Head of Department: Mr Peden (PedenM@clwacademy.org.uk)

An understanding of criminology is relevant to many job roles within the criminal justice sector, social and probation work and sociology and psychology. WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is a qualification with elements of psychology, law and sociology that complements studies in humanities. This is an Applied General qualification. This means it is designed primarily to support learners progressing to university. It has been designed to offer exciting and interesting experiences that focus learning for 16-19 year-old learners and adult learners through applied learning, i.e. through the acquisition of knowledge and understanding in purposeful contexts linked to the criminal justice system. The qualification would support learners’ progression from any study at Level 2, particularly GCSEs in Sociology, Law, Psychology, Citizenship, History and Humanities.

The criminology course comprises of 4 units that all learners must complete.

The first mandatory unit will enable the learner to demonstrate understanding of different types of crime, influences on perceptions of crime and why some crimes are unreported.

The second mandatory unit will allow learners to gain an understanding of why people commit crime, drawing on what they have learned in Unit 1. WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology 4 © WJEC CBAC Ltd.

The third mandatory unit will provide an understanding of the criminal justice system from the moment a crime has been identified to the verdict. Learners will develop the understanding and skills needed to examine information in order to review the justice of verdicts in criminal cases.

In the final mandatory unit, learners will apply their understanding of the awareness of criminality, criminological theories and the process of bringing an accused to court in order to evaluate the effectiveness of social control to deliver criminal justice policy.

Each unit within the qualification has an applied purpose which acts as a focus for the learning in the unit. The applied purpose demands learning related to authentic case studies. It also requires learners to consider how the use and application of their learning impacts on themselves, other individuals, employers, society and the environment. The applied purpose will also allow learners to learn in such a way that they develop:

The main purpose of the WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is to use the qualification to support access to higher education degree courses, such as:

Alternatively, the qualification allows learners to gain the required understanding and skills to be able to consider employment within some aspects of the criminal justice system, such as: the National Probation Service, the Courts and Tribunals Service or the National Offender Management Service.

In addition to the WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology, there is also the WJEC Level 3 Applied Certificate in Criminology. This is a smaller qualification with similar characteristics, including two of the same units.