REF 2014

  • Thanks to a significant investment in research-active staff, Northumbria is now ranked in the UK top 20 for research power in Social Work and Social Policy.

  • Over half of the research in Social Work and Social Policy has been rated as world leading or internationally excellent.


Our academics in this area build on key existing strengths in Public Policy and Social Inclusion & Social Justice and now include an emerging focus on International Development and Criminology.

Crime and Criminology

Academics in this area undertake research on a variety of crime-related issues ranging from policing and the police's use of forensic science and the ethics of forensic DNA technologies to race and crime. Research has been carried out on the use of cognitive behavioural programmes...

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International Development

Academics in this area undertake research on global poverty and inequality, their effect on individuals and communities, and on policies and approaches to address these issues. A central focus is on NGOs, activism and civil society, which covers issues such as grassroots activism...

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Public Policy

Our academics in this area explore different areas of public governance, public policy and public services management. Issues are investigated from a variety of different disciplinary sub-fields including political science, public management and public policy but a focus on "public service"

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Social Inclusion & Social Justice

The study of inequalities and their impact on society is a key focus of research in this area. Academics also analyse the changing nature of civil society, and the role that active citizens can play in a more inclusive society.

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Social Work and Social Policy