Leeds Trinity University

Year of study

2027

Start date(s): September 2027
Location: Leeds City Campus
School: Social Sciences
UCAS tariff points: 104
Study mode: Full-time (3 years)
Study abroad: Yes

Why do people offend, and how can social policy help create safer, fairer communities? Our Criminology with Offending Behaviour and Social Policy explores the causes of crime and offending. It examines how criminal justice systems, rehabilitation services, and social policies respond to some of society’s most pressing challenges. You’ll develop a strong foundation in criminological theory before investigating issues such as violence, victimisation, imprisonment, rehabilitation, social inequality, and the wider social factors that shape criminal behaviour.

This four-year course includes an initial full-time Foundation Year and offers an alternative route into university and gaining a degree.

This route is for you if you do not have the necessary qualifications or don’t yet feel ready to begin degree-level study, or are returning to education and would like some support to get up to speed with learning in a university setting.

The Foundation Year in Criminology, Policing and Sociology will allow you to develop your academic skills and confidence as well as introduce you to key concepts, debates and skills that will support and inform your subsequent years of undergraduate study.

Following successful completion of your Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto Year 1 of our Criminology with Offending Behaviour and Social Policy BA (Hons) degree.

This course is subject to validation. You can still apply for this course while it is being approved.

The Student Contract

About this course

During your Foundation Year, you will undertake modules to enable you to enhance your academic skills and equip you with the tools you’ll need to study with confidence. You’ll carry out a personal project so you can study an area of interest related to your chosen future subject specialisation.

You'll be introduced to key concepts and theories in criminology, policing and sociology including patterns of crime, issues in modern day policing and social inequalities. You'll also examine how policymakers are responding to key societal problems and apply sociological and criminological theories to social problems, such as criminality and inequality.

Following successful completion of the Foundation Year, you’ll progress onto the first year of our Criminology with Offending Behaviour and Social Policy BA (Hons) degree.

Crime does not occur in isolation. It is shaped by social, economic, political, and personal factors, and understanding offending requires looking beyond individual actions to the wider influences that affect behaviour and life opportunities. This degree explores how crime develops, how individuals can be supported to desist from offending, and how social policy can contribute to safer and more inclusive communities.

Throughout the course, you will critically examine the relationship between crime, justice, and social change, considering how policy decisions influence offending, victimisation, and community safety. You will also explore how race, poverty, inequality, discrimination, and social disadvantage shape experiences of crime and justice, developing a deeper understanding of contemporary criminal justice challenges and the role of policy in creating fairer outcomes.

You’ll analyse how power, inequality, and disadvantage affect opportunities and outcomes within society. Through work-related learning and an independent research project, you’ll apply criminological knowledge to real-world issues while preparing for careers in probation, rehabilitation services, community justice, policy development, victim support, and the wider criminal justice sector.

A key feature of the programme is its focus on real-world application and employability. Through the second-year Professional Placement module and third-year Professional Learning Through Work module, you’ll gain practical experience, apply your knowledge in professional settings, and develop workplace-ready skills valued across the criminal justice sector.

You’ll learn from experienced academics with expertise across criminology, policing, investigations, safeguarding, victim support, and criminal justice practice.

Course modules

You will study a variety of modules across your programme of study. The module details given below are subject to change and are the latest example of the curriculum available on this course of study.

Foundation Year

During your Foundation Year, you'll study four core modules.

Academic Skills and Studying with Confidence – Core

We'll help you develop core academic skills such as using electronic resources, planning and note-taking, communication skills related to essay and report writing and delivering presentations.

You'll learn to manage your time, prioritise tasks and manage stress, and become more confident in engaging with collaborative learning, debates, discussions and critical reflection.

Professional Development and Project – Core

You will look at the wider skills needed to succeed in Higher Education including undertaking your own individual project.

Support will be offered in this module by, your personal tutor, the subject librarian and the learning hub

You’ll have sessions on a variety of topics and themes that will support you with your future programme of study, your assessments and the individual project.

The individual project that you undertake will focus on existing academic literature and secondary sources and you can negotiate your project title and key themes to align with your own personal interests.

Foundations in Sociology and Policing – Core

You'll look at social inequalities in society, how they can be explained, and current trends and issues in modern-day policing.

You'll draw on the work of sociologists, academics and criminologists to investigate these issues.

We'll cover concepts such as socialisation, norms and values, social control, status, inequality, crime, deviance, victimisation, retribution and non-crime-related social trends.

We'll try to address social problems, including inequality and criminality, and explore topical areas related to sociology, policing and crime.

Foundations in Criminology – Core

You'll look at patterns of crime, social control, deviance, victimisation, the media and punishments.

We'll examine crime statistics, self-report studies and non-crime-related social trends.

You'll try to make sense of these areas using introductory-level theories from key academics and criminologists.

You'll also review how policy-makers attempt to address social problems such as criminality.

You’ll also review how policy makers and public service agencies attempt to address social problems in society such as criminality, deviant conduct and law-breaking behaviour.

Year 1

During your first year, you'll study five core modules.

Offending Behaviour and Social Policy – Core

Introduction to Criminology – Core

Explore and examine the origins of criminology, some of its historical debates, concepts, literature and research.

You'll look at the core perspectives and theories related to crime and criminality.

Find out about the history and development of criminology as an academic discipline.

Violence in Society – Core

Explore criminological understandings and situations of violence in society.

We'll cover the types, characteristics, and forms of violence and violent acts within society.

You'll distinguish between individual acts to organised actions of groups and states, all whilst unpacking the ambiguous content and perception of violence.

You'll give due consideration to the frequently neglected victims of violence.

The module framework includes criminology, sociology, psychology, law, cultural studies, political science and sociobiology.

Academic and Research Skills – Core

Career Development in Criminology – Core

Entry requirements

Leeds Trinity University is committed to recruiting students with talent and potential and who we feel will benefit greatly from their academic and non-academic experiences here. We treat every application on its own merits; we value highly the experience you illustrate in your personal statement.

Information about the large range of qualifications we accept, including A-Levels, BTECs and T Levels, can be found on our entry requirements page. If you need additional advice or are taking qualifications that are not covered in the information supplied, please contact our Admissions Office.

The following information is designed to give you a general overview of the qualifications we accept. If you are taking qualifications that are not included below, please contact our Admissions Office who will be happy to advise you.

Entry requirements for this course:
UCAS tariff	48
GCSE requirements	GCSE in English Language or English Literature at grade C or 4 (or higher) will be required.