MODULES
Year 1
CORE MODULES
Introduction to Crime and Punishment
This module will introduce students to the key thinking and research, historically and presently, about the causes and consequences of crime on society. It will also examine and explore many of the key issues that face us when trying to understand how best to deal with those who commit crime. It will consider crime as a social construction, the construction of victims and perpetrators, and the ways in which crimes of the powerful are overlooked by focusing on working class groups. It will explore the relationship between the media and police and the ways in which they impact on meanings and perceptions of crime and criminals.
Developing Skills for Justice (MW)
This module will examine the structural factors, including poverty, racism and discrimination, underpinning our understanding of crime and social justice. You will examine our responses to stress and develop practical mindfulness skills to deal with that stress, fully cognisant of their systemic origins, in order to empower us to resist and confront those systemic factors. You will have the opportunity to develop a proposal for a crime and justice project (e.g., a youth engagement project or a digital campaign to reduce hate crime or knife crime). Some of these projects will be implemented in groups at Level 5.
Introduction to Cognitive and Developmental Psychology
In this module, we explore the mechanisms that process information about the world (such as perception, memory, and attention) and by which we develop our responses to it (e.g., by thinking, communicating, and the shaping of behaviour by our learning). In doing so, this module introduces core topics in cognitive psychology (which seeks to scientifically model how the mind functions) and developmental psychology (which seeks to understand change through the lifespan).
Research Skills
This module helps students develop understanding, and foundational skills, on the nature of research in criminology by providing an introduction to the varying approaches and practical ways for putting different methods into practice. It goes on to locate criminological research within a crime and justice policy framework in order to assess its practical restraints, ethical considerations and political implications.
Introduction to Biological and Social and Individual Differences
The main aim of this module is to provide an introduction to the core fields of Social and Biological Psychology and Individual Differences and a foundation for understanding and evaluating these approaches within the discipline of Psychology and an understanding of historical, social and cultural influences. Students will also develop a knowledge of relevant key concepts and theories, providing a grounding for level 5 study of applied topics in these fields.
Criminal Justice Process (Term 2)
This module aims to provide essential knowledge and analysis of the criminal justice process and acts as a foundation for the other courses on the Criminology and Criminal Justice degree. You will be introduced to recent developments in criminal justice policy in relation to adult offenders and encouraged to engage critically in current debates.
Year 2
CORE MODULES
Theoretical Criminology
The module is intended to provide an introduction to criminological theory, examining historical, social and cultural context surrounding the development of various theoretical perspectives, how these propose we deal with crime and their relevance to contemporary problems.
Introduction to Forensic Psychology
The main aims of this module are:
- To introduce concepts and issues in forensic and criminological psychology.
- To provide an overview of the historical, current and potential future relationships between psychology and the criminal justice system.
- To provide a clear overview of how psychology has been used, and can further be used, to inform practical problems arising in the criminal justice system.
Essential Skills for Justice (MW) (Term 1)
This module builds on Developing Skills for Justice at Level 4. In this module we will focus more on group work essential for success in the workplace. We will develop teamwork skills, group facilitation and active listening skills. Students will use these skills in groups to develop a project related to crime and justice that some students proposed at Level 4 (e.g., a youth engagement project or a digital campaign to reduce hate crime or knife crime).
Crime Policy into Practice (Term 2)
This module will firstly outline some of the key sociological theories of crime and deviance in post-modern society and the socio-cultural and political economic contexts in which they have emerged. It will then move on to examine and discuss the complex processes at play within contemporary society – driven by the media and the police – that has resulted in the trend toward the increasing criminalisation of social policy. In particular, it will explore the public anxieties and media fixations upon perceived social problems that soon become law and order problems, whereby the behaviour of large segments of the population (non –compliant individuals) is increasingly monitored and regulated by criminal or civil sanctions. Furthermore, the module will go on to detail the vast array of influences that impact on and inform crime policy as well as focusing on the ‘politics’ of justice practice: law enforcement, prisons and imprisonment, and offender management.
Individual Differences and Diversity
This module has three principle aims: (i) to develop a critical and historical awareness of theories of, and issues relating to, individual differences; (ii) to instil understanding of, and foster respect for, diversity; (iii) to encourage students to be insightful and reflective about their own and others' behaviour and mental processes. An ongoing theme of the module will be to consider the implications of the knowledge imparted for real-life events and the development of professional practice. These aims are intended to help students develop into psychologically literate citizens.
Applied Research & Evaluation (Term 2)
In this module you will develop the knowledge and skills that were introduced on the Level 4 Research Skills Module. You will develop a deeper understanding of applied research and evaluation methods as practical skills that can be used in the workplace.
Year 3
CORE MODULES
Project Criminology and Psychology
This is the Criminology research project module. It provides an opportunity for you to: identify an area within the Subject Area for further independent research; to prepare a research proposal for acceptance by the module team; to undertake the necessary research under supervision; and to present that research for assessment.
Leadership Skills for Justice (MW) (Term 2)
This module provides you with the opportunity to build on Developing Skills for Justice and Essential Skills for Justice at Levels 4 and 5. You will develop core employability skills and acquire tangible evidence to support your employability narrative at interviews. You will develop and demonstrate skills in
- the analysis of a problem
- planning and organising a task/project, including time management
- exercising judgement in the light of observed and published data
- compiling a report,
- teamwork and collaboration
- use of appropriate technologies.
Psychological Criminology (Term 2)
The aim of this module is to provide you with an introduction to the developing relationship between psychology and criminology. You will combine the study and practice of forensic psychology and criminology, particularly in relation to police and court systems. You will be encouraged to critically appraise the relevance and efficacy of psychological and forensic studies of crime.
OPTIONAL MODULES
Researching Contemporary Issues in Cybercrime
Race, Ethnicity, Crime and Justice (Term 1)
The module will aim to introduce students to the main theoretical discourses and empirical research pertaining to the bitterly contested and politically charged ‘race and crime’ debate. This module will explore from a historical perspective the social, economic and political forces that have: i) led to the widespread stereotyping and criminalisation of the black Caribbean community within the popular media and the academy ii) resulted in higher incidences of victimisation amongst black and Asian groups as a result of racist violence, and institutional racism as manifested throughout the criminal justice process. The module will initially outline and deconstruct those key theories pertaining to race – and the itinerant themes of racist thinking that were so central to the British imperial and colonial project – and ethnicity before going onto to examine the impact of post Second World War black and Asian settlement within Britain upon the race and crime debate. Whilst this module will look to explore issues of racism, ethnicity, crime and justice largely within the English context, where relevant the course will also look to draw upon the extensive American derived literature concerning the race and crime debate.
Youth Crime, Gangs and Sub-culture
The module will aim to introduce you to the main theoretical discourses and empirical research – both historically and within contemporary context – pertaining to the understanding of:
- the diverse cultural formations adopted by young people
- subcultural (and post-subcultural) theories of youth culture with regards to explanations of crime and deviance
- youth transitions, social exclusion and crime
- of media representations of ‘deviant’ youth cultures / styles, and
- the contested notion of the emergence of violent street gangs in England’s urban centres.
Policing and Criminal Investigation (Term 2)
The aim of this module is to enable you to develop an awareness of police investigation and to critically assess the role of the police in combating serious and organised crimes. You will look at how the police investigate and the governance and accountability arrangements that the police operate within. You will examine the policing response to murder including serial killings, child & domestic deaths, sexual offences, organised crime and an introduction to cyber-crimes. The legal constraints that the modern investigator operate within are explored along with history of investigations and how serious cases are solved. You will discuss the Police’s role within the wider Criminal Justice system.
Mentally Disordered Suspects, Defendants and Offenders
This module explores the connections between mental health, crime and justice, through a critical examination of the position of people with mental disorder and learning disabilities in the criminal justice system.
You will study issues such as the relationship between mental disorder and crime, vulnerability, deaths in custody, miscarriages of justice, indefinite detention and dangerousness; using a wide variety of sociological, policy and legal materials, including analysis of video and audio documentaries, charity and pressure group websites and blogs. You will also learn about the policy of diversion, engage in debates about whether people who commit crimes and are mentally disordered at the time can be considered criminally responsible, and whether they should be punished for their actions. We will look at arguments for preventive detention within the mental health system, forensic mental health care and High Security Hospitals.
This module will be of particular interest if you are considering a future career within the criminal justice, health and social care fields and will enable you to evidence key employability skills relevant to these sectors. You will acquire a practical understanding of the relevant legal and policy frameworks, and the rights and interests of those subject to legal control in both the mental health and criminal justice systems. You will also be able to reflect on the impact of those frameworks and engage in debate over their future reform through an understanding of competing social, legal and scientific theories about the relationship between mental disorder and criminality.
Occupational Psychology
The module aims to introduce students to the main areas of occupational and organisational psychology and providing a critical understanding of the various ways in which contemporary psychological knowledge is applied to workplace behaviour of people and to business management. It elucidates multiple aspects of human performance at work and ways to optimise them, considering their individual, group and organisational contexts.
Psychology of Emotion
This module will aim to explore and critically evaluate approaches to the emotions in Psychology. The aim will be for students to develop knowledge about the role and nature of emotions in psychological experiences, and critically evaluate emotion research.
Cyberpsychology
This module aims to provide a broad introduction to the field of cyberpsychology; a subject that examines all aspects of psychology in the context of technology. Broadly speaking the module aims to: 1) Introduce students to the topic of cyberpsychology and its associated research methods; 2) Outline some of the topics and applications of cyberpsychology; 3) Develop a critical faculty whereby students consider the implications of their existing knowledge of psychology to contemporary technology.
Psychology of Belief
The aims of the module are to assist students in developing; their skills and competencies in critical thinking and the evaluation of information; their ability to understand behaviours motivated by different values and different cultural perspectives; and their ability to understand the causes of beliefs which they do not themselves ascribe to.
Students will explore the various factors (e.g., social, developmental, cognitive, cultural, and biopsychological) that contribute to unsubstantiated beliefs, look at various theories of religious belief, and explore the psychology of moral values and political affiliation.
Counselling Psychology
Health Psychology
The module describes and evaluates biopsychosocial approaches to health and illness. It examines social and psychological processes which contribute to the occurrence of various physical health outcomes and to the maintenance of health. It discusses the role of psychosocial processes in the experience and progression of health and illness. Specifically, it examines biopsychosocial precursors and consequences which are identifiable empirically in the aetiology and progression of a variety of health phenomena. Such precursors include the role of social support, social cognitions, individual differences in coping and personality, life change events and pyscho-neuro-immunological, endocrine and other physiological processes. In summary, this module explores how psychological and social factors impact out health. Implications for prevention of illness and promotion of health are considered.
Cognitive Neuropsychology
This module provides a broad insight into the area of cognitive neuropsychology, i.e. we try to show how the study of brain injury informs, and is informed, by normal theories of cognition. The module outlines the aims and methodology of cognitive neuropsychology, the nature of brain injury and plasticity, different neuropsychological disorders and neuropsychological perspectives on subjects such as intelligence and emotion. This module also considers the future of neuropsychological and rehabilitation.
