Criminology and Sport Studies

Criminology and sport studies brings together two disciplines that might seem distant but share a deep common interest in understanding human behaviour. Criminology asks what the consequences of crime are, how criminals are managed and controlled, and what social forces shape patterns of offending and criminal justice. Sport studies examines the psychology, sociology, and science of sport, asking how athletic performance can be enhanced, how sport functions as a social institution, and what role physical activity plays in health, identity, and culture.

Together, they develop a broad and versatile understanding of human motivation and social behaviour.

At the University of Derby, this three-year full-time programme encourages you to explore human behaviour from the criminal mind to high-performance sport, developing both the criminological and sport science knowledge that underpins each discipline. You will study criminological theory and criminal justice policy alongside sport psychology, coaching science, and the social dimensions of sport and physical activity. The programme includes a sandwich year with a work placement, giving you direct professional experience in either a criminal justice or sport-related setting before you graduate.

Entry typically requires around 104 UCAS tariff points.

Graduates work in sport coaching and development, youth offending services, community sport programmes, the prison and probation service, social work, sport psychology support, education, and a wide range of community-facing roles. The combination of criminological understanding with sport knowledge is particularly relevant to community justice and rehabilitation programmes that use sport as a vehicle for positive change.