Criminology and Sociology with Foundation Year

Criminology and sociology together provide one of the most searching frameworks available for understanding the relationship between social conditions and criminal behaviour. The relationship between poverty, inequality, education, and crime is not simply an empirical fact to be noted: it is a complex and contested terrain that requires both rigorous data analysis and careful theoretical interpretation. Studying these disciplines together equips you to examine why crime is distributed as it is, how it is defined and responded to by institutions, and what sociology tells us about the social forces that shape both offending and the justice system's response.

At Derby, this four-year programme includes a foundation year, offering a supported and structured entry into degree-level study. You will develop your academic skills and confidence before moving into the main programme, where you will study criminological theory, the sociology of deviance and social control, research methods, and the institutions of the criminal justice system. You will engage with contemporary debates about social inequality, race, gender, and class as they intersect with crime and policing, building both analytical depth and the capacity to write and argue clearly about complex social questions.

The typical entry tariff for direct degree entry is 104 points.

Graduates of criminology and sociology programmes pursue careers in the criminal justice system, social work, community development, the voluntary sector, policy research, journalism, and local and national government. Many also go on to postgraduate study in criminology, sociology, social policy, or law, where the theoretical and empirical foundations laid in the undergraduate programme provide a strong platform for more specialised work.