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Criminology with Foundation Year

Entry requirements


Access to HE Diploma

M:15

Access to HE Diploma from a QAA recognised Access to HE course. Normally we require 15 credits at level 2 and 45 at level 3. At least 15 level 3 credits must be at merit grade or above from a QAA-recognised Access to HE course, or an equivalent Access to HE certificate.

GCSE/National 4/National 5

English Language at grade C or 4 or equivalent Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalent

UCAS Tariff

64

This must include at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications. For example: CC at A Level MPP in BTEC Extended Diploma. Pass overall from a T level qualification with D or E from core. A combination of qualifications, which may include AS levels, EPQ and general studies.

About this course


This course has alternative study modes. Contact the university to find out how the information below might vary.

Course option

4years

Full-time including foundation year | 2024

Other options

5 years | Sandwich including foundation year | 2024

Subject

Criminology

**Please check the Sheffield Hallam University website for the latest information.**

**This course is moving into one of our new buildings at City campus. Teaching will mainly be delivered at our Collegiate campus until December 2024 while we get our new facilities ready. From January 2025 you will study in brand new facilities at City campus.**

**Course summary**
- Experience award-winning teaching recognised by the British Society of Criminology.

- Gain experience at the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice.

- Develop expertise in social justice, global human rights and criminal justice.

- Engage in ethical and social justice issues, driving positive social change and inclusivity.

Study theoretical, conceptual and practical applications of criminology in the real world, including how climate change relates to criminal behaviour and social justice. Engage in pioneering research in topics like prison reform and green criminology, exploring key debates around how to define, explain and respond to criminality – all preparing you for criminal and social justice roles.

If you don't meet the entry requirements for this course, or you’d like extra preparation before starting degree-level study, we recommend you join the foundation year.

**How you learn**
Our courses are designed around a set of key principles based on engaging you with the world, collaborating with others, challenging you to think in new ways, and providing you with a supportive environment in which you can thrive.

Many of our criminology experts come from professional practice, including prisons, probation and the police. Others are actively involved in current criminological research, providing you with contemporary research-led teaching and delivering real-world impact.

You’ll also engage with external partners and practitioners, gaining the contemporary knowledge, skills and attributes you’ll need for a professional career in the criminal justice or social justice sector. Our goal is to prepare you for further professional training or equivalent pursuits.

You’ll focus on key foundational areas such as the criminal justice system, human rights and values, and social science research methods. Through these you’ll build specialist knowledge of the causes and consequences of crime and deviance within a social, political and international context.

Our course is closely linked to the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice. Our teaching directly addresses ethical and social justice issues concerning the inclusion and exclusion of various vulnerable groups – with an emphasis on promoting access to community resources.

Our curriculum integrates various opportunities for applied learning, drawing upon real-world sector contexts. You'll participate in an applied project to enhance your practical skills. These include student placement modules and activities with criminal justice and third sector agencies – as well as project work with external agencies, simulation modules, and voluntary work through our employability fair.

**Applied learning**
Your course has been designed to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful within your chosen sector.

**Work Placements**
You’ll have the opportunity to arrange a year-long work placement in between your second and third years. This gives you valuable work experience to prepare you for your future career – and allows you to graduate with an Applied Professional Diploma to add to your CV.

Previous students have completed placements for companies and organisations such as the Community Rehabilitation Company, HMP Doncaster, Independent Domestic Abuse Service and Victim Support.

**International Opportunities**
As our curriculum incorporates international perspectives throughout your degree, you'll develop into a globally aware and engaged practitioner.

Modules

Module and assessment information for future years is displayed as currently validated and may be liable to change. When selecting electives, your choices will be subject to the core requirements of the course. As a result, selections may be limited to a choice between one of two or more specified electives in some instances.

You will be able to complete a placement year as part of this course. See the modules table below for further information.

**Year 1**

**Compulsory modules**

The Exploration Of Law, Crime, Justice And Society

**Elective modules**

Social Justice In Action
The Practice Of Law And Policing

**Year 2**

**Compulsory modules**

Contemporary Criminological Foundations
Contemporary Criminological Practice

**Year 3**

**Compulsory modules**

Understanding And Researching Crime And Social Harm

**Elective modules**

Professional Practice On Placement
Real World Practice

**Year 4**

**Optional modules**

Placement Year

**Final year**

**Elective modules**

21St Century Security Threats: Crime, Crisis Or Tragedy
Comparative Criminal Justice
Controversies Of Policing
Crime, Harm And Social Justice
Gender, Power And The State
Pathways To Change
Punishment And Practice In Context
Real World Project
Real World Research
Sex, Gender And Violence

Assessment methods

Coursework, Practical

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,250
per year
England
£9,250
per year
EU
£16,655
per year
International
£16,655
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,250
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,250
per year
Scotland
£9,250
per year
Wales
£9,250
per year

Extra funding

Scholarships, discounts and bursaries may be available to students who study this course.

The Uni


Course location:

Sheffield Hallam University

Department:

College of Social Sciences and Arts

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

81%
Criminology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Sociology

Teaching and learning

80%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
83%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
78%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

75%
Library resources
89%
IT resources
82%
Course specific equipment and facilities
67%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

100%
UK students
0%
International students
21%
Male students
79%
Female students
80%
2:1 or above
9%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
C
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Sociology

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
94%
med
Employed or in further education
17%
low
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

14%
Other elementary services occupations
14%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
9%
Customer service occupations

We have quite a lot of sociology graduates, although numbers fell last year. But graduates still do pretty well. Most sociology graduates go straight into work when they complete their degrees, and a lot of graduates go into jobs in social professions such as recruitment, education, community and youth work, and housing. An important option for a sociology graduate is social work - and we're short of people willing to take this challenging but rewarding career. Sociology is a flexible degree and you can find graduates from the subject in pretty much every reasonable job — obviously, you don't find many doctors or engineers, but you do find them in finance, the media, healthcare, marketing and even IT. Sociology graduates taking further study often branch out into other qualifications, like teaching, law, psychology, HR and even maths, so don’t think a sociology degree restricts you to just one set of options.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Sociology

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£18k

£18k

£22k

£22k

£24k

£24k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
Coventry University | Coventry
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BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 112
Lower entry requirements
Bristol, University of the West of England | Bristol
Criminology and Law (with Foundation Year)
BA (Hons) 4 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 48
Nearby University
University of Lincoln | Lincoln
Criminology
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 112
Same University
Sheffield Hallam University | Sheffield
Criminology
BA (Hons) 3 Years Full-time including foundation year 2024
UCAS Points: 112

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here