BASocial Policy and Criminology (Year Abroad)

Study location	United Kingdom, Birmingham
Type	Bachelor courses, full-time
Nominal duration	4 years
Study language	English
Awards	BA
Course code	L67A

Entry qualification	High school / secondary education (or higher) The entry qualification documents are accepted in the following languages: English. Often you can get a suitable transcript from your school. If this is not the case, you will need official translations along with verified copies of the original.

Language requirements	English IELTS: 6.5 (with a minimum of 6.0 in each skill) CAE: 176 (with a minimum of 169 in each skill)

Other requirements	At least 1 reference(s) must be provided. A motivation letter must be added to your application.

More information	birmingham.ac.uk/..ogy-year-abroad-ba.aspx

Overview

Interested? To learn more about this study programme, entry requirements and application process, please contact one of our consultants in a country nearest to you.

Programme structure

Modules in the first year

The programme comprises a number of core modules designed to develop student’s knowledge and research skills and to support the progression to more independent forms of study.

Core modules

Introduction to Social Policy
Social Science, Social Problems and Social Policy
Social Research I
Introduction to Criminology
Violence in a Global Context
Plus one optional module of up to 20 credits.

Modules in the second year

Core modules

Policy Analysis
Social Research II
Criminal Justice Systems
Punishment in a Global Context

Optional modules

Students can choose either to apply for the 20-credit Doing Justice* Criminology module and 20 credits from the remaining options, or choose 40 credits from the following options:

Social Theory and Social Policy
Comparative Social Policy
Poverty, Wealth, Class and Inequality
Gender and Sexuality
Sociology of Race’ and Ethnicity – A Global Perspective
Social Policy and Disability
Terror, Threat and Security
Managing Health and Social Care
The Third Sector and Social Enterprise
Housing and Communities
Self and Society
Media and Society
Global Societies

*This module is limited in terms of the number of placements and requires students to apply.
Applicants must have secured 55% overall for their first year but successfully complete a pre-placement interview. Other placement opportunities are available via the Careers Service and Volunteering through the Guild of Students.

Year Abroad

Our Social Policy, Criminology and Policy, Politics and Economics degrees offer a year abroad option. If selecting this option, your degree will follow the same programme as the standard BA in terms of Years 1 and 2. However, your third year will be spent abroad at a university in the EU or elsewhere in the world. After completing your year abroad, you will return for your fourth and final year to the same BA degree programme.

There are a wide range of countries and universities from which you can choose. As well as a range of European universities, you may also choose from a range of current institutional partners worldwide. These include countries in which a variety of languages are spoken, including universities at which courses are taught in English.
In recent years, students in the department have taken their year abroad in Australia, Canada, Denmark and the United States, among others.

Modules in the final year

Core module

Dissertation

Optional modules
To balance your Joint Honours you must then select two Criminology modules from:

Harmful Societies: Crime, Social Harm and Social Justice
Youth Crime and Justice
Crime and the City

Plus two options from the following:

Prospects for Social Policy
From Beveridge to May
Quantitative Analysis I and Quantitative Analysis II
Migration and Super Diversity
Your Money and Your Life
Sociology of Personal Life
Divided Publics
Doing or Not Doing God? Religion, Policy and Politics
Sociology of Health and Illness
Political Sociology
Technology and Society
‘Freedom’, Control and Critique
Professional Development Module

Career opportunities

There are a number of job paths for you to take after graduating. There are graduate schemes in managing welfare services in health care, the third sector and local government which can be popular choices with our graduates. Since a degree in Social Policy is based upon how policy is made it is a great degree for working in the civil service, local government or for think tanks. Our graduate also gain students many transferable skills such as critical thinking, written and verbal communication and team work which give them the flexibility to go into a wide range of employment opportunities:

NHS management trainee scheme
Planning Officer
Charity co-ordinator
Marketing project manager
Social enterprise co-ordinator
Campaign manager for an MP
Youth worker
Researcher
Communications officer
Graduate land buyer
Benefits Officer