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HomeStudy at YorkUndergraduateCourses 2026/27Criminal 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: 2026/27
Show year of entry: 2025/26

  1. Overview
  2. Course content
  3. Fees and funding
  4. Teaching and assessment
  5. Careers
  6. Entry requirements
UCAS code
L437
Institution code
Y50
Start date
September 2026
View semester dates
Length
3 years full-time (plus optional placement year)
Typical offer
BBB
Full entry requirements
School/department
School for Business and Society
UK (home) fees
£9,535
International and EU fees
£26,900

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Book your place for our Open Days on Friday 5 and Saturday 6 September 2025.

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8thin the UK for Social Policy (including Criminal Justice)

Complete University Guide 2026

41stin the world for Social Policy and Administration

QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025

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.

Course content

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.

Between Years 2 and 3 you have the opportunity to undertake a placement, where you can explore what the work of the criminal justice system looks like in practice. 

Year 1

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

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
  • explain why and when you should reference source material and other people's work
  • provide interactive exercises to help you to assess whether you've understood the concepts
  • provide answers to FAQs and links to useful resources.

Year 2

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.

Core modules

Year 3

Core modules

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

In the summer holiday before the third year starts, you may undertake a work-shadowing placement that lasts around 80 hours. This will allow you to learn from professionals in a field related to crime and criminal justice. Examples of previous placements include: shadowing a criminal barrister, a youth offending team and workers in a drug rehabilitation unit. Watching professionals at work is a completely different learning experience which many students find useful in developing their dissertation and follow in the development of their own careers.

Option List B

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.

Fees and funding

Annual tuition fees

UK (home) International and EU
£9,535 £26,900

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.

Funding

We'll confirm more funding opportunities for students joining us in 2026/27 throughout the year.

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.

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

Teaching Excellence Framework Gold Award

Teaching and assessment

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. 

 

Two students in seminar with one writing on the board while the other is sat down watching on.

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:

  • Police
  • Solicitor or barrister (via Law conversion courses)
  • Probation officer
  • Prison service
  • Courts service
  • Government departments and agencies
  • Youth offending teams.

Transferable skills

  • Communications skills
  • Critical thinking
  • Data analysis
  • Time management
  • Project management
  • Independent study and research
  • Teamwork skills.
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.

Entry requirements

Qualification Typical offer
A levels

BBB
Access to Higher Education Diploma 21 credits at Distinction and 24 credits at Merit or higher
BTEC National Extended Diploma DDM
European Baccalaureate 75% overall
International Baccalaureate 31 points overall
T levels We will consider a range of T Level qualifications for entry. Please visit our dedicated T Levels page for a full list of accepted T Levels.
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 If you successfully complete one of the following programmes, you may be eligible for an alternative offer up to two A level grades (or equivalent) below our typical offer: Black Access Programme, Next Step York, Realising Opportunities. More about widening participation.
Contextual offer BBC
EPQ If you achieve C or higher at 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.

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:

Qualification Minimum requirement
IELTS (Academic) 6.5, with a minimum of 6.0 in each component
IB English A score of 4 in English A or 5 in English B (Higher Level or Standard Level)
Cambridge CEFR 176, with a minimum of 169 in each component
Oxford ELLT 7, with a minimum of 6 in each component
Oxford Test of English Advanced 136, with a minimum of 126 in each component
Duolingo Integrated subscores: 120 overall, with a minimum of 105 in each component
GCSE/IGCSE/O level English Language (as a first or second language) Grade C / Grade 4
LanguageCert SELT B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
LanguageCert Academic B2 with a minimum score of 33/50 in each component
Kaplan Test of English Language 478 Main Flight score with 444 in each component
Skills for English B2: Merit overall, with Pass with Merit in each component
PTE Academic 61, with a minimum of 55 in each component
TOEFL 87 overall, with a minimum of 21 in each component
Trinity ISE III Merit in all components
Other English language qualifications We also accept other English Language qualifications, including various school-leaving certificates.

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.

Applying

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

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

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