Criminology and Sociology BSc (Hons) at Northumbria gives you the theoretical knowledge, research skills, and critical insight to explore the complex relationship between crime, justice, and the structures that shape society.
Across both disciplines, you'll examine why people commit crime, how the criminal justice system responds, and how social forces influence behaviour and inequality. With a strong emphasis on research-rich, research-led learning, the course encourages you to engage with contemporary debates, build quantitative and qualitative research skills, and apply your thinking to real-world social and criminological problems.
A degree that challenges assumptions and sharpens your analytical thinking, it opens the door to careers across the public sector, criminal justice, policy, and research.
This extended degree offers an alternative route into higher education if you don't meet the standard entry requirements. Your foundation year explores history, literature, politics and the digital humanities through lectures, workshops and seminars, and you can work in a team and hear from guest speakers offering a real-world perspective.
Year 1 - This year, the focus is on core criminological and sociological theory, an introduction to the criminal justice system, and quantitative research methods. By the end, you'll be equipped to apply both disciplines to criminal justice and social problems.
Year 2 - Deepen your understanding of contemporary criminality, qualitative research, and social theory, with optional modules letting you explore specialist areas across both disciplines. By the end, you'll be ready to design and carry out your own research.
Year 3 (Optional Placement Year/Study Abroad) - Your optional placement or study abroad year gives you the chance to apply your knowledge in a professional or international setting, strengthening your understanding of how criminology and sociology operate in practice.
Year 3/4 - In your final year, advanced specialist modules give you freedom to explore issues from green criminology to contemporary policing, before completing a dissertation through either an academic research route or a hands-on work experience placement.
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This extended degree offers an alternative route into higher education if you don't meet the standard entry requirements. Your foundation year explores history, literature, politics and the digital humanities through lectures, workshops and seminars, and you can work in a team and hear from guest speakers offering a real-world perspective.
Year 1 - This year, the focus is on core criminological and sociological theory, an introduction to the criminal justice system, and quantitative research methods. By the end, you'll be equipped to apply both disciplines to criminal justice and social problems.
Year 2 - Deepen your understanding of contemporary criminality, qualitative research, and social theory, with optional modules letting you explore specialist areas across both disciplines. By the end, you'll be ready to design and carry out your own research.
Year 3 (Optional Placement Year/Study Abroad) - Your optional placement or study abroad year gives you the chance to apply your knowledge in a professional or international setting, strengthening your understanding of how criminology and sociology operate in practice.
Year 3/4 - In your final year, advanced specialist modules give you freedom to explore issues from green criminology to contemporary policing, before completing a dissertation through either an academic research route or a hands-on work experience placement.
Module information is indicative and is reviewed annually therefore may be subject to change. Applicants will be informed if there are any changes.
In this module you will be introduced definitions of crime, a selection of crime types and to a wide range of explanationatory theories that been developed to explain why people commit crime and how we night effectively prevent and respond to criminality. Weekly lectures and seminars will provide you with the knowledge and skills needed to introduce you to theories and to understand their strengths, limitations and impacts in relation to how we understand crime and the criminal justice system. We will explore a variety of theories associated with rational actor, pre-destined actor and victimised actor explanations for crime. We will also explore explanations for green crime, integrated explanations that combine ideas from different perspectives, and explore explanations that have attempted to explain why different groups in society commit crime. We will explore the differences, commonalities and dynamic nature of these various explanations for crime , explore evidence to understand the explanatory power of the different explanatory theories and explore the policy and practice implications of the different theoretical explanations we cover... The module will also introduce to students to crime victimisation and operation of the criminal justice system.
This module will improve your quantitative literacy skills and aid you in conducting social research. It will begin by exploring the key philosophies and approaches associated with quantitative methods. It will then introduce the key steps in the process of conducting research, from developing a project idea, to writing research tools, collecting data, considering ethical issues, creating datasets, processing data via statistical software packages, interpreting and writing up results. The module will focus on practical skills but will also explore the theory behind basic statistical procedures.
The Criminal Justice System (CJS) comprises those institutions and agencies that are collectively responsible for managing a state’s response to crime and disorder. This module introduces the key agencies of the CJS in England and Wales. The aim is to understand the historical development of the CJS, what the agencies of the CJS do, and the constraints that they operate under. The focus will be on the history, role and function of the police service, prosecutors, courts, prisons, parole, youth justice, the probation service, and other relevant agencies. For example, students will learn about the early models of policing in Britain and its former colonies and the historical developments that led to the birth of the modern police force, before focusing on the role and function of the police and how the police role is perceived in the media and in popular imagination. Similarly, students will explore the role and emergence of the prison estate in England and Wales, considering how prisons have been designed and managed over time, the impact on prisoners and offenders of policy changes over the last 50 years, and how news about the state of prisons is communicated to the ‘outside’ world.
You will develop your understanding of academic conventions in UK higher education aligned to your level of study, including expectations around critical analysis, structure, argumentation, evidencing, and referencing. The module focuses on developing communication strategies that will help you express your ideas clearly and coherently in written assignments and spoken activities. You will also reflect on your current academic and language skills and develop strategies for development ahead of your assessments.
This module introduces some of the key figures in nineteenth century social theory and the founding figures in sociological theory. On this module, you will explore the meaning and application of a range of social theory, and the distinctiveness of thinking sociologically. You will examine key thinkers from sociology, and identify their contribution to understanding, and being able to address, some of the main problems and issues that frame sociology, such as those around social change, social identities, social divisions and power relationships.
Our aim is to have a practical approach to theory exploring how we can best use some of the ideas developed by early theorists to understand our own lives and the world in which we live. By the end of the module, you will be able to demonstrate the importance of theory in the understanding and explanation of the nature of the social world, understand the origins and development of key sociological theory, and introduce some of the main classical perspectives.
You will learn about how a range of twentieth century theorists have influenced the way we understand the world around us. You will learn about contemporary critiques of classical sociological theory and become confident in applying these ideas to issues such as social division, changing identity, migration, climate change and the shifting roles of the media, family, education, the body and emotions.
On this module you will learn to assess and evaluate competing approaches to theorising and analysing the relationship between the state, social problems, policy and citizens. You will evaluate a range of ideologies reflected in the formulation and implementation of social policies. You will also develop your knowledge of the role of the state in identifying, articulating and providing solutions to social problems. An important skill which you will also develop is the critical and reflective way in which you will evaluate the effectiveness of policy.
In the first instance you will learn to examine and assess a number of historical case studies concerning the theory and practice of social policy, for example The Poor Law Amendment Act of 1834, the Beveridge Report and The Suffragettes.
In the second part of the module you will explore post war austerity, the emergence of the welfare state and the contemporary welfare experience in the UK which has been referred to as a new age of austerity.
Standard Offer 72 UCAS Tariff Points
From a combination of acceptable Level 3 qualifications which may include: A-level, T Level, BTEC Diplomas/Extended Diplomas, Scottish and Irish Highers, Access to HE Diplomas, or the International Baccalaureate.
Find out how many points your qualifications are worth by using the UCAS Tariff calculator: www.ucas.com/ucas/tariff-calculator
Contextual Admissions 56 UCAS Tariff points
Northumbria University is committed to supporting all individuals to achieve their ambitions and we understand that every applicant’s circumstances can be different, which is why we take a flexible approach and assess your individual circumstances and potential when reviewing your application.
To find out more, review our Northumbria Entry Requirement Essential Information page for further details www.northumbria.ac.uk/entryrequirementsinfo
GCSE Requirements:
Applicants will need Maths, Statistics, or Physics and English Language at minimum grade 4/C, or equivalents.
International Qualifications:
We welcome applicants with a range of qualifications which may not match those shown above.
If you have qualifications from outside the UK, find out what you need by visiting www.northumbria.ac.uk/yourcountry
English Language Requirements:
International applicants should have a minimum overall IELTS (Academic) score of 6.0 with 5.5 in each component (or an approved equivalent*).
*The university accepts a large number of UK and International Qualifications in place of IELTS. You can find details of acceptable tests and the required grades in our English Language section: www.northumbria.ac.uk/englishqualifications
The UK tuition fee for 27/28 is £10,050 and is set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase this fee in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect.
The remaining fees for 27/28 are to be confirmed and relate to the International Soccer Academy and accommodation fees. Accommodation fees may increase in subsequent years. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of the re-issuing of tenancy agreements.
The University may increase tuition fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift, as decided by the UK Government, up to the maximum amount for fees permitted by UK law or regulation for that academic year. To give students an indication of the likely scale of any future increase, the UK government has suggested that increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments). If the University intends to exercise this right to increase tuition fees, notification will be communicated with all students affected by the end of June in the academic year before the one in which we intend to exercise that right. Student fee loans have risen in line with the level of uplift decided by the UK Government.
Extended Degrees: Students will pay the applicable Foundation Year fee in Year 0. Tuition fees will follow the Year 1 (Level 4) cap in the first year of Undergraduate study, with tuition fees in subsequent years increasing as per the above information.
* Fees subject to annual increases over the course of the period of study. Students will be liable for payment of any/all tuition fees which are not sponsored by their employer or other third party.
This is the tuition fee for your first year of study. You should expect to pay tuition fees for every year of study. The University may increase fees in the second and subsequent years of your course at our discretion in line with any inflationary or other uplift. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect.
Tuition fees in the academic year 2027/28* will be £10,050. Fees are set in line with the UK Government's tuition fee cap. The University may increase fees in subsequent years in line with any changes to the tuition fee cap. Increases will be linked to inflation. For example, increases may be linked to RPIX (Retail Price Index excluding mortgage interest payments) Students will be notified of any increase ahead of it taking effect. Student fee loans rise in line with the tuition fees cap.
This is the programme fee for your first year of study. The programme fee includes the international tuition fee, International Soccer Academy and accommodation fees. Accommodation fees may increase in subsequent years. Students will be notified of any increase ahead of the re-issuing of tenancy agreements.
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90% of Sociology students surveyed in the 2026 National Student Survey positively rated the learning resources on their course.
Social Policy at Northumbria is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power, meaning the academics who teach you are producing internationally recognised research that shapes their fields. (REF, 2021)
Sociology at Northumbria is ranked 3rd in the UK for Graduate Prospects, with over 86% of graduates in highly skilled employment or further study within 15 months. (Times Good University Guide, 2026)
Optional work placement modules and a work experience dissertation give you hands-on experience in settings such as police forces, prisons, or voluntary organisations, building your professional profile ahead of graduation.
Northumbria's Graduate Futures Service provides dedicated careers guidance and placement support throughout your studies, giving you structured career support from your first year onwards.
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90% of Sociology students surveyed in the 2026 National Student Survey positively rated the learning resources on their course.
Social Policy at Northumbria is ranked 3rd in the UK for research power, meaning the academics who teach you are producing internationally recognised research that shapes their fields. (REF, 2021)
Sociology at Northumbria is ranked 3rd in the UK for Graduate Prospects, with over 86% of graduates in highly skilled employment or further study within 15 months. (Times Good University Guide, 2026)
Optional work placement modules and a work experience dissertation give you hands-on experience in settings such as police forces, prisons, or voluntary organisations, building your professional profile ahead of graduation.
Northumbria's Graduate Futures Service provides dedicated careers guidance and placement support throughout your studies, giving you structured career support from your first year onwards.
Our Applicant Services team will be happy to help. They can be contacted on 0191 406 0901.
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