Criminology and Sociology

Criminology and sociology are disciplines that illuminate the same social world from different but closely related angles. Criminology examines crime, deviance, and the institutions that respond to them, asking why certain behaviours are defined as criminal, what drives offending, and how the criminal justice system operates and could be improved. Sociology, the broader discipline, examines social life in all its dimensions: how societies are structured by class, gender, race, and other markers of difference, how institutions are formed and reproduce themselves, and how cultural norms and social change interact.

The two disciplines share theoretical frameworks, research methods, and a commitment to understanding the social world rigorously rather than taking its arrangements for granted.

At Swansea this three-year full-time programme integrates both disciplines in a way that is flexible enough to reflect your own particular interests and career goals. You will study criminological theory, the operation of criminal justice systems, the sociology of deviance and social control, victimology, and a range of other core topics, while also engaging with the broader sociological questions that give those specific topics their context. The BSc framing indicates a strong commitment to research methods and evidence-based analysis, developing your ability to engage with data and to design and evaluate social scientific research.

The flexibility of the programme means you can shape your degree to reflect the areas of criminology and sociology that most engage you, whether that is organised crime, social inequality, gender and crime, environmental criminology, or any number of other specialisations.

Graduates move into careers in the criminal justice system, social work, policy, research, journalism, and advocacy. Many continue to postgraduate study in criminology, sociology, social work, or public policy.