Criminology (Applied)

Course Overview

This course is a Level 3 National Extended Certificate equivalent to one A-Level and can be studied as part of an A-Level programme.

What will I study?

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.

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.

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.

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.

You will be expected to stay up-to-date with current events, in order to participate in discussions relating to the content taught in class. If you have commitment and enthusiasm then you will easily be able to manage the challenging workload both in and outside of the classroom. You will be assessed by a controlled assessment in each year, as well as an external timed exam.

Entry requirements

• Five GCSEs at grade 4 or above including Maths.
• At least two grade 4s in GCSE written subjects. One of these must be English Language. Other written subjects include History, Geography, Humanities, English Literature, Business, Media Studies, Religious Studies (full course), Drama or Film.

We recommend that you take Core Maths alongside this course.

What could I do next?

The main purpose of the course 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.

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