Sociology

Sociology with a criminology focus combines the broad analytical framework of sociological thinking with a concentrated engagement with crime, deviance, and the social responses that seek to control and address them. Sociology examines how society is organised, how inequalities are produced and sustained, how institutions shape behaviour, and how social change happens. When that lens is turned on crime, it reveals that criminal behaviour is not simply a matter of individual pathology but is deeply shaped by social structures, economic conditions, cultural norms, and the operations of the criminal justice system itself.

At London South Bank University, this three-year full-time programme gives you a grounding in sociological theory and research methods alongside a focused study of criminology as one of the central applications of sociological thinking. You will examine the major theoretical frameworks for explaining crime and deviance, the social construction of criminal categories, the operation of the police, courts, and prison system, the experience of victims, and the social patterns of crime across different communities and demographic groups. LSBU's London location provides a rich and complex backdrop for studying these questions, with access to criminal justice organisations, legal institutions, and the diverse communities that make London one of the most studied urban environments in the world.

Graduates from this programme go on to careers in probation, youth justice, the prison service, social work, community support, victim services, policing, and policy research. The sociological and analytical skills the degree develops are also valued in journalism, education, the civil service, and the voluntary sector, particularly in organisations that work with marginalised communities. Some graduates continue to postgraduate study in criminology, sociology, social policy, or law.

This is a degree for people who want to understand crime and justice as social phenomena rather than simply as matters of individual behaviour.