Criminology and Sociology

Criminology and sociology together offer an unusually powerful lens through which to understand social problems and the systems that respond to them. Sociology is the study of how societies are organised, how power and inequality are distributed, how norms and institutions shape behaviour, and how social change happens. Criminology applies those analytical tools specifically to questions of crime, deviance, and criminal justice, asking why certain behaviours are defined as criminal, who gets policed and prosecuted, what the prison does, and whether the criminal justice system achieves its stated aims.

The combination develops a critical and evidence-based approach to some of the most contested questions in social life.

Aberystwyth University's three-year full-time BSc Criminology and Sociology is taught in the oldest law department in Wales, as the course notes, and has a typical entry tariff of 104 points. The programme provides an in-depth understanding of society and criminality, giving you insight into criminology from a sociological perspective and introducing new perspectives on social inequality and social change at local and international levels. You will develop specialist knowledge and analytical skills across both disciplines, learning to interpret sociological and criminological evidence, construct arguments, and engage critically with policy and practice.

The programme builds transferable skills that are valuable in the public and social sectors as well as in further academic study.

Graduates work in criminal justice services, probation, the police, social work, community development, policy analysis, the charity sector, local government, and research. The analytical and communication skills the degree develops are transferable across any professional context requiring evidence-based reasoning and engagement with social complexity. Postgraduate study in criminology, sociology, social policy, or criminal justice is a well-established next step for those who want to develop their expertise or move into research and policy roles.