Criminology – Commonweal

Head of Department/Faculty

Mrs L Matcham
Teacher in Charge of Subject
lmatcham@commonweal.co.uk

Overview

WJEC Level 3 Applied Certificate & Diploma in Criminology is a qualification with elements of psychology, law and sociology that complements studies in humanities. This is an Applied General qualification. This means it is designed primarily to support learners progressing to university. It has been designed to offer exciting and interesting experiences that focus learning for 16-19-year-old learners through applied learning, i.e. through the acquisition of knowledge and understanding in purposeful contexts linked to the criminal justice system. The qualification would support learners’ progression from any study at Level 2, particularly GCSEs in Sociology, Law, Psychology, Citizenship, History and Humanities.

We also offer the opportunity to attend a Criminology conference in London where the key speaker is one of the leading criminologists in the country.

Course Title

WJEC Level 3 Applied Certificate and Diploma in Criminology
Exam Board and Specification No.

WJEC/CBAC: 601/6249/1 (Certificate)
WJEC/CBAC: 601/6248/X (Diploma)

What will I learn?

Level 3 Certificate in Criminology – One year course (2 units)

Unit 1: The Changing Awareness of Crime: 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? Some crimes which seem inoffensive, such as counterfeiting of designer goods, have actually been linked to the funding of more serious crime such as terrorism and people trafficking; so why do people turn a ‘blind eye’ to these ‘mild’ crimes? What methods have governments and other agencies used to raise social awareness of these crimes?

Unit 2: Criminological Theories: 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? Are these theories relevant to all types of crime? What can we learn from the strengths and weaknesses of each? How can these theories be applied to real life scenarios and real life crimes?

Level 3 Diploma in Criminology – Two year course (All 4 Units) Units 1& 2 (first year)

Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom: 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?

Unit 4: Crime and Punishment: 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? What organisations do we have in our society to control criminality or those who will not abide by the social rules that most of us follow? We spend a great deal of taxpayers’ money on social control, so how effective are these organisations in dealing with criminality

What key skills will I develop?

In additional to acquiring in depth knowledge of different types of crime, why people commit crime and the criminal justice system, learners will also develop the understanding and skills needed to examine information in order to review the justice of verdicts in criminal cases. Learners will apply their understanding of the awareness of criminality, criminological theories and the process of bringing an accused to cour.

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. The applied purpose will also allow learners to learn in such a way that they develop:

skills required for independent learning and development
a range of generic and transferable skills
the ability to solve problems
the skills of project-based research, development and presentation
the fundamental ability to work alongside other professionals, in a professional environment
the ability to apply learning in vocational contexts

How will I be assessed?

WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology
Unit Number	Unit Title		Assessment	GLH
1	Changing Awareness of Crime	Mandatory	Internal	90
2	Criminological Theories	Mandatory	External	90
3	Crime Scene to Courtroom	Mandatory	Internal	90
4	Crime and Punishment	Mandatory	External	90

Learners must complete ALL units.

WJEC Level 3 Applied Certificate in Criminology
Unit Number	Unit Title		Assessment	GLH
1	Changing Awareness of Crime	Mandatory	Internal	90
2	Criminological Theories	Mandatory	External	90

Internal Units are coursework units which will be assessed in C6 by teachers and then externally moderated.

External Units are examination units which will be assessed externally by the WJEC exam board.

Grading: Pass, Merit, Distinction, Distinction*

What could this course lead to?

An understanding of criminology is relevant to many job roles within the criminal justice sector, the police force, social and probation work and sociology and psychology.

The WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is a 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

Additional events, trips or enrichment activies

Possible trips and visits include:

Criminology conferences
Criminal Psychology conferences and speakers

Are there any additional costs?

You will want to have your own copy of the course text book (approx. £25.00). You can also take part in trips and visits, these are optional, but we believe they will enrich your enjoyment understanding of Criminology. Costs may vary but would normally be around £30.00 (funding can be found in cases of hardship).

AUTHOR(S): Carole A Henderson
AWARDING BODY: WJEC/Eduqas
LEVEL: Level 3
ISBN: 978-1-911208-43-3
SUBJECT: Criminology
PUBLISHER: Illuminate Publishing