Criminology with Foundation Year

Criminology is a discipline that takes crime seriously, not just as a legal category but as a social phenomenon that is shaped by culture, politics, economics, and the structures of society. It examines why crime happens, how it is defined and measured, how victims experience it, and how the criminal justice system, from policing and prosecution to sentencing and rehabilitation, responds to it. It is a field that is both intellectually rigorous and directly connected to some of the most pressing questions in contemporary society.

At York St John University, this four-year full-time degree includes a foundation year that gives you the academic preparation needed to succeed in the main programme. You will explore victimology, social responses to crime, crime prevention strategies, punishment and rehabilitation, and the role of the criminal justice system in addressing crime and maintaining social order. The course takes a critical perspective, challenging you to examine how crime is shaped by wider social forces and how it is represented and sometimes distorted in media coverage.

The programme also includes a sandwich year, a year abroad option, and work placements, all of which build your professional experience and employability alongside your academic development. The typical entry tariff is 56 UCAS points.

Graduates of criminology degrees find careers in probation and rehabilitation services, the police, youth work, social work, policy research, the charity sector, community justice, journalism, and academia. The analytical, research, and critical thinking skills the degree develops are valued in any professional context where understanding human behaviour, social inequality, and institutional responses to deviance matters. Many graduates also pursue postgraduate study in criminology, criminal justice, law, social policy, or social work, deepening their expertise in the areas where they want to build a career.