BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology Bachelor's degree at Swansea University
BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology at Swansea University combines two complementary disciplines, examining crime, justice systems and social structures through integrated study.
About this course
Our integrated BSc Criminology and Sociology degree brings together two exciting and complementary social science disciplines. From the provider’s course page.
BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology is a Bachelor's degree (BSc (Hons)) at Swansea University. It runs 4 years, studied full-time.
For Social sciences graduates from this provider, 84% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, 55% in highly skilled roles, typical earnings around £28,000. (HESA Graduate Outcomes / LEO, via Discover Uni.)
For the typical curriculum, specialisations, career paths and graduate earnings for Law, see the sections below.
Course evidence score
The arithmetic mean of the official measures available for this course: NSS satisfaction, graduate activity and continuation.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Moderate evidence Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Graduate Outcomes work or further study 84% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Published threshold met Discover Uni suppresses continuation data below its publication threshold. Cohort 2022-23. Continuation 89% (2022-23; Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Curriculum & modules
Real modules published for this course, grouped only where the source gives a year, stage or level.
Year 1 6 modules
- The Sociological & Criminological ImaginationCompulsory20 credits
- Being a Social ScientistCompulsory20 credits
- Individuals and SocietyCompulsory20 credits
- Victims and VictimologyCompulsory20 credits
- Who makes the rules? Law, Decision-Making and Human RightsCompulsory20 credits
- Introduction to SociologyCompulsory20 credits
Year 2 15 modules
- Interrogating Quantitative Social Science MethodsCompulsory20 credits
- Citizenship and SurveillanceCompulsory20 credits
- Interrogating Qualitative Social Science MethodsCompulsory20 credits
- Applied Offender RehabilitationOptional20 credits
- Investigating GenderOptional20 credits
- Devolution, Policy Making and Social ChangeOptional20 credits
- Developing and Planning a Research ProjectOptional20 credits
- Penology and PunishmentOptional20 credits
- Crime, Drugs and AlcoholOptional20 credits
- Media, Crime & Criminal JusticeOptional20 credits
- The Criminal State: International IssuesOptional20 credits
- Poverty and Social JusticeOptional20 credits
- Education, Policy and SocietyOptional20 credits
- Contemporary Moral ControversiesOptional20 credits
- Culture as DevianceOptional20 credits
Year 3 15 modules
- Who’s, in, who’s out? Inclusion and Exclusion: Socio/Criminological PerspectivesCompulsory20 credits
- Critical Challenges in Justice for Children20 credits
- Sexual Crimes20 credits
- Dissertation40 credits
- Gender, Crime and Criminal Justice20 credits
- Core and Critical Issues in Policing20 credits
- Philosophy, Mental Health and Illness20 credits
- Homicide: Criminalising Death and Dying20 credits
- Black Mirror Sociology: Technology and Society20 credits
- Risk in Modern Society20 credits
- Understanding the sex industry: Theory, policy and practice20 credits
- Understanding & Countering Terrorism & Violent Extremism20 credits
- Social and Environmental Harms20 credits
- Critical Criminology of Sports and Leisure20 credits
- Crime and the Limits of Free Speech20 credits
Source: provider course page. Modules can change; required/optional status, credits, descriptions and assessment are shown only when explicitly published.
Course in depth
What this course covers, who it suits and where it leads.
What you'll study
This integrated degree brings together criminology and sociology as complementary social science disciplines. You'll typically begin with foundational modules in criminal law, covering offences, defences and the principles of criminal liability, alongside public law and the constitution. In Year 2, you'll progress to specialised study in areas such as criminal justice, human rights and family law, whilst developing understanding of how law and society interact. In Year 3, you'll choose from advanced options including commercial law, employment law and legal practice (SQE), often culminating in a dissertation or supervised research project. Throughout, you'll examine how institutions, power and social structures shape both crime and the criminal justice system.
Who it's for
This course suits students interested in understanding crime, criminal justice and society from both legal and sociological perspectives. Most accepted students held A-levels or equivalent qualifications; typical entrants had a UCAS tariff of 96–111 points. The course is open to those seeking careers in law, criminology, social research, policy work or related fields where combined expertise in crime and social analysis is valuable.
University & format
This BSc (Hons) is studied full-time over 4 years at Swansea University, a public university founded in 1920. Teaching is delivered in English. The degree is a nationally recognised UK degree-awarding body qualification. Most entrants held A-levels or equivalent qualifications, with a typical UCAS tariff of 96–111 points amongst accepted students.
Student satisfaction
How students on this course answered the National Student Survey, by theme.
Share of students responding positively. Overall student satisfaction: 87%.
Published threshold met NSS publication requires sufficient responses; small differences are not a rank. NSS mean of 7 published themes (Discover Uni snapshot 2026-06-21)
Applicant information
The next application dates for this course, followed by facts the provider publishes.
- 2027 entryCompleted applications can be submitted
Your application needs a reference before you can send it.
- 2026 entryFinal date for 2026 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2026 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
- 2027 entryEqual-consideration deadline
18:00 UK time for most undergraduate courses.
Show 5 later dates
- 2027 entryUCAS Extra opens
Applicants who used all five choices and hold no offer may be able to add another choice.
- 2027 entryLast day applications go directly to providers
Applications received after 18:00 UK time are entered into Clearing.
- 2027 entryClearing opens
Eligible applicants can see vacancies and release themselves into Clearing.
- 2027 entryFinal date for 2027 applications
Applications must reach UCAS by 18:00 UK time.
- 2027 entryLast day to add a Clearing choice
Check that this course still has a vacancy before adding it.
Provider-published requirement; check the linked course page before applying.
Year in industry. Availability, selection and pay can vary.
See and book current events. Dates can fill or change.
Entry & how to get in
Who gets in
What recently admitted students actually held, official admissions data, not a stated requirement.
UCAS tariff of entrants
Grades are the A-level equivalent of each points band. Tap a band to check your own chances below.
Qualifications held on entry
| Qualification | Share |
|---|---|
| A-levels or equivalent | 95% |
| an Access course | 2% |
| a previous degree | 1% |
| another higher-education qualification | 1% |
| a Baccalaureate | 1% |
| No / unknown prior qualifications | 1% |
Entry & your chances
An honest read from the official entry data, plus your personal match.
Accepted students came in with a broad spread of qualifications and UCAS points. If you're worried about grades, this course has historically taken a wide range, and contextual offers may apply.
Will you get in? Plot your grades
Pick your predicted A-levels and watch your UCAS points land on the real spread of students admitted to this course.
Each bar is the share of admitted students in that UCAS-points band (lower → higher). Grades show the A-level equivalent.
Based on the official admitted-student tariff distribution. Many universities make contextual (reduced-grade) offers, so a result below the range doesn’t rule you out.
How to apply
Undergraduate applications go through UCAS. Here’s what matters for this course, the right deadline, the grades to aim for, and the steps in order.
- 1Register on UCAS Hub
Create your UCAS application and add this course (code MLG3). One application covers up to five choices.
- 2Write your personal statement
A single statement covers all your choices, so keep it broad enough for similar courses while showing genuine interest in this subject.
- 3Submit by 13 January 2027, 18:00 UK time
UCAS equal-consideration deadline for most undergraduate courses. Source: UCAS 2027 dates.
- 4Reply to your offers
When decisions are in, pick a firm (first) choice and an insurance (back-up) choice with slightly lower grades.
- 5Results day & confirmation
On results day (mid-August) your place is confirmed if you meet the offer. Just missed? Talk to the university, or find a place through Clearing.
Fees & funding
What this course costs and how UK student finance covers it.
Tuition per year
Provider fee page. Set under Wales's student-finance system; the provider's page is authoritative.
Check fees at Swansea University →If you normally live in Wales
2026/27 total maintenance support from Student Finance Wales. How much of it is grant and how much is loan depends on household income; the total does not. If you normally live elsewhere, use your home funding body.
Check your entitlement with Student Finance Wales →Paying for it
- Tuition Fee Loan: paid directly to the university by Student Finance Wales.
- Maintenance support: a mix of grant and loan from Student Finance Wales, weighted to household income.
- Repayment: only above the income threshold, and written off at the end of the plan term.
- Earn alongside: most students work part-time in term, part-time roles on the StudySmarter job board.
Wales runs its own system through Student Finance Wales; check studentfinancewales.co.uk for current rates.
Scholarships & bursaries you could qualify for
That does not mean no funding exists. Check the university directory for current amounts, eligibility and application dates.
We only display a named award when its provider source identifies the award and who it is for.
Still deciding what to study?
StudyKit brings course choice, applications and funding together in one place, with a personal AI assistant. Find what really fits you and start your UCAS application step by step.
Careers & earnings
What Law graduates actually earn, from real outcome data, 15 months, 3 years and 5 years after graduating.
Graduate earnings: this course
| When | Median | Typical range | Graduates |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15 months after | £28,000 | £24,000 – £33,000 | 65 |
| 3 years after | £24,500 | £19,500 – £31,500 | 445 |
| 5 years after | £31,500 | £24,500 – £41,500 | 475 |
Nominal earnings for graduates of this course/subject at this provider. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23.
Graduate outcomes, 15 months on: this course
- 1Paralegal / TraineeTraining contract or pupillage route · 0–2 yrs
- 2Solicitor / BarristerQualified practitioner · 2–5 yrs
- 3Senior AssociateLeading matters and clients · 5–9 yrs
- 4Partner / In-house CounselPartnership or heading legal · 9+ yrs
How pay grows: this course vs Law nationally
National figures for Law graduates, HESA Graduate Outcomes (15 months) and the Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) dataset (3 & 5 years). These are national, not university-specific; actual pay varies by employer, region, role and experience. Different cohorts, so the bars are not one group over time.
Work out your pay
Headline figures hide a lot. Calculate realistic take-home pay for this field by role, region and experience, then check your CV before you apply.
What happened to 100 students?
Choose an outcome to translate the published percentage into a simple 100-person view. Each dot represents one percentage point, not an individual tracked student.
were in work or further study
15 months after graduation
Source: Discover Uni, using Graduate Outcomes and continuation data. Cohorts: 2022-23. Moderate evidence. Published sample: 65; avoid reading small differences as meaningful. Cohort 2022-23. Each tab is a separate published measure; categories can overlap and should not be added together.
Value compared with similar courses
How this course’s 5-year median earnings compare with Law courses at the same study level.
Compared with 1,352 courses with compatible official earnings data. This is a course-value comparison, not a quality ranking.
UK occupations graduates enter
Published graduate destinations, joined conservatively to UK SOC 2020, ONS pay and Skills England demand.
- Administrative occupationsSOC 2020 41 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £27,006
- Business and public service associate professionalsSOC 2020 35 · 10% of published destinations · ASHE median £38,760
Discover Uni JOBLIST/JOBTYPE; ONS ASHE 2025 provisional, all employee jobs; Skills England Occupations in Demand 2025. SOC is shown only for an exact normalised label match; demand is shown only at exact four-digit SOC. Published sample: 355; response rate: 52%. Pay describes the occupation across workers, not a guaranteed graduate salary.
Is BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology worth it?
Weigh it carefully. On these figures graduates of BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology earn close to non-graduate pay, so on cost alone the course is slow to pay off.
Cumulative earnings vs. going straight to work at 18, counting tuition and 4 years of wages given up while studying. The line clears zero around year 22.6. This is a simplified gross-earnings comparison, not a forecast of cash loan repayments.
Model: this course’s own median graduate earnings (Graduate Outcomes / LEO) above the £24,000 non-graduate baseline (ONS), net of £9,790/yr over 4 years (published course home fee). Eligible England-domiciled students can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan; repayments are 9% only on income above the threshold, with anything left written off after 40 years. That makes the cash flow different from conventional commercial debt. Opportunity cost assumes £18,000 gross earnings forgone in each study year; figures are nominal and exclude tax, living costs, investment returns and loan interest. A simplified estimate. Earnings and actual fees vary by graduate, provider, fee status and UK nation.
Job market & outlook
How Law graduates fare in the labour market, and how AI is reshaping the work.
How AI is changing the work
AI doesn't replace the profession, it shifts it: routine tasks get automated, while judgement, working with people and using AI well become more valuable.
What AI takes off your plate
- First-pass document review
- Standard contract drafting
- Legal research summaries
- Routine due diligence
More human than ever
- Advocacy and negotiation
- Judgement on ambiguous facts
- Client trust and ethics
- Strategy in disputes and deals
The strongest graduates pair subject depth with the ability to use AI tools critically.
Roles & employers
Where Law graduates typically go, indicative destinations from graduate career data. Each role links to live openings on the StudySmarter job board.
Roles graduates go into
Where they work
- Law firms
- Barristers' chambers
- In-house legal teams
- Government Legal Service
Jobs after this course
Current roles from the StudySmarter job board that suit Law graduates.
Law Firm Associates of all Practice Areas: Discuss your Overseas Relocation with Duke and Rawson – Australia/Asia/Middle East/Europe/Offshore/UKDuke and RawsonLaw Enforcement Success SpecialistAurorLaw Firm HR & Operations Lead - 12-Month ContractCharalle GroupLaw Firm Finance & Practice Manager, Leadership & OpsMcKinlay LawLaw Internship: Disputes & IBC – In-OfficeCanon SphereLaw Firm Front Desk & Guest Services (Oxford)Owen ReedIs this course right for you?
The essentials UK applicants ask about: finance, outcomes, entry and quality.
Student finance
Published home tuition is £9,790/year for this course. If you normally live in Wales, Student Finance Wales can pay an eligible Tuition Fee Loan directly to the university, and maintenance support is a mix of grant and loan weighted to household income. You repay only above the income threshold.
Where graduates go
84% were in work or further study 15 months after graduating, with a median salary of £28,000. See the full breakdown in Careers & earnings above.
Your entry chances
Use the UCAS points calculator above to see how your predicted grades compare with admitted students, and whether a contextual offer could apply.
Official-data snapshot
Averaging the official measures published for it, this course scores 8.7 out of 10: NSS 87.6% · in work or study 84% · continued 89%.
Who studies here and in this subject?
Provider- and UK subject-level context.
Swansea University
Law across the UK
HESA student record 2024/25. Counts are rounded.
Local crime-data context
A neutral snapshot around the published teaching location.
Around Swansea University - Singleton Campus
370 street-level reports returned within roughly one mile across 2026-04 to 2026-06.
Police.uk street-level API. Approximate locations, not confined to campus. England, Wales and Northern Ireland; not Scotland.
Is Law right for you?
Tick what applies to you and see how good a fit it is.
International students
What applying to Swansea University from outside the UK involves: fees, English, visa, funding and living costs.
Tuition fees
International tuition is £20,050 / year for this course (from the provider’s fee page). You’re not eligible for UK Tuition Fee or Maintenance Loans, so plan for fees plus living costs upfront.
English language
Most UK undergraduate courses ask for around IELTS 6.0–6.5 (no band below 5.5–6.0), or an accepted equivalent. If you’re just short, most universities run a pre-sessional English course that counts towards the requirement.
Student visa
You’ll usually need a Student visa (Student Route). After you accept an offer the university issues a CAS; you then show funds for fees plus about £1,023–£1,334/month living costs and pay the Immigration Health Surcharge for NHS access.
Scholarships & funding
Many universities offer international/global scholarships (often £2,000–£6,000/yr), check Swansea University’s funding pages.
Living costs
Budget roughly £1,100–£1,400/month outside London and £1,400–£1,800/month in London for rent, food and travel; the figure also matters for your visa.
Working while you study
A Student visa usually allows up to 20 hours/week in term time and full-time in holidays, useful alongside study, though not something to rely on for fees.
Visa rules and fees change. Always confirm the current requirements with Swansea University and gov.uk before you apply.
Related courses
More at Swansea University
Common questions
How competitive is entry?
What are the entry requirements?
What do graduates go on to do?
What will it cost me?
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