Criminology and Sociology [with Placement year]

Explore pressing crime and social issues and prepare for careers including policing, probation, youth offending and government.

On this degree you'll discover the most recent ideas, issues and debates in criminology and sociology. These could include the media and moral panics; sexual violence and offender profiling; youth offending; war, terror and genocide – giving you a specialist perspective on crime and society.

You can tailor your degree to your interests and career goals through a range of optional modules. For example, you could focus on issues of corporate crime or human rights, or examine the link between intoxicants or religion and crime.

Learn from staff with real-world experience, with modules delivered by policing and criminal justice practitioners.

Build a portfolio and CV, hear from key criminal justice professionals, and attend employment fairs.

Use our links to local and national organisations, including police forces, to find work placements and engage with professionals.

Attend events organised by our International Policing and Public Protection Research Institute.

Join a university at the forefront of shaping cultural change in uniformed services, with our record £11million research grant.

Careers

Prepare for your career from the first semester: build a portfolio and CV, attend volunteer and employment fairs, take part in our annual Criminology conference, and hear from key figures in criminal justice including authors of important criminology texts.

Specialist modules in years 2 and 3 and our excellent links with employers such as Cambridgeshire Police, the National Crime Agency and the Probation Service will help you tailor your degree towards your career goals.

As well as developing your knowledge of sociology and criminology, this degree will equip you with skills in independent, creative, critical and analytical thinking. These are valued in industries as wide-ranging as:

journalism and the media
business administration and management
health management
the Civil Service
teaching
social care
social research
the police, prison and probation services.

You might decide to stay at ARU and study for a Masters, such as MA Sociology or MA Criminology. Take advantage of our Alumni Scholarship and get 20% off your fees.

Teaching

In Year 1 you’ll discover key ideas in sociology and criminology. These include the relations that connect individuals, groups and institutions within societies, and the inner workings, strengths and weaknesses of the criminal justice system in England and Wales.

In Year 2 you’ll explore how migration shapes societies and lives, how schooling systems and strategies shape individual and collective identities, and how you how can make a difference in the world.

Finally, you’ll consider issues of race and racism and how agencies use criminological theories, before pooling your learning in a Major Project.

At ARU, you’ll be supported from day one with wellbeing services, money advice and careers guidance to help you through university and beyond.

Their courses are built around the skills and experience employers value. ARU are proud to be in the top 20% of UK universities for teaching quality (TEF 2023), and ranked #1 in the East of England, and #8 in the UK, for UG graduates in senior roles 15 months after graduation (Graduate Outcomes Survey 2025). You'll have access to fantastic facilities thanks to £95m of investment - think SuperLabs, TV studios, law courts, mock hospital wards, gaming studios and more.

Wherever you're heading, ARU will help you get there.