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SOCIOLOGY, SOCIAL POLICY AND CRIMINOLOGY

The University of Liverpool
Eleanor Rathbone Building
Bedford Street South
Liverpool L69 7ZA
www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc
MEMBER OF THE RUSSELL GROUP

EB/RH JUN 2013

Sociology,Social
Policyand
Cr minology
The Department of Sociology, Social Policy and
Criminology offers a unique environment for you
to study social science. Getting behind news
headlines and popular assumptions forms the
core of our teaching and research.

Introduction to Sociology,
Social Policy and Criminology 01
Research in context 04
An investment in your future 06
Programme details 08
Applications and admissions 17

What are the major issues facing people and

societies today? Can we grasp these issues
through popular notions such as rising crime,
broken society or global meltdown? What
do these terms mean anyway? And how can
we research these issues?

The way we approach social science here at

Liverpool is firmly rooted in the dynamism and
positive contribution that studying society can
bring. One of the key thinkers within modern
social science tells us something about the
importance of studying subjects like sociology,
social policy and criminology:
The educational and political role of social
science in a democracy is to help cultivate
and sustain publics and individuals that are
able to develop, to live with, and to act upon
adequate definitions of personal social realities.
C. Wright Mills.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

01

Contents

As one of the oldest Sociology departments

in the country, we have firm roots in social
campaigning and a commitment to progressive
social change. We pride ourselves on learning
through a process of questioning and formulating
a critical, investigative imagination in order to
better understand social change and social
justice. Our students are equipped to collect
and assess evidence so as to better appreciate
the complexity and diversity of social life.

WHY CHOOSE SOCIOLOGY,

SOCIAL POLICY AND CRIMINOLOGY
AT LIVERPOOL?
Your own Academic Advisor. From day one
until the day you leave, we provide you with an
Academic Advisor who is a full-time member
of the lecturing staff in the Department. This
gives us a chance to know you better and
continue with small group teaching. For you,
it provides the best way to get advice and
information when and where you need it.
Work and learn. For over twenty years
our unique programmes have offered the
opportunity to work in a relevant social field.
This is a great hands-on way to see how
social science is relevant to understanding
the process of work and real world issues.
Our students work and learn in areas such as
youth care and custody, community health, and
asylum, along with various other social services.

02/03

Get skilled and enhance your employability.

We will help you to acquire key skills
how to think independently, how to collect
and analyse data, how to present and
communicate information and advanced
IT skills that are highly valued by potential
employers. We regularly organise Employability
Workshops through which our students mix
with employers and working ex-students in
order to gauge possibilities for a career after
university. Our students are consistently
successful in securing rewarding carers in a
variety of settings often in national and local
government and, increasingly, in private and
voluntary sector employment.

Promoting progressive and critical thinking.

Our department is over a century old and one
of the first social science institutes in the UK.
Early on it established itself as a centre of
excellence for sociological and criminological
thinking. We continue this proud tradition by
keeping the subjects we teach relevant to a
changing world and your aspirations within it.
We are based in one of the great cities in the
United Kingdom making this a tremendously
exciting place in which to study the social world.
Developing your expertise. Studying
with us means you can build your own
degree and develop expertise in particular
areas. Through modular choice at level two
and three, we encourage you to pursue
subject themes that are of interest to you.
You may, for instance, choose to focus
particularly upon policing, or urban
regeneration, or the role of women in society,
or the role of corporations in democracies.
The scope we offer helps you to develop
deeper capabilities and skills in particular
areas of social science and the job market.

I was very interested in crime and

punishment in society and I thought
this was something I could study for
three years and not lose interest. My
expectations were met and exceeded.
One of the great things about the
Department is that you are being
taught by leaders in their fields
reading books by the people that
teach you. Its very much an open
door policy in the department and
there is a very strong connection
between lecturer and student.
JENNY FORSMAN-LINDEBORG
CRIMINOLOGY AND SOCIOLOGY BA (HONS)

STUDY ABROAD
As part of your degree at Liverpool you may
have the opportunity to study abroad. Studying
abroad has huge personal and academic
benefits, as well as giving you a head start in
the graduate job market. Sociology, Social
Policy and Criminology students can currently
apply to study abroad with a number of our
worldwide partners. For more information,
visit www.liverpool.ac.uk/goabroad

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

See what Jenny had to say about studying

Criminology and Sociology at Liverpool
www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/video

Researchincontext
The University of Liverpool is a research-intensive
university, and academic staff in the Department of
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology are leading
researchers in their fields. What this means for you as
a student is that your learning will be informed by the
very latest developments in the area.

An example of a current area of research in

the Department is the work being done by
Sandra Walklate, Gabe Mythen and Ross
McGarry. This research focuses on the cultural
representations of the hero and the victim
and their suffering as told through the events at
Wootton Bassett where the bodies of soldiers
killed in Afghanistan and Iraq were returned
until 2011. The research takes the form of a
visual analysis and can be read as a paper:
Witnessing Wootton Bassett: An Exploration
in Cultural Victimology in the journal Crime,
Media and Culture (August, 2011). Our work
in this area continues to inform the kind of
critical thinking and research expected of an
undergraduate third year student and informs
modules such as Criminal Victimisation, Policy
and Welfare, in which photographs are used
to facilitate a discussion around meanings
of victimisation.

04/05

Another example of some cutting-edge

research in the Department includes that of
Roy Colemans work on surveillance, public
space and the city. The research asks how our
public spaces (how we use them and perceive
them) are being affected by technologies like
CCTV, body scanners and access control.
Are urban spaces becoming more or less
democratic and public with surveillance?

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

The extent to which such surveillance makes

for safer cities and less crime are critically
evaluated with questions such as safer for
whom and which types of crime (if any) are
being reduced or controlled? The research
takes a critical look at public surveillance and
how this affects different groups such as
women, younger and older people, ethnic
groups and those on lower incomes. Roys
book Reclaiming the Streets won a prestigious
scholarly award in 2005 (The Hart Social and
Legal Book Prize). This research informs
modules such as Social Control, Order and
the City in Year Three in which students are
expected to critically assess what is increasingly
known as the surveillance society.
Contrast this with the work of David Whyte,
who is currently researching the prospects
for developing new forms of accountability
in cases where corporations violate human
rights. This research involves interviews with
judges at the European Court of Human Rights,
the Inter-American Court of Human Rights,
as well as UN officials and people working for
human rights organisations. Davids previous
work on the role of corporations in Iraq won the
2008 Leon Radzinowicz prize for Criminology.
This research underpins his contribution to
research methods and to criminology teaching
in the Department, and is used to provide key
insights on his Crimes of the Powerful Year
Three module.

Aninvestment
inyourfuture

CAREER PROSPECTS
Typically graduates in the Department of
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology
enter a range of administrative, managerial
and professional roles. Studying with us also
provides a sound basis from which students will
be able to pursue postgraduate studies either
with a vocational orientation (MA in Social Work,
Legal Practice Course, for example) or to further
their research skills at Masters and Doctoral
levels. Around 19% of the Departments
students go on to further study programmes
both at the University of Liverpool and in other
Higher Education institutions. This compares
well with national level data for all first degree
graduates (16%). A further 8.9% of graduates
from the Department, according to the most
recent data available, were undertaking work
and further study (the national figure is 8%).

QUALIFYING YOU FOR LIFE

06/07

Studying with us will enable students

to develop a range of social scientific analytic
and communication skills and a variety of
transferrable skills valued in a range of industries

(eg media organisations, local government

and charitable organisations, and commercial
and financial service sectors).

WORK EXPERIENCE OPPORTUNITIES

In Year Two, many of our students have
a choice in whether they want to work as
part of their study. In Year Three, our students
have the opportunity of taking up work
placements via our Interchange service. This
connects students with a variety of voluntary
and charitable organisations in and around the
region. These include the Community Voluntary
Service, Refugee Action, Liverpool Student
Community Action (homelessness project,
play days and Chinese New Year celebrations),
Victim Support, Barnados, and the Citizens
Advice Bureau. Through this kind of work, our
students produce useful reports which help the
organisations develop their services and meet
local needs a great thing to have on a CV!

POSTGRADUATE OPPORTUNITIES
Criminology and Criminal Justice MA
Applied Criminal Justice Research MA
Research Methodology: Sociology and
Social Policy MA
Cities, Culture, Regeneration MA

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

Reading sociology at Liverpool University

changed my life. It was while at Liverpool
I learnt how to study society in a rigorous,
academic way, as opposed to as a passive
observer. At Liverpool I developed my analytical
mind and learned how to articulate my thoughts,
all of which helped me to go on and become an
award-winning journalist and author. I use
the skills I learned at Liverpool University
pretty much daily in my career as a journalist.
Whether quizzing a supermodel about feminism
or interviewing a Congolese film director, the
tools and knowledge I picked up as part of
my sociology degree have proved invaluable.
HANNAH POOL IS A JOURNALIST AND AUTHOR OF
MY FATHERS DAUGHTER (PUBLISHED BY PENGUIN).
SHE WRITES REGULARLY FOR THE GUARDIAN, TIMES,
GRAZIA AND OTHERS. HANNAH GRADUATED FROM
THE UNIVERSITY OF LIVERPOOL IN 1995.

Graduate
Profile

Students can expect to be prepared for a range of

careers in the public and private sectors; social welfare
and criminal justice agencies (eg police and probation)
and NGOs (eg working with organisations supporting
homeless people; refugees, and in social research).

Group work is a feature of all seminar teaching

and group work takes place both within and
outside of formal scheduled classes.

Prog ammedetails

HOW YOU ARE ASSESSED

Subjects at a Glance

UCAS Code

Length (Years)

Page

Criminology (Hons)

L311

10

Sociology BA (Hons)

L302

13

Social Policy

15

This subject can be taken as part of a Combined Honours degree.

See www.liverpool.ac.uk/combined-honours for further details.
This subject is available as part of the Honours Select curriculum as either
100% (Single Honours), 75% (Major), 50% (Joint Honours) or 25% (Minor) as indicated.
See www.liverpool.ac.uk/honours-select for further details and UCAS codes for Joint
and Minor pathways.

Most modules are assessed by means of a

mixture of essays and examinations. Typically,
a module in Year Two might involve a 4,000
word essay or a 2,500 word essay plus a
one hour examination. Some modules are
assessed wholly or in part by other appropriate
means, such as the preparation of projects
and individual or group presentations. The
final degree class is based on Year Two and
Three marks, weighted in favour of Year Three
marks. Over the last few years the majority of
our students have obtained Upper Second
Class Degrees.

WHICH DEGREE
Entrance Requirements
See www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/courses for current entrance requirements.

HOW YOU LEARN

Whilst studying in the department, you will
spend an average of about eight hours a week
in face-to-face teaching, the rest of your study
time will be spent in libraries or in other forms
of self-directed study. You will be supported
throughout by an Academic Advisor.
Learning is delivered in a variety of formats and
these include: lectures, seminars, workshops,
tutorials, guided independent study, group
work and reflective and experiential learning.

08/09

The primary purpose of lectures is to provide

students with a broad introduction to key areas
and debates on a given topic pitched at the
appropriate level of study.

The lectures aim to facilitate students reading

and highlight issues to be explored during
independent study time in preparation for
seminars and assessment.
Seminars provide opportunities to explore
particular issues and debates in greater
detail in a way that supplements and builds
upon the lectures. Seminars also allow for
greater levels of student participation and
such participation will be actively encouraged
throughout the programme.
Workshops frequently follow the format
described above but they also may be
used to develop particular skills in a teaching
context. For example, workshops develop
skills in data analysis and skills in interviewing.
Guided independent study may also feature
in your learning experience.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

Criminology. One of the founders of sociology,

Emile Durkheim made an observation that
is still relevant today. He wrote, There is no
society known where a more or less developed
criminality is not found under different forms...
we must therefore call crime necessary and
declare that it cannot be non-existent, that the
fundamental conditions of social organization,
as they are understood, logically imply it.
Crime is one of the most talked about and
governed problems of the contemporary
age but what is crime? Is it on the increase?
Is it a social problem that has a solution?
Are criminals easily identifiable? Are victims
a readily apparent group? What is the purpose
of justice and punishment in the criminal justice
system? Such questions provide the focus for
the study of Criminology.
Our Department has great expertise in exploring
the links between how societies come to codify
and respond to crime out of which we can
explore aspects of social harm, power and
powerlessness. Our approach to Criminology
investigates these issues in relation to theoretical
perspectives and the workings of criminal
justice institutions.

Sociology. If you are looking for an exciting

and challenging grounding in approaches
to understanding social institutions, social
change and conflict as well as the factors
shaping social, public and civic policy then
Sociology is for you. Sociology also offers
you the opportunity to explore the diversity
of perspectives and research methods with
which to grasp the social world. To what
extent are societies diverse? To what extent are
they unequal? The knowledge that sociology
brings is often contentious and reflects current
social, public and civic disputes. Consequently,
our sociology students are encouraged to
develop awareness of their own values and
an appreciation of how alternative values
impact upon rival interpretations of evidence.
Social Policy. How societies care for older
people, single motherhood, poverty and
unemployment are among a long list of matters
of national concern. Studying social policy
is all about how we as a society decide who
receives support, what shape it takes, and who
provides it to those who are deemed in need.
Who should provide services and support:
the state, the market or charities or families?
These kinds of questions inform the study
of the distribution and organisation of welfare
and well-being within societies, and provide
an exciting in-road into studying Social Policy
with us. Social Policy focuses on the ways
in which different societies understand and
meet the needs of their populations. Studying
within our department provides a readiness
to engage with the nature of social problems
through a range of intellectual traditions and
social perspectives, and the opportunity to
work directly with organisations involved in
this field.

For current entrance requirements and

full module details, see www.liverpool.ac.uk/
study/undergraduate/courses

HONOURS SELECT
From 2014, the Faculty of Humanities and
Social Sciences is offering a new, innovative
way to study.

Criminology BA(Hons)
UCAS code: L311
Programme length: 3 years

This offers both a great opportunity for you to

study in the real world as well as an experience
that will appeal to prospective employers.

Year One
We are offering a much wider range of Joint
(50:50) degrees across the Faculty. In addition,
we are giving you the option to study two
subjects on a 75:25 basis, focusing 75%
of your time on your Major subject and
25% of your time on your Minor. See
www.liverpool.ac.uk/honours-select or
the separate Honours Select booklet for
further details.
Subjects which combine particularly well with
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology include:
Politics
Law
Philosophy

Criminology

10/11

Some of the worlds most influential

and respected criminologists teach
and research within our Department.
The Criminology degree tackles
the problems of crime, deviance,
victimization and social harm in a
high quality programme that makes
the subject exciting and intellectually
challenging. This degree draws on
the Departments expertise in crime
prevention, surveillance, policing,
sentencing, victimology, youth justice
and corporate crime. Modules are
continually updated and designed
to provide you with a well-rounded
Criminology learning experience.

Key Contact: Dr Roy Coleman

E: roycole@liv.ac.uk

PROGRAMME CONTENT
Year One introduces you to Criminology
and serves as a foundation for the second and
third years. Year One enables you to develop
essential academic expertise including learning
and employability skills as well as the specific
skills employed by criminologists. You will study
compulsory modules entitled Introduction
to Crime and Society, Controlling Crime,
Understanding the Social, Social Change
and Social Policy, and Studying Society. In
Year Two, your core modules provide you
with a broader and deeper coverage of
criminological explanations for crime, the
working of the criminal justice system and
social science theory and research methods.
You will also study modules entitled
Punishment, Penalty and Prisons, Policing
Crime and Society, Crime, Deviance and
Culture, Transgression and Social Exclusion.
By Year Three, you will be able to choose
from a range of module areas that include
Police Power and Public Protest, Gender
and Crime, Community Involvement in
Criminal Justice, 19th Century Offenders
and Criminal Victimization.
You will study independently and are free
to choose the subject of your compulsory
dissertation supervised by a member of staff
with expertise in the field. Alternatively, if you
have successfully completed the modules
on research methods during your second
year, you can take Social Policy Project or
Applied Social Research and carry out a piece
of research commissioned by a local agency.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

The first year of the programme provides an

introduction to exploring crime in its social,
historical and political context. Getting to grips
with the key concepts in Criminology and
its wider social scientific roots is dealt with
at Year One to ensure easy transition to Years
Two and Three. Our Studying Society module
explores the use of social science research
methods and ensures that by the second
year all students are fully acquainted with
IT and virtual learning tools.

Core modules:
Social Research Methods 1
Social Research Methods 2
Policing, Crime and Society
Punishment, Penality and Prisons:
Critical Debates
Understanding Crime, Justice and
Punishment
Optional modules currently include:
Social Exclusion
Crime, Deviance and Culture
Domestic and International Drug Policy
Understanding Non-Profit Organisations:
Work Based Learning

Core modules:

Year Three
Understanding the Social:
Theories and Themes
Social Change and Social Policy
in Contemporary Society 1
Social Change and Social Policy in
Contemporary Society 2: Changing
Inequalities
Studying Society
Introduction to Crime and Society
Controlling Crime An Introduction

Year Two
In the second year, the core modules
provide a deeper coverage of the range
of criminological knowledge and particular
controversies in criminal justice practice.
We also explore the role of the criminologist
in the world of policy and activism in modules
such as Understanding Crime, Justice and
Punishment, Policing, Crime and Society and
Punishment, Penality and Prisons. The rest
of the second year is taken up with modules
chosen by students.

In Year Three, students will have the choice

to study specialist subjects in-depth and
develop their independent learning. Those
who opt for a Dissertation are given freedom
to pursue their interest in a topic of their
choice, whilst those opting for our Applied
Social Research or Social Policy Project module
get a chance to combine work experience with
academic knowledge. We have considerable
experience in combining your research interests
with the work needs and aims of local agencies.
Core modules:
Dissertation 2
Applied Social Research
Reflecting on Applied Social Research

These subjects are available as part

of our HONOURS SELECT programme.
Choose from over 30 subjects to create
your perfect Joint or Major / Minor Honours
Degree. See www.liverpool.ac.uk/
honours-select for further details.

For current entrance requirements and

full module details, see www.liverpool.ac.uk/
study/undergraduate/courses

Optional modules currently include:

Gender and Crime
The Risk Society: Crime, Security
and Public Policy
Youth, Crime, Youth Justice
and Social Control
Criminal Evidence
The Risk Society
Jurisprudence
Social Control and the City
Murderous Cities
Criminal Victimisation, Welfare and Policy
Youth Crime, Youth Justice
and Social Control
This subject can be taken as part
of a Combined Honours degree.
See www.liverpool.ac.uk/combinedhonours for further details.

Criminology
PROGRAMME CONTENT
Year One introduces you to Criminology
and serves as a foundation for the second
and third years. You will study the following
modules: Introduction to Crime and Society,
and Controlling Crime and may choose
30 credits from the following modules:
Understanding the Social: Theories and
Themes (30 credits); Social Change and
Social Policy in Contemporary Society 1
(15 credits); Social Change and Social Policy
in Contemporary Society 2 (15 credits).

In Year Two, you will study Understanding

Crime, Justice and Punishment to provide
you with a broader and deeper coverage
of criminological perspectives and criminal
justice controversies. You can then choose
30 credits from the following options:
Punishment, Penalty and Prisons, Policing,
Crime and Society, Crime, Deviance and
Culture, Domestic and International Drug
Policy, Understanding Non-profit Organisations
and Social Exclusion.
Students wishing to study a dissertation in
Year Three can opt to take research methods
modules in preparation. By Year Three, you
will be able to study from a range of areas that
include Crimes of the Powerful, Community
and Public Involvement in Crime and Criminal
Justice, The Risk Society Criminal Victimisation,
Youth Crime, Youth Justice and Social Control.
In Year Three you may wish to study for your
dissertation if you have completed the research
methods modules. Alternatively, you can
take the Applied Social Research module and
carry out a piece of research commissioned
by a local agency. This offers both a great
opportunity for you to study in the real world
as well as an experience that will appeal to
prospective employers.

Criminology
PROGRAMME CONTENT
Year One introduces you to the concepts,
debates and controversies in criminology.
You will study Introduction to Crime and
Society and Controlling Crime.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

In Year Three, you will undertake an extended

piece of self-directed study. You may elect
to do a Dissertation or Applied Social Research
(including working for a local agency).

Sociology
Our approach to sociology engages
you in a critical study of society.
You will learn to make sense of what
drives change in the social world
and the possible directions this change
may take. The effect of new ideas,
technologies, government programmes
and social conflict on everyday life is
explored through your study of a broad
range of subjects that take in local,
national and global social relationships.
The aim? To give you a comprehensive
grasp of the sociological imagination
and the real world issues it speaks to.

Sociology BA (Hons)
UCAS code: L302
Programme length: 3 years
Key Contact: Dr Roy Coleman
E: roycole@liv.ac.uk

PROGRAMME CONTENT

In Year Two, your core modules provide

you with a broader and deeper coverage
of criminological perspectives and criminal
justice problems within the 24 week module
Understanding Crime, Justice and Punishment.

12/13

By Year Three, you will be able to study from

a range of areas that mesh with your interests.

Three core modules in Year One provide

you with a firm foundation for future study.
Understanding the Social embraces the classic
work of Marx, Weber and Durkheim and a
range of 20th century social theorists. Social
Change and Social Policy looks at issues such
as the family, social class, gender, race, etc.
Studying Society explores the basics of social
scientific work, including research methods, an
introduction to IT ensuring you are conversant
with using online resources.
How can sociology help us address social
change and divisions? Where best can
our sociological imagination apply itself?
Year Two core modules include Thinking
Sociologically: Approaches to Social Inquiry
and Social Research Methods.

Year One
In Year One, students will be introduced to
the classic work of Marx, Weber and Durkheim
before exploring 20th century social theorists,
thus laying a strong foundation for future study.
On the practical side, there are two linked
modules [Social Change in Contemporary
Society 1 and 2], which look at issues such
as the family, social class, gender and race.
A further introductory module, Studying
Society, looks at the use of social science
research methods and ensures that by the
second year all students are fully acquainted
with IT and virtual learning tools.
Core modules:
Understanding the Social:
Theories and Themes
Social Change and Social Policy
in Contemporary Society 1
Social Change and Social Policy
in Contemporary Society 2:
Changing Inequalities
Studying Society
Introduction to Crime and Society
Controlling Crime An Introduction

These subjects are available as part

of our HONOURS SELECT programme.
Choose from over 30 subjects to create
your perfect Joint or Major / Minor Honours
Degree. See www.liverpool.ac.uk/
honours-select for further details.

For current entrance requirements and

full module details, see www.liverpool.ac.uk/
study/undergraduate/courses

Year Two
Having established a firm grounding, second
year students begin to increase their in-depth
understanding of social theory and research
methods, and broaden their knowledge
of different topics in the discipline through
a wide range of options.
Core modules:
Contemporary Social Theory:
Thinkers and Perspectives
Foundations of Social Inquiry
Data Analysis and Presentation
Research Design and Data Collection
Optional modules currently include:
Social Exclusion
Crime Deviance and Culture
Punishment, Penality and Prisons:
Criminal Debate
The Black Presence Migration and
Settlement in Britain 1800-1979
Comparing Welfare States
Gender and Sexuality
Domestic and International Drug Policy
Urban Sociology
Policing, Crime and Society

Core modules:
Dissertation 1
Dissertation 2
Applied Social Research
Social Policy Project: Work-based Learning
Optional modules currently include:
Health, Lifecourse and Society
Gender and Crime
Gender, the Body and Identity
The Risk Society: Crime, Security
and Public Policy
Youth, Crime, Youth Justice
and Social Control
Politics, Social Policy and the State
The Cultural Economy of Cities
Social Control and the City
The Body and Society
Criminal Victimisation, Welfare
and Policy
This subject can be taken as part
of a Combined Honours degree.
See www.liverpool.ac.uk/combinedhonours for further details.

Year Three

14/15

How can sociology help us address social

change and divisions? Where best can our
sociological imagination apply itself? Year
Two compulsory modules include Thinking
Sociologically: Approaches to Social Inquiry
and Social Research Methods.
In Year Three, students will have the choice to
study specialist subjects in-depth and develop
their independent learning. Those who opt for
a dissertation are given freedom to pursue their
interest in a topic of their choice, whilst those
opting for our Applied Social Research or Social
Policy Project get a chance to combine work
experience with academic rigour.

Social Policy
If you are thinking of a career in the
social services or public administration,
combining Social Policy with another
subject allows you to build the ideal
degree. This Social Policy route will
explore the ways in which governments
seek to provide services and to change
conditions in fields such as health,
education and welfare support.

Social Policy
PROGRAMME CONTENT
In Year One, students are introduced to some
of the current political issues relevant to social
policy today. Here you will study aspects of
social change and social divisions that underpin
the context of social policy interventions.
Students may take up to 30 credits of options
from our modules Studying Society, Introduction
to Crime and Society, Controlling Crime and
Understanding the Social.

Sociology
PROGRAMME CONTENT

Sociology
By Year Three, students will have the choice
to study specialist subjects in-depth and
develop their independent learning. Those
who opt for a dissertation are given freedom
to pursue their interest in a topic of their own
choice, whilst those opting for our Applied
Social Research or Social Policy Project get
a chance to combine work experience with
academic rigour. We have considerable
expertise in combining your research interests
with the needs and aims of local agencies.

Studying Society looks at the basics of social

scientific work, including research methods,
an introduction to IT ensuring you are fully
conversant with utilising online resources. Both
Introduction to Crime and Society or Controlling
Crime explore key concepts in criminology and
criminal justice process.

PROGRAMME CONTENT
Three compulsory modules in Year One
provide you with a firm foundation for future
study. Understanding the Social embraces
the classic work of Marx, Weber and Durkheim
and a range of 20th century social theorists.
A further 30 credits are available within
sociology and students may choose from
the following modules: Social Change and
Social Policy investigates contemporary
controversies around issues such as the
family, social class, gender and race.

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School of Law and Social Justice >
Sociology, Social Policy and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

Year One provides you with a firm foundation

for future study. Understanding the Social
provides you with a firm foundation for future
study in the field of sociology. This module
embraces the classic work of Marx, Weber
and Durkheim before moving on to a range
of contemporary social thinkers.

These subjects are available as part

of our HONOURS SELECT programme.
Choose from over 30 subjects to create
your perfect Joint or Major / Minor Honours
Degree. See www.liverpool.ac.uk/
honours-select for further details.

In Year Two, you will study advanced

theoretical sociology and learn more about
the controversies within the subject.
In Year Three, you may choose from a range
of modules in order to develop you special
lines of interest within sociology.

For current entrance requirements and

full module details, see www.liverpool.ac.uk/
study/undergraduate/courses

Having established their knowledge of Social

Policy in the first year, in Year Two students
go on to deepen that knowledge, examining
the outcomes of Social Policy between the
broad social groupings of social class, gender
and race. You will also explore modules that
examine the nature of contemporary welfare
services as well as a module that covers the
dynamics of social inclusion and exclusion.
Students can also choose other modules
in social policy adding up to 30 credits.
In Year Three, students study specialist subjects
in-depth and develop their independent
learning. Those who opt for the dissertation,
having taken the research methods modules
as part of their module choices in Year Two,
are given freedom to pursue a topic of their
own interest, whilst those opting for our Applied
Social Research or Social Policy Project can
combine work experience with academic
rigour. Alternatively, students may opt for
a range of option modules at Year Three.
These include: Health, Lifecourse and Society;
Politics, Social Policy and the State; Gender,
the Body and Identity; The Risk Society: Crime,
Security and Public Policy; Bodies and Society;
Criminal Victimisation, Welfare and Policy;
Race, Community and Identity; Youth, Crime,
Youth Justice and Social Control; Social Control
and the City.

Social Policy
PROGRAMME CONTENT
In Year One, students will study aspects of
relationships between social change, social
policy and the key organising features of modern
society (age, race, class, gender, sexuality).
Having established their knowledge of Social
Policy in the first year, in Year Two students
go on to deepen that knowledge, examining
the outcomes of Social Policy between the
broad social groupings of social class, gender
and race. In Year Two, students will study
the nature of welfare provision between and
across different national contexts as well
critically explore the nature of social exclusion.
In Year Three, students study specialist
subjects in-depth and develop their
independent learning.

These subjects are available as part

of our HONOURS SELECT programme.
Choose from over 30 subjects to create
your perfect Joint or Major / Minor Honours
Degree. See www.liverpool.ac.uk/
honours-select for further details.

Applications
and admissions
We welcome applications from all over the
world, and its our aim to make the process
of applying as smooth as possible.
The information that follows is a brief guide
to applying for programmes of study at the
University of Liverpool. For full details of our
applications and admissions policy, please
visit our website at www.liverpool.ac.uk/
ug-admissions

MAKING AN APPLICATION
THROUGH UCAS
Applications for full-time undergraduate
study are made via UCAS, the Universities and
Colleges Admissions Service, using UCASs
online application system at www.ucas.com
The University of Liverpool institution code
is LVRPL L41.

WHEN TO MAKE YOUR APPLICATION

For up-to-date information please visit
www.ucas.com

For information on English language entry

requirements, visit www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/
international/countries/english-language or
contact Student Recruitment and Admissions
T: +44 (0)151 794 6730 E: irro@liverpool.ac.uk
ask.liv.ac.uk/help/undergraduate

MATURE STUDENTS
We welcome applications from candidates
who are not applying directly from school
or college, or who have non-standard
qualifications, or who wish work or life
experience to be taken into account as part
of their application. For further information
see www.liverpool.ac.uk/maturestudents

STUDENTS WITH DISABILITIES

We give equal consideration to all applicants
and welcome applications from students
with disabilities. Please contact the Disability
Support Team on T: +44 (0)151 794 5117
to discuss your support needs before you
submit your UCAS application.

ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS
For full details on the programmes we offer
and detailed entrance requirements, visit
www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/undergraduate

16/17

We accept a wide range of other

qualifications, eg EU and international
qualifications. For more detailed information
on entrance requirements, see our online
prospectus www.liverpool.ac.uk/study/
undergraduate/courses

Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences > School

of Law and Social Justice > Sociology, Social Policy
and Criminology www.liverpool.ac.uk/sspc

For current entrance requirements and

full module details, see www.liverpool.ac.uk/
study/undergraduate/courses

DIVERSITY AND EQUALITY

The University of Liverpool attaches the
greatest importance to its policies and activities
to promote diversity and equality of opportunity.
Full details on these policies can be found online
at www.liverpool.ac.uk/diversity-and-equality

DISCLAIMER
Every effort has been made to ensure that
information contained within this brochure
is accurate at the time of going to press.
However, the matters covered are subject
to change from time to time, both before
and after a candidates admission.