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Studying our Criminology and Sociology BSc (Hons) course will introduce you to the broad knowledge and skills in criminology and sociology. Our curriculum will reflect core elements of criminology and sociology. You will be given an Introduction to Criminology and the criminal justice system that will cover theoretical approaches used to explain crime, deviance and offending behaviour and institutions. You will develop the skills to analyse and evaluate crime, and explore crime control mechanisms from diverse interpretative frameworks in our Theorising Crime, Punishment and Justice. In our Urban Crime unit, you will have the opportunity to explore contemporary developments in cities across the world in relation to crime and criminal justice responses. You will gain a critical understanding of sociological theories, its practical applications to its implication in a contemporary society in our Understanding Societies, Identities and Structures unit. Furthermore, you will explore political structures, institutions, governance and the society to develop your understanding of the state, its activities and a range of political and social issues in our Modern Political Thoughts and Governance unit. Similarly, you will explore the concept of power, how it shapes our social world and influences key social issues at the core of social relations in our Power in Political Thought unit.

This course offers a range of optional units that opens avenues into a range of career paths and specialisations that you will be able to pursue. Childhoods in a Global Context will allow you to critically reflect on the study of childhoods in the UK and internationally to identify how to improve services for vulnerable children, young people and families. Bringing together elements of criminology and sociology, you can also learn to support the diverse needs of mentally disordered offenders based on mental health legislation in our Forensic Mental Health unit. If you are interested in studying offending among young people, our Gangs and Serious Youth Violence unit will allow you to explore the nature, extent and impact of this issue and how to respond effectively using policy, strategy and intervention. You may also want to consider the complex needs of offenders and how to effectively manage the prevention of reoffending in our Rehabilitation of the Offender unit or analyse the ideologies that motivate individuals and groups to resort to terrorism in our Terrorism in a Global Context unit. More interestingly, you can develop a theoretical understanding of addictive behaviours in our Addictions and Society unit such as gambling, gaming, substance misuse, pornography, food and more; or discuss voluntary or forced contexts of migration and displacement of people across the globe in our Refugees, Displacement and the Politics of Migration unit.

You may also want to explore the interaction between society, individuals, health and illness in our Sociology of Health and Illness unit that include topics such as end-of-life care, genetics, experiences of chronic illness and stigma. If you are passionate about human rights, our Human Rights and Global Governance unit will allow you to explore the role of governance and pressing issues in the field of human rights. In addition, you may also choose to explore the complex world of Cybercrime including issues such as cyber terrorism, cyberbullying and cyber hate; or examine the multifaceted relationship between the media, crime and culture with reference to crime journalism, novels, movies and TV dramas in our Crime and the Media unit. If you are passionate about the environment, then our unit in Green Criminology: Environmental Crime and Ecological Justice will allow you to explore a wide range of challenges around crimes against the environment and emerging discussions on sustainability.

Moreover, you will be able to explore the relationship between work, welfare and our daily lives including areas of health and social care, education, housing and pensions in our Work and Welfare in the 21st Century unit. If you are passionate about childcare, then our Childhoods in a Global Context unit will allow you to critically reflect on the study of childhoods in the UK and internationally to identify how to improve services for vulnerable children, young people and families.

Finally, you will have the choice of completing a SASS Change Maker Project Dissertation or Research Dissertation where you will develop and demonstrate academic and professional skills. In the project-based dissertation, you will have the opportunity to work with a community-based organisation to deliver a project while building on your research, presentation and project management skills. If you choose to undertake a research dissertation, this gives you an opportunity to develop a research proposal, consider the ethical implications of your work and conduct an in-depth, focused research enquiry around an area of professional interest. To equip you with the research skills in the field of social sciences, you will explore debates and theories in social research, identify quantitative and qualitative data research methods, and learn to interpret and analyse this data across different levels of your study with our units in an Introduction to Research and Social Enquiry, Research Methods 1: Collecting Data and Research Methods 2: Exploring Data.

To prepare you for your career, our unit in Career Planning for Social Scientists will support your career development journey by allowing you to identify your transferrable skills and articulate them in a confident, meaningful and positive manner. You will be able to apply these skills in The Social Sciences at Work unit where you will undertake relevant work experience with an organisation to gain insight into the professional workplace and the desirable knowledge and skills you need going into graduate employment. In addition, you will also be able to undertake a Professional Practice Year (Applied Social Studies) that will allow you to gain industry experience while also developing your professional skills.