BSc (Hons) - Criminology and Forensic Investigation (Integrated Foundation Year)

Year one

The integrated foundation year provides an opportunity for you to settle into University life and gain the confidence and skills to succeed in your chosen degree. The Law and Social Science foundation year entry route aims to provide you with an excellent grounding in criminology, law, policing and investigation. You will take subject specific modules along with modules that prepare students for achievement in Higher Education. You will be participating in a supportive academic, personal and professional development programme, with volunteering opportunities to further underpin your learning. You will be immersed in the culture of interprofessional learning, by taking some modules alongside students from other routes and departments. You will develop problem solving skills, disciplinary knowledge and a grounding in essential academic skills whilst nurturing career aspirations. You will make links with the careers team, to discuss your key soft skills such as communication, team working, self-management and organization, to help you reflect on how these link to your employability. This will be accompanied by working on your digital skills profile, ensuring you have access to the universities MOOC’s and ‘Linked in Learning’ to help build upon your current level of IT literacy.

• Introduction to Criminology, Policing, and Law
  
• Contemporary Issues and the Media
  
• Families, Communities and the Criminal Justice System
  
• Professional Practice in the Community
  
• Essential University Skills 1 & 2
  

Year two

Discover: The first year (Level 4) introduces you to the building blocks of criminology and forensic investigation – from the practicalities of crime scene investigation, through key institutions of the criminal justice system, crime policy and practice, to core concepts and theories on crime and deviance. You will develop your digital learning skills during your first year and be equipped with the essential knowledge needed to flourish in Levels 5 and 6.

• Crime Scene Investigation
  With a focus on professional standards and experiential learning, you will gain the ability to perform techniques involved in the investigation of crime scenes and the recovery of evidence, as practised by forensic agencies.
• Crime and Deviance
  You will learn how to answer some of the central questions of criminological inquiry – what types of crime happen in Britain, why do they happen, how much crime is there, and how do individuals and society deal with the impact?
• Criminal Justice System
  You will understand the way in which the state responds to crime in England and Wales. Some of the key questions for consideration include: how is crime investigated and what impact does this have on individuals, social groups and society at large, what happens when someone is accused of committing crime, and how does the state deal with those who are convicted of offences?
• Professional Skills for Criminal Justice
  You will gain the skills needed for a successful career, emphasising the professional, ethical behaviour, expected of a criminal justice practitioner. You will develop laboratory, digital, and transferable graduate skills, and understand the theoretical underpinnings for interactions and interventions with individuals and groups.

Year three

Explore: During the second year (Level 5) you will learn the tools of qualitative and quantitative analysis to enable you to critically explore the complexities of crime and deviant behaviour, which you will use to conduct your own independent research in Level 6. You will also probe deeper into the study of crime causation, and examine punishment and rehabilitation, whilst refining your skills in forensic investigation. You will use digital tools to gather, assess, and evaluate evidence, reach decisions and solve problems using digital data and media to present the outcomes of learning. You will forensically examine a variety of evidence types and participate in moot court sessions. 

• Forensic Examination
  Operating within a quality management system, you will develop the knowledge and skills needed to analyse, compare, and evaluate a variety of forensic evidence in the laboratory.
• Expert Witness
  You will develop an understanding of the contributions subject matter experts make to the investigative process. Developing a capability to integrate expert witness material in your investigative approach. Incorporating relevant legal principles, you will be able to prepare and present evidential material in an adversarial setting.
• Crime, Punishment and Rehabilitation
  You will learn to think critically about how society decides what is and is not ‘criminal’, worthy of ‘punishment’ and what the aims and scope of ‘rehabilitation’ are. You will be able to evaluate how criminological theories inform or challenge the practical and applied aspects of criminology.
• Exploring Research
  Through exploration and application of a range of research and analysis methods, you will harness the skills required to conceive, design, conduct, and interpret research for Criminal Justice. You will develop your ability to evaluate a range of quantitative and qualitative research methods and forms of analysis, and when it is appropriate to use them.

Year four

Evolve: In your final year (Level 6) you will demonstrate your evolution into a multi-skilled and ethical criminal justice practitioner, by working on your own independent research, through a leadership role in a complex crime scene investigation, and through giving expert witness evidence in a mock trial. Your digital skills will have evolved to be able to take part in digital research or professional practice and you will be aware of digital safety and privacy. Throughout your studies, there is an emphasis on developing skills, attributes and experiences that are relevant to professional careers, including links to volunteering opportunities, and independent project work.

• Leading Complex and Major Crime Scene Investigation
  You will develop knowledge and skills needed to lead and direct a team of crime scene investigators and specialists during complex and major crime scene investigations.
• Victimology
  You will develop and extend your understanding of victims and victimisation in contemporary society. Using a multi-layered theoretical framework, you will explore the nature, extent, and impact of victimisation on individuals and society.
• Death Investigation - Optional
  You will be introduced to ways in which medical science and principal forensic evidence types can assist in the medico-legal investigation of deaths.
• The Outsiders - Optional
  You will become fluent in criminological and sociological theories and in doing so will bring critical focus towards the stigmatisation and social exclusion of marginalised groups in UK society, looking at both social welfare and crime control policies.
• Dissertation
  You will be able to complete an independent piece of in-depth research, developing your research skills and gaining valuable experience in research project management.