Criminology and Sociology, BSc (Hons)

This three-year Criminology and Sociology degree, developed by leading researchers, immerses students in contemporary issues of crime and society while building skills for original research. Key topics include criminal justice, penology, policing, violence, and social change, fostering analytical expertise for policy debates. Students gain critical thinking on global and local crime dynamics, enhance employability through optional work placements, and develop data literacy via quantitative methods, supported by City’s Q-Step Centre. An optional quantitative pathway offers focused data skills and international placements, leveraging London’s access to internships in justice and human rights.The curriculum structures the first year around core sociology and criminology foundations, such as Introduction to Criminology and Social Research. In the second and third years, students deepen knowledge with modules on key issues like Penology and Violence, alongside electives in areas such as Gender and Society or Global Migration. Assessment primarily involves coursework, exams, and a final-year project, allowing tailoring to career goals.

Year 1 The first year is highly structured to provide you with a firm foundation in the core aspects of Sociology. You study eight 15-credit core modules. You can also take a language module as a non-credit bearing module. Core Modules: Introduction to Criminology Learning from Social Data Data and the Social World Criminal Justice Thinking Sociologically Sociology in Action Social (Justice) Research: Qualitative Approaches Academic and Professional Practice Year 2 Deepen your understanding of both subjects with core topics from criminology and sociology. In Year 2, you take six core modules; you can choose one methods module and one sociology module. In Year 2 you will also have the option to join the Quantitative Methods pathway (leading to a BSc Criminology and Sociology with Quantitative Methods). This pathway includes eight core modules – these are indicated by an asterisk below. Core Modules: Key Issues in Criminology Penology Violence Social Action Project Understanding Social Change Contemporary Social Theory Core Elective Modules: Sociology of Race and Racism Gender and Society Quantitative Analysis of Social Research Data or Qualitative Analysis of Social Research Data Year 3 Year 3 enables you to tailor your final year to your interests and career aspirations. You explore a sociological topic in depth through your Sociology project dissertation; you take at least 30 credits worth of criminology modules; and choose up to 45 credits of elective modules. Core module: Sociology Project Core Elective Modules: Crime, Culture and the City Policing Criminal Behaviour Elective Modules: Urban Violence and Public Health Policy Interrogating Digital Data Global Migration Processes Broken Britain? Culture, Employment and Society Work and Workers Celebrity & Society Criminal Justice in Crisis Emotions, Identity and Relationships Sport, the Body and Deviance Applied Multivariate Analysis Education, Skills and the Job Market Poverty: What counts? Culture, Racisms and Resistance Digital Cultures and Everyday Life The Theory and Practice of Conflict and Peace Micro-Placements Industry Projects Mentoring and Coaching for Leadership Modules are subject to change.