Course Overview
Are you interested in the reasons behind criminal behaviour? Do you want to gain insights into the processes of the criminal justice system? Do you want to understand behaviour of those who break the law more? Or perhaps you are simply aiming for a career working in criminal justice or tackling crime.
If this sounds like you, then you could discover academic success, along with great enjoyment, by studying the complex and often absorbing world of Criminology.
It is an interdisciplinary subject, which means it crosses traditional subject boundaries, you are expected to draw on a number of skills that you will have developed at GCSE.
Indeed, it has strong relationships with Sociology, Psychology, Law, Business, Politics, Media Studies and Science.
The WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is a qualification with elements of psychology, law and sociology that complements many other studies. This is an Applied General qualification, designed primarily to support learners progressing to university or into higher level apprenticeships.
Entry Requirements
Entry Criteria:
All students studying a Vocational Level 3 course should have at least five GCSEs at grade 9 - 4 (A* - C) in academic subjects, including Maths at grade 4 (grade C).
Special Entry Requirements:
Students must be prepared to work long hours outside lesson time to regularly review the topics covered.
Maths 4
English 5
Assessment Information
| Area of Study |
Topic |
| Changing Awareness of Crime |
Develop an understanding of different types of crime, influences on perceptions of crime and why some crimes are unreported. Knowing about the wide range of different crimes and the reasons people have for not reporting such crimes provides an understanding of the complexity of behaviours and the social implications of such crimes and criminality. |
| Criminological Theories |
Gain an understanding of why people commit crime, drawing on what they have learned in Unit 1. Learners explore the difference between criminal behaviour and deviance and the theories behind why people commit crime. |
| Crime Scene to Courtroom |
Develop an understanding of the criminal justice system from the moment a crime has been identified to the verdict. They develop the understanding and skills needed to examine information in order to review the justice of verdicts in criminal cases. |
| Crime and Punishment |
Learners apply their understanding of the awareness of criminality, criminological theories and the process of bringing an accused to court in order to evaluate the effectiveness of social control to deliver criminal justice policy. |
Each unit within the qualification has an applied purpose which acts as a focus for the learning in the unit. The applied purpose demands learning related to authentic case studies. It also requires learners to consider how the use and application of their learning impacts on themselves, other individuals, employers, society and the environment.
