Combine the two popular disciplines of Criminology and Sociology as you study some of the most contentious issues in contemporary life. This stimulating combined degree is jointly taught by the world-leading, research-active academics based in our prestigious Law School and Sociology Department. They will encourage you to look beyond traditional views and consider how ideas about crime, justice, society and culture are shaped by history, economics, politics and ideology. Our unique approach to your first year allows you to select modules in Law, Sociology and Criminology, tackling topics such as youth justice, sex offending, drugs, crime and the media, stigma and deviance, sociologies of help and illness and marginalised groups. You will benefit from our excellent connections with NGOs, charities, and local criminal justice agencies such as Lancashire Police and HMP Lancashire Farm. You will be able to visit the prison and engage in collaborative learning, and analyse data from Lancashire Police; this data is then often used by the force. All of this helps you to make professional connections, learn more about criminal justice agencies, and get a head start on your career. You will gain vital skills for a career within, and beyond, the criminal justice system as you develop your abilities to think critically, communicate, speak in public, work in teams, write for academia and carry out research and data analysis. The duality of this course also means you will be practiced at looking at issues from a multi-disciplinary perspective. You will have the opportunity to spend Year 3 on placement with a public, private or voluntary organisation in the UK or overseas. This experience will boost your employment prospects and will help you to decide on your career direction and the kind of organisation in which you want to work once you graduate. You will be doing a real, responsible job with all the satisfaction that brings. Our Placements Team will support you in finding and applying for a suitable placement that will support your professional development. Applying for a placement is a competitive process and the preparatory modules you will complete in years one and two are designed to give you the best chance of success in your placement applications. You will also be provided with dedicated workshops, 1:1 appointments with careers professionals as well as opportunities to speak with employers here on campus. During the placement year you will remain a Lancaster University student which means that you will still be eligible for a student loan, have access to facilities such as the library and receive discounts on transport and council tax. Your tuition fee will be reduced to 20% during the placement year. The placement will enhance your understanding of the connections between theory and practice and this will benefit your final year of study. This is an exciting opportunity to build up experience and transferable skills, as well as to make contacts with potential employers which will place you a step ahead in the graduate recruitment market.