If you are interested in Criminology then you probably enjoy asking questions! So here are some answers to questions you might have about studying the course at Priestley.
Is this an A-Level or BTEC?
Neither – we’re a certificate in the first year and a diploma in the second year because we’re 50% coursework and 50% examination. However, we are regarded as the equivalent of an A-Level in terms of UCAS points.
How many blocks is this on the timetable?
Criminology is a one-block course meaning you will have 4.5 teaching hours per week.
How many teachers are there?
There are 4 teachers: Olivia, Scott, Ashleigh, and Claire.
How big are the classes?
With it being a popular subject we try to keep them at a maximum of 24. We are also the most popular course in the college with 238 first years and 173 second years.
What other courses work well with criminology?
Criminology can stand alone as a course and doesn’t necessarily need other subjects to help you understand it. However some subjects that overlap are psychology, sociology, law, and public services. You don’t need to do one of these subjects but aspects of the course may be easier to understand if you study one of these subjects.
What careers can you get from this particular course?
- Students often go down the social science route at university e.g. psychology, sociology, criminology. Some students then go on to study a masters in forensic psychology.
- Other students focus more on the public service and social care route instead.
- Some students take the course because they simply enjoy it and it doesn’t necessarily ‘match’ their other chosen subjects. Further details are listed on our website under course descriptions.
What is the workload like?
All students are expected to complete 4 ½ hours of classwork per subject in their own time to match the 4 ½ hours of teaching time per subject per week. In criminology students are expected to complete any coursework type up in their own time (September to December) and complete revision and exam questions practice in their own time (January to May).
Course overview
Year 1
Unit 1: Changing awareness of crime
Coursework
Taught from September to Christmas and the exam is in january
8 hour exam over 2 days
Students take in their notes
Covers categories of crime like moral, state, technological, honour, hate, domestic abuse etc and reasons for not reporting
We then look at crime and the media
Students then research different campaigns like Sarah’s law and Helen’s law
Students then design their own campaigns e.g. tshirts, social media, hoodies etc
Unit 2: Criminological theories
Exam based
Taught from January to May
90 min exam in May
Students start with how crimes change across time, place, and culture e.g. death penalty, drugs laws, gun laws etc
Students then look at biological, individualistic, and sociological theories and will evaluate all of them and link to policies like zero tolerance
Unit 2 overlaps massively with psychology and sociology
Year 2
Unit 3: Crime scene to courtroom
Coursework
Taught from September to December and the exam is in january
8 hour exam over 2 days
Students take in their notes
Covers forensic techniques, rights of suspects, how the CPS decide to prosecute
Focuses heavily on landmark cases e.g. stephen Lawrence, Colin Stagg etc
Unit 4: Crime and punishment
Exam based
Taught from January to May
90 min exam in May
Covers how laws are made and different theories of justice
Focuses heavily on the different agencies e.g. police, CPS, judiciary, prisons, and probation and students need to understand these agencies in terms of their aims, funding, and the day to day responsibilities of these agencies. After this students will evaluate each agency (case studies come in handy here)