School of Law, Criminology and Government

BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice Studies with Foundation

Put your incisive mind and probing skills to best use as a decision-maker, policy developer or in assisting in the treatment of offenders. This course offers you an excellent toolkit of analytical and practical skills to examine how and why people commit crime and how we, as a society, deal with criminality. Whether it’s probation, policing, youth justice, community safety or victim services you’ll develop your critical skills and graduate primed to embark on your future career path.

The course starts with a foundation year 0, specifically designed to introduce and develop essential skills for success in higher education, including critical thinking and research skills, and the knowledge and understanding of key facets of criminology and criminal justice.

BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice with Foundation

We’re excited to announce that from September 2020 this course will be named BSc (Hons) Criminology and Criminal Justice with Foundation.

Key features

  • Make a difference – draw on our inter-disciplinary approach to study, with a focus on contemporary issues, to gain real insight into the nature of crime, the workings of the criminal justice system and the society around you and equip yourself with the skills to bring about change.
  • Boost your chances of finding that perfect first job and gain hands-on experience by volunteering with local and national criminal justice agencies.
  • Equip yourself with in-demand skills – our graduates are highly sought after by a range of criminal justice agencies, including the police, probation, prison and youth justice services.
  • Open doors to a career in the private, public or third sector – highly transferable skills mean you will find career opportunities in a diverse range of settings.

Course details

  • Year 0

  • In this year, you’ll experience a supportive environment to assist in the transition to successful study in higher education. You will learn about academic writing, critical thinking skills and begin to develop your research skills, as well as develop your knowledge and understanding through an introduction to key aspects of criminology and criminal justice and other relevant areas of law and social science.

    Core modules

    • LCG001 Foundational Ideas & Concepts in Law, Government & Society

      This module provides students with an introduction to key thinkers, ideas and controversies that have shaped Western societies in the modern period.

    • LCG002 Introduction to Law and Criminal Justice

      This module will introduce students to the main institutions and processes of the legal system and criminal justice in England and Wales, while developing key transferable skills related to the study and practice of law and criminal justice.

    • LCG003 Introduction to Government and Society

      This module will introduce students to a foundational sociological understanding of the structure and organisation of society; and to the main institutions of domestic and international government, and the theories and concepts used by political science to study them.

    • LCG004 Work & Employment in the 21st Century

      This project-based module provides students with an opportunity to explore in depth the nature and characteristics of an employment sector that is of direct relevance to degree-level education in law and/or social science subjects such as criminology, sociology, politics and international relations.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

BSc Hons CCJS with Foundation Programme Specification 2019 20 6754

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

32 - 48

18 Unit BTEC National Diploma/QCF Extended Diploma
PPP-MMP in any subject.

BTEC National Diploma modules
If you hold a BTEC qualification it is vital that you provide our Admissions team with details of the exact modules you have studied as part of the BTEC. Without this information we may be unable to process your application quickly and you could experience significant delays in the progress of your application to study with us. Please explicitly state the full list of modules within your qualification at the time of application.

International Baccalaureate
24-25 overall to include 4 at any subject at Higher Level. English and Maths accepted within: Higher Level = 4, Standard Level = 5.

IELTS
If overseas & not studying English within IB – Must have IELTS: 6.0 overall with 5.5 in all elements.

Access courses
Pass access course (any subject) plus GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4 or above or equivalent.

New Irish Highers: Achieve Irish Leaving Certificate with 32-48 UCAS points.

GCSE
GCSE’s or equivalent: Maths and English at Grade C/4 or City and Guilds; Key Skills Level 2 will be considered on an individual basis.

Mature students with appropriate work experience are encouraged to apply. For those who do not meet the requirements, please enquire for further details. We encourage any candidate who is unsure about the suitability of their qualifications or experience to contact Admissions in the first instance, who will then liaise with the Admissions Tutor and Programme Lead.

English language requirements

We welcome applicants with international qualifications. To view other accepted qualifications please refer to our tariff glossary.

Fees, costs and funding

EU applicants should refer to our dedicated Brexit webpage for details of the implications of the UK’s plans to leave the European Union.

New Student 2019 2020
Home/EU £9,250 £9,250
International £13,400 £13,800
Part time (Home/EU) To be confirmed To be confirmed
Full time fees shown are per annum. Part time fees shown are per a number of credits. Please note that fees are reviewed on an annual basis. Fees and the conditions that apply to them shown in the prospectus are correct at the time of going to print. Fees shown on the web are the most up to date but are still subject to change in exceptional circumstances.

Additional costs

This course is delivered by the Faculty of Arts and Humanities and more details of any additional costs associated with the faculty's courses are listed on the following page: Faculty of Arts and Humanities additional costs.

How to apply

All applications for undergraduate courses are made through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). 

UCAS will ask for the information contained in the box at the top of this course page including the UCAS course code and the institution code. 

To apply for this course and for more information about submitting an application including application deadline dates, please visit the UCAS website.

Support is also available to overseas students applying to the University from our International Office via our how to apply webpage or email international-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

People

Graduate profiles

Student societies

Our societies offer you the chance to expand your knowledge of the criminal justice system.

The Howard League student group and Crimsoc run events, invite guest speakers and arrange volunteering opportunities.

Learn more about our societies

Justice Works

Justice Works encompasses a range of activities within the Law School that aim to promote social justice.

Find out more about the work-based learning and volunteering opportunities open to you.

Discover more