Childhood & Youth Studies and Criminology BA (Hons)
UCAS code: XM32
Examine the lives of children and young people in the UK and across the globe and explore the relationship between power, crime and social change while investigating the interaction of the world of children with institutions of justice.
Closed for 2026 entry.
Overview
| Course length: | 3 years full-time |
|---|---|
| Start dates: | September 2025 |
| Location: | Edge Hill University |
| Example offers: | BBC-BBB (A Level) or DMM (BTEC) |
| Subject(s): | CriminologySociology and Social Sciences |
| Faculty: | Arts and Sciences |
| Department: | History, Geography and Social Sciences |
Every society has certain expectations of its children. So, what happens when young people don’t fit the mould?
On our BA (Hons) Childhood & Youth Studies and Criminology degree, you’ll examine childhood development while exploring different ideas about crime, harm, rights and social justice.
Together we’ll also analyse the role and function of the criminal justice system, asking questions like: how does social status affect access to and experience of justice and rights?
Aimed at anyone keen to develop knowledge in these two interlinked subject areas, this course is ideal if you plan to work within youth justice or related fields. It will also provide extensive experience of reporting, presenting and working effectively – as an individual and collaborating with others. Valued by employers, these transferrable skills can be applied to a number of potential careers.
Course features
-
International students can apply
-
Sandwich year option available
-
Studying abroad option available
-
Work placement opportunity
What you'll study
Year 1 introduces you to key theory across criminology and sociology. You’ll study the criminal justice process and explore issues and debates about childhood development within psychology. We’ll also cover ideas about how social, economic, political and other factors shape our childhood experiences. An overview of social policy and welfare, including child welfare, is also provided.
Apply the breadth of knowledge you’ve gained to different contexts by exploring specialist topics like youth studies representations of childhood in popular culture, and gendered violence, crime and justice. These fascinating optional modules allow you to tailor your studies to your interests and could help shape your future career plans.
Along with a critical analysis of youth studies, you’ll continue to examine topics in criminology and sociology in greater detail through optional modules. Possibilities include exploring the politics of imprisonment, crimes of the powerful, justice, rights and the state, as well as childhood and sexuality, and young people and social media. Why not boost your practical experience and employability with another placement?
How you'll study
The main forms of course delivery are lectures and workshop seminars, including videos, presentations and small group work. Students will typically be required to attend for three full days per week.
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 staff team are at the forefront of teaching, research and publishing in a number of areas including safeguarding children and young people; childhood, youth and sexuality; the politics of childhood and young people’s rights; children and young people’s mental health; youth justice, law, criminology, human rights and social justice. 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.
Your degree will be supplemented by a series of research seminars and other talks. These will feature academic staff and visiting guest speakers from a range of professions and organisations.
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.
Entry criteria
Typical offer 112-120 UCAS Tariff points plus at least 3 GCSE’s at Grade C or above (or equivalent) including GCSE English.
Example offers
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A Level | BBC-BBB. |
| UCAS Tariff points | 112-120 points. |
| 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 15 credits at Distinction and 30 credits at Merit or 24 credits at Distinction and 21 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.
Fair Entry Criteria
Our new Fair Entry Criteria is a Contextual Admissions Policy that takes an applicant’s personal and educational background into account. This policy will allow eligible applicants to receive up to a two-grade reduction in their entry requirements for this course. Find out more and see if you qualify.
How to apply
Apply full-time
Read our guide to applying through UCAS to find out more about the application process.
International
Please see our international student pages for further information about how to apply as a prospective international student.
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.
Call our Clearing helpline on 0800 028 6677, Monday to Friday from 9am - 5pm or complete our Clearing Application Form and get the guidance you need. Want to know more about Clearing? view our Complete Guide to Clearing 2025.
Apply through Clearing
Facilities
The Department of History, Geography and Social Sciences is based in the Geosciences building. The contemporary 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 and smaller tutorial spaces. There is also a large social area which encourages a more informal and interactive style of learning.
Where you'll study
Finance
Tuition fees
UK Full-Time
£9,535
a year
International
£17,000
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 funding to help with living costs.
Scholarships
We offer a range of scholarships, which celebrate the determination, commitment and achievement of our students. Many of our scholarships are awarded automatically. There are some however, where you will need to be involved in an application or nomination process. To find out more about our scholarships and check your eligibility, please visit our dedicated scholarships pages.
Money Matters
Please view the relevant Money Matters guide for comprehensive information about the financial support available to eligible UK students.
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
The demand for people with the specialist skills and knowledge offered by a degree in childhood and youth studies and criminology is greater than ever. Want to work in youth justice services? Or keen to kick-start a career in education, social work, law enforcement or welfare rights? This is the perfect course for you.
Combining two distinct but interlinked areas gives you a unique perspective that could see you go on to help shape social policy. You’ll have the insight to advocate for children and young people, and to make a real difference to their futures, whether in the public or voluntary sectors.
Other career paths open to our graduates include youth and community work, care and resettlement of offenders. You might also apply for roles within the probation service and criminal justice agencies, and international aid.
And for anyone wanting to continue exploring these fascinating, fast-changing areas, there’s plenty of scope for further study or research in both childhood and youth studies.
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.
