Criminology and Sociology Degrees 2013
Who defines crime? How does society deal with its consequences? What legal and moral authority over our behaviour does the state require in order for society to function? How does the line between deviance and criminality shift over time? On our Criminology and Sociology degree you will develop answers to these fascinating and vital questions.
Degree programmes
Entry requirements
Minimum entry requirements
- A-level grades ABB
We do not include General Studies or Critical Thinking in our offers.
Conditional offers from Surrey will be made in grades or marks, and not listed in points from the UCAS tariff.
Required subjects
GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade C or above (or equivalent).
English language requirements
Non-native speakers of English will normally be required to have IELTS 6.5 or above, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component (or equivalent).
Please note that the University of Surrey offers English language programmes and is also an IELTS Test Centre.
Other suitable qualifications
Cambridge Pre-U
M1, M1, M2
European Baccalaureate
74%
International Baccalaureate
34 points
BTEC (QCF Level 3) Extended Diploma
DDM
In addition, we accept a wide range of qualifications, including other Level 3 QCF Level 3 qualifications, Scottish qualifications, the Irish Leaving Certificate, Access Diplomas and foundation courses. Other qualifications will be considered on an individual basis.
It is important to check whether the qualifications you are taking are suitable for your chosen degree. If you are uncertain whether your qualification meets our entry requirements, please contact us.
If you are an international student and you don’t meet the entry requirements to this degree, we offer the International Foundation Year.
Selection process
Selection is primarily on the basis of UCAS forms. Offers are made in terms of grades. We invite suitable candidates to visit the University to find out more about themprogramme and meet staff and students.
Tuition fees
UK/EU students
Tuition fees are currently set at £9,000 per year for UK/EU undergraduates starting in 2012.
The tuition charge will be accompanied by a generous financial support package, underlining our continued commitment to widening access for those students who come from low income households.
Overseas students
The fee for students classed as overseas for fees purposes is £12,130.
The University will assess your fee status. If you are unsure whether you are likely to be considered a home, EU or overseas student for fees purposes, the UKCISA website offers more information.
Professional Training Year Fees
Programmes marked with an asterisk (*) in the table above include a professional training year.
Currently fees of £1,050 (based on an inflation assumption of 2.5%) are charged for the Professional Training Year. Fees will not have to be paid up front for those students who decide to take up the Government’s loan for higher education fees. The Professional Training year is a key factor in the high employability rates achieved by students with Surrey degrees.
Our degrees
Our Criminology and Sociology programme will help you to master the methods and analytical tools required to conduct and evaluate research on contemporary problems relating to crime, deviance and social control. You’ll also have the chance to apply such tools to a range of other topics in the study of contemporary societies.
We will develop your understanding of the key concepts, theories and principles of both criminology and sociology, and their application across a range of relevant substantive areas.
Through combining criminological and sociological theory with training in professional social research, you will graduate with a broad range of communicative, analytical and organisational skills – and the confidence to apply them in your future career.
Programme content
Programme overview
Emphasis is placed on developing your analytical and research skills, along with an understanding of the theories and concepts relevant to the study of criminology and sociology. The optional Professional Training year will equip you with the vital skills necessary to excel in a criminology or sociology-related career.
Year 1 provides a broad-based curriculum that includes Introductions to Classical and 20th Century Sociological Theory, an overview of the Criminal Justice Systems and Criminological Theory, and Crime and Society. You will also receive an introduction to Research Methods, and specific training in Quantitative and Qualitative Methods.
During year 2, you will study modules in Sociological Theory, Applied Criminological Theories, Quantitative Methods and Doing Research by Asking Questions. In addition you will choose one module from a range of options which currently includes: a Group Research Project; Crime, Community Safety and Crime Prevention; Children and Violence; History and Theory of Punishment; Sociology of the Environment; Sociology of Gender; Sociology of Work and Family; Poverty, Welfare and the State; Sociology of Art; Understanding Internet Culture; Migration and the Politics of Identity; Media, War and Terrorism; Researching Bodies; and the Sociology of Health and Illness.
In year 3 you will receive one-to-one supervision with a member of academic staff to conduct an individual research project chosen according to your interests and written up as an 8,000–12,000-word dissertation. You will additionally select options in sociology and criminology from the following examples: Policing and the Police; Youth, Crime and Control; Prisons and Prisoners; Crime, Ethnicity and Racism; Crime and Media; Advanced Quantitative Methods; Work and Workers in the 21st Century; Cultures of Race and Racism; Sociology of Childhood; The Sociology of Sociology;The Family and Social Reproduction; Sociology of Mental Health; Medicine and the Body; Cultural Organisations and Industries; and Popular Music and Society.
Programme structure
Year 1 (FHEQ Level 4)
- Introduction to Classical Sociology
- Introduction to 20th Century Sociological Theory
- Qualitative Field Methods
- Introduction to Criminal Justice Systems
- Introduction to Criminological Theory
- Crime and Society
- Quantitative Methods
- Introduction to Research Methods
Year 2 (FHEQ Level 5)
Core modules:
- Sociological Theory
- Doing Research By Asking Questions
- Applied Criminological Theories
- Quantitative Methods
Optional modules:
- Migration and the Politics of Identity
- Media, War and Terrorism
- Researching Bodies
- Sociology of Health and Illness
- History and Theory of Punishment
- Crime, Community Safety and Crime Prevention
- Children and Violence
- Group Research Project
- Sociology of the Environment
- Sociology of Gender
- Sociology of Work and Family
- Poverty, Welfare and the State
- Sociology of Art
- Understanding Internet Culture
Professional Year training
- Optional Professional Training year
Year 3 (FHEQ Level 6)
- Dissertation
Optional Criminology modules:
- Policing and the Police
- Youth, Crime and Control
- Prisons and Prisoners
- Crime, Ethnicity and Racism
- Crime and Media
Optional Sociology modules:
- Advanced Quantitative Methods
- Work and Workers in the 21st Century
- Cultures of Race and Racism
- Sociology of Childhood
- The Sociology of Sociology
- The Family and Social Reproduction
- Sociology of Mental Health
- Medicine and the Body
- Popular Music and Society
- Cultural Organisations and Industries
Professional training
On the four-year Criminology and Sociology degree programme you will further your knowledge by working in a professional placement during the third year. This provides you with an opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills acquired during your first two years of study in a work environment, whilst receiving training and undertaking responsible work.
As a result of the placement, we find that our students return to their final year significantly more confident, mature and organised, and with clearer, more definite career aspirations.
The process of preparing and applying for placement jobs also significantly enhances job-seeking skills which will come into play in the final year and beyond, when applying for graduate employment. After graduation, some take up permanent posts with their professional placement employer. Every effort is made to identity possible placement opportunities according to your interests, career plans and location preferences.
Some of our placements are paid, usually in the region of £12,000–15,000 per annum. If you work on an unpaid placement, you can claim additional financial support and may also work for a reduced amount of time.
Companies and organisations that have participated in the scheme include the Home Office, Ministry of Justice, the Sentencing Council, the House of Lords, the Probation Service, the Youth Offending Service, the Metropolitan Police, the British Market Research Bureau, Guildford Pupil Referral Unit and IBM.
Career opportunities
Graduate prospects
Sociology graduates over the last few years entered employment in roles such as:
- HM Inspectorate of Prisons – Research Officer
- National Centre for Social Research – Freelance Research Assistant
- Ipsos Mori – Executive Assistant
- Metropolitan Police – Research Analyst
- Motortrak – Online Marketing Executive
- Senwick – Graduate Trainee
Career opportunities
Our graduates are found across a wide range of occupational areas, and many are attracted to careers enabling them to use aspects of what they have learned and gained whilst an undergraduate. This centres on an interest in society and the challenges and demands that members of a society face.
Our Criminology and Sociology degree prepares students for a wide range of jobs, which require the ability to analyse complex issues and reach policy conclusions. Our graduates are in a strong position in the job market because they have good analytical skills, are numerate and communicate well.
The BSc Criminology and Sociology degree provides an excellent basis for entry into careers in the criminal justice system, social services, education, welfare services, personnel management, the government, charities and the voluntary sector.
All our degrees respond to the high demand for sociology graduates with sophisticated research skills to enter research in Higher Education, central and local government, and market research agencies. About a quarter of our students go into postgraduate training courses and to higher degrees by research.
Additional information
Teaching
At Surrey we emphasise the development of your practical and analytic skills in addressing contemporary criminological and sociological problems. You will benefit from a range of teaching methods, including small group tutorials, projects and workshops, as well as lectures and classes. We find that our students learn more effectively in this environment, and projects will contribute to the development of your personal skills in leadership, effective communication and analytic ability.
During your programme you will develop sophisticated skills in conducting both qualitative and quantitative research, and our excellent facilities – including a range of audiovisual equipment and a networked computer suite – will be available to aid your studies.
Facilities
You will be able to take advantage of a valuable range of facilities on this programme, including a recently expanded and fully networked computer laboratory based in the Department. The programme also makes increasing use of online resources, including module guides and student discussion forums. Within the Department of Sociology you will have access to a student common room where you can hold informal meetings and study group sessions, or just make yourself a cup of coffee and contemplate your wider reading.
Assessment
Many modules are assessed entirely by exercise or project work, others are assessed by coursework and an examination at the end of the year. Examples of coursework include essays, projects and exercises. Each module in the first year must be passed satisfactorily in order to enter the second year. Your first-year marks do not count towards your final degree result but are used to check on your progress. The final degree result is based on assessment during the second year (35 per cent) and the final year (65 per cent).
Academic support
You will be allocated a personal tutor during your first week at the University and will normally keep this tutor throughout the degree programme. They will provide advice to you on personal and academic matters, including reviewing your progress on the programme, advising on module, placement and career options, and providing information about wider support services at the University.
Why Surrey?
Criminology and Sociology degrees 2013 at Surrey
- The Times Good University Guide 2013 ranks Surrey second for its sociology programmes. The Guardian University Guide 2013 and The Complete University Guide 2013 also rank us in the top five
- The latest UK Research Assessment Exercise ranked us joint sixth and declared most of our research internationally excellent or world leading
- We offer an extensive range of cutting-edge, specialist subject options connected to staff areas of expertise
- Our innovative integration of methodological and substantive approaches has helped to put us at the very top of our field
- You will be eligible for graduate membership of the British Sociological Association
- Our prestigious research projects and academic staff are internationally recognised and respected
- Our own cutting-edge research and knowledge will directly inform and update your learning
- An optional Professional Training placement will put your learning into practice and prepare you to excel in your vital final year of study
I especially enjoy the criminological modules; some of the more contemporary issues we cover really challenge me to question my assumptions about crime, criminals and the justice system.
Desre Milsom
BSc Criminology and Sociology Level 3
As an international student, it was very important to me that I attended a reputable, well-established university and gained a degree that would stand me in good stead, both in the UK and other countries.
I find that the sociology and criminology modules complement each other and I have gained a solid, in-depth and wide base of knowledge to draw on. I especially enjoy the criminological modules; some of the more contemporary issues we cover really challenge me to question my assumptions about crime, criminals and the justice system. I have found these aspects to be so dynamic and thought-provoking as to spur me on to continue with a Masters degree once I graduate.
I have come to appreciate the ‘open door’ policy and approachability of the lecturers, tutors and administrative staff of the Department which is important when I have felt the need for extra guidance or input. Everyone has always been genuinely interested and willing to help.
Although I chose not to do a placement year, I have every confidence that what I have gained from being here, both personally and academically, will only benefit me, no matter what route I take for the future. I can honestly say choosing Surrey was one of the best decisions I have ever made and I would recommend the course to anyone with an interest in this area, international students included. That I was able to try out scuba diving, something I had always wanted to do, with the University sub-aqua club, was just a bonus on top!
The classes are fairly small so the teaching is very focused and you can really get a lot out of your seminars and lectures.
Lois Aderson
BSc Criminology and Sociology Level 3
I chose to come to Surrey because the course looked interesting and the campus lovely. The fact that it is a campus-based university also helped my decision; it had the added bonus of having other students close by, while also providing a safe environment!
I would definitely recommend Surrey to other new students; in fact I already have! I have been here three years and the staff have always supported me in my work and made it clear that they are not only here for academic support.
I started the course in the first year it was running, so I had a very small group which made our class quite close. This was good, especially in the first few weeks when it’s all new! The classes are fairly small, so the teaching is very focused and you can really get a lot out of your seminars and lectures.
After I graduate, I plan to join the police force and maybe go into areas such as youth justice or crime analysis.
My time management has improved so much since coming to Surrey. Plus, being able to discuss and debate points in lectures has made me more confident in both academic and social situations!
In my spare time I enjoy going out to the Students’ Union (which is amazing!) and of course seeing friends. At the moment I live with three of my best friends who I met in the first year. I’m going to miss university when I leave!