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.
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.
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.
Criminology and the Modern World presents you with a number of case studies on substantive topics of current interest and importance. You will undertake a systematic examination of some of the major changes that are occurring and their implications for British society and other societies across the world. Phenomena such as the economic crisis, the environmental crisis, the increasing religiosity of politics and problems in the developing world will be considered in order to foster an understanding of contemporary society and some of the key issues it faces. Aspects of social and criminal justice, harms and rights, and the role that the media plays in shaping social perceptions will be subject to analysis.
Module code: CRI1005
Credits: 20
Introduction to Criminological Theory
Introduction to Criminological Theory introduces you to key theoretical perspectives relevant to the study of crime and social justice. The module will use contemporary case studies in crime, deviance and conflict to evaluate the main theoretical traditions and recent critiques within criminology, providing a foundation in critical analysis. In particular, the module will emphasise the political underpinnings to theoretical perspectives and will encourage you to recognise the need to locate theories of crime and deviance in their structural contexts.
Module code: CRI1124
Credits: 20
Introduction to the Criminal Justice Process
Introduction to the Criminal Justice Process introduces you to key aspects of the criminal justice system, primarily in England and Wales but with some reference to other UK and international jurisdictions. The module will critically analyse official responses to ‘crime’ and deviance through an examination of fundamental criminal justice agencies including the police, criminal courts and prisons as well as probation and youth justice services.
Module code: CRI1125
Credits: 20
Power in Society
Power in Society immerses you in the study of power, the state, ideology, authority and domination. You will study the roles, functions and participation of institutions, organisations and groups in the political world, gaining a conceptual model of the way in which the political world operates and engages with powerful interests and demands for democratic participation. A series of lectures will provide a foundation of knowledge and you will then follow particular case studies to exercise that knowledge in depth. These case studies will be drawn from the research specialisms of staff and topical issues. Indicatively, case studies might be security and state surveillance of political participation in Britain, the political management of mass public protest, the political strategies of social movements, the relevance of political parties to contemporary politics, political marketing and media politics.
Module code: SPY1123
Credits: 20
Critical Issues in Sociology
Critical Issues in Sociology introduces you to using the ‘sociological imagination’ to explore a range of sociological concepts and approaches. You will develop the ability to reason effectively about the relation of human agency and social structure, and reflect on the challenges, choices and constraints underlying the assumptions and tacit expectations that determine our view of the world. The module analyses how we create and sustain meaningful social relationships, organisations and systems, and how, in turn, those relations, organisations and systems impact on us.
Sociology of the Everyday introduces you to sociological ways of understanding the everyday. From the mundane to the taken-for-granted topics or issues which constitute our ‘ordinary and ‘normal’ lives, you'll examine normative everyday issues and occurrences in a sociologically informed way. You will begin to see how small-scale interactions can impact upon broader social constructions and norms and vice versa. You'll explore areas such as the home, the street, love, sex and friendships. Other topics that may be studied range from shopping, hobbies and consumption to our understanding and use of time and silence.
Module code: SPY1125
Credits: 20
Language 1
Language 1 is ideal if you want to learn a new language, or further develop your current language skills, as an integrated part of this degree. You can study French, German, Arabic, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese or Spanish (subject to minimum numbers for your preferred language). Delivered at the Edge Hill Language Centre, the module will be taught in an interactive, communicative manner, using authentic materials in the target language. Emphasis will be placed on all four areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. You will play an active role in the weekly two-hour classes, engaging in role-plays, short conversations, videos, authentic texts and listening materials. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your own learning needs. On enrolment to the module, you will complete a language induction form and be placed into a language level group appropriate for your prior knowledge of your chosen language. Please note, while we will endeavour to accommodate varying language levels per module, this is not always possible. While you can join the module with some prior experience of your target language, you will not be able to study a language you are already fluent or proficient in.
Module code: TLC1010
Credits: 20
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.
Critical Criminological Theory provides a grounding in critical criminological theory and its application to contemporary debates and issues concerning harm and criminal justice. The module will familiarise you with the development of criminological theory in historical and political contexts. You will be encouraged to apply theoretical perspectives to issues incorporating harm and crime, as well as social and state responses, drawing on national and international examples. The module will challenge mainstream theories of crime and deviance by locating current examples of harm, criminalisation and criminal justice within determining contexts of class, gender, sexuality, neo-colonialism and age within political priorities of the neoliberal agenda.
Module code: CRI2225
Credits: 20
States, Conflict and Political Violence
States, Conflict and Political Violence recognises that the sociological study of armed conflict and political violence is an important and growing field of inquiry. Wars and conflicts within and between states are key problems facing the contemporary global community, rooted in the complex character of modern societies. They have been a central concern for sociological theorists since the founding of the discipline. The study of armed conflict therefore does more than allow you to become familiar with the particular dynamics of specific wars. It also enables a series of key concepts, theories and issues in the social sciences (of power and authority, gender, ethnicity and class) to be investigated and applied to real world situations through the prism of organised violence by, between, against and beyond the state today.
Module code: SPY2152
Credits: 20
Broken Britain
Broken Britain explores issues around class, culture and conflict in contemporary British society. The module will provide a sociological and political analysis of current debates about the state of British society and whether aspects of it can be considered to be broken or not. You will examine a range of different social and political issues to engage critically with the following kinds of questions: Is British politics broken? Was austerity necessary? What does it mean to be British? Is racism endemic in Britain? Is class still relevant in Britain? Does work pay for the poor in Britain? How broken is Britain?
Challenging Childhoods examines the theoretical traditions, and their legacies, of what constitutes the ‘child’. Drawing on historical and theoretical developmental models, both nationally and internationally, you will analyse the various mechanisms through which children are socialised, placed under surveillance, disciplined and in turn criminalised and victimised. Central to the module will be a critical analysis of state intervention into the lives of children, together with an exploration of child exploitation and the process through which children become ‘victims’. The concept of harm will be of particular significance and this will be juxtaposed and examined in relation to the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Module code: CRI2226
Credits: 20
Crime, Law and Society
Crime, Law and Society explores the application and effect of the criminal law upon individuals in society from criminological and complementary socio-legal perspectives. Through utilising both of these perspectives, you will be encouraged to look beyond established traditional legal explanations for crime and the legal responses to it, in order to explore the wider social, historical, political and theoretical context of the laws relating to crime. The module will enhance your understanding of how determining contexts impact upon how laws relating to crime are created, developed and enforced.
Module code: CRI2027
Credits: 20
Crime, Media and Criminology
Crime, Media and Criminology investigates how the news media plays a primary role in the construction of social problems, crime, deviance and, to an extent, reality. The relationship between crime, media and criminology is long established, so this module critically explores the representation of ‘crime’ and criminal activity within various types of media forms incorporating traditional print, online news domains and social media forums. Developing a critical theoretical framework, the module will enable you to examine the criminological and wider societal significance of the production and reproduction of dominant images and discourses around ‘crime’, criminalisation and the construction of victims, perpetrators and events.
Module code: CRI2024
Credits: 20
Gender, Sex and Violence
Gender, Sex and Violence explores the concept of violence and the various forms it can take. Specifically, the module will focus on the relationships between gender, sex, sexuality and violence, and the ideological, cultural and religious underpinnings of such violent acts. You will be encouraged to look beyond established understandings of what constitutes a violent act to explore more abstract forms of violence such as harm, denial of rights, and poverty. Criminological and social science theory will form the basis of considerations of aspects of violence. The structural relations of class (production), ‘family origins’ (neo-colonialism) and gender/sexuality (reproduction) will be highlighted as the determining contexts in which such violence occurs and is legitimated. Power, dominance, legitimacy, hegemony and ideology will be key themes of the module.
Module code: CRI2025
Credits: 20
Generating Reputations
Generating Reputations highlights and explores the production of identities, reputations and stereotypes and the impact these have on particular social groups. A key focal point of the module will be the role of the media in shaping reputations and perceptions. You will consider ways in which determining contexts can influence societal perceptions of individuals and groups, as well as the impact of stereotypes, reputations and ‘common sense’ thinking on criminal justice policies and responses.
Module code: CRI2223
Credits: 20
‘Race’, Crime and Criminology
‘Race’, Crime and Criminology explores how ideas about ‘family origins’ help to shape and determine social, judicial and political responses to perpetrators and victims of crime. The module explores the role of family origins as a major source of social division and aims to show the significance of racism to the reproduction of structural inequalities. You will gain knowledge about patterns of continuity and change in racism and an awareness of the relationship between ethnic and cultural diversity and social and criminal injustice.
Module code: CRI2023
Credits: 20
Violence and Society
Violence and Society explores the concept of violence and the various forms it can take, ranging from intrapersonal violence (for example, self-harm) to interpersonal violence, institutional and state violence, and violence on a global scale. You will be encouraged to look beyond established understandings of what constitutes a violent act to explore more abstract forms of violence such as harm, denial of rights, and poverty. Criminological theory will form the basis of considerations of aspects of violence. The structural relations of class (production), ‘family origins’ (neo-colonialism) and gender/sexuality (reproduction) will be highlighted as the determining contexts in which such violence occurs and is legitimated. Power, dominance, legitimacy and hegemony will be the key themes of the module.
Module code: CRI2224
Credits: 20
Work Experience Module
Work Experience Module will develop your employability skills and enhance your career prospects. You will be required to engage in part-time or voluntary work in a criminology or criminal justice related field, as appropriate, to gain experience in a working environment. You will be expected to secure your own work placement, with the support of your work experience tutor.
Module code: CRI2026
Credits: 20
Youth Justice
Youth Justice provides a grounding in issues of youth justice. The module explores the history of youth justice in the UK and elsewhere and examines the development of responses to children and young people in conflict with the law in their social and political context. You will investigate theoretical approaches to youth justice and consider explanations regarding differences in state responses to this issue. The module critically appraises current and recent youth justice practices and policies in relation to state intervention, human rights, harm and power.
Module code: CRI2028
Credits: 20
Language 2
Language 2 is ideal if you want to learn a new language, or further develop your current language skills, as an integrated part of this degree. You can study French, German, Arabic, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese or Spanish (subject to minimum numbers for your preferred language). Delivered at the Edge Hill Language Centre, the module will be taught in an interactive, communicative manner, using authentic materials in the target language. Emphasis will be placed on all four areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. You will play an active role in the weekly two-hour classes, engaging in role-plays, short conversations, videos, authentic texts and listening materials. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your own learning needs. On enrolment to the module, you will complete a language induction form and be placed into a language level group appropriate for your prior knowledge of your chosen language. Please note, while we will endeavour to accommodate varying language levels per module, this is not always possible. While you can join the module with some prior experience of your target language, you will not be able to study a language you are already fluent or proficient in.
Self-Directed Study enables you to focus on a particular agreed topic or focus and explore it, with tutorial support, to produce a project-based piece of work which relates to a particular career trajectory. The project will involve addressing a social issue or problem and/or one organisation’s response (voluntary, public or private sector) to a social issue or problem. It will involve not only desk research such as library searches but information retrieval from a range of primary sources. The self-directed learning focus allows for a sense of both leading on the learning taking place and reflecting on its progress, problems and problem-solving.
Module code: SPY2155
Credits: 20
Work-based learning and Employability
Work-based learning and Employability is designed to bridge the world of higher education with the world of work. You will develop a critical understanding of the changing context of work and of social, economic and political factors shaping the labour market and contemporary patterns of employment. There will be an opportunity to apply theory and disciplinary specialist knowledge to practical experience within a work-based setting with students undertaking a 60 hour placement. You will also enhance and develop a range of transferable skills to enhance your employability.
Module code: SPY2154
Credits: 20
Youth Studies: Key Concepts and Issues
Youth Studies: Key Concepts and Issues provides you with an understanding of the key themes, concepts, issues and debates in the field of youth studies. Starting from an historical perspective, you will look at the broader social, economic and political factors which have shaped understandings about youth and the so-called ‘youth question’ from early to late modernity. The module will then turn to contemporary debates about youth, including themes such as transition, risk, culture and social policy.
Module code: SPY2156
Credits: 20
Representations of Childhood and Popular Culture
Representations of Childhood and Popular Culture explores and analyses the ways in which childhood and youth are represented in popular culture in historical and contemporary genres. These representations will be examined in the context of popular culture about, and specifically for, children and young people. A critical approach will be adopted by drawing on theoretical perspectives including cultural theory and constructions of childhood and youth. In taking this approach, consideration will be given to representations of social divisions such as age, gender, sexuality, family origins and disability. Areas of study will include children as adventurers and heroes, children and young people in war and conflict, representations of children and young people’s experiences of education, and the globalisation of childhood.
Module code: SPY2157
Credits: 20
Children’s Cultural Worlds
Children’s Cultural Worlds introduces you to some of the ways in which children experience and organise their social worlds. You will learn about a variety of children’s cultural practices from this perspective such as their play, friendships, family, sexuality, food, literature and language practices. In order to do this you will study a range of research which has taken a ‘naturalistic’ approach to children’s cultural practices. Naturalistic studies are those which seek to remain faithful to the nature of the phenomena which they investigate. In the study of human social life, this requires being faithful to how the people we study actually experience things. It involves refusing to impose our own views on other people but trying to gain an appreciation of how they look at things, how they understand things and how they organise their lives from their own points of view. This module will help you to develop this particular analytic sensibility.
Module code: SPY2158
Credits: 20
Children, Food and Sustainability
Children, Food and Sustainability examines children’s food practices, environmental issues and the links between the two. The module introduces the analysis of children’s food practices and relations with animals and the environment under the rubric of understanding connections between children, childhood and nature. Themes to be studied include food practices in schools, food poverty, children and climate change and child-animal relations. These topics provide rich areas for investigating important developments in early childhood studies including children’s agency, voice and rights, in addition to children’s health, childhood consumption and children’s ethical engagement with the natural world. The module also illuminates debates on educational philosophy and explores childhood as a time and space for democratic and ecological renewal.
Module code: SPY2159
Credits: 20
Language 2
Language 2 is ideal if you want to learn a new language, or further develop your current language skills, as an integrated part of this degree. You can study French, German, Arabic, Italian, Mandarin, Japanese or Spanish (subject to minimum numbers for your preferred language). Delivered at the Edge Hill Language Centre, the module will be taught in an interactive, communicative manner, using authentic materials in the target language. Emphasis will be placed on all four areas of reading, writing, speaking and listening. You will play an active role in the weekly two-hour classes, engaging in role-plays, short conversations, videos, authentic texts and listening materials. You will also be encouraged to reflect on your own learning needs. On enrolment to the module, you will complete a language induction form and be placed into a language level group appropriate for your prior knowledge of your chosen language. Please note, while we will endeavour to accommodate varying language levels per module, this is not always possible. While you can join the module with some prior experience of your target language, you will not be able to study a language you are already fluent or proficient in.
Module code: TLC2000
Credits: 20
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.
Sociology of the Body and the Emotions introduces you to different ways of understanding ‘the body’ and its significance in past and contemporary societies. Relevant classical social theorists, such as Bourdieu, Elias, Le Breton, Foucault, Mauss and Goffman, will be covered, as will more contemporary sociologists such as Turner, Shilling, Fraser, Butler, Burkitt and Williams. The social production of bodies, how the body is deployed socially and culturally, the socially constructed dualism between body and mind, and the relationship between power and the body, are key issues for evaluation and analysis. They will be illustrated through a range of substantive topics such as gendered, classed and racialised bodies, the body, health and illness, body modification, biotechnology, and social and digital media and the body.
Module code: SPY3141
Credits: 20
Global Capitalism and its Discontents
Global Capitalism and its Discontents explores a key aspect of contemporary life, the increasing impact globalisation has on our lives. From imperialism, colonialism and post-colonialism, to ideas of the clash of civilisations, multi-culturalism and living in diverse societies, this module provides a global awareness that is important to any graduate in the 21st Century. You'll also be provided with the analytical tools to deconstruct and sociologically evaluate how globalisation shapes, narrows or widens our life chances.
Crime and Place enables you to build your knowledge and understanding of the relationships between crime and place and examine developments in policy relating to place, criminality and safety. The module appraises the strengths and weaknesses of different theoretical, philosophical and practical approaches to crime and place. Geographies/landscapes of crime and criminalisation are examined utilising empirical and theoretical materials.
Module code: CRI3023
Credits: 20
Crimes of the Powerful 1
Crimes of the Powerful 1 traces and explores serious harms and crimes perpetrated by states and associated professional and commercial interests from the eighteenth to mid-twentieth century. Adopting a zemiological frame, the module locates such harms within a range of political forms, particularly during times of social and economic upheaval, and ethnic, national and imperial conflict. The module concludes with a detailed exploration of the origins, implementation, consequences of, and responses to, the extreme state violences of the first half of the twentieth century. The aim is to enable you to critically explore issues at the cutting edge of criminological thinking.
Module code: CRI3021
Credits: 20
Crimes of the Powerful 2
Crimes of the Powerful 2 considers the key forms and determinants of serious contemporary harms originating in the actions or omissions of corporations, states and associated powerful organisations after the Second World War. The module critically examines the origins of such harms, the ways in which they are framed within dominant and alternative discourses, and critiques the responses to them. The module takes an expansive view of harm, drawing upon examples from within and without the criminal justice system, at local, national and international levels.
Module code: CRI3022
Credits: 20
Criminology and Philosophy
Criminology and Philosophy recognises how criminology has long drawn on philosophy to inform its development. You will consider philosophical ideas and concepts as they relate to the study of crime and its control. The module considers debates concerning continental and analytic philosophy and how these are reflected in criminology through discussions concerning qualitative and quantitative approaches, and between critical/sociological criminology and administrative criminology/crime science. You will assess a range of key philosophical ideas and concepts that relate to criminology, with a particular focus on how we get on with one another and what happens when we do not.
Module code: CRI3024
Credits: 20
Expanding the Criminological Imagination
Expanding the Criminological Imagination critically reflects upon and analyses the discipline of criminology. You will examine criminology’s political, practical and theoretical strengths and limitations and explore the production and commodification of criminological knowledge. The module will consider whether criminology has become a ‘parasitic’ discipline with the criminalisation of social problems, and the ever increasing techniques of crime control, forming the justification for the discipline’s existence, rather than providing a platform for resistance. You will explore the concept of the ‘criminological imagination’ as an alternative way of envisaging the discipline and its utility. You will also examine the way in which criminology has to connect with other disciplines in order to expand the range of issues it deals with. This is a necessity in order to help criminologists make sense of issues where the ‘normal’ boundaries of criminology would stifle or limit an analysis.
Module code: CRI3113
Credits: 20
Justice, Rights and the State
Justice, Rights and the State examines the development of the discourse about rights and justice. Taking a national and international approach, the module will consider the development of rights historically and the new discourses of rights. You will evaluate statutory policies and responses to the issue of rights and justice and consider how states respond to issues of justice and rights, including where states themselves uphold or violate citizen’s rights.
Module code: CRI3112
Credits: 20
Learning Together: The Sociological Imagination
Learning Together: The Sociological Imagination involves Edge Hill University students and HMP Thorn Cross students studying and learning together. The module will be taught at HMP Thorn Cross, a young offenders’ institution near Warrington for those aged 18 to 25. The aim is to use education as a means to connect people in higher education and in the criminal justice system: to dismantle stereotypes and prejudices in both directions, and to provide a reflective, empowering and empathic learning experience. C Wright Mills’ seminal work The Sociological Imagination will be the foundation of the substantive content. You will reflect on the interplay between ‘personal troubles’ and ‘public issues’ and, additionally, challenge the process of ‘othering’ by considering your own role in the social and political world.
Module code: CRI3114
Credits: 20
The Politics of Imprisonment
The Politics of Imprisonment provides you with a critical knowledge and understanding of the nature, functions and justifications for the use of punishment, specifically incarceration, in modern society. The module will consider the philosophical theories that are used to legitimise the state’s use of imprisonment and the sociological theories that explain historical developments in the purpose of state punishment. The various divisions and functions of the prison estate will be examined within their historical, structural, political, social and geographical contexts. Related methods of state punishment, such as the death penalty, will also be considered. You will adopt an international perspective and explore penal theory and practice in a range of countries. The relationships between power, legitimacy and justice will be central themes throughout the module.
Module code: CRI3110
Credits: 20
The Politics of Policing
The Politics of Policing equips you with a critical knowledge and understanding of the concept of policing, both in its philosophical sense and as a function of the modern liberal democratic state. The module will consider the role and function of the police service, and explore related issues including police powers, political accountability, protection of civil liberties and the concept of equality before the law. Contemporary strategies and approaches to policing will be located within their structural, political, social and geographical contexts. The module is underpinned by theories of authority, power and legitimacy.
Childhood and Sexuality juxtaposes how children and young people are constructed simultaneously as desexualised or pre-sexual beings and, therefore, in need of protection and, at the same time, young people, in particular, are portrayed as sexually ‘promiscuous’ or engaged in sexual ‘risk taking behaviour’. The module introduces you to the tensions between these contradictory constructions of youth sexuality and explores the ways in which young people understand their sexuality and develop their sexual identity.
Module code: SPY3145
Credits: 20
Critical Terrorism Studies
Critical Terrorism Studies recognises that in the wake of the 9/11 attacks, and those in London, Madrid, Paris and beyond, terrorism and political violence have become ever more pressing contemporary issues. But, what is ‘terrorism’, what does the term itself actually mean? What causes political violence, how is it represented in modern multi-mediated societies and how does the issue of ‘counter terrorism’ impact on the lives of people today? How has the ‘fear’ of terrorism come to affect our society? These are the sort of questions this module is designed to address. You will be invited to employ and develop your understanding of critical sociological theories, concepts and approaches in order to investigate these matters of great contemporary social importance.
Module code: SPY3143
Credits: 20
European Field Trip
European Field Trip provides you with the opportunity to intensively study a particular society and culture through some of its contemporary issues. The module allows for the comparative cultural analysis of a different society to the one you live in, focused around some preparatory lectures and reflective sessions and an intensive study trip to that country. The focus of the study trip will be to explore both comparisons and contrasts, and use the experience of difference to explore social and cultural issues and problems.
Module code: SPY3148
Credits: 20
Critical Autism Studies
Critical Autism Studies adopts a critical approach to understanding autism and seeks to challenge the dominant medical model of neurological deficit. Rather than viewing autism as a cognitive development disability, you will be encouraged to consider it as a naturally occurring form of cognitive diversity. The module will examine the argument that autism has been constructed as a neurobiological deficit in a context of neurotypicality or cognitive normality. Understanding autism as neurodiversity opens up spaces for more positive interpretations of autistic people’s experiences, skills and identities. The module is underpinned and, in part, informed by, research by members of the programme team which is focused on areas of sexuality and autism and, specifically, what professionals and care workers should do when providing support for people whose intellectual disability or mental condition makes their consent – being informed, competent and free from coercion – legally unreliable.
Module code: SPY3144
Credits: 20
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.
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.
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.
The £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.
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
Year 1 optional modules - 1 November 2023
Optional modules for Year 1 updated. SPY1125 Sociology of the Everyday changed from a compulsory to an optional module. TLC1010 Language 1 added as an optional module.
Language modules - 25 October 2023
Option to take a language module in Year 3 removed.
Assessment methods - 11 October 2023
CRI3024 Criminology and Philosophy, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 100% Coursework to 100% Exam.
Change of assessment methods - 28 June 2023
CRI1125 (Introduction to the Criminal Justice Process, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Exam, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
CRI2024 (Crime, Media and Criminology, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Practical, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
CRI2027 (Crime, Law and Society, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Exam, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
CRI2225 (Critical Criminological Theory, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Exam, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
CRI3021 (Crimes of the Powerful 1, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Exam, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
CRI3022 (Crimes of the Powerful 2, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Exam, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
CRI3109 (The Politics of Policing, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Exam, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
CRI3112 (Justice, Rights and the State, 20 credits) assessment type changed from 50% Practical, 50% Coursework to 100% Coursework.
Change of modules - 3 March 2023
Year 1 added
Compulsory modules:
SPY1125 Sociology of the Everyday (20 CREDITS), SPY1123 Power in Society (20 CREDITS), SPY1124 Critical Issues in Sociology (20 CREDITS) Year 2 added
Compulsory modules:
SPY2152 States, Conflict and Political Violence (20 CREDITS), SPY2151 Broken Britain (20 CREDITS)
Optional modules:
SPY2155 Self-Directed Study (20 CREDITS), SPY2154 Work-based learning and Employability 1 (20 CREDITS), SPY2156 Youth Studies: Key Concepts and Issues (20 CREDITS),
SPY2157 Representations of Childhood and Popular Culture (20 CREDITS), SPY2158 Children’s Cultural Worlds (20 CREDITS), SPY2159 Children, Food and Sustainability (20 CREDITS) Year 3 added
Compulsory modules:
SPY3141 Sociology of the Body and the Emotions (20 CREDITS), SPY3142 Global Capitalism and its Discontents (20 CREDITS)
Optional modules:
CRI3109 The Politics of Policing (20 CREDITS), SPY3145 Childhood and Sexuality (20 CREDITS), SPY3143 Critical Terrorism Studies (20 CREDITS), SPY3148 European Field Trip (20 CREDITS)
Change of modules - 3 March 2023
Year 1 removed
Compulsory modules:
SPY1112 Introduction to Cultural Studies (20 CREDITS), SPY1110 Political Sociology (20 CREDITS), SPY1111 Thinking Sociologically: Sociological Theory and Applications (20 CREDITS) Year 2 removed
Compulsory modules:
SPY2135 Broken Britain (20 CREDITS), SPY2136 States, Conflict and Political Violence (20 CREDITS)
Optional modules:
SPY2138 Cultural Analysis in a Global World (20 CREDITS), SPY2139 Self-Directed Learning (20 CREDITS), SPY2127 Work-based Learning and Employability 1 (20 CREDITS) Year 3 removed
Compulsory modules:
SPY3130 Sociology of the Body and the Emotions (20 CREDITS)
Optional modules:
SPY3109 Arts in Society (20 CREDITS), SPY3118 Childhood and Sexuality (20 CREDITS), SPY3110 Critical Terrorism Studies (20 CREDITS), SPY3101 Self-Directed Study (20 CREDITS), SPY3111 Social, Cultural and Political Ideas (20 CREDITS), SPY3125 Socio-Cultural Issues and Questions (20 CREDITS)
Change of Department (Sociology modules) - 25 July 2022
With effect from 1 August 2022, the Department of Social Sciences will become the Department of History, Geography and Social Sciences. The new department will be based in the Geosciences building.
The £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.
