This course achieved 92% student satisfaction in the most recent National Student Survey.
Why and how do people break the law? How can the criminal justice system define this and how do we police, prosecute and punish people?
This course looks at the motivations and careers of law-breakers and also broader questions of process and policy in criminal justice.
You will attain a strong training in criminology and the theory and methods of applied social science. If you are considering a career in the police, prison service or human rights agencies, it will provide a strong academic base.
Criminology is based in the School of Applied Social Science and can be studied as a joint degree only. It can be combined with: Law (MM91); Philosophy (MV95); Politics (ML92); Sociology (LM39).
Entrance requirements
Year 1
Highers BBBB.
A-levels BBC.
IB Diploma with a total of 32 points.
HNC or HND with Bs in graded units.
Access courses and other UK/EU and international qualifications are also welcomed.
Year 2
A-levels or Advanced Highers ABB to include Sociology.
Scottish HND in Social Sciences to include four units in Sociology with Bs in graded units.
General entry requirements apply.
International students can study our Undergraduate Certificate if they do not possess the necessary entrance requirements to be admitted directly to the first year of an undergraduate degree course.
Other information
If examinations are taken over two sittings, or there are repeats or upgrades, the entrance requirements may be higher.
Required subjects
English Standard Grade (2), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent. Applicants with English Standard Grade (3) will also be considered, although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.
Mathematics Standard Grade (3), Intermediate 2 (C), GCSE (C) or equivalent. Students with no Maths may be considered although alternative entry conditions may be made in this case.
Funding
Modes of study
Full-time (three modules per semester).
Part-time (one or two modules per semester).
Find out more
http://www.stir.ac.uk/social-science
Degree course
You will take Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology modules plus two other modules in Year 1.
Semesters 1 - 4
You are required to take the following core modules:
- Social Differentiation: The effects that differences in gender, age, ethnicity, status and disability have on the way in which people are valued and treated in different societies
- Social Problems: Contemporary social issues and policy responses
- Understanding Social Policy: Historical and theoretical perspectives on welfare; comparative social policy analysis
- The Development of Social Theory: An introduction to classical and contemporary social theory
You will also take Crime and Criminal Justice; Scottish Society and two additional modules in any subject.
Semesters 5 - 8
- Research Process I: Introduction to a range of research methods and a number of issues relating to the exploration of the social world
- Research Process II: You will continue Year 3 core course on the research process and gain a deeper practical and theoretical understanding of research methods in sociology and social policy
You will also select four advanced option modules.
Criminology options currently include:
- Crime, Risk and Modernity
- Crimes of the Powerful
- Punishment and Society
- Criminological Theories in Context
- Gender, Crime and Justice
Sociology and Social Policy options currently include:
- Drugs, Crime and Society
- Poverty, Income and Wealth
- Work, Class and Society
- Urban Society
- Honours Seminar: Doing Social Research: This module develops your ability to synthesise theoretical, methodological and empirical work in Criminology and centres on the process of research. Honours students are required to produce a 10,000 word dissertation in Criminology and take two further advanced modules.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching is conducted in a wide variety of contexts, from the large lecture through to small group work. Assessment is carried out via examinations, essay writing, workshop reports and other forms, such as the final-year dissertation. Final Honours classification is based on work done in Year 3 and Year 4.
Reading list
- Carrabine, E., Iganski, P., Lee, M., Plummer, K and South, N. (2004) Criminology: A sociological introduction. Routledge
- Croall, H. Mooney, G. and Munro, M. (2010) Criminal Justice in Scotland London: Routledge
- Hale, C., Hayward, K., Wahidin, A. and Wincup, E. (2009) Criminology, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- Maguire, M., Morgan, R. and Reiner, R. (2007) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford: Oxford University Press
- McLaughlin, E. and Muncie, J. (2001) Controlling Crime London: Sage
- Muncie, J. and McLaughlin, E. (2001) The Problem of Crime London: Sage
- Newburn, T (2007) Criminology Devon: Willan
Combined degrees
Criminology can be studied with:
| Course | UCAS Code |
|---|
| Law |
MM91 |
| Philosophy |
MV95 |
| Politics |
ML92 |
| Sociology |
LM39 |
(For a Combined Honours degree the higher entrance requirements of the subjects usually apply.)
Related degrees
A very high level of satisfaction in Sociology teaching at Stirling (94%) (National Student Survey, 2011).
There is a very strong practical/applied focus at Stirling. There are strong links between research (notably through research centres such as the Dementia Centre, the Scottish Centre for Crime and Justice Research, Scottish Addiction Studies) and teaching. Lecturers involved in applied social science work on, for example, police practice, dementia, children affected by parental substance use, substance use, development or economic cooperation draw on this research in their teaching.
Students receive tuition in both qualitative and quantitative research methods. This learning is applied in the Year 4 dissertation module.
Year 1 modules aim to bridge the gap between school and university study through coursework assessments which provide students with a trial run before attempting coursework essays.
A mentoring system is also in place for Year 3 students entering Honours.
Study abroad
Rating
Teaching provision in Sociology has been assessed by the Scottish Funding Council and rated as ‘excellent’.
Strengths
Our modules are taught by experts in their various academic fields and are informed by the latest developments in social research. This ensures that our teaching engages with real world issues in a critical and informed manner.
Our students
I have been very fortunate in that I loved my course and it turned out to be everything I hoped for and more, due in part, to the staff of the School of Applied Social Science. The School has a number of teaching staff who are at the forefront of research in their respective fields and who offer a wide range of expertise; they are helpful, approachable and enthusiastic about each student’s learning and I always found it easy to find support.
As a mature student beginning university I was nervous about beginning my course. I needn’t have worried at all as I have made some great new friends. The mix of mature and younger students together with the many international students at Stirling engenders a real sense of community on campus.
When I graduated from Stirling I felt a huge sense of achievement, I had a First Class Honours degree and as an added bonus have made lifelong friends.’
Yvonne Hail BA (Hons) Criminology graduate. Yvonne is currently studying MSc Applied Social Research at Stirling.
Career opportunities
Criminology provides a good academic base if you are considering careers in the police, the prison service, probation, social work, community care and law, regulatory fields such as the factory and tax inspectorates, human rights agencies, charitable foundations and lobby groups.
As well as specific subject-based knowledge, you will graduate with a wide range of experience and skills; in particular, communication skills, self management skills and interpersonal skills. These give graduates a competitive edge with employers across the private, public and voluntary sectors.
