Introduction to Criminology with Sociology BA (Hons)

The Criminology with Sociology BA (Hons) program at the University of Liverpool offers students the opportunity to combine two closely related and complementary disciplines, tackling some of the most interesting and important issues of our time.

Course Overview

The program involves critical engagement with relevant theories, concepts, and ideas, as well as the development of a wide range of critical thinking, research, and communication skills. Students will be taught and supervised by world-leading experts in the subject areas and will experience a range of research-engaged teaching, learning, and assessment methods.

Course Structure

The program is divided into three years, with each year building on the previous one. In the first year, students will take mandatory modules that provide a broad introduction to the two subject areas and disciplines. In the second year, students will take more advanced and contemporary criminological and sociological theorizing modules, with a particular focus on policing, punishment, and prisons. In the third year, students will undertake a substantive piece of supervised but original research, either in the form of a dissertation or an applied Interchange Portfolio project.

Modules

• Sociological Theory (SOCI101): A comprehensive introduction to classical and contemporary sociological theory.
• Becoming a Social Researcher (SOCI106): An introduction to the field of social enquiry, covering the proper objects of social enquiry, relevant modes of thinking and questioning, and strategies for finding, accessing, and evaluating sources of information.
• Introduction to Crime and Society (SOCI107): An introduction to the subject matter of sociological criminology, providing an essential foundation for studies in criminology at Liverpool.
• Controlling Crime - An Introduction (SOCI108): A critical introduction to the criminal justice system, covering key criminal justice concepts, institutions, and processes.
• Social Change and Social Policy in Contemporary Society 2: Changing Inequalities (SOCI103): An examination of the main social changes that have taken place in British society since 1945, drawing on sociological studies to discuss the inter-relationship between 'race', ethnicity, class, and gender.
• Quantitative Social Research Methods (SOCI247): An introduction to the theory and practice of social research using quantitative methods.
• Qualitative Social Research Methods (SOCI248): An introduction to the theory and practice of social research using qualitative methods.
• Policing in a Divided Society (SOCI241): An introduction to the sociology of policing and the police, using a range of approaches to teaching, learning, and assessment.
• Punishment, Penality, and Prisons: Critical Debates (SOCI254): A critical examination of the concepts of punishment, penality, and prisons, covering key debates and issues in the field.
• Thinking Sociologically: Approaches to Social Inquiry (SOCI242): A comprehensive overview of major developments in contemporary social theory, using the themes of structure/agency, culture, gender, and knowledge as anchors.
• Dissertation (SOCI301): A substantive piece of supervised but original research, providing students with the opportunity to apply the competencies they have developed over the previous two years to a topic area or issue that is important to them.
• Interchange Portfolio: Work-Based Learning (SOCI303): An opportunity for students to engage in either an applied social research project or a distinct work project in collaboration with a local Voluntary Community Organisation (VCO).

Optional Modules

• Deviance, Youth, and Culture (SOCI252)
• Critical Perspectives on Social Policy in the UK (SOCI205)
• The Black Presence - Migration and Settlement in Britain (SOCI223)
• Critical Education Studies (SOCI257)
• Comparing Welfare States (SOCI207)
• Climate Change and Society (SOCI258)
• Understanding Violence (SOCI296)
• Gender and Crime (SOCI308)
• The Risk Society: Crime, Security, and Public Policy (SOCI320)

Teaching and Assessment

Students will be taught through a combination of face-to-face teaching in group lectures and small class sessions, tutorials, and seminars, which are supplemented by opportunities to get one-to-one guidance from academic staff during their weekly 'open office' hours. Assessment takes many forms, each appropriate to the learning outcomes of the particular module studied.

Careers and Employability

The program will help students develop a range of social scientific, analytical, and communication skills, along with a variety of transferable skills valued by many employers across various industries. Graduates have gone on to successful careers in the public and private sectors, social welfare and criminal justice agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and more.

Fees and Funding

• UK fees: È9,790 per year (full-time), È1,955 (year in industry fee), È1,465 (year abroad fee)
• International fees: È27,000 per year (full-time), È1,955 (year in industry fee), È13,500 (year abroad fee)
• Scholarships and bursaries: Available to eligible students, including the Liverpool Bursary, Asylum Seekers Scholarship, Care Leavers' Opportunity Bursary, and more.

Entry Requirements

• A levels: BBB (applicants may only offer one of the following A Levels: General Studies, Citizenship Studies, or Critical Thinking)
• T levels: Considered in a relevant subject
• GCSE: 4/C in English and 4/C in Mathematics
• BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: DDD (must be in one of the specified subjects)
• International Baccalaureate: 30 points overall with no score less than 4
• English language requirements: IELTS 6.5 overall, with no component below 6.0 (or equivalent)

University of Liverpool