Access to Higher Education Diploma (Criminology)

Modules

Unit 1: Academic Writing Skills

On completion of this unit you will:

• Be able to write with relevance in responding to an academic task
• Know how to interpret and discuss ideas and issues in responding to a set, academic writing task
• Be able to summarise for academic purposes, selecting key points, information, or central ideas

Unit 2: Preparing a Written Assignment

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand how to use key information sources
• Understand why sources are acknowledged and referenced
• Understand a range of reading strategies
• Understand note-making methods
• Understand how to plan draft and produce a written assignment

Unit 3: Introduction to Psychology

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the importance of research in psychology
• Understand the main approaches in psychology
• Understand ethical issues in psychological research

Unit 4: Understanding Crime & Deviance

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand explanations of crime and deviance
• Understand theories of crime and deviance
• Understand perceptions of crime and deviance

Unit 5: Sociology of the Family

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand changes in family structure
• Understand sociological explanations of the family to include Functionalist, feminist, interactionist and postmodern views

Unit 6: Measurements of Crime

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand sources of crime statistics
• Understand the reliability of published statistics on crime
• Understand factors that are not reflected in criminal statistics

Unit 7: Social Relationships

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand theories of interpersonal relationships
• Understand differing explanations and research evidence relating to the stages of relationships
• Understand the effects of interpersonal relationships on the individual

Unit 8: The Criminology of Prisons

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the philosophical approaches to imprisonment
• Understand the categories of prison and their relative costs
• Understand the effects of imprisonment on the individual and society

Unit 9: The Brain and Nervous System (Psychology)

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the major subdivisions of the nervous system
• Understand the structure and function of glial cells and neurons

Unit 10: Mental Health & Illness

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the difficulties in defining normality and abnormality
• Understand a psychological disorder
• Understand treatments used to treat people with psychological disorders

Unit 11: Situational Aspects of Crime

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the rationale for developing environmental methods of crime control
• Understand how crime prevention can be addressed by manipulating risks and rewards for both victim and perpetrator
• Understand environmental methods of crime control addressed through the theory of routine activity

Unit 12: Crime & Media

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the link between public perceptions of crime and criminality, and the news media
• Understand the link between public perceptions of crime and criminality and the film and television media
• Understand the link between public perceptions of crime and criminality and the media- social media
• Understand the criminological research into the links between crime and media

Unit 13: Forensic Psychology

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the roles of the Forensic Psychologist
• Understand how psychologists have contributed to jury behaviour and eyewitness memory
• Understand offender profiling
• Be able to apply an offender profiling technique

Unit 14: Criminal Justice & Social Policy

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand models of crime prevention
• Understand theories of crime control
• Understand criminal justice theories as informed by different political perspectives

Unit 15: Criminal Law & Procedures

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the criminal court process and its personnel
• Understand sentencing policy and procedures

Unit 16: Extended Essay

On completion of this unit you will:

• Be able to develop and plan an extended essay on a chosen topic relevant to your Diploma title
• Be able to produce an extended essay on a chosen topic relevant to your Diploma title

Unit 17: Human Rights, the Individual & the Law

On completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the general scope and application of the European Convention on Human Rights
• Understand the impact and interrelationship of specific Convention Rights
• Understand the status and effect of the Human Rights Act 1998

Unit 18: Critical Criminology

On completion of this unit you will:

• Understand the arguments of Right and Left Realism
• Understand key debates within feminist criminology
• Understand arguments regarding human rights and crimes of the state
• Understand current developments in criminology

Entry Requirements

You must hold Level 2 qualifications in both English and Maths, or be working towards them alongside studying your Access to Higher Education Diploma.

University Entry Criteria

It must be reiterated that each university will set its own admission criteria. So, you must check with your desired institution if your Access to HE Diploma and other qualifications will be accepted. In many cases, to get started on healthcare courses at university, you will need: - A certain number of credits passed with a merit or a distinction grade - A face-to-face interview at the university - Literacy and numeracy assessments provided by the university - Course-related work placements or work experience - GCSE Grade C/4 or above in Maths and English (or equivalent Level 2 such as Functional Skills/Key Skills, etc.) It is your responsibility to check that your Access to HE Diploma will be accepted as part of these entry requirements for your chosen degree. learndirect will not be held accountable if completing this Access to Higher Education Diploma doesn’t secure you a position with a higher education institution.

Minimum age restriction

This course is ideally suited to those who have completed full-time education but have not achieved the grades required to get into university.

Average completion timeframe

The average time it takes our learners to complete the course is 9-12 months.

Assessment requirements

A range of assessment methodologies are used, including: academic poster, academic report, case study analysis, essay, journal article, portfolio, presentation (video and audio recording), academic writing skills tasks

Exams required

There are no exams included in the assessment of the course.

Is Membership Required?

No membership is required to enrol on this course.

Additional requirements

Learners must be actively studying for a minimum of six months before results can be ratified and certificates ordered. The six month period does not start until you have passed unit 2 of your course and you must be submitting assignments regularly (in line with the deadlines in your Individual Learning Plan) to meet this six month requirement. Certificates can only be issued once your course is paid for in full.

Certification Timeframe

You can expect to receive your certificate 12-16 weeks from your final assignment being marked and graded, depending on the time of year. You will be provided with regular updates throughout the certification process so that you are fully informed of your individual timeframes.

Course Fees

All course fees, inclusive of all payment plans including our Premium Credit Limited option, must be settled before certification can be ordered.

*You will have access to the course for 24 months.

Assessment

The assessment process of our criminology home study courses consists of the following:

Assignments

This online criminology course is made up of a range of units, with an assignment being issued at the end of each. You will submit your work to your tutor for marking and tailored feedback.

Credits

You must acquire 60 credits in total in order to achieve the Access to Higher Education Diploma (Criminology). The credits are split into the following two categories:

• Graded– 45 credits come from graded units, which focus on the academic subject
• Ungraded– 15 credits come from ungraded units, such as writing and study skills

As part of your distance learning criminology course, you will also receive help as well as guidance on your university application and the research you need to do to get the most out of your diploma.

Qualifications

Open College Network West Midlands

On successful completion of the Open College Network West Midlands Access to Higher Education Diploma (Criminology), you will receive a QAA-recognised Access to HE Diploma at Level 3 (QAA ref:40013431).

Open College Network West Midlands are a national Awarding Organisation, regulated by Ofqual, the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA) and Qualifications Wales, to develop and award nationally recognised qualifications.

Open College Network West Midlands work in partnership with employers, training providers, colleges, universities, schools and voluntary and community organisations to offer vocational credit-based qualifications, Access to Higher Education Diplomas and quality assured Customised Accreditation that enables learners gain employment or to progress into further learning and Higher Education. They also Quality Endorse organisations internal training and skills delivery.

With this Access to Higher Education Diploma (Criminology), you will have an ideal foundation knowledge of human behaviour and motivation in relation to crime, ahead of degree-level study of criminology.

This could be in degrees such as a:

• Criminology BA
• Criminology and Forensic Studies BA
• Criminology and Policing BSc
• Criminology with Applied Psychology BSc
• Sociology and Criminology BA

All of these can lead you to a range of fascinating criminology jobs that require your investigative skills to unearth the motivations behind crimes, prevent them, and keep people safe from harm.

With the relevant degree, you could become a:

• Criminologist
• Crime Scene Investigator
• Community Development Worker
• Probation Officer
• Social Worker
• Prison Officer and more!

Further Qualifications and Prospects

As criminology is a form of sociology that also covers psychology, biology, anthropology, and philosophy, you can study a number of related degrees too.

These include degrees in:

• Anthropology
• Economics
• Forensic Science
• Law
• Psychology
• Social Policy
• Sociology

So, in studying this Access to Higher Education Diploma (Criminology) you can open the door to a host of fascinating and important careers.