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BA (Hons) Criminal Justice and Social Policy

The BA (Hons) Criminal Justice and Social Policy is a comprehensive degree that provides students with a thorough understanding of crime as a social problem. The program explores the impact of power, politics, and social inequalities in the management of crimes and criminal behavior, enabling students to critically assess the effectiveness of both criminal justice and social policy practices in delivering justice to every member of society.

Course Overview

• The program is designed to equip students with the necessary critical thinking, communication, and research skills to become effective graduate employees in various arenas, including local and central government, the law, research, and the voluntary or charitable sectors.
• Students will develop as independent, critical thinkers equipped to tackle complex problems and produce creative solutions through collaborative and participatory approaches in their working lives.

Course Content

• The program provides a thorough grounding in social sciences and social policy, as well as the development of the criminal justice system and the welfare state.
• Core modules are designed specifically for this course, and students can choose from a wide selection of optional modules developed by the School for Business and Society.
• Between Years 2 and 3, students have the opportunity to undertake a placement, where they can explore what the work of the criminal justice system looks like in practice.

Year 1

• Core modules include:
  • The Criminal Justice System
  • Power, Policy and Social Progress
  • Contemporary Issues in Social and Public Policy
  • Criminal Justice and Inequality
  • Social Evils in the Chocolate City
  • Social Harm and Injustice
• An academic integrity module is also required, which covers essential skills and knowledge to help students study independently and produce work of a high academic standard.

Year 2

• Core modules include:
  • Policy Think Tank
  • Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice
  • Crime and the Life Course
  • Researching Policy and Society
  • Social Inequalities
  • Victimology and Victimisation

Year 3

• Core modules include:
  • Independent Study Module
• Option modules are also available, with examples including:
  • Drugs: Prevalence, Policy and Practice
  • Welfare States in Crisis
  • Housing and Homelessness: Overcoming Inequality
  • Prisons and Penal Policy
  • Wellbeing of Children and Young People
  • Global Social Problems
  • Crime and Justice in the Online Space
  • Stigma, Power and Resistance
  • Placement

Learning Outcomes

• Analyze and evaluate social and criminal justice policy to develop informed judgments through a critical understanding of the ways in which social, political, economic, and institutional interests shape social problems and societal responses.
• Identify and investigate real-world social and crime-related problems and apply problem-solving skills and critical thinking to those issues in order to contribute to imaginative, flexible, and effective policy and practice solutions.
• Retrieve, generate, interpret, and critically assess qualitative and quantitative data using innovative research methods, digital resources, and policy-relevant analytical techniques to investigate social and crime-related questions, assess evidence, and produce reasoned written accounts of social and criminal justice policy enquiry.

Fees and Funding

• The fees and funding information is for students starting in the 2025/26 academic year.
• Annual tuition fees:
  • UK (home): £9,535
  • International and EU: £26,900
• Fees for subsequent years may increase within the government fee cap for UK (home) students and in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate for international students.

Teaching and Assessment

• The program emphasizes small-group working, with lectures of 50-100 students and seminars of 12-15 people.
• Assessment is varied, with emphasis on continuous assessment, and includes essays, presentations, group workshop reports, data analysis exercises, and portfolios of work.
• A dissertation of 8,000 words is required, and students are supported by a supervisor who specializes in the subject of interest.

Careers and Skills

• A high proportion of graduates are employed within six months.
• Typical career paths include police, solicitor or barrister, probation officer, prison service, courts service, government departments and agencies, and youth offending teams.
• Transferable skills include communications, critical thinking, data analysis, time management, project management, independent study and research, and teamwork.

Entry Requirements

• Qualification:
  • A levels: BBB
  • Access to Higher Education Diploma: 21 credits at Distinction and 24 credits at Merit or higher
  • BTEC National Extended Diploma: DDM
  • European Baccalaureate: 75% overall
  • International Baccalaureate: 31 points overall
  • T levels: We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry.
  • Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers: Scottish Highers - BBBBB Advanced Highers - not required for entry
  • International foundation programme: Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative.
  • Other international qualifications: Equivalent qualifications from your country
• Alternative offers may be available for students who meet specific criteria, such as widening participation or contextual offer.
• English language requirements:
  • IELTS (Academic): 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
  • IB English: A score of 4 in English A or 5 in English B (Higher Level or Standard Level)
  • Cambridge CEFR: 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component
  • Oxford ELLT: 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component
  • Oxford Test of English Advanced: 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component
  • Duolingo: Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component
  • GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language): Grade C / Grade 4
  • LanguageCert SELT: B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
  • LanguageCert Academic: B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
  • Kaplan Test of English Language: 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component
  • Skills for English: B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
  • PTE Academic: 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component
  • TOEFL: 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component
  • Trinity ISE III: Merit in all components
  • Other English language qualifications: We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates.