Children, Food and Sustainability
Language 1

In the final year of your criminology and sociology degree, you’ll be able to bring specialism to your knowledge and skills by shaping the course to your own interests. Choose from modules on terrorism, sexual desires and arts in society. Perhaps you’ll focus on crimes of the powerful or the politics of policing and imprisonment. You’ll have the chance to join an optional field trip to a European city, where you’ll explore its history, culture, politics and social organisations.

Compulsory modules:

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Sociology of the Body and the Emotions
Global Capitalism and its Discontents

Three of:

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Crime and Place
Crimes of the Powerful 1
Crimes of the Powerful 2
Criminology and Philosophy
Expanding the Criminological Imagination
Justice, Rights and the State
Learning Together: The Sociological Imagination
The Politics of Imprisonment
The Politics of Policing
Language 2

One of:

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Childhood and Sexuality
Critical Terrorism Studies
European Field Trip
Critical Autism Studies
Language 2

Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course curriculum. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means that the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed. Optional module selection may also be affected by timetabling requirements. Some restrictions on optional module choice or combinations of optional modules may apply.

How you'll study

The main forms of course delivery are lectures and workshop seminars, including videos, presentations and small group work. You can choose to build a national and a European field trip into your optional studies. Students will typically be required to attend for three full days per week.

Timetables for your first week are normally available at the end of August prior to enrolment in September. You can expect to receive your timetable for the rest of the academic year during your first week. Please note that while we make every effort to ensure that timetables are as student-friendly as possible, scheduled teaching can take place on any day of the week. Wednesday afternoons are normally reserved for sports and cultural activities.

How you'll be assessed

Assessment methods on this degree include the use of portfolios, essays, information retrieval exercises, seminar presentations, case studies, article reviews and examinations. The range of assessments has been creatively designed to encourage the potential of all students.

Who will be teaching you

Our experienced staff have designed this course and our strong levels of student support ensure your time with us is an enjoyable, rewarding experience, underpinned by the extensive research activity and field experience of our team.

Members of the School of Law, Criminology and Policing and the Department of Social Sciences are at the forefront of teaching, research and publication in a number of areas including desire and sexuality; states, violence and terrorism; cultural and social theories and perspectives; culture and arts in society; crimes of the powerful and the politics of policing and imprisonment; criminology, human rights and social justice; and the criminological imagination.

Entry criteria

Entry requirements

Typical offer 104-112 UCAS Tariff points. No specific subjects are required.

Example offers

Qualification Requirement
A Level BCC-BBC.
BTEC Extended Diploma (or combination of BTEC QCF qualifications) Distinction, Merit, Merit (DMM).
T Level Overall grade of Merit.
International Baccalaureate (IB) We are happy to accept IB qualifications which achieve the required number of UCAS Tariff points.
Access to Higher Education Diploma 45 credits at Level 3, for example 9 credits at Distinction and 36 credits at Merit or 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit. The required total can be attained from various credit combinations.

Please note, the above examples may differ from actual offers made. A combination of A Level and BTEC awards may also be accepted.

If you have a minimum of two A Levels (or equivalent), there is no maximum number of qualifications that we will accept UCAS points from. This includes additional qualifications such as Extended Project Qualification (EPQ), AS Levels that haven't been continued to A Level, and General Studies AS or A Level awards.

English language requirements

International students require IELTS 6.0, with a score no lower than 5.5 in each individual component, or an equivalent English language qualification.

If your current level of English is half a band, one band, or one-and-a-half bands lower, either overall or in one or two elements, you may want to consider our Pre-Sessional English course.

How to apply

Apply full-time

Apply online through UCAS

Read our guide to applying through UCAS to find out more about the application process.

International

Apply as an international student

Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.

Part-time applications require a direct application to Edge Hill. Please select the year of entry that you wish to apply for.

Apply for September 2024 part-time.

Apply for September 2025 part-time.

Should you accept an offer of a place to study with us and formally enrol as a student, you will be subject to the provisions of the regulations, rules, codes, conditions and policies which apply to our students. These are available at www.edgehill.ac.uk/studentterms.

Did you know?

If you join a full time undergraduate degree at Edge Hill University, we will guarantee you the offer of a room in our halls of residence for the first year of your course.

Discover our accommodation

Facilities

Law and Psychology buildingThe £6million Law and Psychology building provides contemporary teaching and learning facilities for students in the School of Law, Criminology and Policing and the Department of Psychology.

The three-storey building includes a 250-seat lecture theatre, seminar and tutorial rooms, and social learning areas which encourage a more informal and interactive style of learning.

Sociology modules are led by the Department of History, Geography and Social Sciences, based in the Geosciences building. The modern facilities combine with a friendly and supportive learning environment to ensure that your studies are a rich and rewarding experience.

The Geosciences building features a large lecture theatre, small group teaching rooms, IT facilities, smaller tutorial spaces and a large social area.

Where you'll study

Law and Psychology

GeoSciences

Finance

Tuition fees

UK Full-Time

£9,250

a year

UK Part-Time

£77 per credit

for 360 credits

International

£16,500

a year

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme, as well as Irish nationals, may be eligible for the UK tuition fee rate.

Financial support

Subject to eligibility, UK students joining this course can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the Government to cover the full cost of tuition fees. UK students enrolling on the course may also be eligible to apply for additional maintenance loan funding to help with living costs. Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students, together with details of how to apply for potential funding.

EU/EEA and Swiss students who have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme may be eligible to apply for financial support. Irish nationals can ordinarily apply to Student Universal Support Ireland (SUSI). If you are an EU student who does not have settled or pre-settled status, or are an international student from a non-EU country, please see our international student finance pages.

Your future career

By the time you achieve your criminology and sociology degree, you’ll have a wide range of transferable skills that will equip you for a graduate role or further study.

Our graduates go on to have exciting careers in the police, HM prison service and the Home Office, as well as in these areas:

  • criminal or youth justice agencies
  • youth and community work
  • law and research
  • offender management
  • social work
  • outreach

Other students continue onto postgraduate study, or train to become teachers.

Course changes

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, however our courses are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may necessitate alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses.

Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of professional bodies, revisions to subject benchmarks statements, to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Track changes to this course

Discover Uni: Full-Time Study

Discover Uni: Part-Time Study

Download our course leaflet