Criminology
Durham University
UCAS Code: L370 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Durham University
UCAS Code: L370 | Bachelor of Arts (with Honours) - BA (Hons)
Entry requirements
A level
Specific subjects excluded for entry: Critical Thinking and General Studies.
Access to HE Diploma
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
To include 6, 6, 5 from Higher Level subjects
Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)
OCR Cambridge Technical Extended Diploma
Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Other BTEC level 3 qualifications are also accepted in combination with each other or with other qualifications. See our website for more information on our BTEC qualification equivalencies.
Scottish Advanced Higher
Scottish Higher
We normally make offers based on Advanced Highers. If you’ve not been able to take three Advanced Highers, then we’ll consider a combination of Advanced Highers and Highers, or just Highers (if your school doesn’t offer Advanced Highers at all).
T levels will be considered on a case-by-case basis where the subject area aligns with the course applied to. Please note that additional A levels or equivalent may be required to study certain courses. If you’re interested in applying, then please Ask Us and we’ll see if we’re able to consider this for you: www.durham.ac.uk/study/ask-us/
UCAS Tariff
We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.
About this course
**Course details**
Criminology aims to understand crime and deviance from a social perspective, exploring how crime and society are connected. We seek to answer questions like: why are some people more likely to commit crimes than others; why are some people more likely to be victimised; how can crime be effectively prevented or controlled; and so on.
From a more critical perspective we also consider why some activities are defined as ‘criminal’ in the first place and what this tells us about the workings of power and authority in society.
As a Criminology student, you will join a dynamic learning and research community, which includes internationally recognised experts actively engaged in shaping criminal justice policy. Our degree will challenge your opinions and develop your critical understanding, both about crime as well as the social and politics contexts within which it occurs.
**Why Durham University?**
**Criminology**
As a Criminology student at Durham you will learn to accept nothing at face value. Our courses are designed to shape students into critical, curious social scientists who seek out evidence as they get to grips with the complex causes of crime and the impact of crime on society.
**Sociology**
The field of Sociology helps us to understand the ways in which human behaviour is shaped by the way we think, feel and respond to different social settings.
Sociology at Durham will help you develop a deeper understanding of yourself, others and the world around you.
The Department of Sociology, a dynamic learning and research community of students and staff. We take a research-led approach to learning which means that courses are informed by subject specialists who contribute to shaping society through their innovative, socially conscious research.
**Rankings**
**4th** in The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide 2025
**4th** in The Guardian University Guide 2025
**Career Opportunities**
**Criminology**
As well as building detailed subject-specific knowledge of criminological issues, our courses are designed to develop transferable skills that are valuable for both personal and professional development including, how to assemble and evaluate evidence, how to turn evidence into an effective argument, how to design a research project and analyse data.
Our graduates work in a wide range of employment settings worldwide, including the criminal justice system, the Civil Service, local and national government, banking, academic research and law (through graduate conversion programmes).
**Sociology**
The combination of sociological knowledge and transferable skills gained during your studies will prepare you for a career in many different sectors.
Sociology graduates work in a wide range of settings all over the world, including health and welfare, local and central government and the Civil Service, education, the police, social research, the media and non-profit organisations.
Modules
For current information please scroll to the bottom of the page for Provider Information and select Visit our Course Page under Course Contact Details.
Assessment methods
Assessment is largely coursework-based, with work such as essays, reports, portfolios, reflections and presentations accounting for approximately 80% of your final grade.
Assessments aim to assess your knowledge and understanding in an authentic manner, as well as helping you develop your skills in critical thinking, analysis and communication.
There are also regular opportunities for practice and feedback, for example: practice essays; essay plans; one-to-one and group tutorials; and so on.
There are also regular opportunities for practice and feedback, for example: practice essays; essay plans; one-to-one and group tutorials; and so on.
In addition to the help provided by your subject lecturers, you can also access extensive support for your assessments through ASC, the Academic Skills Centre. See below for details: https://www.durham.ac.uk/departments/centres/academic-skills-centre/
Extra funding
Durham University offers a range of scholarship opportunities to academically well-qualified and highly motivated students. For further details, including deadlines for application, please visit: https://www.durham.ac.uk/study/scholarships/
The Uni
Durham City
School of Applied Social Sciences
What students say
We've crunched the numbers to see if the overall teaching satisfaction score here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.
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
Assessment and feedback
Resources and organisation
Student voice
Who studies this subject and how do they get on?
Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)
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.
Top job areas of graduates
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.
£25k
£30k
£30k
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.
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Teaching Excellence Framework (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.
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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.
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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
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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?
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