Criminology and Sociology (R46)

Building on the OU’s reputation for cutting-edge criminological and sociological teaching and research, this joint degree offers you the chance to study lively, topical and sometimes controversial subject matter. You’ll investigate questions of crime, criminalisation and social harm, to determine whether society’s responses to these questions are adequate and appropriate. You’ll also explore how social worlds are made and how we, as individuals, are shaped by the societies in which we live.

Key features of the course

• Explore lively and topical issues about contemporary social life and about crime, harm and criminal justice

• Learn to evaluate evidence critically and understand criminological and sociological problems better

• Examine the role of both theory and research in shaping knowledge about crime, justice and the wider social world

• Explore criminological and sociological topics of your own interest in depth in the final year

Course Modules

This criminology and sociology degree has three stages, each comprising 120 credits.

At Stage 1, you’ll begin with a broad introduction to the social sciences, which will give you a strong grounding in sociological and social scientific ideas and approaches. You'll then be introduced to key concepts in, and approaches to, understanding crime, criminal justice, harm and victimisation.

At Stage 2, you'll choose between exploring ways in which criminology explains problems of crime or investigating how the internet and digital technology are transforming the social world. You'll complete this stage with an introduction to the social research process.

In Stage 3, you’ll explore advanced themes such as state responses to harm, social transformations, or global and environmental challenges. You can follow a taught route, engaging with two specialist modules in criminology and/or sociology, or pursue a research-focused route by completing a dissertation in either discipline. The dissertation route allows you to investigate a topic of your own choosing, assisted by research methods training and academic support.