Curriculum Information

Document Version

QAA Benchmarks

Educational Aim

Learning Outcomes

Course Structure

Level 4 Modules

Level 5 Modules

Level 6 Modules

Teaching and Assessment

Learning and Teaching Methods

Employer Engagement

Visiting Speakers

Guest speakers embedded into the curriculum at every level of the course, including the following organisations (the cost of guest speakers will be covered by the University {Criminology budget}):

South Wales Police

Probation Service

Prison Officers

Social Workers

Border Agency

Youth Justice Board

The Annual Criminal Justice Futures event invites Alumni and employers to speak and network with current students, and has included the above organisations, and the following organisations:

Parc Supporting Families

Newport Restorative Justice

AR Trac (Cyfannol Women’s Aid)

Food Crime Unit

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Volunteering

Criminology students are encouraged to volunteer in pathway-specific roles. For instance, in the past volunteer work has been with Gwent Police, ZENRS, Youth Offending Teams and South Wales Police.

Volunteering opportunities are frequently added to each of the course pages on Blackboard, and are promoted at volunteer fairs and Criminal Justice Futures events.

Fieldwork

Modules at levels 4 and 5 (becoming a criminologist and applied criminological inquiry) involve employer engagement through the setting of ‘problems’ for students to research. The students will then carry out fieldwork to research the problem, and then present their findings back to the employer.

Fieldtrips

Field trips will be offered throughout the course, aligned to course curriculum and contribute to by the criminology budget. 

Work Placements

Each student will have the option to complete a placement module at levels 5 and 6. we work closely with our USW Careers placement partner to support students in completing a placement while studying for their degree, including regular talks, drop in sessions and email communication.

Work-based Learning

Students will engage in work-based learning throughout their degree, particularly at levels 4 and 5 where they may undertake a placement module. In addition, The Academy incorporates work-based learning through its activities such as collaborating with industry partners, leadership, project management, problem solving, critical thinking and investigation.

Sandwich Years

N/A

Employer Forums

The Course Leadership Team meet regularly with industry partners to discuss their views of course currency and to obtain their views on how courses can be improved and kept current at a practice level.

Means of Assessment

This course will use a range of assessment types, designed to be inclusive, authentic, and a valid means of measuring learning outcome

Learning Support

Induction

Every student will take part in an induction week, which is run by Criminology Course Leaders. This induction week is used to familiarise students with campus surroundings, course curriculum, and to introduce students to their Module Leaders. Induction week also incorporates team building activities and an introduction to the VLE. 

Personal Academic Coach

Every student is allocated a Personal Academic Coach (PAC) and each student will be informed of the roles and responsibilities of the PAC and how to contact their PAC. PACs will be responsible for completing training.

Learner Analytics

Course Leaders regularly monitor learner analytics. Students who have not engaged or who have shown limited engagement or a lack of engagement recently, are contacted and necessary support put in place. Personal Academic Coaches also can utilise learning analytics to identify areas of support for their students, and to keep records of meetings.

Office hours

Module Leaders adhere to an open-door policy, where students would need to email the lecturer asking to arrange a meeting, and both the lecturer and the student would agree on a mutually convenient date and time. Students would be informed of this open-door policy protocol during induction week, as well as via Course Handbooks and Module Handbooks, and via Blackboard. Students would also be informed of the need to be flexible regarding staff availability, and that staff would aim to get back to them within 3 days to arrange a meeting.

Tutorials

N/A

Workshops

A key aim for us in the revalidation is to implement a challenge-based learning & teaching experience that transforms students’ professional identity and ambition

Seminars are replaced with interactive workshops. Workshops are student-centred and challenge-based.

The curriculum presents challenge-based learning opportunities, connected to authentic unsolved problems/challenges beyond the classroom.

Learners have opportunity to creatively engage with industry and co-create curricula within their academic discipline through scaffolded authentic challenge-based learning at all levels. This includes through work placements, live briefs, practice-based projects and extensive use of real-world regional, national and global challenges and simulated environments.

Formative Assessment

Several modules on each course contain a formative assessment, aiming to give students the opportunity to practice assessment skills and receive feedback before the summative assessment.

Progress meetings

Progress will be monitored by module leaders and PACs. 

Research Supervision

Research is embedded throughout the curricula. At levels 4 and 5, students work in groups to research a pathway-specific problem, posed by an industry partner. This entails weekly group research supervision. During their final year of study, students have the opportunity to undertake an empirical research project and each student will be allocated a research supervisor. Each student is entitled to a research supervision meeting each week.

Online Resources

Blackboard VLE: All students have access to Blackboard 24/7/365 days a year. The module pages on Blackboard contain: teaching and learning resources, including recordings of teaching and learning sessions, assessments guidance including recordings of this guidance, materials for wider contextualisation, and links to Collaborate streamed sessions.

MS Teams: All students have access to MS Teams for one-to-one meetings and supervisions

USW Library: is a simple, one-stop search for books, e-books, articles, DVDs and more, and includes a range of personal features.

Search options are:

Everything for all print & online resources

Libraries for books, journals, DVDs and more at USW libraries

Articles for conference proceedings, technical papers, journal & newspaper articles and more

USW People for research outputs, theses, books and more by USW authors

Exam Papers for the past three years of USW final examinations

BoB : TV and radio online: All Students and staff on campus or at home (UK only) can watch or record television and radio programmes using BoB. You will need the latest web browser to access the service. Use our About BoB guide (external link) for help on all aspects of this service.

Advice Zone

The Advice Zone on the Treforest campus is available between 9am and 9pm in person and online (via an e-booking facility). Students are informed about the Advice Zone during Induction week, and throughout their course.

Disability

The Disability Service is available on the Treforest campus (and is also available on other USW campuses). The Disability Service is able to provide students with information, advice and guidance, and is able to coordinate support for USW students who have disabilities (physical, sensory, mental health or unseen disabilities, specific learning difficulties and autism).

Support for Disabled Students:

The Disability Service provides information, advice and guidance to and co-ordinates support for disabled USW students. This includes students with physical, sensory, mental health or unseen disabilities, specific learning difficulties (e.g. dyslexia) and autism. We provide a confidential service where you can discuss your individual requirements. We can advise you on what support is available and help you apply for it. If you have any queries or require any disability related support please contact us or book an appointment with a Disability Adviser to discuss.

All appointments and interactions with the Disability Service should be conducted in accordance with the Student Code of Conduct. Failure to adhere to the Student Code of Conduct may result your appointment being terminated and will be treated as misconduct. Disability | University of South Wales

The Individual Support is a critical component to our Course structure and for our students. We will do everything possible to support and guide students, and we see ISPs as a key framework for support.

The ISP journey will be provided to all students as an infographic at Induction. This will signpost students to the support on offer while studying with us.

IT/Library

IT support and library facilities are available at USW Treforest Campus. Students can also access IT/Library on any other USW campus, or remotely, should they wish.

The Library and Student Centre is the largest of the University’s libraries and is located on our Treforest Campus near Pontypridd. Services and access to library spaces have changed. You will now only be able to access Library spaces with a valid booking for either a study space or to collect book requests.

Study Spaces:

Treforest Library has different types of study spaces to suit your needs. No need to book just call in.

You can also book a study space for up to 4 hours at a time.

Silent Study The silent study room is on the ground floor of the library

Quiet Study The book stock and PC area are designated quiet study areas.

Groupwork study desks for up to 6 students.

There are 5 Pods with plasma screens for group study (seats 6-8) these are also bookable on Connect 2 Treforest Library | University of South Wales

PCs There are PCs throughout the library. The main 24/7 PC area is on the first floor of the library.

Services provided by the Library:

Borrowing and Membership

How do I borrow a book?

If you want to take out library books you can:

Come into the library and browse the shelves to select what you want. Take them out using our self-service machines.

If you need help accessing the shelves ask a member of staff.

Request your books online and collect them from a campus of your choice. Take them out using our self-service machines.

If you can’t come to the library use our postal loan service (UK based students only)

Library guides:

Created by your librarians to help students, staff and researchers to effectively use library resources and facilities. https://library.southwales.ac.uk/collections-subject-guides/

Referencing guides

Harvard: Support for referencing is provided by Student Development and Study Skills, who offer referencing workshops and one-to-one appointments.

Harvard, is USW’s recommended referencing style. The guide below will help you with understand and use this referencing style:

https://library.southwales.ac.uk/documents/33/Harvard_Referencing_2021_5.pdf

https://library.southwales.ac.uk/documents/3731/Harvard_Referencing_2021_5_1.docx

Getting started guide to the library 2021/22:

Treforest – Getting started guide to the library 2021/22 – LibGuides at University of South Wales

Course Exit Points

Progression Route

There are several progression routes with the business area of Criminology.From Foundation/FdA/BSc/MSc/Mphil/MRes/PhD.We have a strong track record of progression routes in Criminology. In the current team there are five staff that study at the University of Glamorgan/USW, whether at undergraduate or postgraduate levels, respectively. In addition, some of them went onto take their PhD within the Criminology department. This is evident to our students who can see, from day one, the possibilities open to them at USW.

Entry Requirements

Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:

For each of the Criminology degrees, entry requirements are in line with UCAS national entry requirements – for A’ levels: BCC – CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Other qualifications will also be considered, such as BTEC Extended Diploma (merit) and Access to Higher Education (80 UCAS points).

International applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

Entry requirements are outlined on the USW Website, which shows entry requirements (https://www.southwales.ac.uk/courses/bsc-hons-criminology-and-criminal-justice/).

Inclusive Curriculum Statement

The University of South Wales operates a policy of inclusive learning, teaching and assessment to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to fulfil their educational potential. Course teams will have considered ways of designing out any potentially disadvantageous element of courses during the course design process. However some specific needs may remain, details about how to apply to have your needs assessed can be found at: http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service/

Addendum for Delivery at a Partner Institution

N/A