Applied Sociology and Criminology

Applied sociology and criminology form a natural combination for anyone who wants to understand both the social forces that shape human behaviour and the ways society responds when behaviour is deemed harmful or deviant. Sociology provides the theoretical tools for analysing how inequalities of class, race, gender and age structure opportunity and experience; criminology applies similar analytical frameworks to questions of crime, policing, punishment and justice. Studied together at the University of Bedfordshire, they equip you to think critically about why crime is defined the way it is, who is most likely to be criminalised and whether criminal justice institutions achieve what they claim.

You will engage with sociological theory from classical foundations to contemporary debates, and with criminological perspectives ranging from strain theory and labelling to critical criminology and desistance research. Empirical research methods, both quantitative and qualitative, are a core component of the programme, giving you the skills to work with evidence and to conduct your own research rather than simply consuming others'. The applied emphasis means you will connect academic ideas to real policies, institutions and social problems throughout your studies, developing the kind of grounded understanding that employers in the public and voluntary sectors value.

Graduates work in a wide range of roles connected to crime, social welfare and community. Probation, prison service, police, youth offending teams and victim support services are among the criminal justice destinations. Social work, community development, housing support and charity sector roles draw others who want to work with people facing social disadvantage.

Policy analysis, advocacy and research roles in think tanks and NGOs are also common for those drawn to influencing systems rather than working directly with individuals. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in criminology, social policy, social work or law.