Sociology and Criminology with a Foundation Year – BA (Hons)

Looking for a foundation course in sociology or criminology in Birmingham? Our BA (Hons) Sociology and Criminology with a Foundation Year degree has lower entry requirements and can lead to a full undergraduate qualification.

This course has been specifically designed to allow home and EU students, who do not initially meet the Birmingham City University entry requirements for our standard Sociology or Criminology degrees, to undertake additional level 3 study designed to ensure they are successful on their chosen degree course.

The foundation year itself will equip you with the required knowledge and skills to proceed on to any of our undergraduate Sociology or Criminology degree courses offered within the School of Social Sciences.

What’s covered in the course?

This course will enable you to develop an understanding of society and social factors and how this affects crime and criminals, giving you a solid human understanding that will put you in a good position for range of careers or further study.

Combining sociology with the study of criminology gives you a chance to benefit from the cutting-edge thinking of the University’s Centre for Applied Criminology, a research Centre of Excellence. The recently launched Centre for Critical Social Research also brings sociological concerns to the fore.

The course introduces you to sociological theories and contexts allowing you to situate and to inform your studies in criminology with a focus on crime, criminals and the operation of criminal justice agencies.

You’ll develop communication and research skills through our wide range of assessments, as well as a clear understanding of social policy and criminology.

Why Choose Us?

• This course is designed to progress students who fall below normal entry requirement levels on to full Undergraduate degrees.
• On all of our programmes you will gain a professional focus and real world experience of sociology, ensuring you are equipped to make an immediate impact in your career. You have the opportunity to embark on a year-long sandwich placement as part of your degree course.
• The course’s professional relevance is supported by our close links with local criminal justice agencies, including Birmingham Community Safety Partnership and West Midlands Police Force. We have also worked with local schools youth work, family support, housing and advice agencies.
• We have links with local voluntary, statutory and commercial organisations such as SIFA Fireside and NACRO, Women’s Aid and Citizen’s Advice Bureau among others giving you the chance to undertake a placement and develop your practical skills.
• All our programmes have an international focus. This is embedded throughout the curriculum, giving you the opportunity to transform your experience with us into a global one. There are a variety of exciting possibilities open to you, ranging from our successful international travel scholarships scheme, through which you can spend a summer working for a charitable organisation overseas, to one of our many overseas study exchange programmes.
• As a student on one of our undergraduate degrees, you will be able to benefit from our Graduate+ initiative. This three-year award programme enables you to gain award levels for all the extra-curricular activities you undertake so that you can stand out from the crowd on graduation.
• The department is recognised for being at the forefront of sociological research, specialising in areas such as Black Studies, human rights and social identities.
• You will share a common first year with Sociology BA (Hons), allowing you the opportunity to transfers onto the course in your second year.
• Gain an understanding of the contemporary social world by practising a form of sociological inquiry that is informed, knowledge-applied, evidence-based and interdisciplinary.
• You will study in our state-of-the-art City Centre Campus, ideally located for you to take advantage of our links to industry in the UK’s second city.
• Employability is interwoven into every aspect of our course. Areas of employment for Sociology graduates can include: local and central government roles; publishing; market research and marketing; fundraising; youth, community and housing work; and voluntary / not-for-profit sector management.
• Birmingham City University has just launched the UK’s first Centre for Brexit Studies, researching all aspects of the UK’s vote to leave the EU, including the impact it has on cultural identities both in Britain and in Europe.