Criminology

Exam board: WJEC L3 Applied Diploma

 L3 Applied Diploma in Criminology – the key to your career

Criminology is Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals, including the motivations and consequences of crime and its perpetrators, as well as the ways in which we can prevent crime.

The course is divided into four units:

Year 1

• Changing awareness of crime. This unit looks at how we know about crime, and the different ways in which media campaigns can be used to deal with crime. Students will learn how to plan a campaign to deal with a specific problem.
• Criminological theories. This unit looks at different ways that we can understand criminal behaviour; different theories that investigate whether crime is biological, or whether criminality is related to environmental factors. This information is then used to analyse the ways in which government policy is made.

Year 2

• Crime scene to court room. This unit looks at all of the stages involved in finding and convicting a criminal. This involves the role of the criminal prosecution service, different investigative techniques, and the way the court system works in criminal cases.
• Crime and punishment. This unit looks at how laws are made, and how punishments are developed and used, and the different people involved in the law. It also looks at whether these punishments work, and what can be done to improve the criminal justice system.

Students will develop a detailed critical understanding of crime and punishment in the UK, with a range of examples of criminal behaviour which will help them to explain criminal behaviours in a range of contexts. They will be able to use scientific principles to analyse crime, developing a range of skills to help them in a range of careers or university courses. The course focuses in particular on decision making and problem solving skills which are useful in a wide range of careers.

Students can progress from this qualification to:

• Higher education courses such as criminology, policing, youth work or sociology
• A wide range of careers including probation, youth work, social work, policing or social policy

Assessment

Unit 1: Controlled assessment in which you plan a ‘campaign for change’ based on a particular case study of crime.

Unit 2: 90m exam.

Unit 3: Controlled assessment, in which you demonstrate your understanding of the court system through a particular case.

Unit 4: 90m exam.

For more information visit https: https://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/criminology-level-3/#tab_keydocuments (note that the ‘certificate’ involves unit 1 and 2, whilst the ‘diploma’ includes all four units.