Criminology Level 3 Diploma (WJEC)
Course Overview
Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals, including the motivations and consequences of crime and its perpetrators, as well as preventative measures. Studying criminology can be seen as multi-disciplinary, as it contains elements of psychology, biology, statistics, law, and sociology.
An understanding of criminology is relevant to many job roles within the criminal justice sector, social and probation work and sociology and psychology.
There are 4 mandatory units. Students must pass all units to pass the course. Each unit is worth 25% of the overall grade.
Unit 1: Changing Awareness of Crime - different types of crime, influences on perceptions of crime and why some crimes are unreported.
Unit 2: Criminological Theories - why people commit crime, drawing on what you have learned in Unit 1.
Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom - the criminal justice system from the moment a crime has been identified to the verdict. You will develop the understanding and skills needed to examine information in order to review the justice of verdicts in criminal cases.
Unit 4: Crime and Punishment - You will apply your 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.
The WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is assessed using a combination of internal and external assessment. Units 2 and 4 are externally assessed through two 90 minute exams in the summer. Units 1 and 3 are internally assessed through controlled assessments.
This course will enable you to develop a wide range of transferable skills that will help you in many different areas, including independent research skills, problem-solving, and presentation skills. The qualification will support access to higher education courses relating to criminology and criminal justice, Psychology, Sociology and Law. It would also be useful for careers in Social Work, Youth Work, Policing and the Probation Service.
You should be on track to achieve a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grades 4 - 9 including English Language.
Good reading skills are important for this course, and students will need to develop their writing skills over the duration of the course. Students should have a strong interest in crime, people and society and be able to express their ideas in class discussions, as well as listen to the views of others. Ideally students will have sound organisational skills, or at least be prepared to develop them over the course, and an ability to meet deadlines will be important.
