Access to HE Diploma (Criminology)

Blended course – You will have the opportunity to come into college for ‘drop-in’ support sessions with your specialist tutor who can provide guidance and support with your assignments and access remote support during the working week.

Your study materials, resources, textbooks and assignments are provided and supported using the Moodle platform, with ongoing support from the experienced and subject specialist Access to HE curriculum team.

COURSE UNITS:

Unit 1: Researching and Understanding Opportunities in Higher Education

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the range of opportunities available in Higher Education.
• Understand the advantages and disadvantages of choosing a particular Higher Education opportunity.
• Be able to action plan for the development of career related abilities and skills.
• Understand the importance of broader life experiences and transferable skills in relation to progression to Higher Education.

Unit 2: Academic Writing Skills

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Be able to structure a written response
• Be able to develop a structured response to a plan
• Be able to present the response appropriately for audience and purpose
• Understand how to apply academic writing principles to own work

Unit 3: Perspectives in Psychology

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand different psychological perspectives
• Understand the differences between alternative psychological perspectives
• Be able to apply psychological perspectives to contemporary issues in psychology

Unit 4: Crime and Society

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand crime and deviance
• Understand crime statistics
• Be able to evaluate theoretical explanations of crime
• Know social and cultural patterns of crime and criminality

Unit 5: Biopsychology: Behaviour and the Brain

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the concept of localisation of function
• Be able to evaluate methods of investigating the relationship between the brain and behaviour
• Understand the interaction between the brain and behaviour

Unit 6: Biopsychology: Behaviour and Drugs

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Know how neurotransmitters in the brain control behaviour.
• Understand the effects of psychoactive drugs on behaviour
• Be able to evaluate the role of drugs in the treatment of psychological disorders. 

Unit 7: Social Interaction

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand theories of Social Influence
• Know the role of social relationships in shaping behaviour.
• Be able to evaluate the  effects of social influences on behaviour

Unit 8: Theoretical Approaches to Criminology

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand theories of crime
• Analyse the similarities and differences between theories of crime
• Evaluate the usefulness of theories of crime
• Understand the importance of biological, psychological and sociological influences on crime

Unit 9: Crime and the Media

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the influence of news media on the public perceptions of crime and criminality
• Understand the influence of film and television on the public perceptions of crime and criminality
• Understand the link between social media and the public perceptions of crime and criminality
• Understand the links between crime and media using criminological research

Unit 9: Theoretical Approaches to Criminology

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand theories of crime
• Analyse the similarities and differences between theories of crime
• Evaluate the usefulness of theories of crime
• Understand the importance of biological, psychological and sociological influences on crime

Unit 10: Writing a Criminology Essay

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Be able to plan an essay about a topic from the field of Criminology Studies
• Be able to write an essay about a topic from the field of Criminology Studies

Unit 11: Current Issues in Criminology

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand and apply key concepts in criminology to two topic areas
• Be able to analyse different approaches to crime issues.
• Be able to assess the usefulness of different theories of crime for understanding to two topic areas.
• Know how to evaluate the impact and effectiveness of current criminological research on policy and practice

Unit 12: Aspects of Situational Crime

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand how the developments in environmental methods of crime control can contribute to crime prevention
• Understand how crime prevention methods can be incorporated to reduce risk to the victim and reward for the perpetrator
• Understand environmental methods of crime control in relation to routine activity theory

Unit 13: Human Rights

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the development of human rights
• Know the rights protected by the Human Right Act 1998.
• Be able to evaluate the impact of the Human Rights Act 1998.

Unit 14: Psychological Profiling

Upon successful completion of this unit, you will:

• Understand the main principles of psychological profiling
• Be able to evaluate application and effectiveness of psychological theories in profiling the criminal.
• Understand the ethical and practical implications of psychological profiling

Unit 15: Impact of Forensic Psychology in Criminal Investigations

Upon successful 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

Learning is assessed in a variety of methods to prepare you to study at university. These may include essays, report writing, online assessment, and presentations.

You must achieve 60 credits at Level 3 to be awarded the Access to HE Diploma:

Graded - 45 are Graded Credits in Academic Units at Pass, Merit or Distinction

Ungraded: 15 are Ungraded Credits in Study Skills.

Are there any additional costs the student be made aware of?

Your UCAS application for university entry will cost £28.50

You will be able to progress to university for an undergraduate degree or degree apprenticeship if you meet the entry requirements of your specific undergraduate course.

You will apply through UCAS – more details can be found via this website - https://www.ucas.com/

Learners who complete this qualification can progress to university for an Undergraduate Degree or Degree Apprenticeships.

What are the career routes for this course?

 Criminology, Policing, Law, Psychology, Psychology with Counselling, Sociology, Social Policy, Social Sciences, Probation Service, Youth and Family Work, Family Support Worker

On successful completion of the Access to Higher Education Diploma (Criminology), you will receive a Skills

& Education Group Access, QAA recognised, Access to Higher Education Diploma at Level 3 with 60

credits.

As part of your programme, 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.

Awarding body

Skills & Education Group Access - An Access Validating Agency with a strong social purpose to recognise achievement, particularly for those who have benefited least from their previous educational experiences, Skills and Education Group Access supports the needs of learners, providers, businesses and communities by enabling progression into higher education.