BSc Social Policy with Criminology (LM49)
2025 entry | view 2026 entry
Course summary
Social Policy provides an exciting opportunity to critically analyse contemporary social issues related to human wellbeing, inequality, disadvantage and crime. You will explore real-world challenges in a global context, drawing on social, political, public policy and economic theories.
This course allows you to add a specialism in the study of Criminology to the Social Policy degree. It explores the nature, extent and causes of crime, justice, social harm and deviance in national and international contexts, as well as examining the policy responses to them within a broader conceptual and theoretical framework of social policy and related social sciences subjects.
Social Policy at Bristol addresses some of the key questions of our time. What should we do about inequality? Why does poverty persist? What can be done about the climate crisis? How can citizens engage with policy? Adding Criminology extends this to questions such as: what are the serious crimes and other social harms that people experience? Why do they occur? How effective are criminal justice systems, policymakers and governments in tackling and responding to crimes and social harms?
Course structure
Your first year introduces key concepts and ideologies and familiarises you with theoretical, comparative and historical analyses. It also develops your research and critical thinking skills as a social scientist. Taking the Social Policy with Criminology course means that this will include an introduction to theoretical and conceptual debates about the meaning and existence of crime, harm and deviance in contemporary society, the way that crime is understood and represented, and the range of responses to various crimes.
Your second and third years allow you to explore your interests in greater depth through a wide range of optional units which focus on contemporary, real-world social and political issues. You may also choose a work placement unit in the second year, providing the opportunity to gain employment-related skills and experience in an organisation connected to your studies.
The final-year dissertation is an opportunity to choose a topic for in-depth investigation and independent work.
Entry requirements
We accept a wide variety of qualifications and welcome applications from students of all backgrounds. Below is a guide to the typical offers for this course.
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Selection process
- Regulations and codes of conduct we abide by to create a positive environment for learning and achievement are found in the University admissions policies and procedures.
- If applying with extenuating circumstances please see our policy.
- Full information about our selection processes for Social Policy with Criminology can be found in the Admissions Statement:
Admissions statement