A Levels - Level 3 Certificate/Diploma in Criminology

For study alongside two A Levels.

Criminology is an increasingly popular subject for students who are interested in a career in criminal justice or studying criminology at university. The subject explores why people commit crime, drawing on explanations from psychology and sociology, along with how society tackles crime through the law, policing and punishment. Students learn about different types of crime, how people’s perceptions of crime are shaped and how crimes are investigated.

Please note: Whilst this course sits within our A Level provision and can be taken alongside other A Levels, the qualification you will gain at the end of the programme is a WJEC Level 3 Diploma, rather than an A Level.

What you will study

• Changing awareness of crime: types of crime, perceptions of crime and unreported crime.

• Media representations of crime and of official data on crime.

• Crime campaigns and their effectiveness.

• Criminological theories: Why do people commit crime? Theories of criminality from biology, psychology and sociology.

• Crime scene to Courtroom: the criminal justice system from investigation to verdict – personnel and techniques involved in criminal investigations and courtroom procedures.

• Crime and Punishment: law making, criminal justice, forms and functions of punishment.

This course contains 50% external assessment and 50% controlled assessment. During the course you will complete 2 units. One unit will be assessed with an hour and a half examination (external assessment). The other unit will be assessed via an internal controlled assessment. The internal assessment will be 8 hours long and will require students to produce a written report that is linked to a scenario of crime

5 GCSEs at grade 9-4 including English Language and maths.

Further study

Progression opportunities – Diploma in Criminology

On successful completion of the Certificate in Criminology, it is possible to undertake a further year and complete a Diploma in Criminology.

This would include the study of the following;

• Crime scene to Courtroom: the criminal justice system from investigation to verdict – personnel and techniques involved in criminal investigations and courtroom procedures.

• Crime and Punishment: law making, criminal justice, forms and functions of punishment.

Career Opportunities

There is potential for you to progress on to a wide range of university degrees in areas such as Criminology, Psychology, Forensics or Law. You will also develop a deeper understanding of different job roles related to Criminology and this will allow you to pursue a career with the Police, Probation Service or many other roles within The Criminal Justice System