BSc (Hons) Criminology and Sociology Bachelor's degree at Teesside University

Develop academic skills, knowledge and understanding to support successful study within a criminology and sociology higher education learning environment. You learn personal and transferable skills, such as searching for and retrieving information, evaluating evidence, critical thinking, note-taking and summarising, presenting, group work and digital learning.

Study the foundational elements and key questions in sociology and criminology. Explore essential questions related to crime, harm and deviance, gaining wider understanding of society, individuals and institutions.

You study the criminal justice system and a range of agencies and institutions that operate within it. Explore the origins and purposes of the system to understand criminal justice within a broader historical, political, social, and economic context. You examine specific issues related to contemporary criminal justice including probation, prisons, restorative justice, race and gender.

We live in an information age, characterised by media representations and spectacle, surrounded by 24-hour news, social media and advertising. You critically investigate the role played by media in contemporary society, and consider the impact of mass media on our lives. Study how news is created (including fake news), the 'reality' of reality TV and social media. You also consider the impact advertising has on our lives, hegemony, ideology and manipulation, as well the role of media on behaviou

Develop an understanding of employment pathways, opportunities, reflective practice, experiential learning, and social research methods in criminology and sociology, ready for employment. Explore employability issues and skills with our Student Futures team, external professionals and alumni. Gain an understanding of the philosophy of social science, relevant research designs, strategies and methods, equipping you with the knowledge to make reasoned, informed and evaluative decisions in both res

Develop your understanding of the critical perspectives on identities, social policies and institutions within the UK. Demonstrate the impact of debate in society and government legislation on inequalities, communities and individuals. You cover a range of perspectives from neoliberalism to feminism, applying these to case studies and current debates within sociology.

Explore the development, organisation and practice of policing in modern society. You are introduced to key concepts, theories and debates in the sociology of the police. Situating policing within the wider institutional configuration of security and social control, you gain an understanding of how economic, political and ideological factors shape these institutions. Examine a range of historical and comparative issues in police organisation, deployment and practice from a British and comparativ

You study a range of classical and contemporary social theories to understand the development and progression of various theoretical frameworks in their social, cultural and political contexts.

Your dissertation provides the platform to produce a piece of independent research, with academic supervision. Define your own research questions and design, and plan your research to work on over the course of the semester. You choose a desk-based dissertation, an empirical study or a piece of active research which may involve student negotiated collaboration with an organisation (public or third sector). If conducting fieldwork, you are required to gain university ethical approval prior to any

Explore some of the most important contemporary developments in sociology, developing a critical social analysis of issues at the forefront of the discipline. Apply theoretical and conceptual knowledge to inform real-world impact, challenging ideas and understandings of society, institutions, and social policy. Draw upon and integrate material from a number of perspectives, utilising staff expertise to inform topic content including social policy, feminism and migration.

You study the relationship between philosophies of punishment, methods and strategies of penal intervention, including sentencing, imprisonment, community sentences and community supervision. You also explore the ethical conflicts and dilemmas that emerge because of society's response to criminal behaviour. Focusing on the key principles of security, control and justice, you investigate issues of differential treatment, the response and adaptation of prison populations to penal practices and reg

Examine key issues and debates in the field of social movements, collective action and activism. Critically examine societal changes through the lens of social movements, highlighting how changing attitudes and policy are affected by broader socio-economic, political and cultural changes. You draw upon a range of historical and current examples of social movements, linking theory and practice.

The study of drugs and drug use is at an important stage. Changing attitudes and a more relaxed approached to control in some quarters means the way in which drug use is viewed is changing. You are introduced to key issues and debates in the field of drugs use and misuse. Critically examine the changing status of drug use in the past and present, and the various ways that drug use is conceived as problematic for individuals and societies. Explore how changing attitudes and policy towards drug us