Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology

Course summary

Criminology is the study of crime – different types of crime, how it affects and involves victims and offenders, and how it impacts society and law-making. It focusses on why crime is committed, and the consequences of the commission and reporting of the crimes on those affected by it, both directly and indirectly. The course also looks at how crime is investigated, and helps learners see through how the police and court systems of the UK deal with offenders from the point a crime is committed to when the offender is punished. Learners will need to think like criminologists, and sometimes take the difficult task of immersing themselves in the minds of certain criminals and victims. Criminals we profile include serial killers, sex offenders, paedophiles and fraudsters to name a few. Victims we look at include those of domestic violence, honour abuse and hate crime – a list which, unfortunately, is not limited. Learners will be expected to take a mature attitude towards quite sensitive topics, and will be asked to do a lot of independent research of real-life crime in order to help them gain a well-rounded experience on their way to become successful criminologists. The course looks at how media portrays crime, including video games and films. Learners are expected to construct their own campaign about a key crime issue, in order to improve the level of awareness of it in British society, and then use that campaign to complete their internal assessment to gain their qualification.