Sociology and Criminology

Sociology and criminology together address the social dimensions of behaviour, order, deviance and justice. Sociology provides the theoretical frameworks for understanding how societies are structured, how institutions and cultural forces shape individual lives, and how inequalities of class, race, gender and other characteristics are produced and reproduced. Criminology applies these frameworks specifically to the study of crime: why it occurs, how it is defined and measured, who is most likely to be victimised and criminalised, and how societies respond through policing, courts, prisons and rehabilitation.

At the University of the Highlands and Islands this programme runs over four years full time, within the institution's distinctive distributed campus structure serving communities across the Scottish Highlands and Islands. You will engage with the major theoretical traditions in both sociology and criminology, from classical functionalism and conflict theory to contemporary perspectives on gender, race, digital society and global crime. You will also study research methods across both disciplines, developing the ability to design and evaluate sociological and criminological research and to apply its findings critically.

You will develop skills in theoretical analysis, social research methods, critical thinking, evidence evaluation and academic writing. The capacity to understand social problems in their structural context, and to think rigorously about the relationship between crime, justice and society, is both an intellectual achievement and a practical preparation for careers in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Graduates from sociology and criminology programmes move into careers in the criminal justice system, probation and rehabilitation services, social work, community development, youth justice, policy research, the voluntary sector and public administration. Postgraduate study in criminology, sociology, social work or social policy is a common route for those seeking specialist professional or research careers.