Criminology and Politics

Criminology and politics is a combination that illuminates some of the most important questions at the intersection of social analysis and political power. Criminology examines crime and the criminal justice system from a critical perspective, asking who gets criminalised, how the law and policing are used to regulate social behaviour, and whether punishment and rehabilitation achieve the outcomes they claim. Politics examines how power is organised and exercised in society, how laws are made and contested, and how different political ideologies shape approaches to crime, justice, and social order.

Together, these disciplines develop a rigorous analytical framework for understanding why societies respond to deviance and disorder in the ways they do.

At the University of Stirling, you will study criminology and politics over four years full-time, engaging with the major theoretical traditions in both disciplines and with the empirical study of crime, justice, and political institutions in the UK and comparatively. You will develop skills in social research, data analysis, and the critical evaluation of evidence, and you will engage with contemporary debates about policing, sentencing, prison reform, and the politics of crime prevention. The programme includes a year abroad, giving you the opportunity to study at a partner university and encounter criminal justice and political systems in a different national context.

The typical entry tariff is 152 UCAS points.

Graduates work in criminal justice, public policy, social research, journalism, the civil service, NGOs, and advocacy organisations. The combination of criminological and political analysis is particularly valuable in roles concerned with criminal justice reform, equality and human rights, community safety, and policy development. Many graduates also go on to postgraduate study in criminology, politics, social policy, or law, using the undergraduate degree as a foundation for more specialist training or research.