L3 Diploma in Applied Criminology

Over the two years you will learn about the main areas of criminology that will make you question how you view criminals.. These include:

Changing awareness of crimes

Criminological theories

Crime in a courtroom

Crime and punishment

Unit 1 Changing Awareness of Crime:

The first mandatory unit will enable the learner to demonstrate understanding of different types of crime, influences on perceptions of crime and why some crimes are unreported.

We will look at such questions as; what different types of crime take place in our society? What kinds of crime exist about which we know very little, or which are simply not reported to the police and the media? How do we explain people's reluctance to come forward about crimes of which they have been the victim?

This is an internally assessed coursework unit.

Unit 2 Criminological Theories:

The second mandatory unit will allow learners to gain an understanding of why people commit crime, drawing on what they have learned in Unit 1.

We look at such questions as; How do we decide what behaviour is criminal? What is the difference between criminal behaviour and deviance? How do we explain why people commit crime? What makes someone a serial killer, or abusive to their own families? Criminologists have produced theoretical explanations of why people commit crime, but which is the most useful?

This is an externally assessed exam unit.

Unit 3 Crime Scene to Courtroom:

The third mandatory unit will provide an understanding of the criminal justice system from the moment a crime has been identified to the verdict. Learners will develop the understanding and skills needed to examine information in order to review the justice of verdicts in criminal cases.

We look at questions such as, what are the roles of personnel involved when a crime is detected? What investigative techniques are available to investigators to help to identify the culprit? Do techniques differ depending on the type of crime being investigated? What happens to a suspect once charged by the police and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS)? What safeguards are in place to ensure a suspect has a fair trial?

This is an internally assessed coursework unit.

Unit 4 Crime and Punishment:

In the final mandatory unit, learners will 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.

We look at questions such as, why do most of us tend to obey the law even when to do so is against our own interests? What social institutions have we developed to ensure that people do obey laws? What happens to those who violate our legal system? Why do we punish people? How do we punish people?

This is an externally assessed exam unit.

This subject is assessed through internal and external assessments.

Four grade 4s in your GCSEs.

The main purpose of the WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is mainly to use the qualification to support access to higher education degree courses, such as:

• BSc Criminology • BA Criminology • BA Criminology and Criminal Justice • BSc (Hons) Criminology and Psychology • LLB (Hons) Law with Criminology • BA (Hons) Criminology and Sociology • BA (Hons) Criminology • BSc (Hons) Psychology and Sociology • BSc Criminology with Law

Alternatively, the qualification allows learners to gain the required understanding and skills to be able to consider employment within some aspects of the criminal justice system, e.g. the National Probation Service, the Courts and Tribunals Service or the National Offender Management Service.