Criminology and Sociology

Criminology and sociology is a combination that brings together two closely related disciplines, each with its own analytical tools and theoretical traditions, to produce a comprehensive understanding of social order, deviance, and the ways in which societies define, respond to, and produce crime. Sociology provides the broader framework, asking how social structures, institutions, and inequalities shape the conditions of human life and the behaviour of individuals and groups. Criminology then focuses these tools on crime specifically, examining who commits it, why, how societies respond, and what the criminal justice system achieves or fails to achieve.

At Teesside University, this part-time programme develops academic skills, subject knowledge, and the personal and transferable capabilities that studying social science at degree level requires. You will develop skills in searching for and evaluating evidence, critical thinking, note-taking and summarising, presenting, group working, and digital learning, building the academic toolkit needed for sustained university-level enquiry. The part-time mode of study makes the degree accessible to students balancing education with work or family commitments, and it is well suited to those already working in health, social care, or the criminal justice system who want to deepen their understanding through formal academic study.

The curriculum develops your ability to analyse social phenomena critically and to apply sociological and criminological thinking to real-world questions about crime, justice, and social inequality.

Graduates go on to careers in probation, social work, community development, the police, victim support, education, policy research, and the voluntary sector. Many pursue postgraduate study in criminology, social policy, or social work, and some go on to research careers in the social sciences. The combination of sociological breadth and criminological focus produces graduates who can contribute meaningfully to any context where understanding crime and social order matters.