Criminology

Criminology is the systematic academic study of crime: what it is, why it happens, who is affected by it, how societies respond to it, and whether those responses are effective or just. It is a discipline that draws on sociology, psychology, law, politics, and philosophy to examine crime and criminal justice from multiple angles, refusing to treat either crime or the institutions that respond to it as self-evident or natural phenomena. Criminology consistently asks uncomfortable questions about power, inequality, and the gap between the rhetoric of justice and its reality.

At Sheffield you will study this three-year full-time programme at a research-intensive university with a strong tradition in criminological work. You will examine the most recent developments in areas such as crime trends, restorative justice, policing, and punishment, engaging with both the empirical evidence and the theoretical frameworks that criminologists use to make sense of it. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you professional and international experience alongside your academic study.

Those structural features mean you are not just learning about criminal justice; you are also developing the transferable skills that employers across a range of sectors value, including critical thinking, data analysis, and the ability to evaluate evidence rigorously.

Criminology graduates enter careers in the criminal justice system, including the police, probation, prison service, and youth justice, as well as in social work, community development, policy research, journalism, and the voluntary sector. The analytical and research skills developed through a criminology degree are valued in public administration, human resources, and many other roles where understanding social behaviour and institutional processes matters. Many graduates also continue to postgraduate study in criminology, social policy, law, or related disciplines, and the degree provides a sound foundation for academic research in the field.