Crime and Society - BSc (Hons)

University of Huddersfield

Crime does not exist in isolation, it is shaped by society, culture, history and power. On this course you’ll explore crime through a sociological lens, examining how justice, inequality and social change influence the ways crime is defined, experienced and addressed. The course focuses on the relationship between crime and wider social issues, allowing you to explore how factors such as inequality, race and ethnicity, human rights, activism and community wellbeing shape responses to crime and justice. This perspective helps you understand crime not just as individual behaviour, but as a social issue connected to structures, institutions and lived experience. Alongside your sociological studies, you’ll investigate key crime-related issues including violent crime, drug-related crime and the role of agencies such as social work, probation and prison services. You’ll examine how these organisations operate within society and how policy, culture and social conditions influence justice outcomes.

Learning on the course is inclusive, immersive and applied. You’ll be taught by lecturers with experience spanning probation services, community housing, United Nations advisory roles and academic research, alongside contributions from guest speakers working in criminal justice, social policy and community organisations. This combination brings contemporary debates and real-world practice directly into your learning. You’ll study as part of a small, supportive course community, where students are known by staff and supported to reach their full potential. You’ll also have a Personal Academic Tutor to guide your academic development and help you prepare for future study or employment. The course places a strong emphasis on employability and real-world relevance. You’ll develop skills such as digital literacy, analytical thinking, problem-solving and professional communication, with assessments designed to reflect practical tasks and challenges. In your second year, you’ll complete compulsory work experience, giving you the opportunity to gain real-world experience in a relevant setting, apply your learning in practice and build experience that employers value. The quality of teaching and learning on the course is reflected in national league tables, with Criminology at Huddersfield ranked top 5 in Yorkshire and the Humber and top third in the UK (Guardian League Tables 2026; The Times Good University Guide 2026). Graduates of this course are well prepared for careers across criminal justice, community development, social policy and related fields, as well as further study.

At Huddersfield, you’ll study the Global Professional Award alongside your degree† so that you gain valuable qualities and experiences that could help you to get the career you want, no matter what your field of study is. †full-time, undergraduate first degrees with a minimum duration of three years. This does not include postgraduate, foundation, top-up, accelerates or apprenticeship degrees.

Huddersfield’s vibrant and friendly campus is a great place from which to study, while the town itself offers lots to see and do, with good transport links in and around the area.