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Nottingham Trent University Course Specification
Basic Course Information
- Awarding Institution: Nottingham Trent University
- School/Campus: Social Sciences / City
- Final Award, Course Title and Modes of Study:
BA (Hons) Criminology BA (Hons) Criminology (Sandwich) Full-time
- Normal Duration: 3 years (BA (Hons) Criminology) 4 years (Sandwich)
- UCAS Code: L
- Overview and general educational aims of the course Criminology is concerned with understanding crime, offenders, victims and the criminal justice system by using essential elements of sociology, psychology, law, public policy, and further, more specialised subjects. Four questions are at the centre of our studies: what is crime (the complex nature of crime and criminality); who are the criminals/victims (who are the key players involved in the criminal experience); why do people commit crime (how do we explain motivation for involvement in a wide-range of acts and activities defined as criminal); and how does society respond to crime (the role of the key criminal justice agencies in reducing crime and dealing with offenders).
To engage with these questions, we examine three interrelated components:
- Theory: using inter-disciplinary theory and research to develop a critical view of issues of crime and justice in a local, national and international/global context.
- Policy: understanding the national and international socio-economic, cultural, environmental, political and other policy drivers that underpin changes in criminal justice policy.
- Practice: understanding and shaping how criminologists and criminal justice practitioners engage with crime and crime-related issues, through working with communities, offenders, victims and others, with an emphasis upon building sustainable communities of the future.
In 2015, the university launched its five-year Strategic Plan to create the University of the future, with five key strategic themes: creating opportunity, valuing ideas, enriching society, connecting globally and empowering people. The guiding principle behind the design of the course has been to ensure the delivery of a criminology curriculum which meets the changing needs of students, employers and society. There is a strong emphasis upon equipping our graduates with the necessary employability and transferable skills. Furthermore, we seek to demonstrate through the integration of our teaching, research and partnerships, how criminology can make a positive impact on our local, national and international/global communities. Through the introduction of service learning, practitioner inputs on many modules, opportunities for Erasmus (and International) exchange and practice-related research project options, employability is located at the heart of our course.
Between levels 5 and 6, students have the opportunity to apply for a Prison Sandwich placement opportunity. Please note, that due to the recruitment cycle of the Prison Sandwich placement, it is not possible for students to undertake both the Study Abroad and the Prison Sandwich placement.
The course is delivered by staff who are engaged in theoretical and applied research that covers a broad spectrum of criminology and criminal justice issues. Through our research activities, we seek to provide a teaching and learning environment that is underpinned and informed by cutting edge knowledge.
The course aims to:
- produce skilled and competent criminology graduates who are able to operate within a range of academic, organisational and policy contexts;
- produce graduates who are capable of understanding and applying complex and abstract concepts in the field of criminology and criminal justice;
- produce graduates who can effectively evaluate and apply criminological theory and research to practical crime issues, both orally and in writing;
- develop students’ knowledge, values, understanding and skills, in order to enhance their employment prospects;
- produce graduates with the information, communication and organisational skills to work effectively face-to-face and online, and who show the capacity to judge self-efficacy and to give and receive feedback.
- Course outcomes Course outcomes describe what you should know and be able to do by the end of your course if you take advantage of the opportunities for learning that we provide. Knowledge and understanding By the end of the course you should be able to:
- Critically evaluate theoretical explanations of crime and criminal behaviour, and how these perspectives shape contemporary approaches to understanding and responding to crime;
- Critically evaluate the origins, functions and operations of key criminal justice institutions and systems within England and Wales and in the wider global context;
- Critically appraise, historical, contemporary and comparative/international responses to crime;
- Demonstrate, the analytical application of knowledge in specialist areas of criminology and criminal justice;
- Demonstrate a critical understanding of the methodological and ethical issues that inform criminological inquiry and research;
- Critically evaluate the application of a range of quantitative and qualitative research designs and instruments to the study and analysis of crime and responses to crime;
- Critically reflect upon the application of effective and evidence-based practice from national and international research within the UK criminal justice system and beyond;
- Critically evaluate and reflect on the principles of effective team, multi- agency and partnership working across the criminal justice system.
Skills, qualities and attributes By the end of the course you should be able to:
- Demonstrate a range of transferable skills;
- Critically appraise and apply textual material in criminology to a practical setting;
- Construct reasoned arguments, synthesise relevant information and exercise critical judgement in relation to criminal justice issues;
- Demonstrate an aptitude for independent, critical thought and problem-solving;
- Use quantitative and/or qualitative methods to analyse, interpret and evaluate data crime-related problems;
- Independent project work;
- Individual, student-led meetings. These are available to talk through essay plans and to have feedback upon work that has been completed;
- Supervision meetings. In level 6, you complete an independent research project on a topic of your choice. You meet regularly with an individual member of staff to plan and execute your project, to discuss ideas and to share drafts of your chapters for feedback;
- Independent reading. You will be required to access and read particular articles/books for particular seminars/workshops. We ask you to be aware that the teaching and learning methods mentioned here are a starting point for your work, not the end point. University students 'read for' a degree. Independent reading is expected and makes a significant difference to grades.
Our expectations of you in these teaching and learning environments develop over the course, as we seek to help you move from having relatively high levels of support in level 4 to being increasingly independent learners in your final year of study. We do not require you to have studied criminology prior to joining us but even if you have, the first year moves beyond what you have already studied. Therefore, learning and teaching in level 4 reflects this
- we provide a safe environment in which you can start or develop your engagement with criminology. From level 5, expectations in learning and teaching environments start to move more towards student-led contributions. Small research projects offer opportunities to increase your independent learning skills. In level 6, independent learning increases - a key feature of this is the 40 credit research project.
- Assessment methods Each module on the BA (Hons) Criminology degree operationalises a mixture of formative and summative assessments.
Formative Assessment: a formative task/assessment is one which is developmental for students’ learning, but does not contribute to credit points. Throughout the BA Criminology degree, formative assessment has been designed to support meaningful learning and to foster a sense of criminological ‘identity’. Further, formative assessment provide students with the opportunity to:
- Make sense of criteria;
- Practice assessment skills/knowledge;
- Receive and generate feedback on progression towards specific summative assessment tasks;
- Engage with content needed to achieve learning outcomes;
- Become familiar with the ‘drop box’ on NOW
To achieve this, students on the BA Criminology will undertake a number of formative tasks which include:
- Tests (crosswords, multiple choice, quizzes)
- Drafts and plans
- Role-play
- Semi-formal debates
- Individual/group presentations with feedback from peers and/or tutors
- Class discussion
- Online Q&A
- Online discussions/blogs
- Small-scale formative group and individual projects related to learning outcomes.
Summative assessment: aligned with the formative assessments outlined above, summative assessment results in a final grade (and feedback) which reflects the standard of achievement of the student work against the identified learning outcomes.
Summative assessment methods which are deployed on BA Criminology include:
- Essays, of varying lengths;
- Exams (essay, short answer and multiple choice);
- Presentations (group, individual, poster and E-Poster);
- Projects, and preparations for them (e.g. proposals, book reviews);
- Opportunities to write in different genres (e.g. reports, ‘Thought Pieces’ or magazine/newspaper articles);
- Contributions to online activities (e.g. Blogs, Wikipedia entries etc.);
- Portfolio material demonstrating the ‘student journey’;
- Policy paper;
- Research project/community based research project;
- Case Studies.
- Course structure and curriculum The BA (Hons) Criminology course consists of three years of full-time study, with level 4 providing a generic foundation in criminology which is then further developed in Levels 5 and 6.
Level 4 assumes no previous knowledge of criminology so each of the core modules are introductory in nature and have been designed to ensure your understanding of: the criminal justice system, its associated agencies and processes, criminological theory, the legal system, aspects of society and social change pertinent to crime, whilst also introducing you to study skills and approaches to research in criminology.
Level 4 modules:
- Introduction to the Criminal Justice System (20cpts)
- Explaining Criminal Behaviour (20cpts)
- Understanding Crime and Society (20cpts)
- Developing a Criminological Imagination (20cpts)
- Law, Sentencing and Punishment (20cpts)
- Introduction to Psychology and Sociology of Crime (20cpts)
Level 5 develops the key knowledge of criminology and the criminal justice system which underpins the course as a whole. In term one, you will take three core modules. In term two, you will undertake one core 20 credit point module and a 40 credit point Service Learning module. Additionally, students who wish to study abroad are able to apply to participate in study abroad opportunities (such as an Erasmus Exchange) in term two.
Teaching and learning methods in level 5 are constructed to facilitate your increased participation, for example through the use of workshop exercises, group presentations and student-led debates. Level 5 also encourages the development of analytical skills and increased independent learning.
Level 5 modules:
Core modules:
- Crime Reduction, Community Safety and Risk (20cpts)
Interim awards:
If you acquire 120 credits in year one and do not progress to year two, you will be eligible for the award of Certificate of Higher Education in Criminology. If you acquire 120 credits in year one and year two respectively, but do not progress to year three, you will be eligible for the award of Diploma of Higher Education in Criminology. If you obtain 120 credits from year one, 120 credits from year two, and 60 rather than 120 credits from year three, you will be eligible for the award of an Ordinary Degree in Criminology.
- Admission to the course Entry requirements.
For current information regarding all entry criteria for this course, please see the entry requirements on the course information web page.
- Support for learning A comprehensive support network has been created to help you get the most out of the Criminology course and to maximise your chances of academic and practice success.
Inductions The course commences in Level 4 with a number of induction events designed to encourage collegiality between students from day one, whilst also familiarising you with staff that you will encounter across the course. Inductions will provide key messages as to the expectations of the course, whilst such messages will also be reinforced via the tutorial programme. In Levels 5 and 6, inductions serve as transition workshops, identifying changing standards of expectation, key differences in modules and/or assessment modes, and a reminder for students of support measures/policies available to them.
Tutorials The tutorials programme is the primary means by which pastoral care is provided to students on this course. A combination of one-to-one and small- group tutorials ensure that every student is allocated (and becomes familiar with) a specific academic staff member who remains their personal tutor for the duration of the course. Emphasis in Level 4 is placed on introducing you to the range of support services across the school and university including study support, mental/physical wellbeing and the NEC process, the NTU student code of conduct, and academic irregularity policy. Furthermore, a range of study skills are also explored through tutorials at all levels, designed to support you via an incremental approach, whilst issues specific to police practice will also be discussed as part of the tutorials programme at all levels of the course. Personal tutors perform mid-term reviews of students’ progress and engagement across both tutorials and course modules, the outcomes of which are then communicated to students and where appropriate, students are then directed to suitable NTU support mechanisms or invited to meet with the course lead in order to identify potential barriers to engagement. All information from tutorials is also posted into a dedicated NOW page, including links to the NTU student handbook and relevant employability/student support portals, to ensure its availability to course students.
Course Committee Like all courses at NTU, the BA Hons Criminology (Prison Sandwich) course has a course committee comprised of course teaching
staff, representatives from IT and the Library and student representatives, which meets termly to discuss arising course developments and issues.
Libraries & Learning, IT A tour of the library forms part of the Level 4 course induction programme and includes meeting the member of library staff assigned to the Criminology course. They also attend each of the Course committee meetings to ensure regular updates on training sessions are highlighted to students and staff, and such opportunities are also emphasised within the tutorials programme in all levels of the course. There is also a Study Skills Advisor in the School of Social Sciences, who can offer you advice on request.
IT support is provided by a dedicated IT support team and IT skills form an integral part of several modules, including Understanding Crime and Society (Level 4) and The Research Project (Level 6). IT staff are also represented at the Criminology course Committee and provide regular updates on developments in IT provision.
Further student support services External to the course, we have strong links with Student Support Services, and a clear referral system to services such as counselling. Your personal tutor can help you identify any relevant services (within the school and beyond) but you are also strongly encouraged to make contact with Student Support Services yourself if you need assistance from them. You will be provided with details of how you can do this at induction.
All course information is also included in course handbooks which are distributed to you at induction and made available electronically via NOW. University-level information is also provided in a handbook and via the University's student website.
- Graduate destinations/employability KIS data from 2015/2016 reveals 92% of graduates with Positive Outcomes (PO) – ‘the proportion of graduates who were available for employment and had secured employment or further study’. In addition, a direct comparison between 2014/15 and 2015/16 reveals a sharp increase from 58% to 72% in terms of Graduate Prospects (GP) – ‘the proportion of graduates who were available for employment and had secured graduate-level employment or graduate-level further study’. The percentage of graduates in full-time study has increased slightly from 2014/15 to 2015/16 (from 17% to 20% respectively). Specific careers of recent graduates include community protection officer, crime management officer, criminal case worker, intelligence officer, police constable, prison officer, victim support officer and work within witness service support. The course, therefore, produces graduates prepared to enter a wide range of employment contexts and postgraduate courses.
- Course standards and quality The principal mechanisms by which the standards and quality of the provision are maintained and enhanced are:
- Student satisfaction with the courses organization, structure, communication, delivery, assessment, and feedback is gathered via EVASYS, and the NSS and through informal discussions with current students and graduates. You are encouraged to participate in focus groups on school wide/ university wide issues;
