Criminal Justice and Social Policy

取得日期：2026-10-14、2026-10-29

https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/ba-criminal-justice-social-policy/

https://www.york.ac.uk/study/international/your-country/hong-kong/

Criminal Justice and Social Policy (BA) - Undergraduate, University of York

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HomeStudy at YorkUndergraduateCourses 2027/28Criminal Justice and Social Policy (BA)

BA (Hons) Criminal Justice and Social Policy

Real-world social science with a focus on crime and criminal justice

Year of entry: 2027/28

Overview

Course content

Teaching and assessment

Entry requirements

UCAS code

Institution code

Start date

September 2027

View semester dates

3 years full-time

Typical offer

Full entry requirements

School/department

School for Business and Society

UK (home) fees

International and EU fees

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8th in the UK for Social Policy (including Criminal Justice)

Complete University Guide 2027

38th in the world for Social Policy and Administration

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2026

3rd in the UK for Graduate Prospects

Through the BA in Criminal Justice and Social Policy course, you will gain an understanding of crime as a social problem. You will also explore this within a wider global framework.

You'll gain understanding on the impact of power, politics and social inequalities in the management of crimes and criminal behaviour. Becoming able to critically assess the effectiveness of both criminal justice and social policy practices in delivering justice to every member of society. You will develop as an independent, critical thinker equipped to tackle complex problems and produce creative solutions through collaborative and participatory approaches in your working lives.

This degree will equip you with the necessary critical thinking, communication and research skills to make you an effective graduate employee. In such arenas as: local and central government; the law; research and the voluntary or charitable sectors.

REF 2021

We’re ranked 11th in the UK for the quality of our research - according to the Times Higher Education’s ranking of the latest REF results (2021).

Module choice

Our wide range of modules allows you to tailor the degree to your interests.

You will receive a thorough grounding in social sciences and social policy. You'll also study the development of the criminal justice system and the welfare state.

You'll study core modules designed specifically for this course and choose from a wide selection of optional modules developed specially by the School for Business and Society.

In your first year you'll study a range of core modules that give you a broad introduction to criminal justice and social policy. You will also take a module which will equip you with a range of academic skills to be successful at university.

Core modules

The Criminal Justice System

Power, Policy and Social Progress

Contemporary Issues in Social and Public Policy

Criminal Justice and Inequality

Social Science in the Chocolate City

Social Harm and Injustice

Academic integrity module

In addition to the above you will also need to complete our online Academic Integrity module.

This module covers some of the essential skills and knowledge which will help you to study independently and produce work of a high academic standard which is vital for success at York.

This module will:

define academic integrity and academic misconduct

provide interactive exercises to help you to assess whether you've understood the concepts

provide answers to FAQs and links to useful resources.

In your second year you'll continue to explore the subjects of criminal justice and social policy in more depth by taking a series of core modules.

Policy Think Tank

Contemporary Issues in Criminal Justice

Crime and the Life Course

Researching Policy and Society

Social Inequalities

Victimology and Victimisation

Independent Study Module

Option modules

You will also study four option modules, two from Option List A and two from Option List B. Examples include:

Option List A

Drugs: Prevalence, Policy and Practice

Welfare States in Crisis

Housing and Homelessness: Overcoming Inequality

Prisons and Penal Policy

Wellbeing of Children and Young People

Global Social Problems

Crime and Justice in the Online Space

Stigma, Power and Resistance

Option List B

Vulnerability, Deviance and Social Control

Policing and the Police

Migration, Immigration and Social Policy

Gender, Violence and Justice

Environmental Justice, Harm, and Policy

Education Policy: Divisions & Inequalities

Left Behind Places

The options available to you will be confirmed later in the year. For further information please get in touch.

Our modules may change to reflect the latest academic thinking and expertise of our staff, and in line with Department/School academic planning.

Learning outcomes

Every course at York has been designed to provide clear and ambitious learning outcomes. These learning outcomes give you an understanding of what you will be able to do at the end of the course. We develop each course by designing modules that grow your abilities towards the learning outcomes and help you to explain what you can offer to employers. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Learning outcomes for this course

Analyse and evaluate social and criminal justice policy to develop informed judgements through a critical understanding of the ways in which social, political, economic and institutional interests shape social problems and societal responses.

Identify and investigate real world social and crime-related problems and apply problem-solving skills and critical thinking to those issues in order to contribute to imaginative, flexible and effective policy and practice solutions.

Retrieve, generate, interpret and critically assess qualitative and quantitative data using innovative research methods, digital resources and policy-relevant analytical techniques to investigate social and crime-related questions, assess evidence and produce reasoned written accounts of social and criminal justice policy enquiry.

Engage in criminal justice and social policy debate at local, national and global level, synthesising complex material and communicating ideas effectively to peers, policy actors, practitioners and client groups across a range of professional settings, both in writing and verbally, using up-to-date visual presentation techniques.

Work effectively in multidisciplinary teams by acknowledging competing interpretations of social and crime-related issues, and by recognising the value of collaborative and participatory approaches to problem-solving and the shaping of policy solutions while being sensitive to the values and perspectives of others.

Reflect in depth on the relationship between the key stages in life - namely childhood, adolescence, adulthood and old age - and the bearing they have on criminality over the life course.

Appreciate the drivers of social inequalities taking into account factors such as class, race, gender, sexuality and the impact of social and criminal justice policy and practice on disadvantaged groups and thus directly contribute to social progress and justice for all members of society.

Critically reflect upon the enactment of criminal justice policies on practice within the criminal justice system and how such practice can impact on the lives of people subject to them.

I find that Criminal Justice and Social Policy is a degree that requires an inquisitive mind. It’s a comprehensive degree that encourages you to formulate your own perspective.

Kavil, BA (Hons) Criminal Justice and Social Policy. Read Kavil's blog post.

The fees and funding information here is for students starting in the 2027/28 academic year.

If you take a year abroad or year in industry you'll pay a reduced rate of fees for that year.

Annual tuition fees

UK (home)

International and EU

The UK government has announced its intention to increase tuition fees from £9,790 to £10,050 for the 2027/8 academic year. We expect this to apply to new UK (home) undergraduate students starting their studies in September 2027.

UK (home) or international fees?

The level of fee that you will be asked to pay depends on whether you're classed as a UK (home) or international student. Check your fee status.

Fees for subsequent years

UK (home) fees may increase within the government fee cap in subsequent academic years. We will notify you of any increase as soon as we can.

International fees are subject to increase in subsequent years in line with the prevailing Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation rate (up to a maximum of 10%).

More information

For more information about tuition fees, any reduced fees for study abroad and work placement years, scholarships, tuition fee loans, maintenance loans and living costs see undergraduate fees and funding.

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2027/28 throughout the year.

UK government loans

UK scholarships and bursaries

International scholarships

Country-specific funding

US loans

Living costs

You can use our living costs guide to help plan your budget. It covers additional costs that are not included in your tuition fee such as expenses for accommodation and study materials.

Free online courses

Get a taste of university-level study on one of York's free short courses, including our subject course, 'Understanding and solving poverty and inequality'.

York, Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial

Just four UK universities are rated Gold for teaching and top ten for research* in the latest national assessment exercises.

See why York is rated Gold for teaching

Explore our research performance

* Awarded joint 10th in the Times Higher Education ranking of the Research Excellence Framework 2021.

You’ll study and learn with academics who are active researchers, experts in their field and have a passion for their subjects. Our approach to teaching will provide you with the knowledge, opportunities, and support you need to grow and succeed in a global workplace. Find out more about our approach to teaching and learning.

Teaching format

We emphasise small-group working: you'll mainly be taught in lectures of 50-100 students and take part in seminars of 12-15 people. In the second and third years the lecture groups will be smaller as you begin to specialise.

You'll also take part in group-based workshops and hear from external speakers about the latest issues in policy and practice.

In the UK, full-time students are expected to spend 1,200 hours a year learning. That's about 40 hours of classes and independent study each week during semesters. Everyone learns at a different rate, so the number of hours you spend on independent study will be different to other students on your course.

Teaching location

You will be based in the School for Business and Society which is on Campus West. Teaching will take place at various locations across Campus West, including Derwent and Alcuin.

About our campus

Our beautiful green campus offers a student-friendly setting in which to live and study, within easy reach of the action in the city centre. It's easy to get around - everything is within walking or pedalling distance, or you can use the fast and frequent bus service. Take a campus tour.

Assessment and feedback

You'll be assessed in a variety of ways, with emphasis on continuous assessment. The most common form of assessment is by essay, and you'll be supported with seminar sessions on writing academic essays. You may also be assessed by presentation, group workshop reports, data analysis exercises and portfolios of work. There is minimal use of closed examinations.

Your dissertation will be 8,000 words long and you'll be supported by a supervisor who specialises in the subject you're interested in.

Careers and skills

A high proportion of our graduates are employed within six months. The nature of our degree means you can pursue career-related interests throughout your study and the work-based placement is a useful opportunity to demonstrate your knowledge and skills to future employers.

Career opportunities

Typical career paths in crime and criminal justice systems include:

Solicitor or barrister (via Law conversion courses)

Probation officer

Prison service

Courts service

Government departments and agencies

Youth offending teams.

See our graduates' careers in roles around the world

Transferable skills

Communications skills

Critical thinking

Data analysis

Time management

Project management

Independent study and research

Teamwork skills.

Turn ambition into achievement with our expert guidance and connections. From your first day here to life after graduation, we'll help you find your career advantage.

This course goes beyond the classroom and provides you with an insight into social policy in action. The teaching is second to none. It gives you the knowledge you need to pursue a career in the social policy field.

Danny, BA Social Policy. Read Danny's blog post.

Qualification

A levels

Access to Higher Education Diploma

21 credits at Distinction and 24 credits at Merit or higher

BTEC National Extended Diploma

We consider a range of BTEC qualifications equivalent to 3 A Levels, or in combination with A Levels or other qualifications. For example:

Distinction, Merit in BTEC Level 3 National Diploma plus B at A Level

Distinction in BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate plus BB at A level

Distinction, Merit in 2 BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificates plus B at A level

European Baccalaureate

75% overall

International Baccalaureate

31 points overall

T levels

Merit overall including grade B in the Core in the following T Level subjects:

Accounting; Design and Development for Engineering and Manufacturing; Design, Surveying and Planning for Construction; Digital Business Services; Digital Production, Design and Development; Digital Support and Services; Engineering, Manufacturing, Processing and Control; Finance; Health; Healthcare Science; Legal Services; Maintenance, Installation and Repair for Engineering and Manufacturing; Management and Administration; Marketing; Science

Scottish Highers / Advanced Highers

Scottish Highers - BBBBB

Advanced Highers - not required for entry

We may also be able to consider three Advanced Highers or a combination of Highers and Advanced Highers, where an applicant does not meet the grade requirement through Highers alone. Please contact us to discuss your qualifications.

International foundation programme

Foundation Certificate from our International Pathway College or an appropriate alternative.

Other international qualifications

Equivalent qualifications from your country

Alternative offers

Meeting the following additional criteria may qualify you for an alternative offer.

Criteria

Adjustment

Widening participation

This is conditional upon successful completion of the WP programme including the YorJourney module (Black Access Programme, Next Step York) or successful completion of Realising Opportunities More about widening participation.

Contextual offer

If you achieve C or higher in the EPQ, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.

Core Maths

If you achieve B or higher in Core Maths, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer.

If you successfully complete our online course From crime to punishment, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to one A level grade (or equivalent) below our typical offer. Details about how to evidence completion of the MOOC will be sent in your offer letter. Please note: you do not need to pay for the certificate. More about MOOCs.

English language

If English isn't your first language you may need to provide evidence of your English language ability. We accept the following qualifications:

Minimum requirement

IELTS (Academic)

6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component

Other English language qualifications

To see what other language tests we can accept and the scores required, visit our IELTS equivalences webpage and click on the IELTS requirement for your chosen course.

We also accept various school-leaving certificates to meet our English Language requirements. Please visit our country-specific information for further details.

For more information see our undergraduate English language requirements.

If you haven't met our English language requirements

You may be eligible for one of our pre-sessional English language courses. These courses will provide you with the level of English needed to meet the conditions of your offer.

The length of course you need to take depends on your current English language test scores and how much you need to improve to reach our English language requirements.

After you've accepted your offer to study at York, we'll confirm which pre-sessional course you should apply to via You@York.

To apply to York, you'll need to complete an online application via UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service).

How to apply

All applications must be made through UCAS.

We pay particular attention to your personal statement and we look for students who have an academic interest in society. This could come through family circumstances, employment or other contribution to society such as school clubs or volunteering.

You will not be invited to interview, but we invite you to attend a visit day in Spring term to give you an opportunity to learn more about us.

Next steps

Contact us

Get in touch if you have any questions

Student Engagement Team

sbs-admissions@york.ac.uk

Department

Related courses

BA Criminology

BA Social and Political Sciences

BA Social and Public Policy

BA Business and Society

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課程頁官方原文 A levels BBB https://www.york.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses/ba-criminal-justice-social-policy/ 取得日期：2026-10-14

香港／國際頁官方原文 Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE) If you are studying the Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE), you will need to achieve grades ranging from 4,4,3 to 5*,5,5. You can achieve this through a minimum of two elective subjects and one core subject (excluding Citizenship and Social Development/Liberal Studies). We also accept Chinese Language as one of your HKDSE cores. Subject-specific requirements apply for some courses.  HKDSE Score A level equivalent 5*55 A*AA 555 AAA 554 AAB 544 ABB 444 BBB If Mathematics is an essential subject requirement, you will need to complete two elective subjects plus Compulsory Mathematics and Extended Mathematics (either M1/Calculus and Statistics or M2/Algebra and Calculus). For direct entry, we also accept other international qualifications studied by students in Hong Kong, such as the US AP subject exams, as well as Canadian qualifications. Explore our undergraduate courses https://www.york.ac.uk/study/international/your-country/hong-kong/ 取得日期：2026-10-29

院校未公布 DSE 對應等級，請向院校確認。

請查看下方完整入學要求原文，或向院校確認。