FdA Criminal Justice
01 Sep 2019 - 31 Aug 2028
| Course Leader | Claire Grainger |
|---|---|
| Course Team | Rhonwen Dawes, Ian McKim, Sarah Davies |
| Awarding Body | University of South Wales |
| Teaching Institutions | Gower College Swansea, Coleg Gwent, Cardiff and Vale College, Bridgend College |
| Modes of Study | Full Time, Part Time |
Document Version
| Version | 3 |
|---|---|
| Valid From | 01 Sep 2019 |
| Valid To | 31 Aug 2028 |
QAA Benchmarks
Educational Aim
- To consider the development of criminology, including criminal justice, as a distinct area of study and inquiry, and its multidisciplinary and interdisciplinary nature of enquiry
- To consider different sources of information about crime and victimisation, both quantitative and qualitative, and how they are produced - including their location in particular legal, political, social and ideological frameworks - and how they can be interpreted.
- To conceptualise and explain the course subject matter in relation to crime, victims, crime control and criminal justice – from a number of perspectives.
- To implement theories into operation in relation to conducting research on crime, victimisation, crime control and criminal justice.
- To conduct informed debates about crime control policy; the scope of human rights; the links between criminal and social justice; and the expanding knowledge bases of crime.
- To reflect on crime, victimisation, justice and crime control and to be critically aware of a rapidly changing context.
- To develop subject specific skills to allow for and formulate reasoned arguments with regards to crime, victimisation, crime control and criminal justice
Learning Outcomes
| A1 | A1 Achieve a good understanding of criminology and criminal justice, psychology and law, and apply this knowledge to criminological related issues. |
| A2 | A2 Obtain a good understanding of informed evidence within the areas of criminology, psychology, and law, and apply this knowledge to issues |
| A3 | A3 Gain a good understanding of research to support activities within the field of criminology and apply this knowledge to empirical or theoretical research |
| A4 | A4 An ability to interpret and evaluate information based on criminological evidence and apply this knowledge in a critical format |
| B1 | B1 Gather, retrieve, and evaluate information and transfer these skills to manage and analyse appropriate secondary data and evidence within the subject area |
| B2 | B2 Synthesise data and describe, summarise, and interpret criminological information |
| B3 | B3 Formulate quantitative and qualitative results and present these in written and oral formats |
| B4 | B4 An ability to apply appropriate theoretical, methodological and practical skills to criminological issues |
| B5 | B5 Generate and evaluate evidence critically and demonstrate an ability to reflect in a critical and constructive manner |
| C1 | C1 To provide students with opportunities to develop the skills and qualities which are required for employment |
| C2 | C2 To develop the skill sets which will allow students to demonstrate and develop their: oral and written communication, interpersonal, organisational, creativity, evaluative and analytical skills. |
| C3 | C3 To develop the links between theory and practice for students to transfer to the work environment |
| C4 | C4 To enable students to develop skills around time management, dealing with deadlines which are required in a professional setting. |
Course Structure
Level 4 Modules
| Module Code | Module Id | Module Title | Module Status | Credit Value | Module Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CM1S11 | MOD007387 | Understanding Crime,Victims and Society | Closed | 20 | specified |
| CM1S13 | MOD007747 | Understanding Criminal Justice | Closed | 20 | specified |
| CM1S14 | MOD008009 | Criminological Theory | Closed | 20 | specified |
| CM1S18 | MOD007743 | Researching Crime and Criminal Justice 1 | Closed | 20 | specified |
| CM1S24 | MOD011487 | Criminal Justice and Mental Health | Closed | 20 | specified |
| LC1S144 | MOD008410 | Criminal Law | Closed | 20 | specified |
| SD1S24 | MOD010651 | Mental Health and Well Being | Closed | 20 | specified |
Level 5 Modules
| Module Code | Module Id | Module Title | Module Status | Credit Value | Module Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CM2D01 | MOD010653 | Criminal and Social Justice Within the Community | Closed | 40 | core |
| CM2S032 | MOD008007 | Policing | Closed | 20 | specified |
| CM2S036 | MOD007687 | Contemporary Issues in Substance Misuse | Closed | 20 | specified |
| CM2S039 | MOD010652 | Research Methods and Statistics | Closed | 20 | specified |
| LC2S179 | MOD008537 | Legal Systems and Sources | Closed | 20 | specified |
Teaching and Assessment
Learning and Teaching Methods
Employer Engagement
Means of Assessment
Learning Support
Induction
The College places great emphasis on induction and student support. Level 4 and 5 students will be introduced to the Foundation degree programme at an Induction Event to be held at Gower College before teaching is scheduled to begin. College staff will introduce the college teaching team, library staff and facilities available to HE students. The PL will introduce students to the course, including Moodle, the University’s eResources, and FAQ sessions.
Personal tutor
HE Tutorial Provision is another key aspect of the College approach to the student experience. Each HE learner at the College is assigned a Personal Tutor or has a designated member of staff such as the Programme Leader (PL) A minimum standard sets out the expectation required for pastoral care, personal and learning support on HE courses. In some cases the delivery will be by, or supported by, the University. Areas covered could include Prevent duty, HE Study Skills, Time and Stress Management, Managing Money and Student Loans.
Office hours
Staff office hours are published to students
Tutorials
One to one tutorials are provided to students, through the Personal Tutor system above
Seminars
Seminars are an integral part of modules, as detailed in the module specification
Formative Assessment
Formative assessment is a particular feature of the Research Methods and Statistics module
Progress meetings
See “Personal Tutor” above
Online Resources
All students will receive an email account and be enrolled on the USW Blackboard System. The policy of Gower College is to use the VLE of the franchising University, in this case USW Blackboard. All teaching materials, assessment submission and any other resources will be through USW Blackboard. Students at Gower College will benefit from access to facilities at their local college in addition to access to the electronic learning resources of USW e.g. eJournals and eBooks. Links to the Gower College electronic learning resources will be provided through the College Moodle Library Services section. As indicated abobe the College Moodle will not be used for any teaching materials, assessments or any other resources.
Advice Centres
The College’s student services department provides support for students for areas including finance, student support and transport. There is an electronic Student Handbook available at http://learn.swancoll.ac.uk/sites/studenthandbook/
Students will also be able to access the Advice Centres at USW. Each campus at the University has an Advice Centre that acts as a gateway to the broader support services provided by the institution. These include: Disability and Dyslexia Service[1]; Health Service; Wellbeing Service[2]; Student Money Advice Team; Chaplaincy; Study Skills Service[3]; Immigration and International Student Advice; Accommodation Services; and the specific services provided by SSS and the Library
[1]http://unilife.southwales.ac.uk/pages/3040-disability-and-dyslexia-service
[2] The Wellbeing Service consists of The Mental Wellbeing Service and the Counselling Service http://thewellbeingservice.southwales.ac.uk/
[3] The Student Development and Study Skills Service offers advice, information and other resources to help USW students raise their aspirations, improve their academic performance and develop transferrable skills for employment. http://studyskills.southwales.ac.uk/
Course Exit Points
| Award | Criteria | Final |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Degree in Arts | 240 credits of which at least 100 must be at Level 5 or above, 120 at Level 4 or above and no more than 20 at Level 3. Of the 240 credits, at least 60 credits must be derived from Level 5 work-based learning | Final |
| Certificate of Higher Education | 120 credits of which at least 100 must be at Level 4 or above and no more than 20 at Level 3 | Exit |
Progression Route
BSc (Hons) Criminology & Criminal Justice
Entry Requirements
Admission to the course is typically through the following qualifications:
UCAS Tariff 48;
BTEC L3 Extended Diploma: Pass, Pass, Pass;
BTEC L3 Diploma: Merit, Pass;
A levels and Welsh Bacc : DD – EEE in any combination;
Plus three GCSE’s to include Maths and English or will consider Level 2 Key Skills;
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
Methods Of Quality Standards
N/A
Quality Of Standards Indicators
QAA Characteristics Statement “Foundation Degree” (2015)
\\rQAA Criminology Subject Benchmarks (2014)