BA (Hons) Criminology with Foundation Year Bachelor's degree at York St John University

A broad academic understanding of theories of crime, deviance, and transgression. Drawing on the history of criminological thought from the Enlightenment to the present day, exploring the ideas of classicism, followed by positivistic theories, and an introduction into later critical forms of criminological theory. Think critically about the nature, cause, and treatment of crime.

Criminal and deviant behaviour permeates everyday life. Make criminological sense of regular situations, people, events, encounters, things and practices, and learn to question and investigate the 'taken-for-grantedness' of our everyday lives and encounters.

Basic principles of presenting, evaluating and interpreting data from quantitative and qualitative sources, such as government statistical bulletins and cultural artefacts. Explore a contemporary social issue or news story from a socio-criminological perspective each week, with critical reflection and discussion.

Explore the delivery of justice in England and Wales through examination of the main agencies and processes (prisons, the police, probation, the courts and community justice) involved. Learn to think critically about the nature of criminal justice and injustice, and to identify problems and controversies.

Builds on skills developed around sociological and criminological perspectives, applications to the social world, and practical approaches to understanding and exploring social problems. Learn to deconstruct media representations of social phenomena, drawing on real-world examples and global perspectives, while examining the impact of technological change.

Contemporary sociological and criminological perspectives at a global level. Learn to interpret subjects such as globalisation and neoliberalism. Adopt a global mindset and generate an awareness of international perspectives that support efforts to decolonise the curriculum.

Explore the diverse career pathways available to social sciences graduates, and gain the practical tools needed to navigate your post-degree journey. Critically reflect on skills, aspirations, and experiences, while engaging with real applications of social scientific knowledge. Assess current position, career goals, and disciplinary skills.

Examine and evaluate a range of criminological qualitative methodologies. Study and critically evaluate qualitative research methodologies, and examine the strengths and weaknesses of a range of qualitative research strategies and methods of data collection. Reflect upon ethical issues and be equipped with skills for empirical qualitative dissertation work.

What happens when a crime is reported to the police. Learn about the investigation process, laws and guidelines around the arrest process, how police custody operates in practice. Consider the court process and impact on defendants and court actors. Practical and research led, with in depth focus on police and courts operations.

Study global disasters to learn how society normally functions and how that normal functioning can bring about disaster. Reflect on your own experiences and use these to inform your approach to global disaster. Engage with global disasters as an accident investigator and problem-solver, uncovering underpinning values or structures.

Gain working proficiency in survey research design, accessing and managing secondary quantitative data, and data analysis using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). Learn basic statistics (descriptive and inferential), and write up results from statistical analysis.

Explore the culture of contemporary policing through a series of case studies addressing key issues in modern policing. Insight into the culture of the Police as an organisation, locally and nationally within England and Wales. Consider the roots of cultural awareness, language, misogyny and racial bias, subcultures within policing, and multi agency working.

Learn how police custody operates in practice. Consider detainee rights and entitlements, lengths and grounds for detention, police custody operations (suspect interviewing, suspect charging and remanding in custody) and the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984. Explore impact on detainee welfare and human rights.

Explore structural inequalities and systems of power that shape individual and collective experiences, with a focus on marginalised groups in society. Employ sociological and criminological theory to identify how societies, social control mechanisms, corporations, and the state contribute to isolation, deprivation, and discriminatory experiences.

Explore the world system via the mobilities paradigm – a turn in social sciences thinking that emphasises the importance of movement. Vital for understanding the world and holding it to account for its injustices, inequalities and uneven development.

Apply your knowledge and focus your studies on the topic that interests you most, to produce a substantial piece of research work. Choose an issue of sociological importance and conduct detailed social research as you follow your line of enquiry. Carry out research in a systematic and ethical way, drawing on skills learnt throughout your degree.

Consider the theory, practice, history and culture of imprisonment, as well as the experiences of prison staff and prisoners. Focus on England and Wales with reference to prisons and imprisonment elsewhere. Critique different theoretical debates relating to imprisonment, evaluate challenges the prison system faces and propose possible solutions.