Criminology Level 3

Career options directly related to this pathway include:

• 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.

Criminology is the scientific study of crime, criminal behaviour, and the criminal justice system. It draws on many fields, including sociology, psychology, and statistics.

The Diploma in Criminology is the perfect qualification if you are interested in all things criminal and are considering a career within the criminal justice system.

The qualification involves the study of criminal behaviour and its effects, patterns of crime, criminal statistics and various processes within the criminal justice system. The subject draws together criminal aspects of psychology, law and sociology in seeking answers to academic and societal questions, such as what causes criminal behaviour, what is the effect of crime on society and how crime has changed in the last 100 years.

The Diploma is taken in place of an A Level and therefore should be taken alongside two other subjects. It works particularly well with the humanities subjects. The certificate is the equivalent of an AS level.

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