Everything you need to know...
International/EU: £16,655 per year (£1,200 for placement year)
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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 criminology, sociology, social justice and global human rights
- Improve your employability through work placements and international study opportunities.
Gain a comprehensive understanding of criminological and sociological perspectives, on the causes and consequences of crime, the criminal justice system and societal structures. Through this interdisciplinary approach, you'll gain an understanding of human behaviour and societal dynamics. You’ll graduate with a broad foundation for careers in criminal justice, social justice and related sectors.
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
All 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.
Our dedicated staff bring a wealth of practical experience, having worked in various areas of the criminal justice system, such as prisons, probation, and the police. Many are also actively engaged in cutting-edge criminological research, ensuring that your education is current and delivering real-world impact.
You’ll have the opportunity to engage with external partners and practitioners, gaining the contemporary knowledge, skills and attributes you need for a professional career in the criminal justice or social justice sectors. Our goal is to prepare you for further professional training or equivalent pursuits.
You learn through:
- Face-to-face lectures and seminars
- Online lectures and seminars
- Student-led collaborative learning
- Practice-based learning
- Independent research
- Exams and coursework
- Practical exercises
Key Themes
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. You’ll apply this knowledge to real-world challenges, problems, perspectives and experiences – engaging with local, national and international partners.
You'll maximise your career prospects through curriculum-integrated employment opportunities that connect with real-world contexts. These experiences encompass applied projects, work-integrated learning with relevant partners, and student-led impact research or employer-led projects.
To develop as a globally aware and engaged practitioner, you’ll study an integrated international curriculum throughout your degree – primarily through online learning, along with the opportunity to study abroad at one of our partner institutions.
Course Support
You’ll be supported in your learning journey towards highly skilled, graduate level employment through several key areas. These include:
- Access to our unique student support triangle to help with your personal, academic and career development.
- Access to our Skills Centre with one to ones, webinars and online resources, where you can get help with planning and structuring your assignments.
Course leaders and tutors
Applied learning
Your course has been designed to embrace real-world challenges and provide you with the practical skills and knowledge to be successful.
Work Placements
You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a year-long work placement between your second and final 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, Victim Support and Doncaster Prison.
Live Projects
You’ll engage in a range of live projects – working on behalf of real organisations. Previous students projects have included designing materials for hate crime awareness week for South Yorkshire Police, designing educational materials to help young people understand cybercrime on behalf of Victim Support, and researching the experiences of securing housing for those released from prison on behalf on NACRO (the National Association for the Care and Resettlement of Offenders).
Networking Opportunities
Our course benefits from close ties with the Helena Kennedy Centre for International Justice, ensuring a curriculum that addresses ethical and social justice issues related to social inclusion and exclusion. We focus on promoting social access to community resources, particularly for vulnerable groups.
We collaborate with employers and key stakeholders to provide you with opportunities to make a positive impact on critical community issues. This may involve working with organisations focused on young people, criminal justice, community justice, substance misuse, women's services, housing, victim services, and more – both locally and globally. Previously we’ve taken students to South Africa and Lesotho on a human rights and social justice trip.
Future careers
This course prepares you for a career in:
- Citizens advice work
- Community liaison work
- Drug and alcohol services
- Police services
- Prison services
- Probation services
- Social work
- Social research (academic, government, charity)
- Victim support work
- Youth work
Previous graduates of this course have gone on to work for:
- Housing and social care professions and sectors
- Local and regional councils
- Police services
- Sheffield Drug/Alcohol Domestic Abuse Coordination Team (DACT)
- Sheffield Hallam University
- The Magistrates Court
- The Ministry of Justice
Where will I study?
You study at Collegiate Campus through a structured mix of lectures, seminars and practical sessions as well as access to digital and online resources to support your learning.
Collegiate campus
Collegiate Campus can be found just off Ecclesall Road, a bustling student district.
Collegiate Campus map | Campus facilities
Collegiate library
Collegiate Library can be found just off Ecclesall Road. It's open 24 hours a day, every day.
Learn moreEquipment and facilities
Most of our teaching is conducted in dedicated lecture studios, small teaching rooms and computer labs.
You’ll work with:
- Innovative digital teaching and learning platforms and apps
- Specialist software
- Data analysis packages
- Data collection tools
We’ve invested over £100 million in new facilities to help you study how and when you want. This means 24-hour libraries and study spaces designed by our students.
Entry requirements
All students
UCAS points
- 64
This must include at least 32 points from one A level or equivalent BTEC National qualifications excluding general studies 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 and EPQ.
You can find information on making sense of UCAS tariff points here and use the UCAS tariff calculator to work out your points.
GCSE
- English Language at grade C or 4 or equivalent
- Maths at grade C or 4 or equivalent
• 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.
If English is not your first language, you will need an IELTS score of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in all skills, or equivalent. If your English language skill is currently below IELTS 6.0 we recommend you consider a Sheffield Hallam University Pre-sessional English course which will enable you to achieve an equivalent English score.
Additional information for EU/International students
If you are an International or non-UK European student, you can find out more about the country specific qualifications we accept on our international qualifications page.
For details of English language entry requirements (IELTS), please see the information for 'All students'.
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
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: The Exploration Of Law, Crime, Justice And Society | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Social Justice In Action | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: The Practice Of Law And Policing | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 2
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Contesting Crime And Deviance | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Researching Crime, Deviance And Marginalisation | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 3
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Investigating Crime Deviance And Marginalisation | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Professional Practice On Placement | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Real World Practice | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Year 4
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: Placement Year | Credits: - |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Final year
| Module | Credits | Assessment |
|---|---|---|
| Module: 21St Century Security Threats: Crime, Crisis Or Tragedy | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Comparative Criminal Justice | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Controversies Of Policing | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Crime, Harm And Social Justice | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Drugs, Crime And Society | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Education, Health And Disability | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Families, Age, And Relationships | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Gender, Power And The State | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Gender, Sexuality, And Culture | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Pathways To Change | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Punishment And Practice In Context | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
| Module: Real World Project | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework Practical |
| Module: Real World Research | Credits: 60 |
Assessment:
Coursework Practical |
| Module: Sex, Gender And Violence | Credits: 20 |
Assessment:
Coursework |
Fees and funding
Home students
Our tuition fees for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2024/2025 are regulated by the UK government and are yet to be confirmed. For an indication, our tuition fee for UK students starting full-time undergraduate study in 2023/2024 is £9,250 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
If you are studying an undergraduate course, postgraduate pre-registration course or postgraduate research course over more than one academic year then your tuition fees may increase in subsequent years in line with Government regulations or UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) published fees. More information can be found in our terms and conditions under student fees regulations.
International students
Our tuition fee for International/EU students starting full-time study in 2024/25 is £16,655 per year. During your placement year you will pay a reduced fee of £1,200.
Financial support for home/EU students
How tuition fees work, student loans and other financial support available.
Additional course costs
This link allows you to view estimated costs associated with the main activities on specific courses. These are estimates and, as such, are only an indication of additional course costs. Actual costs can vary greatly depending on the choices you make during your course.
Additional costs for Criminology courses (PDF, 215.3KB)Legal information
Any offer of a place to study is subject to your acceptance of the University’s Terms and Conditions and Student Regulations.
