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Criminology and Sociology

BSc (Hons)

Undergraduate degree - combined honours

Award
BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology
School/s
School of Sciences
Campus or location
Newton Park
Course length
Three years full time, or four years full time with professional placement year. Part time available.
UCAS codes
Institution Code: B20
Course Code: D32H or SE74
Campus Code: A,BSU

Entry requirements

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed under 'Typical offers' in the main column below. For combined courses, please check both subjects. If your qualification is not listed, please email admissions@bathspa.ac.uk with your specific details.

Investigate, scrutinise and understand the causes and consequences of crime with our Criminology degree.

  • An interdisciplinary programme of study and a broad range of staff expertise.
  • Examines crime, justice and punishment at local, national and transnational levels of society.
  • A theoretical, empirical and applied education in Criminology to develop your knowledge and skills.

We're fascinated by crime. Turn on the television or search for something online and you'll soon encounter images, reports and programmes about crime, justice and punishment. Crime saturates media and popular culture, suggesting both our enduring fascination with wrongdoing and its consequences, and crime's status as an ongoing social problem.

But, what's the story behind these representations of crime? Criminology explores the causes, motivations and patterns of criminal conduct. In addition to improving our knowledge and understanding of crime, Criminology also informs policies and practices in policing, law, criminal justice and punishment.

With our Criminology degree, you'll study crime from a variety of approaches, gain practical and relevant experience, and develop a range of transferable skills that you can take into a range of careers and employment sectors.

What you'll learn

Overview

Criminologists study crime from a variety of approaches, making this a diverse field of study. You’ll study crime from a variety of angles and perspectives. Core modules focus on the main theories, debates, issues and research problems in criminology and criminal justice, while optional modules enable you to develop your particular interests.

We’ll support and encourage you to gain practical experience in relevant fields through voluntary work and placements. You’ll develop practical and analytical skills as well as subject knowledge in crime and criminal justice.

Course structure

Year one
You’ll learn about the research traditions of criminology and be introduced to key concepts, theories and issues. You’ll investigate different types of crime such as property crime, sexual and violent crime, homicide, corporate crime, anti-social behaviour and drug use. You’ll also learn about criminal law and criminal justice agencies and institutions.

Optional modules will increase your understanding of psychological and social dimensions of crime. You’ll study models of individual personality and behaviour, and visualise and analyse key sources of social science data. You’ll also study a complementary subject.

Year two
You’ll study contemporary debates in criminology, criminal justice, and the psychology of crime, and train in research methods and crime mapping techniques.

You can choose from a number of optional modules to create a programme tailored to your personal interests. You can investigate the ecology of crime, delve more deeply into the social divisions associated with crime, study justice and punishment, or explore crime in the media and popular culture.

Year three
You’ll undertake an original piece of criminological research in an area that interests you, along with comparative study of criminal justice and penalty in a global context.

Again, you can select from a range of modules, a number of which highlight the global dimensions of crime and justice. There will be opportunities to undertake a voluntary placement in an organisation relevant to the criminal justice sector.

How will I be assessed?

We use a range of assessments to gain a comprehensive measure of your performance. Assignments may include essays, book reviews, examinations, portfolios, creative work, contributions to online resources, presentations, reports, in-class tests, reflective writing and individual and group projects.

How will I be taught?

We take pride in our innovative and engaging modules that inspire and challenge, and we encourage you to reflect critically on your subject.

We’ll guide you through your studies, support you, and help you make the most of your academic studies. Your personal timetable will comprise all the modules for which you have been registered, and these incorporate different modes of teaching.

You’ll participate in a wide variety of activities including lectures, seminars, workshops, one-to-one tutorials, and sessions with visiting speakers.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

Course modules

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.

Year one (Level 4) modules
  • Crime and Disorder in Everyday Life
  • Crime, Violence and Harm
  • Crime: Representation and Reality
  • Sociology of Deviance and Social Control
  • Introduction to Social Science Research
  • Questioning Society
Year two (Level 5) modules
  • Policing, Crime Control and Prevention
  • Criminal Justice: Theory, Policy and Practice
  • Social Science Research Methods
  • Crime, Law and Society
  • The Criminological Imagination
  • Exploring Violence
  • Forensic and Investigative Psychology
  • Geotechnologies for Society and Environment
  • Migration: Identity, Belonging, Citizenship and Security
  • Youth in Society: Power, Politics and Participation
  • Crime Fiction
  • The Life Course: Ageing and Generation
  • Social Problems, Social Divisions, Social Justice
  • Law for Business Enterprise
  • Work Placement
  • The Psychology of Criminal Investigations
  • Professional Placement Year
Year three (Level 6) modules
  • Dissertation in Criminology
  • Media, Sociality and Everyday Life
  • Victims and Victimisation
  • Terrorism Studies
  • Punishment and Penology in Global Context
  • Young People, Identities and Subcultures
  • Gender in Society: Critical Perspectives
  • Community Engagement
  • Narratives of Crime
  • Unlocking Criminology
  • Exploring Law in Business
  • Culture, Risk and Environmental Justice
  • Ethnicity and Society
  • Cyber Security

Opportunities

Study abroad

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

Work placements, industry links and internships

We’ll strongly encourage you to take advantage of placement opportunities in your second and third year, so you can apply your learning in the real world contexts of criminal justice. Practitioners contribute to teaching in some modules and you can find out more from them about working in fields related to criminal justice. Fieldwork opportunities, such as trips to local courts, will also provide opportunities to observe the legal system in action and learn more about potential careers. We also have links with local criminal justice organisations including local police services and prisons.

Projects

Project work enables you to focus on your particular interests and is built into all three years of the programme. Through individual and group projects you’ll develop employment-related skills in research, analysis, time management, leadership, problem-solving and planning.

Your first year involves a project with creative, critical and reflective elements. Moving into your second year, you’ll undertake in-depth study of the spatial dimensions of crime and learn digital crime-mapping using ARC-GIS software. A module in research methods will give you experience of research design and data collection and analysis to support project work. In the dissertation core module in your third year, you can apply the knowledge and skills you’ve developed to an independent research project on any criminological or criminal justice topic that interests you.

Careers

A qualification in Criminology will prepare you for a career in a variety of relevant fields in criminal justice and associated social and welfare professions including:

  • Policing
  • Crime prevention and security
  • Crime reduction initiatives
  • Law
  • Offender management and interventions
  • Prisons
  • Probation
  • Youth justice
  • Social work
  • Community development

As a social sciences degree, the course will give you with a range of transferable skills which you can take into a career in a number of others sectors such as health and social care, marketing, HR, teaching or the media.

Global Citizenship

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

Professional placement year

Overview

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Preparation

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

How will I be assessed?

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

Facilities and resources

Where the subject is taught

Criminology is taught at our Newton Park campus

Resources

All modules can be found on our Virtual Learning Environment, Ultra, providing unlimited online access to learning materials such as handbooks, lecture slides, assessment information, discussion boards and other resources.

Our library gives you access to books, academic journals and DVDs and an extensive range of electronic services. It also provides a place for individual study and collaborative work.

Fees

2024 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK full time £9,250
UK part time £4,625
International full time £16,675

Professional Placement Year

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. This applies to UK and EU/International students.

  • UK: £1,850
  • International: £3,335

Interested in applying?

What we look for in potential students

We’re looking for individuals who are interested in all aspects of crime, justice and punishment. You’ll be looking to study these issues in a multidisciplinary way, that challenges conventional or ‘common sense’ notions of criminality.

Typical offers

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:

  • A Level – grades BBB-BCC preferred.
  • BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.
  • T Levels – grade Merit preferred.
  • International Baccalaureate – a minimum of 32 points are required.
  • Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.

How do I apply?

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.

Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.

Three year course
With placement year

Fascinated by social issues? Want to help make the world a better place? Our Sociology degree could be for you.

  • In our fast-changing world, Sociology is exciting, relevant and provides essential skills.
  • Learn to tackle problems creatively and make better decisions, applying your knowledge to specific issues.
  • Choose to specialise in specific areas of the subject, such as education and crime.

Do you want to know more about the world we live in? Do you care, and want to make a difference? If so, you’re well-suited to a Sociology degree at Bath Spa.

Sociology is the study of societies, cultures, and groups. We live in complex societies, with laws and informal rules that govern how we interact. Sociology helps you understand more about yourself, others and how society is organised.

“Sociology helps me piece things together and see the world how it really is. The campus at Bath Spa is beautiful! It’s a really peaceful place to think and the lecturers are passionate about what they teach.”

Kirsty Taylor, Sociology student

What you'll learn

Overview

You’re taught about society, social groups and social organisation. You’ll learn about social problems and social policies.

Learn how to make sense of social change and conflict, and gain a good understanding of social differences, inequalities and social divisions.

Apply your knowledge and skills to specific problems and issues to help you become a good decision-maker.

Course structure

Year one
You’ll be introduced to sociology, and the techniques and philosophies of the social sciences. You'll focus on identities – beginning with thinking about your own identity, and building your knowledge and understanding so that you're more familiar with social divisions, structures, and the influence of culture. You’ll also learn how to visualise the most important components of society.

Year two
The second year builds on the first and teaches you about the history of and key ideas within sociology. You can also specialise in more specific areas of the subject, such as education and crime. You’ll undertake practical training in research skills. This will enable you to complete your final year project, and prepare you for the kind of employment that you’ll typically undertake as a sociology graduate.

Year three
You’ll concentrate on an aspect of sociology that most interests you in your final dissertation, undertaken with the support of a member of staff as a supervisor. You can also focus on more detailed subjects, such as globalisation, environment, ethnicity and gender.

How will I be assessed?

Assessments vary and may include essays, reports, book and article reviews, seen and unseen examinations, portfolios, projects, learning journals, individual and group work, videos and screencasts, and research projects.

How will I be taught?

You’ll be taught in lectures, seminars, individual and group tutorials, and through our extensive online learning support environment.

To find out more about how we teach and how you'll learn, please read our Learning and Teaching Delivery Statement.

Course modules

This course offers or includes the following modules. The modules you take will depend on your pathway or course combination (if applicable) as well as any optional or open modules chosen. Please check the programme document for more information.

Year one (Level 4) modules
  • Questioning Society
  • Introduction to Social Science Research
  • Power/Resistance
  • Crime: Representation and Reality
  • Sociology of Deviance and Social Control
  • Cities and Environment
Year two (Level 5) modules
  • Sociological Debates
  • Social Science Research Methods
  • Migration: Identity, Belonging, Citizenship and Security
  • The Life Course: Ageing and Generation
  • Crime, Law and Society
  • Sociology of Education
  • Climate and Society
  • Health: Mind, Body, Society
  • Social Problems, Social Divisions, Social Justice
  • Work Placement
  • Exploring Violence
  • Professional Placement Year
Year three (Level 6) modules
  • Dissertation in Sociology
  • Punishment and Penology in Global Context
  • Gender in Society: Critical Perspectives
  • Culture, Risk and Environmental Justice
  • Community Engagement
  • Sociological Fieldwork: Society, Culture and Enviroment
  • Ethnicity and Society
  • Media, Sociality and Everyday Life
  • Critical Approaches to World Politics

Opportunities

Study abroad

As part of your degree, you could study abroad on a placement at one of Bath Spa’s partner universities.

Fieldwork

We run optional visits to places such as criminal justice institutions and religious places of worship. You can take a dedicated fieldwork module.

Work placements, industry links and internships

We provide support in obtaining placements and making links with professionals, and we invite our Sociology graduates back to meet with you. Optional modules have links with professionals and visiting speakers built into the teaching and learning. This means you’ll learn about the real-world application of what you're learning and be able to make more informed decisions about your future career.

Careers

A Sociology degree is useful for any career that involves working with people, either in the private, public or third sectors, typically:

  • Management or administration in the public or private sector
  • Human resource management
  • Marketing and public relations
  • Media or journalism
  • Social work
  • Youth and community work
  • Health education or nursing
  • Law
  • Policing
  • Offender management and interventions
  • Work in the voluntary sector and fundraising
  • Social research and analytics.

Employers such as the National Osteoporosis Society, the Ministry of Defence, Wiltshire Council and Truro College have recruited graduates from this course. Students have also gone into roles including Assistant Education Officer, Student Services Assistant and Relocation Advisor.

Global Citizenship

If you’re a full-time undergraduate student starting your first year at Bath Spa University, you can apply for the Certificate in Global Citizenship, which you’ll study alongside your degree.

You’ll gain global awareness and add an international dimension to your student experience, and funding is available. On successful completion of the programme, you’ll be awarded a Certificate in Global Citizenship. This is in addition to your degree; it doesn’t change your degree title or results.

Professional placement year

Overview

This optional placement year provides you with the opportunity to identify, apply for and secure professional experience, normally comprising one to three placements over a minimum of nine months. Successful completion of this module will demonstrate your ability to secure and sustain graduate-level employment.

By completing the module, you'll be entitled to the addition of 'with Professional Placement Year' to your degree title.

Preparation

Before your Professional Placement Year, you'll work to secure your placement, constructing a development plan with your module leader and your placement coordinator from our Careers and Employability team.

How will I be assessed?

On your return to University for your final year, you'll submit your Placement Portfolio, detailing your development on your placement.

Facilities and resources

Resources

All modules can be found on our Virtual Learning Environment, Ultra, providing unlimited online access to learning materials such as handbooks, lecture slides, assessment information, discussion boards and other resources.

Our library gives you access to books, academic journals and DVDs and an extensive range of electronic services. It also provides a place for individual study and collaborative work.

Fees

2024 entry
Student Annual tuition fee
UK full time £9,250
UK part time £4,625
International full time £16,675

Professional Placement Year

During the placement year, the fee is reduced to 20% of the full time fee. This applies to UK and EU/International students.

  • UK: £1,850
  • International: £3,335

Interested in applying?

What we look for in potential students

We're looking for applicants who are concerned about social issues and social problems – maybe you’ve been part of a project group and taken a lead or tried to make a difference. You'll have a sense of social justice and fairness, and you'll be able to see things from different points of view.

Typical offers

We accept a wide range of qualifications for entry to our undergraduate programmes. The main ones are listed below:

  • A Level - grades BBB-BCC preferred.
  • BTEC – Extended Diploma grades from Distinction Distinction Merit (DDM) to Distinction Merit Merit (DMM) accepted in any subject.
  • T Levels – grade Merit preferred.
  • International Baccalaureate - a minimum of 32 points are required.
  • Access to HE courses – typical offers for applicants with Access to HE will be the Access to HE Diploma or Access to HE Certificate (60 credits, 45 of which must be Level 3, at Merit or higher).

If you don’t meet the entry requirements above, we may be able to accept your prior learning or experience from outside of formal education. See our Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) page to learn more.

English Language Requirements for International and EU Applicants

IELTS 6.0 - for visa nationals, with a minimum score of IELTS 5.5 in each element.

Course enquiries

For further information about the programme or entry requirements, please email us at admissions@bathspa.ac.uk.

How do I apply?

Ready to apply? Click the 'apply now' button in the centre of this page.

Need more guidance? Head to our how to apply pages.

Get ahead

We recommend the following publications:

Course leader: Dr Scott Kerpen
Email: s.kerpen@bathspa.ac.uk

Three year course
With placement year

Website feedback to web@bathspa.ac.uk