Criminology Applied Diploma

Criminology is an Applied General qualification primarily designed to support learners progressing to university; however, much of the course is vocationally relevant, offering opportunities to learn from practical activities and the expertise of professionals currently working in criminology.

It offers exciting and interesting learning experiences in purposeful contexts linked to the criminal justice system. If you are fascinated by the workings of crime and punishment, this course could be for you!

A minimum of five GCSEs at Grade 4 or above, including English Language.

This qualification looks at the types of crime that take place within our society. How do we decide which behaviour is criminal? How do we explain why some people commit crimes and how can we use different theories of criminality to explain this behaviour? You will study real-life cases in order to gain an understanding of the criminal justice system from the crime scene all the way to the courtroom and look at how social control is achieved within our society. The units covered in this course include:

• Changing awareness of Crime
• Criminological Theories
• Crime Scene to Courtroom
• Crime and Punishment.

Trips include visits to local courts as well as a crime conference to gain an understanding of contemporary research in criminology through questioning offenders about their reasons for committing crimes and the Course Content possibility of re-offending.

The units will be assessed through internal controlled assessment (50%) and external examinations (50%).

This subject will support access to higher education degree courses, such as Criminology, Criminology and Law, Criminology and Sociology, or Criminology and Psychology.

An understanding of criminology is relevant to many job roles within the criminal justice sector, including police officers, probation and prison officers, and social workers.

With their critical thinking, analytical and communication skills, criminology graduates are also attractive to employers outside the criminal justice sector in areas such as social research and politics. 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.