This module introduces you to the scholarship in criminological theory and the sociology of deviance from the nineteenth century to the present.

A unifying theme is the relationship between the problem of social order and strategies of social control as this has been conceived since the late nineteenth century. You will learn about the social and political context from which these various theories have emerged as well as their place within the intellectual development of Criminology.

Preparing you for independent research, this module will guide you through the process of developing sociological research questions, selecting appropriate methodologies and considering ethical and practical challenges.

You will explore different research designs, from case studies and comparative analysis to trend studies and mixed-method approaches. Through practical workshops, you will refine your ability to justify methodological choices and align them with research aims.

Following on from Research in Action, this module is distinct in its focus on the conceptual and strategic aspects of research design, rather than specific data collection techniques. It will provide you with the necessary skills and confidence to undertake your Independent Research Project at Level 6, ensuring you are well-equipped to conduct original sociological inquiry.

Introducing you to a diverse range of theoretical perspectives from around the world, this module will analyse how different social theories help us understand the emergence and transformation of our societies.

Through exploring these theories’ historical contexts and contemporary relevance, you will engage with key debates on topics such as capitalism, class, colonialism, globalisation and social reproduction and examine how these issues are theorised across different intellectual traditions.

Encouraging you to think critically about the connections between theories and the contexts in which they develop, you will foster a global and comparative approach to sociological thought.

Through close reading and discussion, you will develop skills in analysing, comparing and applying social theories to contemporary social issues. You will also gain a strong foundation in social theory and the ability to critically engage with the ideas that shape our understanding of the modern world.

Equipping you with essential research skills to explore pressing social questions, this module will dive into how sociologists investigate the world around us.

You will learn a range of methods, from qualitative approaches like interviews, ethnography and discourse analysis to quantitative techniques such as survey analysis and social statistics. Through hands-on exercises, you will develop your ability to collect, analyse and interpret data. The module allows you to deepen your understanding of specific methods while working independently and in groups, supported by expert guidance.

Whether designing a research project, writing a dissertation, or producing policy reports, this module provides the practical foundations and essential research skills needed to conduct rigorous and impactful sociological research.

Study a range of contemporary crime problems. You will explore academic, policy and popular understandings and representations of criminal activities within their historical, socio- economic and cultural contexts. You’ll be encouraged to critically analyse the process of criminalization and criminal justice responses.

Specialist areas of criminological debate within the field may include:

• Cultural criminology
• The criminology of everyday life and the relationship between crime
• Pleasure and transgression

Explore a range of topics and perspectives related to Contemporary?Issues in Policing. This module will cover three key core areas:

• The role of the police in a contemporary and historical?context
• Key policing concepts
• Contemporary issues related to policing in the UK

You will develop an understanding of contemporary issues in policing in the UK and critically consider the role of police officers within the criminal justice system. You’ll gain a critical understanding of key policing concepts such as police power, accountability and ‘cop culture’ and interpret theories in the context of policing.

Through critical analysis of films, television shows, literature, podcasts and social media, you will explore intersections of crime, deviance and popular culture, focusing on how crime is represented in entertainment and can be consumed for pleasure. You will examine how the portrayal of criminal acts, law enforcement and justice shape societal understandings of these issues.

You’ll consider the role entertainment plays in reinforcing or challenging dominant narratives surrounding crime and examine how popular culture serves as both a mirror to societal anxieties and a mechanism for cultural influence. You will critically engage with the concept of deviance, questioning how popular culture either reinforces or disrupts accepted social norms. Through a combination of theoretical readings, media analysis and case studies, you will analyse entertainment as a site of both reproduction and resistance to dominant discourses.

Not all professional contexts are the same – and within any organisation there are diverse people with varied backgrounds. This module focuses on enhancing your intercultural competency and cultural awareness, with a particular emphasis on ‘place-based’ learning. Considering the cultural dynamics of the North West of England and the broader UK helps us reflect upon intercultural dynamics in very different locations.

Through analysis, discussion and self-reflection you will strengthen your ability to navigate diverse workplace settings and enhance your employability in today’s interconnected world.

Explore the ways digitalisation, global interconnectivity, the reliance on smart-devices and the recent developments in Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence are transforming crime and criminality.

As a result of significant technological developments in the last few decades, todays and tomorrow’s world is shaped by the use of digital, connected and smart devices in every sphere of life, including work, learning, business, communication, entertainment, healthcare, socialisation and research. The embeddedness of these devices in everyday life brings about not only positive effects but also opportunities for malicious activity leading to great harm to people, vulnerable groups, businesses and states.

You will discuss key concepts, debates and examples from the field of cybercrime, as well as methods used to commit and to defend against cyber offences. Topics to explore include:

• Online fraud
• Sexual exploitation
• Cyberwarfare
• Cryptomarkets and cryptocurrencies
• Hacktivism
• (End-to-end) encryption
• Hacking, malware and phishing

Hone a strong sense of purpose and gain the satisfaction of applying your skills and knowledge to a community, charity or student-led initiative.

Your challenge will be to take responsibility for arranging and completing a voluntary or fundraising activity—locally, virtually or during vacation periods at home. You will need to show that you have made a positive difference through this activity.

In class, you will be asked to reflect on this experience and explore the wider social impact of the work. In doing so you will build your confidence in your ability to contribute meaningfully to society through your future personal and professional path.

The landscape of financial crime has dramatically shifted in recent decades, becoming a pervasive threat to economies worldwide and legal systems are constantly challenged to adapt. In this module you will delve into the core aspects of this complex field, specifically: fraud, money laundering, terrorism financing and the increasingly intertwined relationship between financial crime and cybercrime, where technological advancements often outstrip regulatory capabilities.

You will analyse how these crimes operate, including where appropriate, the implications of technology - cryptocurrencies, ransomware, dark web on these crimes - emphasising the inherent difficulties in effective legal enforcement.

In this module, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of the limitations of global and domestic regulatory frameworks, engage in critical analysis of leading cases and statute. You’ll acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the challenges of financial crime prevention and detection, while acknowledging the ongoing struggle of law to effectively regulate these activities.

You are invited to collaborate in an interdisciplinary team with other students as you explore major global challenges such as climate change, inequality or emerging technologies.

Throughout the module you will examine how the humanities, arts and social sciences contribute to understanding and addressing complex issues. Classroom discussions and activities focus on the process of identifying problems and considering innovative, ethical responses, while helping you to consider and articulate the relevance of this work to your personal and professional development.

Learn and work with different data sources related to crime and criminal justice, as this module explores data from police-recorded crime, Crime Survey for England and Wales to criminal justice statistics from the courts.

You will ask important questions such as:

• How can we predict future offending behaviour?
• How do we evaluate crime reduction programmes?
• How can we know about the true extent of crime?
• Are official data sources valid and reliable in informing crime-related policy?

By the end of the module, you will have all the answers to these questions.

You will develop highly valuable skills in data-handling and analysis during the computer workshops. This module does not require any previous knowledge of maths or statistics. All you need is the willingness to learn and continuous practice.

Despite widespread beliefs in social progress, racial inequalities and racism persist across the globe. This module equips you with the tools to critically examine race and racism from a sociological perspective, exploring their historical foundations and contemporary manifestations.

You will engage with key theoretical approaches and empirical case studies to understand how racism operates at individual, institutional and structural levels. Topics may include colonialism and imperialism, everyday racism, whiteness and racial capitalism, as well as the politics of resistance and anti-racist movements. The module may also address forms of racism such as Islamophobia, anti-Blackness, misogynoir, anti-Semitism and xenophobia, considering how they intersect with other social inequalities.

By the end of the module, you will have developed a critical understanding of race and racism as central to the organisation of social life and will be equipped to analyse and challenge racial inequalities in various contexts.

Explore how ideas can be developed into real-world projects with lasting value. Through hands-on collaboration and problem-solving, you will develop innovative projects, learn how to bring ideas to life and explore ways to sustain them.

Whether you are working in a team or individually, you will be encouraged to experiment with different approaches to making a difference in artistic, cultural, social and community spaces.

Explore gender through a transnational and decolonial approach, as this module examines its intersections with race, class, nationality, sexuality, disability, religion and the environment.

You will analyse historical and contemporary examples from around the world, engaging with key debates that shape feminist research and activism. Drawing on diverse feminist perspectives, including Black, Indigenous and queer critiques, the module will challenge you to think critically about complex topics such as:

• Sex work
• Sexual violence
• Islamophobia
• Transgender rights
• Reproductive justice
• Ecofeminism
• Migration

The course also brings these perspectives and positions to bear on what it means design, conduct and reflect the researcher’s positionality in the processes and practices of qualitative research. Through these activities, you will explore how feminist theories connect with lived experiences and shape struggles for social justice.

The future of state-funded welfare is one of the most pressing social questions of our time. This module explores the history, purpose and politics of welfare states, examining what social welfare is, who it is for and how it should be funded and delivered.

You will consider the social and political debates that have shaped social welfare and trace their development over time. Topics covered may include education, health, housing, social security and unemployment. You will explore how welfare systems are funded, managed and organised and analyse the impact of social welfare cuts on poverty and social inequality.

The module also examines the moral and political tensions within welfare debates, such as distinctions between ‘deserving’ and ‘undeserving’ recipients. Engaging with diverse sources—including academic texts, policy reports, and media—you will develop critical insights into the past, present and future of welfare provision.

In this module you will focus on the criminal justice response to children in conflict with the law.

The prevalence and nature of youth crime has been a persistent concern for society and is regularly subject to media and political debate. You will examine trends in youth justice policy as well as various possible responses to offending behaviour. You’ll focus particularly on the tension between conceptualising individuals as 'children in trouble' or 'children in need' and an explore how this shapes youth justice policy and practice.

Whilst the current focus on ‘child-first’ youth justice highlights the need to remove the label of ‘offender’, you will examine how far a ‘child-first’ approach is applied equally to all children. You will undertake a critical exploration of why some children continue to be stubbornly over-represented in the youth justice system and what efforts at diversion and decriminalisation might look like.

Take an advanced look at how sociologists use paradigms, theories and concepts, as this module takes a deep dive into every stage of research.

Each week, you will explore a contemporary sociological study to see how key theoretical ideas shape research—from selecting topics and framing questions to choosing methods, interpreting data and influencing change. You will engage with a range of social theories, critically examining how they inform methodological strategies, site selection, sampling and the dissemination of research.

Running in parallel with your Independent Research Project, this module supports you in refining your conceptual approach and applying theoretical insights to your own work. By the end of the module, you will have developed a deeper understanding of the role of theory in sociological research and gained the confidence to use complex sociological ideas to shape and strengthen your own projects.

Learn about forms and methods of punishment today and historically and consider the place of prisons within this wider context. You’ll explore key theories and perspectives around the justification and limitations of past and present practices as you examine the shift to a prison industrial complex.

You will learn to ask key questions such as:

• What constitutes ‘punishment’?
• How have prisons evolved, and what perspectives have influenced carceral projects nationally and internationally?
• Who is most likely to be punished or imprisoned?

You will also question who is most likely to be subject to punishment or imprisonment and how this relates to wider social inequalities and demographic experiences of social control.

Throughout the module you will critically consider the role of reformative approaches to punishment as well as abolitionist perspectives on prisons and restorative and community alternatives to punitive punishment.

What happens when radically different forms of art meet? How do these fused forms change our understanding of the world? We will draw on material from different periods and continents, to explore works of art where, for example, film meets history, poetry meets philosophy, fine art meets sociology, religion meets fiction, and theatre meets politics.

How might we engage with the implications of environmental transformation locally, nationally and globally? Where do we have agency and capacity to intervene?

This module brings together a range of perspectives—historical, political, philosophical and cultural—to explore the nature and severity of the effects of the climate crisis on our world.

The aim of this module is to introduce you to the range of links between crime, ‘deviance’ and the media. You will unpack the ‘common sense’ view of the world and discover how the media constructs knowledge and ‘facts’ about criminality, that we may take for granted in our everyday lives.

You’ll consider ‘the media' as a tool of the state that enables certain political messages about particular social groups to be communicated, forming public opinion.

You will also explore how we come to think about particular individuals or groups as deviant and non-deviants and understand the media’s role in this process. As well as considering representations of crime, you will engage with ideas about the use of media in crime and criminal justice contexts.

Gain an introduction to fundamental environmental criminological theories such as rational choice, routine activity and crime pattern theories to explain how crime clusters in certain spaces and at certain times. This module is one of the most applied modules that you will do as part of your Criminology degree.

You will acquire practical skills that police forces and crime analysts use to better understand these spatial and temporal crime patterns. Delving into GIS crime mapping, you’ll discover how to produce thematic maps and conduct spatial point pattern analysis as well as hotspot analysis.

You will also learn how to conduct time series analysis for crime forecasting and how to develop crime scripts. By studying how police forces apply these theories and how designers create products against crime, you’ll acquire a better understanding of crime prevention through environmental design.

What if you were more likely to be harmed by states and corporations than by terrorists and serial killers? And what if they mostly got away with it? This module unpacks the harms of powerful social elites, states and corporations to think beyond a 'crime' lens and instead explore harms which often go under the radar of research or media. It will consider financial harm and white-collar crime, corruption, states of exception, ecocide and state violence.

You will be introduced to some key theoretical debates and empirical material relating to the crimes of the powerful. You’ll become familiar with the key concepts in this area of study as well as being able to recognize and evaluate some of the complex moral, policy and legal issues associated with white-collar crime, corporate crime and state crime.

In this module you will research a criminological topic of your choice in much greater depth than you have previously.

The module is worth 40 credits, which is the equivalent of two optional taught modules. You are encouraged to undertake your own empirical research, using the methods and techniques you have learned in your second year to generate new evidence. There is also the scope to undertake a desk-based research project if you prefer. The dissertation will span the entire final year of study, but planning will start earlier in the previous academic year.

You will work independently on your project but will be supported by a Criminology academic working in the related field. Academic supervisors will oversee the entirety of your project and advise you on all aspects of it.

You’ll produce a dissertation proposal towards the end of your second year, apply for ethical approval to conduct your research early in your final year and finally, submit your dissertation, which will consist of a series of relevant chapters that collectively address a relevant research question.

Engage with current academic debates on illegal drugs including the emergence of novel psychoactive substances (NPS). Together we will explore illegal drug use, supply, trafficking and manufacture in both local, national and international contexts.

You will develop a critical understanding of key criminological and sociological perspectives on illegal drugs and analyse past, present and emergent trends in drug use. You’ll explore academic policy and popular representations of drugs and drug users within a range of historical, socio-economic and cultural contexts.

You will be taught through a combination of lectures, seminar discussions, independently directed critical reading for seminars, films, documentaries and video clips, and selective internet research.

Current environmental crises demand urgent sociological attention. This module explores key sociological theories and methods for understanding environmental change, justice and sustainability. You will examine how social structures, cultural practices and economic systems shape environmental problems—and how they might be transformed to create more just and sustainable futures.

• Topics may include:
• The changing relationships between humans and animals
• The sociological study of consumption and waste
• The social lives of objects
• How climate change exacerbates inequalities
• How communities respond to environmental disasters like storms and floods

Throughout the module, you will critically engage with real-world cases and develop your own sociological manifesto for environmental change. By the end, you will have the tools to analyse environmental challenges from a sociological perspective and to contribute to debates on sustainability and social transformation.

What does it mean to imagine a world without borders? Using materials typically derived from case studies, reports, archives, film, television and literature, this module foregrounds interdisciplinary approaches.

You will be encouraged to develop your understanding of migration and displacement, and to envision alternative global migration futures in ways that can impact future policy, political and societal perspectives.

Engage with the often-neglected, marginalised and overlooked needs of women within the fields of Criminology and Criminal Justice. This module explores how harm and injustice may occur in various ways and at various intersections, as well as the often-blurred boundaries between victimisation and criminalisation. Yet there is also a focus on power, protest and resistance and how this might play out in different contexts.

Indicative topics and perspectives related include:

• Women, crime and poverty in an age of austerity
• Domestic violence as a pathway to offending and
• The experiences of Black and minoritized women
• Women in the global south

You will engage with a range of sources that seek to decolonise ‘official’ versions of crime and justice and that encourage learning from lived experience.

How do we learn about crime and criminals? Discover the methods criminologists use to study crime and the criminal justice system, moving beyond everyday assumptions and media portrayals.

You’ll investigate research processes in criminology, exploring how scholars gather, interpret and analyse data and critically examining the politics and ethics of criminological research. You will consider the relationship between theory and research developing your understanding from basic concepts to practical application.

The module covers essential steps such as formulating research questions, conducting literature reviews, designing studies and analysing findings. You’ll develop the skills to think like a criminologist and be prepared for deeper engagement with the research field as you progress with your study of criminology.

Is there such a thing as a ‘hate crime’? Not according to the stance wholeheartedly adopted by the criminal justice system in the United Kingdom within the last two decades. In this module you will study a range of perspectives.

You will examine the notion that hate crime is socially constructed by a range of social actors, such as perpetrators, victims and police officers. In an interactive process, you will define whether an interaction is a hate crime or not.

You will consider the role of legal and academic definitions used to decide if something is a hate crime. You’ll explore these by placing them in an international context.

How are health and illness shaped by society? This module explores sociological perspectives on health, illness and healthcare, focusing on how social structures and inequalities influence health outcomes.

You will engage with key debates on medicalisation, health inequalities, mental health and the politics of healthcare provision, considering how forms of social organisation shape access to care and the experience of illness. The module also examines how health is central to social reproduction—the processes that sustain daily life and future generations—including the role of care work, reproductive labour and biopolitics.

Drawing on contemporary and historical examples, you will critically analyse how power operates in medicine, how bodies are regulated and categorised and how definitions of ‘normal’ and ‘pathological’ are socially constructed. By the end of the module, you will be equipped to analyse health and medicine as deeply embedded in wider social and political contexts.

Migration is a mainstay of public and political debate. This module offers students an opportunity to apply key sociological theories and concepts to the study of migration and to develop the critical and analytical skills needed to understand and evaluate it as a distinctly social phenomenon.

Focusing on the relationships between migration, inequalities and societies today, the module explores sociological understandings of why people migrate, migrant experiences and the impacts of migration on both sending and receiving communities. It explores the strengths and limits of the key theoretical approaches and conceptual frameworks within the sociology of migration including:

• Transnationalism and diaspora
• Coloniality
• Criminalisation and securitisation
• Politicisation
• Bordering and migratisation

Through a range of empirical case studies, it demonstrates what these approaches reveal about inequalities, identity and belonging, migrant networks, rights, racism and harms.

What are the possibilities and pitfalls of community and citizen action, voice and agency? This module uses interdisciplinary case-studies to critically examine collaboration with communities.

You will participate in activities such as a mock citizens' assembly, visit local community groups and hear different points of view from a range of guest speakers on concepts like power, race, gender, class, affect and justice.

Criminology has often been concerned with criminality, criminal behaviour, offenders and offending behaviour. This approach focuses on individual rationale for punishment and ignores or sanitises the relationship between power, inequality, criminalisation and punishment. In this module you will take a critical perspective that challenges these positivist assumptions about how society understands crime, offending behaviour and punishment.

Taking a decolonial perspective you will expand your thinking. You will explore how historical and contemporary structural problems continuously undermine individuals and groups in their efforts to navigate power imbalances and social inequality and in their efforts to avoid the punitiveness that comes with these.

According to scholars, prisons are houses of the poor, indicating how punishment has been normalised for the powerless, poor and disenfranchised. Decolonial scholars build on this thinking, showing the role of coloniality in the present and taking a broad range of relationships, at the global level to demonstrate this wider thinking.

What do we understand by queerness? Looking back at earlier interpretations, we imagine how queerness might evolve—how it might be lived, felt and understood in the future.

You will explore queer futures from a range of perspectives and viewpoints, while examining both feminist and queer theory, as well as queer media and cultural texts and material relating to areas such as activism, politics and healthcare.

Examine a range of sex crimes and forms of sexual offending as defined by the law in England and Wales. You’ll consider the wider social context which may explain why some sex crimes are defined by law and how new crimes emerge as the social context changes. Topics explored include:

• The extent of sexual offending
• How sex crimes are committed
• Who the perpetrators and victims are
• How sex crimes are dealt with by the criminal justice system, including the experiences of victims who engage with the criminal justice system

Develop and refine your research question, design an appropriate methodological approach and critically engage with relevant literature, as you conduct an original piece of sociological research on the topic of your choice.

With guidance from an academic supervisor, you will collect and analyse data, interpret your findings, and produce a well-structured research report or dissertation. This project allows you to apply the knowledge and skills you have developed throughout your degree, demonstrating your ability to work independently, think critically and contribute to sociological debates.

It is an essential opportunity to deepen your expertise in an area of personal and academic interest while developing transferable skills in project management, problem-solving and analytical writing.

Who does technology benefit or harm, and what should its role in society be? This module examines the social and ethical issues surrounding the development of modern technologies and their use in the modern world, with a vision to shape our future relationship with technology.

How do ideas understand, transform and conserve the world? In this module we will study examples of powerful ideas such as the nation, free speech, liberation, the free market, culture and nature. We will use case studies to help us explore the relationship between analysis, imagination and practice.