Criminology Level 3

Who is this course for?

Not all types of crime are alike. Are you interested in what different types of crime take place in our society and what kinds of crime exist, about which we know very little? How do we decide what behaviour is criminal? What are the roles of personnel involved when a crime is detected? Want a career in the police force, legal professions or forensic sciences? Perhaps you are interested to know more about the new exciting subject of Criminology? Either way this is the perfect course for you.

Criminology is a course that combines the subjects of Psychology, Law, Sociology and Forensic Science to form a new discipline of its own.

This is a growing subject nationally and one of the first Criminology courses offered at Level 3. It covers an exciting range of topics, covering the Changing Awareness of Crime, Criminological Theories, Crime Scene to Courtroom and Crime and Punishment.

The qualification allows students to gain the required understanding and skills to be able to consider employment within some aspects of the Criminal Justice System, Law or police force e.g. the National Probation Service, the Courts and Tribunals Service or the National OffenderManagement Service.

Exam Board

WJEC

Course Details

This course provides an opportunity to broaden your field of study in the social sciences, with a particular focus on crime. You will explore the causes of criminal behaviour, attitudes to crime, criminal investigations and the wider social and psychological aspects of crime. The first year of Criminology is a certificate, and is used as a platform for the second year which will make up to full diploma.

Units of Assessment

Year 1

Changing awareness of crime

At the end of this unit, you will have gained skills to differentiate between myth and reality

when it comes to crime and to recognise that common representations may be misleading

and inaccurate. You will have gained the skills to understand the importance of changing

public perceptions of crime. You will be able to use and assess a variety of methods used

by agencies to raise awareness of crime so that it can be tackled effectively. You will have

gained the skills to plan a campaign for change in relation to crime; for example to raise

awareness, change attitudes or change reporting behaviour.

Criminological Theories

At the end of this unit you will have gained the skills to evaluate some criminological

theories and know there are debates within the different theories. You will understand how

changes in criminological theory have influenced policy. You will also have gained the skills

to apply the theories to a specific crime or criminal in order to understand both the

behaviour and the theory.

Year 2

Crime scene to courtroom

From investigating a crime scene, to police powers and legal processes you will understand

each step of the criminal process. At the end of this unit you will have gained the skills to

review criminal cases, evaluating the evidence in the cases to determine whether the

verdict is safe and just.

Crime & Punishment

Through this unit, you will learn about the criminal justice system in England and Wales and

how it operates to achieve social control. You will have gained an understanding of the

organisations which are part of our system of social control

and their effectiveness in achieving their objectives. As such, you will be able to evaluate

the effectiveness of the process of social control in delivering policy in different contexts.

How the course is delivered

Units 1 and 3 are assessed through coursework.

Units 2 and 4 are assessed through examinations.

Each unit is worth 25% of the overall grade.

Certificate LEVEL: There will be one controlled assessment in February and one written examination at the end of the course in May

Part 1: Changing Awareness of Crime (Controlled assessment)

Part 2: Criminological Theories (Variety of short answers as well as essay responses in examination form)

Diploma LEVEL: There will be one controlled assessment in February and one written examination at the end of the course

Paper 3: Crime scene to courtroom (Controlled assessment)

Paper 4: Crime & Punishment (Variety of short answers as well as essay responses in examination form)

What does this course lead to?

This course is ideal for anyone that wishes to pursue a career in Criminology. This course can provide a route into Higher Education to study at degree level in a variety of areas such as Criminology, Criminal Justice, Psychology and Forensic Science. The course would provide an excellent basis to anyone wishing to pursue careers within the police, as a social worker, youth workers and community development workers.

The qualification allows students to gain the required understanding and skills to be able to consider employment within some aspects of the Criminal Justice System, Law or police force e.g. the National Probation Service, the Courts and Tribunals Service or the National OffenderManagement Service to include police/prison officers, probation officers, social workers, youthworkers and community development workers.

What should I do now to prepare me for this course?

As you will have probably never studied Criminology at school before, we do recommend that you

carry out some research online to find out more about the different approaches you will study.

It would also be wise to select a few popular Criminology books in order to better prepare for

yourself for under-taking this course.