Criminology and Policing with Foundation Year

The BSc (Hons) Criminology and Policing degree combines our expertise in contemporary criminology and professional policing to give you a comprehensive understanding of criminological concepts, theories and ideas that you will be able to apply to current socio-economic policies and conditions. Cutting edge, engaging and employability focused, this course will prepare you for a career within the criminal justice system in roles such as policing, prison and probation, research and youth work. You’ll be encouraged to think critically, look further, and imagine alternative perspectives, building a strong foundation for graduate-level employment or further study.

Students will be taught by leading experts in criminology who have worked in the criminal justice sector, as well as former police officers for a practical, hands-on education. In addition, you will benefit from the internationally recognised high-class research many of these colleagues are producing. This course sets students up for a career in the criminal justice sector, the police service or the NGO and charity sector, among others. We also have modules that are aligned with the Trainee Probation Office Programme (PQiP).

Please note that this BSc Criminology and Policing programme does not qualify as a pre-join degree to enable direct entry into a police service. Students wishing to pursue a career as a police officer on graduation would need to enter a service via the degree holder entry route.

You will learn through a variety of lectures, workshops, digital media and a wide range of learning resources, completing research methods modules in your second year and a dissertation in your final year. There is also the opportunity to choose a work place module in your second year. In addition to your knowledge of criminology and policing, you will gain a wide range of analytical, research, problem solving and communication skills, which are in high demand by employers.

You can choose to take an additional Foundation Year before you start your course. This introductory year focuses on developing the key skills required to study at degree level. You will study six modules and on successful completion progress onto any of our three year degrees.

Foundation Year

In semester 1 students study;
• Communication Skills (20 credits)
• Digital and Research Skills (20 credits)
• Sustainability and Society (20 credits)

In Semester 2 the students will study;
• Foundation Year Project (20 credits)
• Core Concepts of Criminology (20 credits)
• One option from the following: Core Concepts of Business; Core Concepts of Computer Science; Core Concepts of Law or Core Concepts of Psychology. (20 credits)

Options available are indicative and available subject to numbers and the campus chosen.

Year 1

Semester One:
• Criminological Theory (20 credits)
• Police Powers (20 credits)
• Academic and Career Success (20 credits)

Semester Two:
• Police Constable Role (20 credits)
• Contemporary Issues in Criminology (20 credits)
• AI Literacy for the Future Professional (20 credits)

Year 2

Semester One:
• Prisons and Probation (core - 20 credits)
• Qualitative Research Methods (core - 20 credits)
• Custody and Police Interview (core - 20 credits)

Semester Two:
• Quantitative Research Methods (core - 20 credits)
Pick two options from:
• Cybercrime (20 credits)
• Vulnerability and Risk (20 credits)
• Workplace module (20 credits)

Year 3

Semester One:
• Public Protection (core - 20 credits)
Pick one option from:
• International Criminology (20 credits)
• Policing and the Police (20 credits)
• Society and Punishment (20 credits)

Semester Two:
•Major and Serious Crime (core - 20 credits)
Pick one option from:
• Forensic and Criminal Psychology (20 credits)
• Evidence, Testimony, and Forensics (20 credits)
• Crimes of the Powerful (20 credits)

Both semesters:
• Dissertation (core - 40 credits)

There is a diverse range of assessments. We still have ‘traditional assessments’ such as essays and presentations but we also have many authentic assessments such as policy briefing papers, a rapid evidence review, a mock police interview, a role play, knowledge and reasoning exams, a self-reflective diary, and practice based research methods assessments. There is a dissertation at level 6.

Every module has a formative assessment that scaffolds the students towards the summative assessments. Students receive guidance prior to the formative assessment and feedback/feedforward afterwards.