The inter-disciplinary nature of Criminology makes it a difficult term to define, this is because there are several ways of looking at it, depending on the background of the person defining it.

Criminology is:

". . . knowledge concerning the etiology, prevention, control and treatment of crime and delinquency.  This includes the measurement and detection of crime, legislation and practice of criminal law, as well as the law enforcement, judicial and correctional systems."

In brief, the study of Criminology deals primarily with crime and punishment and our understanding of crime in the social context.

Throughout this course we will consider how we define crime, what cause crime and the consequences of crime. We will also consider the U.K legislative environment and what impact this has on the laws that are passed to try and mitigate the effects of crime. We then move on and look at a whole range of different types of crime.

Given the current focus on crime prevention at both a local and national level there has never been a better time to study a Diploma course in Criminology. There are a whole range of career opportunities waiting for you once you have completed your course, ranging from Community and Voluntary work to Police and Probationary work. You could even find yourself working in Journalism or for the Government!

Entry Requirements:

There is no experience or previous qualifications required for enrolment on this course. It is available to all students, of all academic backgrounds.

Course Syllabus:

Introduction to Criminology

Define what Criminolgy is and have an understanding of the theories used.

Criminal Statistics

Study the trends of modern day criminal statistics

The UK Justice System

Have an understanding of the UK Justice system and have refernece to key legal terms

Understanding Drugs

Describe a large range of drugs, what effects they have, their methods of use, their prevelance, production and markting and common street names.

Understanding Violence

Describe differnt forms of violence and reasons for it.

Understanding Property Crime

Describe different forms of property crime and understand when and where they occur

Understanding Crime and the Community

Understanding the role of the community in crime prevention

Understanding Trans-national and Organised Crime

Describe various forms of organised and trans-national crime
  
Understanding High Tech Crime

Understand the use of computers and internet technology in support of criminal activities
 
Understanding Crime Prevention

Describe how to focus on the causes of crime and use problem solving tools in order to significantly reduce or eliminate the factors that can to lead crime

Understanding Youth Crime

Understand why youths turn to crime and why everyone has a role in supporting youth and preventing youth crime.

Understanding Anti-Social Behaviour

Describe different forms of anti-social behaviour, who it effects, its long terms effects and approaches to tackling it.

Introduction to Forensic Psychology

Describe what Forensic Psychology is, how it works; from basic theories and principles, through research, understanding and explaining results, to the actual application of psychological techniques.

Introduction to Criminal Profiling

Understand what is meant by Criminal profiling, and how the use of scientific methods, logical reasoning, sources of information on people, criminology, victimology, and experience or skill is employed to interpret the events that surround the commission of a crime. 

Introduction to the Theory of Terrorism

Understanding what terrorism is and why it is a deliberate use of violence against civilians for political or religious ends.

Tutor Support:

With this course you will have unlimited access to your own personal tutor who specialises in their field of study. It is your personal tutor's role to ensure that you receive constructive feedback and to deal with any queries you may have. You are more than welcome to telephone, fax or email your personal tutor.

You will also have access to a dedicated and friendly team of administrators and course advisors who offer sound and professional guidance and advice when you need it. This ensures that you will never feel neglected and that you will always succeed!

Study Hours:

This is only an approximate figure and is dependant upon how much time you can dedicate to your studies and how well you grasp the learning concepts in the course material. Furthermore, at the end of each lesson there is a question paper that needs to be completed and returned to your tutor. You should allow at least 1 - 2 hours of study to complete each question paper.

The approximate amount of time required to complete the course is: 120 hrs.