Criminology BA (Hons)

" Criminology BA (Hons)

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— Coventry University (@covcampus) July 9, 2014 OVERVIEW

This course runs in 2016/17.

This course has a September and a January intake.

What are the causes of crime? How can crime be prevented? Do prisons work? What are the alternatives? Is sentencing fair? These are the cutting-edge questions posed by criminologists today and ones which are covered in detail on this course.

WHY CHOOSE THIS COURSE?

Our degree programme aims to equip you with a critical perspective on a wide variety of phenomena associated with crime, victimisation, punishment and criminal justice, with a focus on its causes and the various means by which society and social groups attempt to deal with it. The course is also designed to enhance your job prospects and we actively help students to prepare and plan for a career by ensuring that they have the necessary skills required to enter employment.

If you choose this course you will benefit from:

• strong links with employers including Police, HM Prison Service, and Coventry Youth Offending Service;
• experienced teaching staff who bring both professional and research expertise in to their teaching;
• guest speakers from different sectors of the criminological spheres such as the Prison Service, Police, UK Borders Agency and Youth Offending Team;
• optional field trips (e.g. prisons, The Old Bailey, The Holocaust Centre);
• the opportunity to visit the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York, the Stasi museum in Berlin and Auschwitz-Birkenau in Poland.

WHAT WILL I LEARN?

In the first year the course aims to provide a general introduction to the study of crime. You will take the following modules: Introducing Criminology: Controlling Crime; Victims and Victimology; Representations of Crime; Introducing Criminological Research; and Academic and Professional Skills.

The second year introduces you to a range of topics around the key institutions that deal with crime including prisons and punishment, policing, media and culture and community safety. You will also undertake the planning of a research study as well as a module that allows you to develop career interests through a practice-based study.

The final year focuses on issues connected with crime and you will be given the opportunity to develop specialist knowledge, first through a module that introduces a series of current issues of criminological interest, and second through an individual research project that leads to the production of a dissertation on a topic of your choice. Modules on crime and social diversity and forensic mental health are also undertaken at this level, as well as a module that builds your employability profile through exploring enterprise in practice.

HOW WILL THIS COURSE BE TAUGHT?

Your course will be based on a series of workshops with some lectures, associated seminars and individual or small group tutorials.

HOW WILL I BE ASSESSED?

An estimated percentage breakdown of how your final grade is assessed is as follows: formal examinations 5%; coursework, tests, essays 80%; practical or project work 15%.

A compulsory Add+vantage module must also be completed: please see the page on the Add+vantage scheme for more details.

TEACHING CONTACT HOURS

In a typical week you will have up to 14 contact hours of teaching and this will break down as:

Personal tutorial/small group teaching: tutorials (or individual project supervision) and online support arranged according to the requirements of the module

Medium group teaching: 6-8 hours of workshops or seminars each week

Large group teaching: 4-6 hours of lectures each week

Personal study: 15-20 hours each week of self-directed study

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