Sociology and Criminology BA (UCAS L314) (2022 Entry)
Explore our Sociology and Criminology degree at Warwick
Why do people commit crime? Can crime be prevented? How should we respond to crime? Studying Sociology and Criminology will enable you to make sense of a world undergoing unprecedented social change and uncertainty.
General entry requirements
A levels
A level typical offer
ABB. You must also achieve grade B or 6 in GCSE English Language.
A level contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is BBB. See if you’re eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
IB
IB typical offer
34. You must also achieve grade B or 6 in GCSE English Language.
IB contextual offer
We welcome applications from candidates who meet the contextual eligibility criteria and whose predicted grades are close to, or slightly below, the contextual offer level. The typical contextual offer is 32. See if you’re eligible.
General GCSE requirements
Unless specified differently above, you will also need a minimum of GCSE grade 4 or C (or an equivalent qualification) in English Language and either Mathematics or a Science subject. Find out more about our entry requirements and the qualifications we accept. We advise that you also check the English Language requirements for your course which may specify a higher GCSE English requirement. Please find the information about this below.
BTEC
We welcome applications from students taking BTEC qualifications, either alone or in combination with A levels. Our typical BTEC offers are as follows:
- BTEC Level 3 Extended Certificate plus 2 A-Levels: D plus AB.
- BTEC Level 3 National Diploma plus 1 A-Level: DD plus A.
- BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma: D*DD.
International qualifications
Language requirements
All applicants have to meet our English Language requirements. If you cannot demonstrate that you meet these, you may be invited to take part in our Pre-sessional English course at Warwick.
Frequently asked questions
Warwick may make differential offers to students in a number of circumstances. These include students participating in a Widening Participation programme or who meet the contextual data criteria.
Differential offers will usually be one or two grades below Warwick’s standard offer.
All students who successfully complete the Warwick IFP and apply to Warwick through UCAS will receive a guaranteed conditional offer for a related undergraduate programme (selected courses only).
Find out more about standard offers and conditions for the IFP.
We welcome applications for deferred entry.
We do not typically interview applicants. Offers are made based on your UCAS form which includes predicted and actual grades, your personal statement and school reference.
Course overview
This degree emphasises the way in which social cleavages such as race, gender and class intersect with the study of crime and criminal justice in an international context. Combining these subjects will give you a thorough, yet broad understanding of the surrounding issues and concepts that relate to questions of justice and criminalisation today.
Drawing on established strengths within our Sociology Department, you will explore a variety of areas: culture and ethnic identities, geo-political conflict, gender, environmentalism, social movements, sexuality, social theory, state crime, terrorism and modern society, punishment and community justice, youth crime, youth justice, policing, and issues of security in a global context.
Study abroad
You have the option of studying abroad which will add one year to your degree, as you will spend your third year abroad. Immerse yourself in life in another country and grow as a global citizen. Explore other cultures, languages, and understand global connections and inequalities.
Countries Sociology students have visited:
Europe
- École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, France
- Charles University Prague, Czech Republic
- Friedrich-Schiller-Universitat Jena, Germany
- Goteborg University, Sweden
- Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain
- Universitat Autōnoma de Barcelona, Spain
- Universitat Bremen, Germany
- University of Copenhagen, Denmark
- University of Iceland Worldwide
Worldwide
- Monash University, Australia and/or Malaysia
- Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
- Western University, Canada
- University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong
- Sun Yat-sen University, China
- Tsinghua University, China
- Xiamen University, China
- Hokkaido University, Japan
- Universitas Gadjah Mada, Indonesia
*Please note countries and institutions are subject to change.
Core modules
What you will learn
- To apply key sociological categories such as class, gender, and ‘race’ to analyse various social problems and imagine creative solutions to these issues
- How societies have changed over time and how key institutions within these have functioned
- How we might explain offending behaviours and explore the effects of crime on individuals and communities
- How the criminal justice system operates and with what impacts
- To search for answers to social justice issues by examining and questioning the role of the police, courts, prisons and civil society
- To critically engage with theoretical and methodological debates in contemporary Criminology and Criminal Justice as well as in Sociology
- To develop theoretical and conceptual knowledge and enhance your understanding of empirical research
This degree covers topics such as:
- Culture and ethnic identities
- Geo-political conflict
- Gender
- Environmentalism
- Social movements
- Sexuality
- Class and capitalism
- Social theory
- State crime
- Terrorism and issues of security in global context
- Punishment and community justice
- Youth crime and youth justice
- Policing
- Prisons
- Inequalities
- Discrimination, racism, xenophobia
- Health and illness in society
Year One
History of Sociological Thought
What holds societies together? How do societies change? And how is politics in the conventional sense affected by factors such as class, status, ethnicity or religion, or the state of the economy? These are some of the questions with which you will engage with when you consider the history of sociological thought. You will gain skills of research, analysis and debate by considering the extent to which sociology may be considered a science and how the evolution of sociological thought has been shaped by events and the cultural, economic and political problems of the day.
Criminology: Theories and Concepts
This module will develop your understanding of key criminological perspectives and will encourage you to reflect on different assumptions and ideologies behind these different perspectives. It will equip you to be able to apply criminological theory to a broad range of contemporary problems of crime, social inequality disorder and social harm.
Researching Society and Culture
What is society and how do you study it? Is human behaviour governed by rules similar to the natural world that you can study objectively? Or do human beings consciously act upon their environment and change the world through creativity and intelligence, driven by their own understanding and motivations. These are some of the questions that this module will explore.
You will be introduced to the core ideas behind sociological research and the practical tools to undertake research yourself. As well as looking at some of the key qualitative methods (for example, interviews, ethnography and discourse analysis), you will also examine the political, ethical and practical issues that social research inevitably entails.
Crime and Society
This module will provide you with a comprehensive understanding of the relationship between crime, its social context and current issues in the socio-political global context of crime and punishment. You will explore the sociological approaches to crime, victimisation and punishment through categories such as class, gender, ethnicity, mobility and space. You will develop the necessary analytical, theoretical and critical skills to examine contemporary problems and debates in the fields of criminalisation and justice.
Introduction to Social Analytics in Social Inequalities Research
In the age of ever-increasing data availability which is paired with a growing sophistication of statistical techniques, the opportunities for social science research are vast. This module will give you an understanding of the basic elements of core descriptive statistics which will allow you not only to critically engage with quantitative findings in existing social science research, but also conduct quantitative analysis yourself. The module covers the topics of conceptualisation, operationalisation and measurement, as well as the principles of sampling and the basics of research design. You will be introduced to the process of social science research and quantitative methods in one hour lectures, and then explore these in extended seminars (2h) both through readings, and the statistical software SPSS. We will be working on real data sets, such as the European Social Survey.
Year Two
Designing and Conducting Social Research
This module will teach you the core concepts and practical skills to undertake qualitative social research in academic and professional settings. These include research design, ethnography, in-depth interviewing, documents and discourse. As well as practical skills, you will investigate how social research has changed in recent decades, considering:
• ethical questions when researching life online
• how (and whether you should) study Twitter
• effects of social media on social interactions
• how to engage diverse audiences
You will also gain analytical skills to critically evaluate previous research, and develop your ability to collect and analyse data using a range of qualitative methods.
Modern Social Theory
This module will introduce you to the main thinkers and movements in critical social theory. Topics include Marxism, post-structuralism, class and culture. The changing conceptualisation of power and class is a focus throughout the module. This helps you to see how the different theoretical approaches relate to each other, and to historical and political events.
Gender, Race and Sexualities in the Criminal Justice System: Policy and Practice
This module will develop the necessary analytical, theoretical, and critical skills to analyse the complex relationship between gender, race, and sexualities in criminal justice institutions. You will be presented with contemporary conceptual issues around the categories of race, gender and sexualities and will be invited to consider how these are essential to unpacking current problems in policing, courts, sentencing, prisons, and community justice settings. The module will unpack criminalisation and victimisation in relation to contemporary problems linked to misogyny, sexism, racism, and homophobia.. In this module you’ll have the chance to engage with key readings in feminist criminology, queer criminology, and in post-colonial, southern criminologies and will be invited to consider practical and policy-informed solutions to some of the most enduring problems of contemporary criminal justice systems.
Policing and Society
The institution of the police is one of the state’s most important and yet most scrutinised and challenged institutions. Questions around policing and justice are arguably some of the most urgent in contemporary criminological scholarship and need theoretical as well as practical examination. In this module we sociologically and criminologically unpack the purpose of the police and consider different approaches to policing. We also examine the impact of policing on different communities and explore current debates around racism, discrimination, and excessive force in policing practices. Taking an international as well as critical perspective we consider the evolution, efficacy, and viability of the police and of policing in the 21st Century.
Year Three
Dissertation
Optional modules
Year One
- Sociology of Race
- Sociology of Gender
- Life of Media: Past, Present and Future
- Sociology of Education
- Class and Capitalism in the Neoliberal World
- International Perspectives on Gender
Year Two
- Commercial Cultures in Global Capitalism
- Educational Inequalities
- Relationship and Family Change: Demographic and Sociological Perspectives
- Becoming Yourself: The Construction of the Self in Contemporary Western Societies
- Media, Audiences and Social Change
- Practice and Interpretation of Quantitative Research
- Multivariate Secondary Analysis of Social Data
- Political Sociology
- Gender and Violence
- Surveillance and Society: Race, Gender, Class
- Beyond the Binary: Trans-forming Gender
- War, Memory and Society
- Social Theory of Law
Year Three
- Social Movements and Political Action
- Racism and Xenophobia
- Ethnography and the Anthropological Tradition
- Transnational Media Ecologies
- Race, Resistance and Modernity
- Sociology of Knowledge, Science and Intellectuals
- Punishment, Justice and Control
- Feminist Pedagogy/Feminist Activism
- Postcolonial Theory and Politics
- Queering Sociology
- State Crime, Human Rights and Global Wrongs
- Applying Quantitative Methods to Social Research
- Experiments in the Social Sciences and Humanities Sociology of End Times
- Global South and Indigenous Feminisms
- Social Data Science
- Sociology of Green Transformations
Assessment
You will be assessed through a combination of essays, reports, podcasts, reflective writing, and unseen exams. In the final year, there is a 10,000-word dissertation.
Teaching
Most modules are taught using a combination of weekly lectures and seminars. Lectures give an introduction to a topic to help prepare you for discussions in seminars. In seminars, you can engage in debates and share your views.
You will have a personal tutor who you can speak to about any questions you may have. There are also regular feedback sessions and opportunities to speak to module directors and seminar tutors.
Class sizes
Seminars have 15 to 17 students. Lecture sizes vary.
Typical contact hours
There are 10–11 hours of formal contact time available per week in Year One, to help you settle into University life. After then, 8 hours of contact time is available per week.
Tuition fees
Tuition fees cover the majority of the costs of your study, including teaching and assessment. Fees are charged at the start of each academic year. If you pay your fees directly to the University, you can choose to pay in instalments.
Undergraduate fees
If you are a home student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be £9,250. In the future, these fees might change for new and continuing students.
How are fees set?
The British Government sets tuition fee rates.
Undergraduate fees
If you are an overseas or EU student enrolling in 2024, your annual tuition fees will be as follows:
- Band 1 – £24,800 per year (classroom-based courses, including Humanities and most Social Science courses)
- Band 2 – £31,620 per year (laboratory-based courses, plus Maths, Statistics, Theatre and Performance Studies, Economics, and courses provided by Warwick Business School, with exceptions)
Fees for 2025 entry have not been set. We will publish updated information here as soon as it becomes available, so please check back for updates about 2025 fee rates before you apply.
Fee status guidance
We carry out an initial fee status assessment based on the information you provide in your application. Students will be classified as Home or Overseas fee status. Your fee status determines tuition fees, and what financial support and scholarships may be available. If you receive an offer, your fee status will be clearly stated alongside the tuition fee information.
Do you need your fee classification to be reviewed?
If you believe that your fee status has been classified incorrectly, you can complete a fee status assessment questionnaire. Please follow the instructions in your offer information and provide the documents needed to reassess your status.
Find out more about how universities assess fee status.Link opens in a new window
Additional course costs
As well as tuition fees and living expenses, some courses may require you to cover the cost of field trips or costs associated with travel abroad.
For departmental specific costs, please see the Modules tab on this web page for the list of core and optional core modules with hyperlinks to our Module CatalogueLink opens in a new window (please visit the Department’s website if the Module Catalogue hyperlinks are not provided).
Associated costs can be found on the Study tab for each module listed in the Module Catalogue (please note most of the module content applies to 2024/25 year of study). Information about module specific costs should be considered in conjunction with the more general costs below:
- Core text books
- Printer credits
- Dissertation binding
- Robe hire for your degree ceremony
Further information
Find out more about tuition fees from our Student Finance team.
Scholarships and bursaries
Learn about scholarships and bursaries available to undergraduate students.
We offer a number of undergraduate scholarships and bursaries to full-time undergraduate students. These include sporting and musical bursaries, and scholarships offered by commercial organisations.
Find out more about funding opportunities for full-time students.Link opens in a new window
If you are an international student, a limited number of scholarships may be available.
Find out more information on our international scholarship pages.Link opens in a new window
You may be eligible for financial help from your own government, from the British Council or from other funding agencies. You can usually request information on scholarships from the Ministry of Education in your home country, or from the local British Council office.
Warwick Undergraduate Global Excellence Scholarship
We believe there should be no barrier to talent. That's why we are committed to offering a scholarship that makes it easier for gifted, ambitious international learners to pursue their academic interests at one of the UK's most prestigious universities.
We provide extra financial support for qualifying students from lower income families. The Warwick Undergraduate Bursary is an annual award of up to £3,000 per annum. It is intended to help with course-related costs and you do not have to pay it back.
As part of the 'City of Sanctuary' movement, we are committed to building a culture of hospitality and welcome, especially for those seeking sanctuary from war and persecution. We provide a range of scholarships to enable people seeking sanctuary or asylum to progress to access university education.
Further information
Find out more about Warwick undergraduate bursaries and scholarships.
Eligibility for student loans
Your eligibility for student finance will depend on certain criteria, such as your nationality and residency status, your course, and previous study at higher education level.
Check if you're eligible for student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
You can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your tuition fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you can receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won’t have to set up any payments.
Maintenance Loan for living costs
You can apply for a Maintenance Loan towards your living costs such as accommodation, food and bills. This loan is means-tested, so the amount you receive is partially based on your household income and whether you choose to live at home or in student accommodation.
If you’re starting a course on or after 1 August 2021, you usually must have settled or pre-settled status under the EU Settlement SchemeLink opens in a new window to get student finance.
Tuition Fee Loan
If you are an EU student and eligible for student finance you may be able to get a Tuition Fee Loan to cover your fees. It is non-means tested, which means the amount you may receive is not based on your household income. The Loan is paid directly to the University so, if you choose to take the full Tuition Fee Loan, you won't have to set up any payments.
Help with living costs
For the 2024 academic year, you may be eligible for help with your living costs if both of the following apply:
- You have lived in the UK for more than 3 years before the first day of the first academic year of your course
And
- You have Settled Status (see further details on Settled Status)Link opens in a new window
If you are coming to the UK from 1st January 2021, you may need to apply for a visaLink opens in a new window to study here.
Please note: Irish citizens do not need to apply for a visa or to the EU Settlement Scheme.
Find out more about government student loans for EU studentsLink opens in a new window
Repaying your loans
You will repay your loan or loans gradually once you are working and earning above a certain amount. For students starting their course after 1 August 2023, the repayment threshold is £25,000. Repayments will be taken directly from your salary if you are an employee. If your income falls below the earnings threshold, your repayments will stop until your income goes back up above this figure.
Find out more about repaying your student loanLink opens in a new window.
Your career
Where a Sociology and Criminology degree can take you:
- Professional roles in various national and international NGOs, civil society and charity organisations
- Civil service careers
- Researchers and research analysts for state and independent bodies
- Professions in various criminal justice institutions
- Accounting and Finance careers
- Academic careers and doctoral scholarships for further study
- Teaching Careers
- Social Work
- Careers and Employability Assistant
- Customer Representatives and HR Graduates
- Directorate Administrators
- Event Administrator
- Resident Tutors
- Management Trainees
- Marketing & Development Coordinators
- Senior Sales Consultants
Graduates have gone on to work for employers such as:
- Cambridge Judge Business School
- Centrica PLC, Choice
- Spotify
- Common Vision UK
- Credo Care
- Girlguiding
- Hawkins Estate Agents
- Holmfirth Junior and Infants
- Imperial College London
- National Counties Building Society
- Oslo University Hospital
- Qualia Analytics
- Teachfirst
- Orange Tree
Helping you find the right career
Our department has a dedicated professionally qualified Senior Careers Consultant to support you. They offer impartial advice and guidance, together with workshops and events throughout the year. Previous examples of workshops and events include:
- Working for More than Profit
- Warwick careers fairs throughout the year
- Your Sociological future: Sociology Alumni Evening
- My Sociological Future- What next? Career planning for undecided Sociology finalists
- Effective CVs and Applications
Sociology at Warwick
We have an international reputation for research excellence, a global and cosmopolitan perspective, and high-quality teaching. Our curriculum offers a comprehensive and up-to-date foundation with a diverse range of specialist options:
What does it mean to understand the world in which you live? What will your contribution be to this changing world? How do your own experiences and life chances compare to those of others?
Sociology – the study of humans in society – attempts to capture the rich variety and complexity of human social life. Indeed, it is difficult to think of any area of social existence that a sociologist wouldn’t be interested in examining, from the most intimate of personal relationships to the worldwide circulation of ideas, beliefs, products and people.
Find out more about us on our website
Our courses
Related degrees
Life at Warwick
Within a close-knit community of staff and students from all over the world, discover a campus alive with possibilities. A place where all the elements of your student experience come together in one place. Our supportive, energising, welcoming space creates the ideal environment for forging new connections, having fun and finding inspiration.
Find out how to apply to us, ask your questions, and find out more.
Warwick Accommodation
Finding the right accommodation is key to helping you settle in quickly.
We have 12 self-catering undergraduate halls of residence on campus.
Our student property management and lettings agency manages more than 8,000 rooms both on and off campus, and provides advice to all full-time undergraduates.
Our campus
You won't be short of ways to spend your time on campus - whether it's visiting Warwick Arts Centre, using our incredible new sports facilities, socialising in our bars, nightclub and cafés, or enjoying an open-air event. Or if you need some peace and quiet, you can explore lakes, woodland and green spaces just a few minutes’ walk from central campus.
Food and drink
We have lots of cafés, restaurants and shops on campus. You can enjoy great quality food and drink, with plenty of choice for all tastes and budgets. There is a convenience store on central campus, as well as two supermarkets and a small shopping centre in the nearby Cannon Park Retail Park. Several of them offer delivery services to help you stay stocked up.
And don't miss our regular food market day on the Piazza with tempting, fresh and delicious street food. Soak up the atmosphere and try something new, with mouth-watering food for all tastes.
Clubs and societies
We currently have more than 300 student-run societies.
So whether you’re into films, martial arts, astronomy, gaming or musical theatre, you can instantly connect with people with similar interests.
Or you could try something new, or even form your own society.
Sports and fitness
Staying active at Warwick is no sweat, thanks to our amazing new Sports and Wellness Hub, indoor and outdoor tennis centre, 60 acres of sports pitches, and more than 60 sports clubs.
Whether you want to compete, relax or just have fun, you can achieve your fitness goals.
Studying on campus
Our campus is designed to cater for all of your learning needs.
You will benefit from a variety of flexible, well-equipped study spaces and teaching facilities across the University.
- The Oculus, our outstanding learning hub, houses state-of-the-art lecture theatres and innovative social learning and network areas.
- The University Library provides access to over one million printed works and tens of thousands of electronic journals
- Three Learning Grids offering you flexible individual and group study spaces.
Travel and local area
Our campus is in Coventry, a modern city with high street shops, restaurants, nightclubs and bars sitting alongside medieval monuments. The Warwickshire towns of Leamington Spa and Kenilworth are also nearby.
The University is close to major road, rail and air links. London is just an hour by direct train from Coventry, with Birmingham a 20-minute trip. Birmingham International Airport is nearby (a 20-minute drive).
Wellbeing support and faith provision
Our continuous support network is here to help you adjust to student life and to ensure you can easily access advice on many different issues. These may include managing your finances and workload, and settling into shared accommodation. We also have specialist disability and mental health support teams.
Our Chaplaincy is home to Chaplains from the Christian, Jewish and Muslim faiths. We provide regular services for all Christian denominations and a Shabbat meal every Friday for our Jewish students. There is also an Islamic prayer hall, halal kitchen and ablution facilities.
How to apply
Learn more about our application process.
Key dates
Key dates for your application to Warwick.
Writing your personal statement
Make an impression and demonstrate your passion for your course.
After you've applied
Find out how we process your application.
Our Admission Statement
Read Warwick's Admission Statement
3 ways to connect
Talk to us
Join us at a live event. You can ask about courses, applying to Warwick, life at Warwick, visas and immigration, and more.
Warwick Experience
Take a virtual, student-led campus tour. Then join an interactive panel session, where you can hear from and chat to our current students and staff.
Student blogs
Explore our student blogs in OurWarwick. You can read about campus life from students themselves, and register to post questions directly to students.
Explore campus with our virtual tour
Our 360 tour lets you:
- Watch student videos
- View 360 photography and drone footage
- Learn about facilities and landmarks
Explore our campus virtually through our 360 campus tour now
Come to an Open Day
Don’t just take it from us, come and see for yourself what Warwick is all about. Whether it's a virtual visit or in-person, our University Open Days give you the chance to meet staff and students, visit academic departments, tour the campus and get a real feel for life at Warwick.
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