- UCAS course code
- LM29
- UCAS institution code
- M20
Course description
The BA in Politics and Criminology is one of the pathways within the BA Social Sciences degree.
It is ideal if you want to keep your options open or study specific topics such as race, class, crime or religion from different perspectives.
This flexible degree lets you study at least three subjects in Year 1, and then in Years 2 and 3 you deepen your understanding of the subjects you feel passionate about.
The six subject areas are:
- Criminology - The study of the causes and consequences of crime.
- Philosophy - The study of the nature of knowledge, truth and values. It also encourages greater consideration of our reasoning, judgement and ethics.
- Politics - The study of human organisation, government and power. It examines and evaluates political systems and institutions.
- Data Analytics - The study of data and analysis to understand the social world.
- Social Anthropology - The study of societies and cultures across the globe in comparative perspective.
- Sociology - The study of society. It examines such issues as social inequalities and forms of everyday life.
You are not tied to the course code you apply to through UCAS and have the option to change after Year 1.
Special features
Professional Experience Year
You apply in Year 1 to boost your employability through a paid Professional Experience Year.
If you meet the criteria, the Professional Experience Team and Careers Service will work with you to find a suitable placement in your second year.
You will then complete your Professional Experience Year in your third year extending your degree to four years, before returning to the University to finish your final year.
Your degree title will be extended to include 'with Professional Experience', giving you the added advantage of relevant work experience when entering the competitive graduate jobs market.
Paid placement opportunity
You can apply for a paid Q-Step internship between Years 2 and 3.
Study abroad
If you would like to broaden your horizons and your degree, you can apply to study overseas for a year at one of our partner universities. You apply in Year 2 to spend a year abroad in Year 3. If successful, you will put together a programme of study at the host university in consultation with your Academic Exchange Advisor, to complement your studies at Manchester. You will then come back to Manchester to study for a fourth year and graduate with a degree title including 'with International Study'. See The University of Manchester Study Abroad pages for more information, including eligibility criteria, destinations, costs and funding.
Teaching and learning
Course units feature formal lectures supported by smaller tutorials or seminars, where you explore the contents of lectures and recommended reading in greater depth.
Tutorials and seminars are key in improving your written and oral communication skills through group discussions, essay-writing, and presentations.
You are assigned an Academic Advisor who takes a friendly interest in your progress, and can advise you on selecting course units and career opportunities.
Coursework and assessment
The way that you study and are assessed will depend on which course units you choose. Our methods are designed to promote in-depth learning and understanding, including:
- essays, coursework, and other mid-term evaluations;
- dissertations;
- presentations;
- group projects;
- exams.
Course content for year 1
Course units for year 1
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Engaging With Social Research | SOCS10111 | 20 | Mandatory |
Crime and Society | CRIM10001 | 20 | Optional |
Criminological Research Methods | CRIM10072 | 20 | Optional |
Foundations of Criminal Justice | CRIM10421 | 20 | Optional |
Psychology, Crime and Criminal Justice | CRIM10432 | 20 | Optional |
Foundations of Criminological Scholarship | CRIM10441 | 20 | Optional |
An Introduction to Development Studies | ECON10002 | 10 | Optional |
Microeconomics 1 | ECON10221 | 10 | Optional |
Macroeconomics 1 | ECON10252 | 10 | Optional |
Criminal Law (Humanities) | LAWS10082 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 2
In Year 2 you begin to specialise. If you specialise in one subject you take 60 to 80 credits in it. If you specialise in two subjects you take 40 credits in each.
Course units for year 2
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Policing and the Police | CRIM20051 | 20 | Optional |
Explaining Crime and Deviance | CRIM20412 | 20 | Optional |
Making Sense of Criminological Data | CRIM20441 | 20 | Optional |
Modelling Criminological Data | CRIM20452 | 20 | Optional |
Understanding Punishment | CRIM20692 | 20 | Optional |
Criminology and Criminal Justice in Action | CRIM20701 | 20 | Optional |
Islamic Philosophy | PHIL20001 | 20 | Optional |
Philosophy of Religion | PHIL20021 | 20 | Optional |
Applied Philosophy | PHIL20032 | 20 | Optional |
Philosophy of Race | PHIL20042 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 3
In Year 3 you pick your final areas of specialisation. If you specialise in one subject you take 60 to 80 credits in it. If you specialise in two subjects you take 40 credits in each.
Course units for year 3
The course unit details given below are subject to change, and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.
Title | Code | Credit rating | Mandatory/optional |
---|---|---|---|
Drugs and Society | CRIM30601 | 20 | Optional |
Long Dissertation | CRIM30610 | 40 | Optional |
Short Dissertation | CRIM30620 | 20 | Optional |
Comparative Criminology | CRIM30641 | 20 | Optional |
Journeys out of Offending | CRIM30662 | 20 | Optional |
Criminology and Mass Violence | CRIM31051 | 20 | Optional |
Youth, Crime and Justice | CRIM31101 | 20 | Optional |
White-Collar and Corporate Crime | CRIM31142 | 20 | Optional |
Crime Mapping: an introduction to GIS and spatial analysis | CRIM31152 | 20 | Optional |
The Criminal Psychopath | CRIM31172 | 20 | Optional |
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Course content for year 4
If completing a year abroad, you will take the Year 3 course content in Year 4.