Sociology with Criminology

Sociology with criminology is a combination that grounds the study of crime firmly in its social context. Sociology provides the theoretical frameworks for understanding how society is structured, how inequality operates, and how social norms, institutions, and power relationships shape what people do. Criminology applies these frameworks to crime specifically, asking why crime happens, how it is distributed across different social groups, and whether the systems of justice designed to respond to it are fair, effective, and humane.

Together, they produce graduates who can analyse crime not as individual moral failure but as a social phenomenon shaped by the world in which it occurs.

At the University of Portsmouth, this full-time, three-year degree explores sociology and criminology together, helping you to understand how power dynamics and inequalities create crime and how human relationships and social structures influence behaviour. You will explore the sociology of crime from multiple angles, developing the critical tools to see the people who break and enforce the law in new and more complex ways. The programme includes a sandwich year, a year abroad, and a work placement, giving you substantial professional and international experience alongside your academic study.

These practical elements are particularly valuable for students who wish to work in criminal justice or social care, where demonstrated experience matters alongside academic credentials. The typical entry tariff is 120 UCAS points.

Graduates from sociology with criminology programmes move into the police, probation and prison services, youth justice, victim support, social work, community development, local authority roles, research and policy organisations, and the voluntary sector. The broader sociological training also opens doors in education, human resources, public health, and any field where understanding social context and inequality is relevant. The sandwich and placement experience often leads directly to employment in criminal justice settings.

Postgraduate study in criminology, sociology, social work, or social policy is a natural continuation.