School of Sociology and Criminology - Keele University
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School of Sociology and Criminology

Sociology and Criminology

Sociology & Criminology is a busy but friendly School in the Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences.  We offer a range of flexible and innovative undergraduate programmes – Single and Dual Honours plus Major/Minor routes - in Criminology and Sociology.  We also run a successful MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice and an MRes in Social Science Research (in Sociology and Criminology as well as other disciplines).

Research and teaching

All twenty members of academic staff in the School are active researchers in the Research Institute for Social Sciences.  For more details about our research, please go here. Everything we teach is informed by our research and the latest developments in our disciplines. 

Excellent teachers … satisfied students

We pride ourselves on the quality of our teaching and the support we provide to students at all levels of study.  Staff receive regular student nominations for University Teaching Excellence Awards, and two colleagues have gone on to win awards in 2010/11 and 2011/12.  Our satisfaction scores in the National Student Survey are consistently high and show that our students enjoy what they do and value the support they are given.  We perform strongly in all the major league tables. 

Tradition and innovation

Keele was the first university in Britain to offer an undergraduate award in Criminology, while Sociology has been taught here for well over 40 years.  Based on this experience our undergraduate programmes are designed to provide a thorough grounding in Sociology and Criminology.  They also allow students to branch out and explore the issues that interest them most whether they are racism or risk, consumerism or capital punishment, witchcraft or crime in the media and popular culture. 

Teaching, assessment and support

Apart from set-piece and interactive lectures we offer regular contact hours in smaller groups of not more than 15 students, access to materials and activities via the University’s virtual learning environment and a range of assessments including presentations, case studies, blogs and posters as well essays and examinations.  We provide expert supervision for final year dissertations and one-to-one support from a personal tutor for all students.  

Distinctive Keele graduates

Whether you come to study with us as an undergraduate or on one of our Master’s programmes, we aim to help you to: learn effectively in a way that suits your learning style; pursue your own interests in the subjects we teach; and develop the distinctive set of attributes associated with being a Keele graduate. 

By the end of your time with us you will have broadened and deepened your knowledge in Criminology and/or Sociology.  But you will also have developed, and be able to demonstrate, skills that will stand you in good stead for the future and equip you for life in a rapidly changing world: the ability to find and analyse data; to think clearly and creatively; to communicate effectively; and to work independently and as a member of a team.

Getting in touch

Thank you for your interest in Sociology and Criminology at Keele. If you would like to know more, we would like to hear from you, so please do contact us.    

Bill Dixon

Head of School