Sociology with Criminology BSc Honours

Why choose Sociology with Criminology BSc at Middlesex?

Crime and criminal justice are central issues in today’s society, and our degree – one of the first in the world – opens up a wide range of career opportunities. You'll be taught the essential skills while you develop your ability to design and conduct social research through a range of traditional, innovative, and digital methods.

This course is designed to give you a grounding in sociological and criminological thinking, research methods and key skills to articulate new and emerging social and criminological issues.

You'll focus on how society can respond to complex global problems, including social inequalities and crime. You'll also investigate how we do and should respond to criminal behaviour in all its forms, and explore and evaluate processes of social change. The course has a strong focus on race and "decentering" the discipline of sociology, making it ever more relevant in today's world and making intersectionality a central feature of your study and practice.

You can extend your course by a year and take a work placement or integrate it through volunteering and placement modules providing crucial real-world experience valued by future employers.

What you will gain

You'll be able to demonstrate extensive knowledge of both sociology and criminology and continue to use this knowledge for creative, critical, and ethical thinking in future careers.

You'll develop excellent awareness of how policy is created, interpreted and implemented, and how this informs society. By graduation, you should have a robust understanding of how to gather, analyse, and present arguments based on data using various technologies.

A degree in Sociology with Criminology also allows you to develop professional skills to equip you for success in your career, such as literacy, numeracy, digital awareness, and communications skills.

What you will learn

You’ll be part of our thriving learning environment, with a specialist teaching approach that gives you plenty of support throughout your studies.

Our course is taught within the interdisciplinary department in the School of Law and Social Sciences, where you’ll benefit from some of the UK’s most influential and innovative academics. All of our scholars are actively engaged in current research, including on human rights abuses, digital and contemporary media, race and class, disability, gender, criminal behaviour and radicalisation.

In your first year, you’ll be introduced to the key theories and themes you'll explore and expand upon throughout the degree.

You’ll have the option to select some optional modules in your second and third years, meaning you can tailor the course to your unique set of interests and career prospects.

In your final year, you will carry out an independent dissertation, and you can build expertise through optional modules, making your degree as suited to your individual needs and career goals as possible.

You can also choose to extend your course by a year and take a work placement or integrate it through volunteering and placement modules.

Careers

How can the Sociology with Criminology BSc support your career?

The combination of Criminology and Sociology offers a broader employability scope as well as a wider set of possibilities in terms of postgraduate studies. The course has a strong focus on engaging with people and organisations who are making a difference. The course will support you in building the skills necessary to be part of making a difference – from research and data analysis, to how to build communities that can be empowering, creative and diverse. These skills make it possible to ensure successful transitions from university to employment.

Graduate job roles

There are many organisations, businesses and sectors that you could go into after graduation. Previous graduate destinations have included:

• Social Services
• Local and national government
• Youth work
• Academia
• Career guidance
• Journalism
• Advocacy
• Police and probation services
• Public Health
• Marketing, HR, or ICT Development
• International Development.

Graduate employers

In recent years, our graduates have undertaken placements in a wide range of organisations such as:

• United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime
• Ofcom
• Centrepoint
• World Development Movement
• Herts Police
• Teacher Training
• Parkinson's UK Research Support Network

Transferable skills

Sociology graduates are equipped with soft skills, including:

• The ability to research, collect and analyse data
• Use a range of software
• Conduct comparative policy analysis
• Administer, plan, organise and time manage
• Write and edit
• Present evidence and argument
• Question and debate.

Placements

In recent years, our students have undertaken placements in a wide range of organisations, including Victim Support, British Transport Police, Centrepoint, World Development Movement, Solace Women’s Aid, Jubilee Debt Campaign, Friends of the Earth, United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, Ofcom, Herts Police, Special Constable Training, Enfield Island Youth & Community Trust, Barnet Mencap, Voluntary Action within Kent, Family Lives, College of North West London, Anne Frank Trust UK, Parkinson's UK Research Support Network, Southwark Youth Offending Service, Schools, Prison Service, and PAARS.

Employability support

Our employability service can help you to develop your employability skills and get some valuable work experience. We provide workshops, events and one-to-one support with job hunting, CVs, covering letters, interviews and networking. We also support you in securing part-time work, placements, internships, and volunteering opportunities, and offer an enterprise support service for those looking to start their own business.