Sociology and Criminology

Sociology and criminology are disciplines that fit naturally together, sharing a commitment to understanding the social structures, processes, and inequalities that shape human behaviour. Sociology provides the theoretical tools to analyse how societies are organised, how power and inequality are reproduced, and how institutions from families and schools to the state itself shape what is possible for individuals and groups. Criminology focuses those analytical tools on crime and the criminal justice system, examining the causes and distribution of offending, the experiences of victims, and the effectiveness and fairness of police, courts, prisons, and rehabilitation programmes.

Together, the two disciplines develop a rigorous and critical understanding of social problems and the institutional responses to them.

At Nottingham Trent University, this three-year full-time programme covers the core content of both disciplines in a way that allows each to inform the other. You will engage with classical and contemporary sociological theory, the social determinants of crime and inequality, criminological thought from Enlightenment origins to present-day debates about race, gender, and criminal justice, and the operation of the various agencies and institutions that make up the criminal justice system. Research methods training prepares you to engage critically with evidence and, in your final year, to conduct an independent project drawing on the full range of skills the degree has developed.

Graduates work across a wide range of sectors. Criminal justice roles in probation, youth justice, the prison service, the police, and victim support organisations are well-established graduate destinations. Social research, policy analysis, and roles in local and central government attract those who wish to translate their analytical skills into policy influence.

Voluntary and charitable organisations working on social exclusion, homelessness, domestic abuse, and community safety employ sociology and criminology graduates in front-line, advocacy, and management roles. The communication and analytical skills the degree develops are also valued in human resources, journalism, and general management training schemes. Further study in criminology, social policy, or social work is a common step for those entering regulated professions.