The youth work and youth justice sectors are dynamic and growing areas of study as well as key graduate employers.

On this course you will build a deep understanding of the work in the private and voluntary sectors, including local and central government, as well as gain insight into local, national and international organisations.

You will develop knowledge of policy creation, implementation and evaluation and central issues around the management and governance of youth services. Career-focused events and modules will allow you to develop and reflect upon their own employability and management/practitioner skills. 

The BA(Hons) Youth Studies and Youth Justice course could equip you with the professional knowledge and transferable skills to go on to a diverse range of careers in this growing and dynamic sector.

You will study core modules in areas such as youth crime and deviance, the criminal justice system, policing, policy making and ethics and management of youth provisions.

You will also have the opportunity to choose from a range of optional modules at Levels 6, including victimology, sentencing and, race, ethnicity and popular culture.

You will benefit from the excellent teaching and learning facilities at UWL including the Paul Hamlyn Library, recorded lectures available to listen to on our UWLReplay system, and experienced staff who are research active as well as experienced in professional practice.   

You may gain employment in the following areas:

• Criminal justice - prison and probation services, community work, rehabilitation and restorative justice, law enforcement (including community policing), the wider criminal justice system
• Research and Planning - Governmental and regional planning departments, research firms, evaluation research, public opinion research, public policy think tanks. 
• Agencies - youth services, community social services, disability services, counselling. 
• Government - social science analysis, administration, policy analysis. 
• Education - colleges and universities, educational research.
• Media - technical writing, newspaper and magazine reporting, public relations. 
• Private sector employers (e.g. Group 4 Securicor, Reliance Custodial Services, public policy think tanks)
• Third sector employers (e.g. Catch 22, NACRO).

There are more than 200,000 people working in public sector criminal justice agencies such as the police, probation services and prison officers and another 500,000 employed in the private sector in the security industry.  Local government is collectively one of the largest employers in the country, with approximately 1 million employees.

You may graduate with a range of attractive skills including:

• Qualitative and quantitative research methodologies that help identify social trends and patterns and produce social statistics such as those used in market research, opinion polling, sales and other areas of employment.   
• Rather than superficial evaluation of issues the focus is instead on the‘why’, promoting relevant critical skills invaluable for market researchers, policy analysts, government agencies, charities and other agencies interested in resolving multifaceted social problems. 
• In the 21st century society job market it is essential to understand social differences and be able to work with different demographics and respond to the challenges. 
• The ‘Reflections on Youth Work and Employability’ module provides you with the opportunity to engage with volunteering roles, placements and external professionals within the field.