Level 3 Criminology (1 A Level Equivalent)

Equivalent to 1 A Level

Criminology is the study of crime and criminal behaviour. You will learn about different types of crime and how perceptions of crime may differ. You will also gain an understanding of why people commit crime and how the criminal justice system works. You will study real life situations and cases and apply criminological theories to evaluate he effectiveness of social control and criminal justice policies.

Themes covered are:

• Changing Awareness of Crime - exploring the different types of crime, public perceptions of criminality, the influence of the media and understanding the reasons why some crimes go unreported to the police.
• Criminological Theories - focusing on how we decide what behaviour is criminal, the difference between criminality and deviance, and evaluating a range of criminal theories.
• Crime and Punishment - focusing on the ways society attempts to control criminal behaviour, and how the criminal justice system is used to prevent and punish criminality.

A number of specifications will be changing and prospectus entries are based on information we have to date. This means that course content may be subject to change.

Year 1 - 8 hour controlled assessment

Year 2 - 90 minute exam

5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English and Maths

Criminology can lead to numerous career pathways that require an understanding of the criminal justice sector. These may include roles within the police force or police support roles, the field of forensics, forensic psychology, social and probation work and roles across the prison service.