Sociology and Criminology with a Foundation Year - BA (Hons)
Currently viewing course to start in 2025/26 Entry.
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....
- Level Foundation
- Study mode Full Time
- Award BA (Hons)
- Start date September 2025
- Fees View course fees
- Subject
- Location City Centre
This course is:
Open to International Students
Overview
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 this course?
Our BA (Hons) Sociology and Criminology degree is a radical and practical course; theoretically driven and empirically informed, as well as locally situated and globally focused.
Studying Sociology at Birmingham City University is about not reading sociology but doing sociology, allowing you to explore and question social norms and discover the complex issues behind your everyday routines and social practices in a range of spatial contexts, applying what you learn to your own lived experiences.
The inclusion of Criminology into the degree affords you the opportunity to understanding how society makes sense of crime, criminality and its control as well as the relationship between crime and wider society. You will examine patterns and processes of inequality, crime, the structure and dynamics of social hierarchies and power relations and ask why and how people shape their identities and the tensions and conflicts that these processes create.
Through the School of Social Sciences’ Birmingham 2029 project, you will have the chance to explore such themes of sociology and criminology within the city of Birmingham, an urban context that hosts diverse communities perfect for sociological and criminological examination.
The School of Social Sciences has links with local public and third sector organisations that will help you make professional contacts and be able to apply your studies to future career prospects when taking part in voluntary work or on placement.
Employability is at the heart of our BA(Hons) Sociology and Criminology programme, with placement opportunities embedded throughout the course of the degree. Coming to study Sociology and Criminology at Birmingham City University affords you with a wealth of academic and employability opportunities, locally and globally aligned, to develop the skills needed to not only achieve successful graduate employment but also to contribute, as an agent of change, to thinking through and tackling some of the pressing social issues of contemporary society.
Why Choose Us?
- We aim to infuse learning with exposure to real-world experiences. Through participation in the Social Impact Hub, we give students the chance to work on real-life projects. These offer a unique opportunity for students to gain this invaluable experience while they study.
- We pride ourselves on being the University for Birmingham and our commitment to contribute to the city and local community. As part of this commitment, we have forged strong links with local organisations across the city and many graduates end up playing valuable roles in the local community.
- We have strong links with West Midlands Police and regularly welcome serving officers and experts to give guest lectures and provide opportunities for exposure to real-world activities.
- We have a strong focus on employability and through placement opportunities and our links with local businesses, we aim to ensure you graduate not only with your degree but also with the skills and knowledge needed to embark on your chosen career.
- The STEAMhouse offers amazing opportunities for entrepreneurial students to kick start and build a business or organisation. Services available include the Incubator which helps focus and solidify business ideas and the Hatchery which offers support in getting your business or organisation off the ground.
Open Days
Join us for an on-campus Open Day where you'll be able to learn about this course in detail, chat to students, explore our campus and tour accommodation.
Next Open Day: 24 November 2024
Entry Requirements
These entry requirements apply for entry in 2025/26.
All required qualifications/grades must have been achieved and evidenced at the earliest opportunity after accepting an offer to help confirm admission and allow for on-time enrolment. This can also include other requirements, like a fee status form and relevant documents. Applicants can track their application and outstanding information requests through their BCU mySRS account.
Essential requirements
80 UCAS Tariff points. Learn more about UCAS Tariff points.
If you have a qualification that is not listed, please contact us.
Fees & How to Apply
UK students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 4 Years
- £9,250 in 2025/26
- Apply via UCAS
International students
Annual and modular tuition fees shown are applicable to the first year of study. The University reserves the right to increase fees for subsequent years of study in line with increases in inflation (capped at 5%) or to reflect changes in Government funding policies or changes agreed by Parliament. View fees for continuing students.
Award: BA (Hons)
Starting: Sep 2025
- Mode
- Duration
- Fees
- Full Time
- 4 Years
- £17,690 in 2025/26
Guidance for UK/EU students
UK and EU students applying for most undergraduate degree courses in the UK will need to apply through UCAS.
The Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) is a UK organisation responsible for managing applications to university and college.
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Course in Depth
Foundation Year
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
This module has been designed to offer you a broad introduction to the academic discipline of sociology. Given the theoretical nature of the subject, the module begins by offering you an insight into the history and development of sociological thought. From here, you will then explore key sociological themes including social class, race, gender, sexuality, culture and social control. You will be introduced to what it means to think like a sociologist, learning to see the general in the particular and the strange in the familiar, whilst also developing an awareness of how society and social concepts work according to the three central sociological perspectives. Towards the end of the module, you will explore sociology in an international context, learning about the differences and similarities that exist between societies around the world. Having studied this module, you will have established a solid, sociological foundation upon which to build as you progress into your chosen level 4-degree programme.
This module has been designed to offer you a broad introduction to the academic discipline of criminology. Throughout the module you will be introduced to a variety of important topic areas which highlight the inter-relationship between crime and society. Given the theoretical nature of the subject, the module begins by offering you an insight into the history and development of criminological thinking. From here, the module will scope the contours of the criminological landscape, exploring important, contemporary issues such as, class, race and ethnicity and gender and sexuality with specific reference to the overarching themes of crime, criminality and the criminal justice. Towards the end of the module, you will explore criminology in an international context. As such, you will learn about the changing nature of criminality and begin to understand how crime is dealt with in different societies around the world. Having studied this module, you will have established a solid, criminological foundation upon which to build as you progress into your chosen level 4-degree programme.
This module has been designed to help you develop the essential skills required to be successful on the range of Sociology and Criminology degree programmes that are available at Birmingham City University and in Higher Education more generally. During the module, you will first be encouraged to Think like a Sociologist or Criminologist and from here, you will develop important academic skills such as reading, writing and referencing according to the Harvard system. In addition to this, the module will encourage you to reflect on and develop your interpersonal skills which includes communicating with clarity, working collaboratively and managing your online presence. The skills you develop in this module – all of which are of relevance to the contemporary social scientist – will facilitate your transition into further study and help you to prepare for employment post-graduation.
This module focuses on questions and debates in sociology and criminology and their relevance to public and voluntary sector agencies that plan and deliver services in social and criminal justice settings. Examples of practice-relevant topics that will be addressed in this module are ‘policing the public’, ‘responding to homelessness’, ‘addressing addiction and criminality’, ‘managing debt’ and ‘confronting the educational attainment gap’.
This module has been designed to take you on an interactive journey through the Criminal Justice System (CJS) in England & Wales. You will begin by exploring the concept of “crime” and will develop an understanding of how those behaviours which are considered “criminal” can change over time and from place to place. You will then embark on a journey through the Criminal Justice System, beginning with the process of criminalisation. Each week, you will learn about the history and workings of key components of the CJS, including the police, the courts and the prison service and you will be introduced to a variety of contemporary issues affecting the CJS process. This is a “hands on” practical module designed to give you a range of skills through workshops, alongside academic theory and critical analysis. Throughout the course of the module, you will hear from guest speakers and undertake independent study to develop your employability skills.
The FYSC Independent Research Project module gives you the opportunity to practice and develop skills needed for research within the social sciences. Specifically, within the department of Sociology and Criminology, the FYSC Independent Research Project has been designed to offer you an insight into the preparatory stages of the research process. As such, you will first be introduced to the broad area of Social Scientific Research before exploring the research process from both a Sociological and Criminological perspective.
First Year
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 120 credits).
This core module will introduce you to a range of classical sociological theories and perspectives whilst situating them in their social and historical contexts. Not only does it outline the origins of social theory, and explore some of the key classical thinkers and theories, but it also critically examines the legacies of colonialism and gender exclusion at the heart of European modernity.
City, Community and Culture is an introduction to urban sociology via the city on our doorstep. Using Birmingham as our ‘urban laboratory’, we will explore some of the urgent questions facing contemporary cities and how urban sociologists have sought to address them. The module is applied in nature. Research-based learning (where you learn as researchers) will see you going out into Birmingham and exploring how a sociological lens can help us understand the city. You will engage with the skills and imagination to comprehend and study Birmingham, engaging with local organisations where appropriate (including Fierce public art collective, Birmingham city archives, and local charities).
This module will be focused on helping you to develop your criminological imagination. It will give you the tools to be able to recognise how major developments in criminology relate to the social and political context of historical moments. Topics include major historical eras such as the Enlightenment, the Industrial Revolution, and major shifts in the economy from the Post-War State to the rise of Neoliberalism, as well as changes in social attitudes and demographics through social movements like labour, feminism, anti-racism/imperialism, and LGBTQ+ activism, as well as immigration, the rise of surveillance, and environmental politics.
This module aims to advance your awareness of the interplay between individual experience and wider society. In so doing, you will be supported to develop and to apply that which the American sociologist C Wright Mills (1959) called, a ‘sociological imagination’: an act which invites us to ‘think our selves away’ from the immediacy of the routines, events and personal circumstances of everyday life and to consider these in wider social context from a sociological point of view. In support of this endeavour, the module introduces and makes use of contemporary sociological thinking and practice with an alertness to social setting, agency and social structure. Analysis, discussion and debate are framed and grounded with reference to selected social topics and themes with a relevancy to the lived experience of the ‘everyday’.
Politics and Society is an introductory module that aims to familiarise students with key themes in political sociology. It introduces politics from a sociological perspective that encompasses institutional and extra-institutional means of doing politics, different spheres of claim-making, forms of political participation, and social change. The module encourages students to reflect on how political processes and discourses affect their own experiences, expectations, and visions of the future. Politics is studied in conventionally political settings such as the parliament and protests as well as in everyday life, personal relationships, and the workplace. Theoretical readings are followed by examples from contemporary socio-political life.
Becoming a Social Researcher will introduce students to social research methods, offering initial training which will be developed at Level 5 (Applied Social Research) and eventually feed into their Integrated Research Project (Level 6). Here, students will learn core skills, including: identifying a topic (scale), writing an effective research question, developing a conceptual framework, identifying appropriate methods, and the practicalities of empirical research (including access, sampling, resources, and ethics).
Second Year
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits).
In this module we will take a critical look at the shifting nature of crime, social contexts, and the impact of crime on space and place as linked to the urban city as a social milieu. We will also investigate the nature of contemporary city living and how this is experienced across intersections of identity, and what this means for vulnerabilities to being victims of crime or being led into criminal pathways. We will also look in detail at forms of criminological theory and consider newer emergent aspects of cultural and critical forms of criminology.
This module begins with questioning what applied sociological research is, what is its meaning and rationale and value in a social context. In this regard, this module explores the principles of sociological research strategies and designs, and how these principles may be applied in practice. Within the module there is a focus on qualitative methodologies, which will encourage students to clarify how research questions, strategies, methods and forms of analysis influence each other. Students are expected to complete and follow ethical procedures as part of this module.
This module begins with questioning what applied sociological research is, what is its meaning and rationale and value in a social context. In this regard, this module explores the principles of sociological research strategies and designs, and how these principles may be applied in practice. Within the module there is a focus on qualitative methodologies, which will encourage students to clarify how research questions, strategies, methods and forms of analysis influence each other. Students are expected to complete and follow ethical procedures as part of this module.
Black theoretical perspectives and debates on crime, criminal justice, and criminology are seldom heard, seen, or referred to, within so called ‘mainstream criminology’. A possible explanation pertaining to this ‘invisibility’ could be as a consequence of ‘implicit biases’ within the discipline itself. It is argued that these implicit biases further reproduce and reinforces privilege of some perspectives, whilst at the same time subordinating others. Russell (2002) calls for the development of a ‘black criminology’, Phillips and Bowling (2003) further call for the need to develop ‘minority perspectives’ in criminology, whilst Glynn (2018) sees the need for a Critical Race Criminology to transcend the current subordinate status of non-white criminological perspectives.
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
This module considers the role of forensic science in criminal investigations. You will examine a variety of methods and practices of forensic science, including crime scene analysis, DNA evidence and blood spatter analysis, and will discuss how these are interpreted to solve criminal cases. You will explore the theories and academic debates surrounding current practice.
Traditionally criminology has focused on those who perpetrate harm and given far less attention to those who experience harm, and this module seeks to address this discrepancy. This module will give some consideration as to why some events which cause harm are formally labelled and treated as crimes when others are not, and in doing so we will consider the impact of this upon those who experience these harms. This module will support you to develop a critical understanding of victimology and equip you to question the label 'victim'. Furthermore, we will consider how many of those who experience harm will frequently be the least powerful and the most vulnerable in society, increasing the need for effective responses (both inside and outside of the Criminal Justice System) to repair the harm done.
Youth Crime and Justice aims to equip students with a sound theoretical knowledge of juvenile offending and justice. In essence, the understanding of the complex relationship between young people and criminality fits within the wider aims of the degree programme and associated pathways as it draws on sociological, psychological and criminological understandings, furthering students’ ability to understand and problematize crime and its causes. The module also recognises that the separate and distinct administration to criminal justice to young people is a topic worthy of consideration in its own right, and considers important debates around justice, welfare, education and the construction of youth and childhood. It takes both a contemporary and historical focus, considering how the nexus of crime, control and youth have variously been considered during different historical periods.
Popular culture refers to the cultural form of ordinary people and is shaped by the interactions between people in their everyday activities: styles of dress, the use of slang, greeting rituals and the foods that people eat. Popular culture is also informed by the mass media and in this module, we will consider how the media and popular culture can act to confirm or resist dominant ideologies produced in society. We will explore and analyse a wide range of mass mediated and everyday culture. You will learn and apply a range of methods of cultural analysis to the study of contemporary media, culture, and the cultural sociology of everyday life.
All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Final Year
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete all the following CORE modules (totalling 80 credits).
This module develops your knowledge of political globalisation, borders, and migration. These intersecting aspects of the modern world are examined by drawing upon key perspectives in International Relations and Sociology. You are provided with a rigorous conceptual account of globalisation through the figure of the mobile and immobilized subject. Institutional frameworks, political events, legal developments, social identities, and cultural attitudes towards borders and migration are the empirical foci of the module. You are required to develop strong written and verbal debating skills, as necessary for demands of interdisciplinary scholarship. Teaching provision consists of lectures and seminars. Guest lectures will supplement the learning. Invited speakers will be from other academic institutions or civil society organizations.
This module will explore the gendered nature of crime and criminal justice. In doing so, we will consider the gendered perspective of victims, perpetrators and those working within the Criminal Justice System. This module will draw on a broad theoretical framework; including feminist, psychological, biological and human rights perspectives. This module is central to the students’ development of critical appreciation of the relationship between the individual and social aspects of crime and victimisation.
The aim of this module is to provide a framework for you to undertake a substantial disciplinary relevant project. It is founded upon Birmingham City University’s teaching and learning philosophy which integrates theory and practice. The format of the Integrated Research Project will vary, dependent on the degree pathway you are on, and the choice of project. Depending on student interest and available support, potential project formats may include: a library-based or empirical dissertation; a group-based social entrepreneurship project; or other projects based on the suggestion of students.
In order to complete this course, you must successfully complete at least 40 credits from the following indicative list of OPTIONAL modules.
This is a Level 6 optional module which will introduce students to hate crime and issues related to hate crime and how multi-agencies have to deal with such complex issues. It will examine the issue of vulnerable groups such as children, those with a learning disability and people who have suffered anti-Muslim hate and Islamophobia as potential victims of religiously motivated hate crimes.
This innovative module will engage your critical thinking to situate emotions at the forefront of contemporary criminological thought by examining the experience and role of emotions in criminal behaviour and criminal justice responses to such behaviours. The approach to emotions within the legal system and criminal justice agencies is often paradoxical. Your module content will draw on diverse theoretical approaches to define emotions and the affective role of emotions in our everyday lives. Building on this, the module seeks to examine the social construction of emotions in comparative British and international contexts. The intersection of emotions, power and gender is central to your analysis of representations of offending and criminal justice policy and practices across cultural and jurisdictional contexts.
The module will introduce students to the complex world of cyber-crime and issues related to cyber technology and how the police deal with cyber issues from cyber terrorism, cyber bullying and cyber hate. The module will work well alongside the other modules related to security studies where students will examine the rationale of cyber-crimes.
This module is tied to an emergent research field that unites a multi-disciplinary network of academics, researchers and postgraduate students who explore the boundaries of crime, consumption, leisure and deviance. The topic is informed through critical engagement with a range of perspectives intersecting with the sociological interpretations of crime and deviance, drawing on Criminology, Law, Sociology, Urban Studies, Geography, and Leisure and Tourism. The overarching theme of deviant leisure therefore unites a wide range of research areas, including leisure and consumption practices, intoxication, media, urban exploration, sport and violence, dark tourism, the leisure activities of the rich and powerful, deviancy within videogames, and the impact of internet/social media in correlation with issues of criminological and sociological theory.
Harms of the Powerful encompasses the damaging and victimising behaviours perpetrated by privately or publicly operated corporations, as well as the state facilitated legalistic and political responses to these activities. Within criminology and wider academia, we generally fail to scrutinise those who operate within the upper echelons of society – those individuals or institutions with much economic and cultural capital. This module will address such deficiencies by providing a nuanced and holistic overview of the actions of such individuals, organisations and State actors.
Organised crime has become a significant concern and appears to be on the increase. In this module, you will study contemporary global crimes such as drug and human trafficking, terrorism, illegal arms trading and financial crime through the lens of critical criminology. In addition, you will examine the extent of transnational organised crime, its historicity at a global level and law enforcement responses.
This is an optional module concentrating on cultural sociology with specific reference to music. The module will provide students with an in-depth introduction to some of the key sociological ideas and perspectives on music, and it will focus on three main themes: the social and historical settings in which musical forms are produced and consumed; music in relation to identity and politics; and the political economy of music. By the end of the module, students should have a good understanding of the social functions, and significance, of music. Key issues we will explore include: the influence of class, race and gender on musical styles; music in its relationship with sub-cultural groups and as a force for political expression; and the commodification of popular music. Alongside considering these issues, we will be listening to a variety of music.
Activism and social movements have attempted to address a wide range of social problems and influence social change. Historically, movements have had significant influence on social relations and social policy. This module will critically investigate a range of social movements and activism from the past and present to better understand these movements and their internal processes and external contexts. Various theories will be explored to get a good grasp of what brings about social movements, how they operate, and when they succeed. The social movements discussed in this module will include the climate change movement, Black Lives Matter, the environmental movement, the anti-austerity movement, the trade union movement, the animal rights movement, the anti-nuclear movement, the civil rights movement, and the black power movement. The module will also explore movement organizations such as Extinction Rebellion, Friends of the Earth and ACT UP.
The module explores and examines the historical context which produced the Black Arts Movement in Africa and across the Diaspora. It aligns with the aims of the Black Studies degree programme as it focusses on a social movement, and discusses the contribution that artists from the African diaspora have contributed to visual culture. By engaging with a range of intellectual perspectives that contributed to the development of the Black Arts Movement, students will have the opportunity to understand how, in the case of the Black Arts Movement, intellectual thought and artistic production are symbiotic.
Using international urban case studies, Global Cities is an advanced urban sociology module building upon the imagination and skills developed through City, Community, Culture (L4 focusing on Birmingham); Space and Place (L5, focusing on spatial theory) and Crime in the City (L5, focusing on urban criminology). The module introduces students to cutting-edge urban studies thinking via research informed teaching. Each week will focus on a new city and a new topic, encouraging students to expand their global horizon of urban issues, as well as enabling them to compare, contrast, and expand their learning across different case studies. The module aims to provide students with the skills and insight necessary to face a new era of ‘planetary urbanism’ and the unique challenges this era presents for city governance and society. In particular, the module will focus on issues of inequality, social injustice, as well as both implicit and explicit urban divisions and conflicts.
The module provides you with an introduction to postcolonial studies. The module gives you an overview of how European colonialism operated, legacies of colonialism in the present, and contestations of these legacies. It examines the writings of key thinkers in postcolonial studies as well as the applicability of their ideas for interpreting and critiquing contemporary politics. The module has a transnational focus. It engages with Anglo-American, Western European, Latin American, Chinese, South Asian, North African, and Australasian postcolonial contexts. Focus is placed on the empirical postcolonial developments and scholarship that emanate from these regions. You are thereby exposed to key historical and contemporary political issues across national borders. Teaching provision consists of lectures, seminars, and student-led presentation sessions. Guest lectures and optional cross-university readings groups will supplement the learning.
This module will be of interest to students who wish to explore and gain a critical understanding of the social world through visual culture. It will discuss the power of texts to influence and shape both historical and contemporary social contexts and is informed by debates that address the increasing significance of visual communications and the need to develop visual literacy in the contemporary world. We are increasingly exposed to a phenomenal array of sophisticated visual texts, and therefore the module aims to explore how visual meanings are made and how meanings are communicated.
All core modules are guaranteed to run. Optional modules will vary from year to year and the published list is indicative only.
Download course specification
Download nowYou have the flexibility to transfer to any standard undergraduate Sociology or Criminology course offered within the School of Social Sciences after successful completion of your foundation year, including the option to transfer to the specialist Sociology or Criminology pathways when you successfully complete your second year if you choose to stay on this course.
The specialist pathways offered as part of the Sociology suite of courses are:
BA (Hons) Sociology / BA (Hons) Sociology and Criminology will explore patterns and processes of inequality, examine the structure and dynamics of social hierarchies and power relations and ask why and how people shape their identities and practice their lives. We encourage you to explore how sociological knowledge can connect individuals and how it can provide you with the skills needed to participate in debates not just about what society is but how it could be.
And the specialist pathways offered as part of the Criminology suite of courses are:
BA (Hons) Criminology aims to develop knowledge and understanding of the core schools of criminological thought, their historical and political foundations and practical application. Our curriculum offers you a variety of subjects, through which you will be able to develop your interests before focusing on specialised fields within Criminology that appeal to you as a student.
BA (Hons) Criminology, Policing and Investigation offers an in-depth study of policing and investigation, helping you develop knowledge and understanding of the core schools of criminological thought, their historical and political foundations and practical application. This new curriculum offers a varied yet focused choice of subjects through which you will be able to develop your interests within the specialised field of criminology.
BSc (Hons) Professional Policing is a national pre-join degree course licensed by the Policing Professional Body, the College of Policing and will be delivered by subject matter experts and experienced practitioners (including retired police officers) with a wealth of subject expertise to prepare you with key transferable skills required for the role of Police Constable.
Employability
Enhancing employability skills
We recommend you get involved in the research seminars held by our research centres (such as the Centre for Critical Social Research and the Centre for Applied Criminology and the Centre for Critical Social Research), as well as encourage you to participate in the research these centres carry out.
Our Graduate+ scheme will not only develop your broader employability skills, but will also enhance your work opportunities, your lifelong learning skills and a sense of belonging.
International
Birmingham City University is a vibrant and multicultural university in the heart of a modern and diverse city. We welcome many international students every year – there are currently students from more than 80 countries among our student community.
The University is conveniently placed, with Birmingham International Airport nearby and first-rate transport connections to London and the rest of the UK.
Our international pages contain a wealth of information for international students who are considering applying to study here, including:
- Details of the entry requirements for our courses
- Some of the good reasons why you should study here
- How to improve your language skills before starting your studies
- Information relevant to applicants from your country
- Where to find financial support for your studies.
Facilities & Staff
Our Facilities
We are constantly investing in our estate and have spent over £400 million on new learning facilities.
The Curzon Building
This course is based at our City Centre Campus – and specifically The Curzon Building, alongside other social sciences, law and business students.
The £63m building offers students a unique social learning space, including a dedicated student hub incorporating student support services, in the heart of Birmingham’s Eastside development.
Realistic, simulated environments include two mock court rooms, a Magistrates' and Crown Court, and an interviewing suite. We’re also exploring the use of virtual environments as a way to develop case study analysis.
For those studying on the BSc (Hons) Professional Policing or BA (Hons) Criminology, Policing and Investigation degrees, you’ll experience simulations of police interviewing environments for both suspects and witnesses, with access to tape recording and video playback analysis. You’ll also be able to utilise our unique mobile crime scene to simulate true-to-life and interactive situational simulations.
Crime investigation files are prepared using computer-based technology, and the crime data analysis requirements of the degree are supported by appropriate statistical and analytical software.
Psychology students can look forward to using state-of-the-art equipment as well, including the latest in eye-tracking software, and our new EEG machine, all geared towards giving you true hands-on experience with tools you’ll be using in your later career. You will also benefit from facilities across the wider campus including the Parkside and Millennium Point buildings.
The Curzon Building also features:
- An impressive library with access to over 65 million full text items and stunning views of Eastside City Park
- Your Students’ Union which is located in a beautifully restored 19th century pub, The Eagle and Ball
- A modern 300-seat food court with space to study and socialise
- Accessible IT facilities with full Office365 for all students for free
- Shared facilities with the wider campus including the Parkside Building and Millennium Point
Our staff
Andrew Dixon
Senior Lecturer/Course Director in Sociology
Andrew Dixon has worked as a social-housing practitioner and as an academic researcher. Andrew has past course development and management experience in the field of Housing Studies. Andrew has been course director with responsibility for the undergraduate Sociology degrees at BCU.
More about AndrewDr Gary Hazeldine
Associate Professor of Sociology
Dr Gary Hazeldine has taught Sociology at Birmingham City University since 2007. Prior to this he taught at the University of Brighton, the University of Sussex, and Manchester Metropolitan University.
More about GaryProfessor Imran Awan
Professor of Criminology
Professor Imran Awan is one of the country’s leading criminologists and experts on Islamophobia and countering extremism.
More about Imran