Start date:
Course information
Typical offer BBB
UCAS code L3M9
Institute code L34
Taught by Sociology
Top 10 in the UK for career prospects in Sociology and Social Policy (The Guardian University Guide 2026)
Top 25 in the UK for Sociology and Social Policy (The Guardian University Guide 2026)
15th in the UK for Criminology (The Times UK University Rankings 2026)
Course description
Course description
Who decides what counts as crime – and why does it matter?
Our BA Sociology with Criminology empowers you to question the boundaries of justice, exploring how society, culture and power shape our understanding of right and wrong.
This degree is designed for you if you are eager to confront real-world challenges and make a difference. You will dive into the complexities of power, privilege, race, gender, and inequality—issues driving today’s social debates and central to our curriculum. Examine why certain behaviours are criminalised, how social justice is achieved, and the impact of education, health, and policy on everyday life.
This course brings together two of Leicester’s most respected subject areas. We have a long history as a pioneer in sociology in the UK, earning a distinguished reputation for teaching and research. Criminology at Leicester is ranked 6th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2025) and our experts are at the forefront of national and international conversations on crime and society.
In your first year, you will gain a thorough grounding in both disciplines through core modules such as:
- Introduction to Criminology: Discover key theories and concepts that explain crime and criminal behaviour.
- Sociology in practice: Apply sociological ideas to current social issues and real-life situations.
- Theories of crime and criminality: Examine criminal behaviour and the social factors that influence crime.
- Ways of researching: Gain practical skills in research methods used in Sociology and Criminology.
- Interpreting key texts: Critically engage with classic and contemporary works to understand major debates.
As you progress, flexibility underpins your degree structure, allowing you to tailor your studies to your interests and career ambitions. Choose from a wide range of specialist modules, including:
- Violence: Investigate the causes and impacts of violence in society.
- Education and social justice: Analyse education’s role in promoting or limiting social justice..
- Forensic science: Learn about scientific methods used in solving crimes.
- Criminal justice and mental disorder: Study how mental health and the justice system interact.
- International migration: Examine migration trends and their effects on societies.
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
- A/AS-levels: BBB. All subjects accepted. Two AS-levels considered in place of one A-level.
- EPQ with A-levels: BBC + EPQ at grade B.
- GCSE: English at Grade 4/C.
- Access to HE Diploma: Pass Diploma with 45 credits at Level 3, including 24 credits at Distinction.
- International Baccalaureate: Pass Diploma with 28 points overall. Including grade 4 in English A or 5 in English B if not held at GCSE.
- BTEC Nationals: Pass Diploma with DDM.
- T-Levels: Merit or above, Humanities subjects preferred.
Other official national and international qualifications considered from across the world. You can review some of the qualifications we accept on our countries page and English Language equivalencies.
If your qualification or country is not listed, please contact us for more information, including the name and result of the qualification you have studied.
Foundation Year available
If you don’t quite meet the above entry requirements, why not consider our Social Sciences, Arts and Humanities Foundation Year?
Flexible entry requirements
We welcome applications from motivated students whose predicted grades are slightly below our standard entry requirements. We understand that predicted grades are not always an accurate reflection of your final results, and we’re happy to consider your application. Although we can’t guarantee an offer due to the high volume of applications, if you’re eligible, we may still offer you a place based on our standard requirements.
Contextual offers
The University of Leicester is committed to providing equitable opportunities for all applicants from all backgrounds. We make contextual offers to support students who may be impacted by the area they live in, their personal circumstances or who have completed one of our progression programmes. These offers are usually one or two grades lower than the standard entry requirements. To qualify for a contextual offer, you must apply for an eligible course and meet specific criteria – check if you’re eligible.
English Language Requirements
IELTS 6.5 or equivalent. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability.
If you do not yet meet our requirements, our English Language Teaching Unit (ELTU) offers a range of courses to help you to improve your English to the necessary standard.
International Qualifications
Find your country in this list to check equivalent qualifications, scholarships and additional requirements.
Countries ListFees and funding
Fees and funding
UK Students
Starting in 2026
- £9,790 in your first year, subject to Parliamentary approval.
- For the 2027/28 academic year, the Home UK tuition fee is expected to be £10,050, subject to Parliamentary approval. Further increases are anticipated to be implemented automatically through government legislation, therefore it is likely that your tuition fees will rise for each subsequent year of your studies.
Find out more about tuition fees, including year abroad, placement years, scholarships and funding.
International Students
Starting in 2026
- £20,200 per year
If you are resident outside the UK and the Republic of Ireland, you will need to pay a deposit to secure your place. This will be subtracted from your total tuition fee.
Find out more about tuition fees, including year abroad, placement years, scholarships and funding.
Careers and employability
Careers and employability
Employability is at the core of our Sociology with Criminology degree, shaping your experience from the very beginning. In your first year, you will develop imaginative and critical thinking skills that form the foundation of your studies, while later modules immerse you in applied projects and real-world issues, giving you valuable hands-on experience.
Each year, research-focused modules help you build confidence in both qualitative and quantitative methods, ensuring you graduate with a skillset that is both contemporary and robust. By your final year, you will take full ownership of your research project, guiding it from initial design to final dissemination. You will also have opportunities to produce creative outputs, such as films or comics on social issues, helping your portfolio stand out to employers.
Throughout your studies, you will develop highly valued transferable skills, including intellectual confidence, information management and articulating complex issues, that prepare you to succeed in a variety of rewarding sectors. Our graduates go on to excel in areas such as social research, policing (including detective and intelligence roles), probation and prison services, the civil service, policy advising, compliance, communications, teaching, finance, and management.
Our graduates have secured roles* at leading organisations, including:
- Adecco
- Babcock
- Civil Service
- Financial Conduct Authority
- Goldman Sachs
- HM Prison and Probation Service
- International Business School
- Ministry of Justice
- National Crime Agency
- NHS
- University of Oxford
- Victim Support
At Leicester, our award-winning Careers and Employability Service works closely with the Sociology and Criminology teams and your personal tutor to help you identify your strengths and explore career pathways. Our specialist advisers support you with CVs, interviews, placements, and volunteering opportunities, guiding you every step of the way. You can also tailor your final research project to your own work experience, making your degree more relevant to your goals. Plus, our lifetime support continues even after graduation to help you achieve your professional ambitions.
Our Careers and Employability Service is here to support you, with advice on interviews, CVs, work experience, volunteering and more. From Freshers’ Week to Graduation and beyond, they are here to help you reach your professional goals.
Related courses
Related courses
Sociology
BA, 3 years
Politics and Sociology
BA, 3 years
Media and Society
BA, 3-4 years
Browse all courses
View list
What our graduates say
What our graduates say
Olivia, graduate of Sociology with Criminology
I studied Sociology with Criminology at Leicester after coming through clearing. What really drew me in was how supported I felt from the first phone call and the chance to study a joint degree that perfectly matched my interests. Leicester’s strong rankings for both subjects also gave me confidence in my choice.
My time as a student was full of engaging lectures, lively seminars, and opportunities to connect beyond the classroom. I found that balancing academic work with societies and campus activities helped me develop not just my knowledge but invaluable organisational and communication skills. These skills have been instrumental in both my academic projects and my broader personal development.
Our lecturers often integrated their own research and practical experience into teaching, such as forensic investigations and youth work. This made the course feel relevant and alive, helping me connect theory to real-world situations. For example, the insights from my drugs and youth lecturer deeply enriched my assignments and research. Knowing that my tutors have hands-on experience motivated me and made my learning more meaningful.
Studying the course has expanded my understanding of society and equipped me with transferable skills that I am confident will serve me well in any career. The inclusive, vibrant student community provided a supportive environment where I could thrive.
My advice to future students is to stay curious and open-minded. Embrace diverse perspectives and be ready to challenge your preconceptions. Make the most of the research-led teaching and take advantage of opportunities to engage with the wider university community. It will enrich your experience and broaden your horizons.
Course structure
Year 1
Year 1
In your first year you will gain a solid foundation in the principles of sociology and criminology, covering a mixture of theoretical ideas and substantive topics.
- Introduction to Criminology
- Sociology in Practice
- Theories of Crime and Criminality
- Ways of Researching
- Interpreting Key Texts
The modules listed reflect those currently available to students. Every year, we review our modules and their content to ensure that our courses maintain the best academic and student experience possible. Whilst this does mean elements of your course may change in future academic years, it ensures your course is giving you a research-inspired education and preparing you for your future.
Year 2
Year 2
You will gain more choice to shape your degree and follow your interests and career objectives in your second year, when you can choose two option modules to make your learning experience more individual.
Core modules
- Doing Qualitative Research
- Punishment and Rehabilitation
- Using Numbers in Social Research
- Live Sociology
Option modules
Choose one option module from:
The modules listed reflect those currently available to students. Every year, we review our modules and their content to ensure that our courses maintain the best academic and student experience possible. Whilst this does mean elements of your course may change in future academic years, it ensures your course is giving you a research-inspired education and preparing you for your future.
Year 3
Year 3
In your final year you will carry out a supervised main piece of work, conducting research in an area of your choice.
Core modules
Option modules
Choose two option modules from:
Then choose two option modules from:
- Forensic Science and Criminal Justice
- Drugs and Society
- Football and Society
- International Migration
- Green Criminology
- Understanding Extremism: Causes, Actions and Solutions
The modules listed reflect those currently available to students. Every year, we review our modules and their content to ensure that our courses maintain the best academic and student experience possible. Whilst this does mean elements of your course may change in future academic years, it ensures your course is giving you a research-inspired education and preparing you for your future.
Why Leicester?
Our course places a strong emphasis on the areas you care about most – inequality, race, gender, education and health – ensuring your learning is relevant to today’s biggest social challenges.
Criminology at Leicester is ranked 6th in the UK (The Guardian University Guide 2025). We offer research-led teaching delivered by staff whose work shapes national and international debates in sociology and criminology.
Our academic staff have written or edited dozens of books and publish regularly in major national and international journals. Where others only read their work, you will learn directly from them in lectures and seminars.
Benefit from outstanding facilities and support, including a specialist crime scene room, a dedicated building, open office hours and vibrant social study spaces, all within a welcoming community.
Teaching and learning
You will take three modules in each semester. The modules you take are taught using a combination of lectures, workshops, seminars and tutorials. Lectures provide you with the foundational knowledge needed to study the subject area, while the workshops give you the opportunity to discuss key ideas with your peers and your workshop leader. Seminars are an opportunity for smaller/deeper group discussions on topics and reading relating to the module. Tutorials in our first year offer support with skills development.
In all of our teaching sessions, you will be active agents in your learning journey. You will take part in a range of activities and tasks that will help deepen your knowledge and confidence in how to apply sociology in creative ways, with convincing arguments and evidence. You will also have the opportunity to participate in fieldtrips.
In addition to this you will be given a personal tutor who can provide one-to-one support on a range of academic and personal issues, a weekly ‘drop-in’ help-desk to ask any questions supported by teaching staff, and all the teaching staff in the School have regular ‘office hours’ sessions where you are able to discuss any problems you may have.
Assessment of each module normally takes place at the end of each semester. Our assessment strategy allows you to develop a range of academic and transferable skills throughout your degree. You will be assessed in a wide range of ways, depending on the modules you choose. Our assessments include field work diaries, blogs, mindmaps, photovoice, short films, creative adverts, policy analysis, skills logs, portfolios, essays, reflective reports, presentations and exams. You will have the opportunity to produce creative and authentic, real-world forms of assessment.
During the remainder of your study time, you are able to access our excellent learning resources provided by the Library and Sociology at Leicester. As well as traditional written material, a selection of multimedia resources to enrich your learning experience.
Independent learning
Academic support
Our Centre for Academic Achievement provides help in the following areas:
- study and exam skills
- academic writing
- presentations
- dissertations
- numerical data skills
- referencing sources
Our AccessAbility Centre offers support and practical help for students with dyslexia or other specific learning difficulties, including physical, mental health or mobility difficulties, deafness, or visual impairment.
Teaching staff
You will be taught by an experienced teaching team whose expertise and knowledge are closely matched to the content of the modules on the course. PhD research students who have undertaken teacher training may also contribute to the teaching of seminars under the supervision of the module leader. Our teaching is informed by the research we do. You can learn more about our staff by visiting our staff profiles for Sociology and Criminology.
Apply now
| Attendance | UCAS Code | Availability |
|---|---|---|
| Attendance Full-time | UCAS Code L3M9 | Availability How to apply |
