Criminology (with Integrated Foundation Year)

Applied Project

This module introduces you to the basics of applied research and gives you the opportunity to explore a real-world issue linked to your chosen subject area. You will learn how to ask simple research questions, find and use information from different sources, and communicate your ideas clearly to different audiences.

Throughout the module, you will explore practical approaches to problem-solving and begin to engage with relevant sources, ideas and examples related to your project topic. You will be encouraged to develop curiosity about real-world issues and to think about how research can help people better understand and respond to them.

By completing a project of your choice, you will develop confidence in planning and managing your work, making decisions about your project, and reflecting on your progress and learning.

The module will also help you strengthen important academic, professional and transferable skills, including communication, organisation and project planning.

The skills and experience developed through the module will support your progression into degree-level study and help prepare you for a range of future academic and professional contexts.

Introduction to Crime and Criminal Justice

​​This module will be complemented by Criminological Theory focusing more upon the application of criminological theory and thought into the criminal justice system and everyday practices and processes. In particular attention will be given to the Criminal Justice System in the UK - what it is, role in terms of law and order, key actors etc. The role of the police, probation and the prison service will be explained. Throughout the module, questions around whose interests the criminal justice system is focused upon will be asked, allowing intersectionality to be discussed.

​Themes, topics, and ideas explored in this module will lay the foundations for modules covered in the second year, allowing students to develop their understanding in a structured and long-term manner.

Criminological Theory

​​This module will lay the foundations for the whole course, introducing students to key criminology theories, thinkers and concepts. It will provide a broad overview of what criminology is, why it has developed as a discipline, influence on crime, deviance, and the criminal justice system, as well as where it can take students once they have graduated. These theories will be used in modules concerning crime and crime prevention throughout the rest of the degree.

​Intersectionality will be a core aspect of the module, with theories and perspectives exploring how different characteristics and positionings, e.g. gender, ethnicity and disability, have been considered through a criminology lens. There will also be some introductory links to criminology at an international level to demonstrate the contextual nature of perspectives and approaches.

​The module will also start to introduce key texts relating to themes covered, as well as the importance of identifying and engaging with reliable sources, e.g. academic literature and policy documents.

Critical Study Skills

* To provide the academic skills needed to support successful study at undergraduate degree level.

* To introduce students to the foundational principles of study in social sciences.

* To develop the ability to collect and provide evidence of academic development to support future career

opportunities

Crime and the Media

​​The influence on media upon everyday life has grown expeditiously over the past few decades, creating new and emerging narratives around the impact crime has upon society. Moreover, media reporting of crime and deviant behaviour has helped to shape attitudes towards risk, harm and abuse, which in turn contributes to pressures on government, policy and law makers to rethink what behaviour is acceptable. This module will allow students to navigate such complex ideas and influences, providing them with the knowledge to critically think about the role of media - news, film, music, books, adverts etc., upon attitudes towards crime.

​The module will introduce relevant theory and key concepts, as well as examine historical influences of media on understandings and attitudes towards crime. Moreover, the module will consider the impact of the media on perceptions of perpetrators and victims, introducing notions of 'deserving' offenders and victims.

​This module is part of a series of three modules in the first year that outlines that context for the study of criminology. This particular module helps the student distinguish between popular and media depictions of crime and the academic study of crime. ​

Crime and the City

​​The module aims to explore how crime operates within the urban environment. Students will be introduced to the sociology of the city, including the influence of different cultures, geographical designs and historical influence on shaping cities. Following this, attention will be given to criminology and the urban landscape, exploring links between crime, justice and city settings. The module will focus on the local level, using Bradford as a core example, with students being encouraged to think about how themes and discussions reflect other city areas familiar to them. Interactions between different actors in the city - communities, statutory, private and third sector - and their influence on crime and the criminal justice system, will be referred to throughout.

​The module is part of a series of three modules in the first year that explain the context of study for criminology. The aim of this module is to help prepare the student for studying crime in local scenarios through increasing their understanding of the urban context.

Young People and Crime

​​Increasingly, young people are being caught up in the criminal justice system, either as a perpetrator, victim, or witness of crime. The complexities around crime increase the likelihood of those under the age of 18 seamlessly moving between being a victim of crime, as well as the perpetrator of crime. Alongside this, the rise of the internet and social media exposes young people to new and emerging criminal opportunities, making it harder for the police and criminal justice system to prevent engagement to risky situations. This module will explore crime through the lens of children and young people, with a focus on how crime influences identity and future opportunities.

​This module is part of three modules that explain the context in which crime occurs in a city like Bradford. It is designed to provide the context for the study of the criminal justice system and specific forms of crime in years 2 and 3.

Core Concepts in the Social Sciences

We all live within society, but we do not always stop to question how societies are shaped, how they function, or why social issues emerge. This module introduces you to the social sciences by exploring both the historical development of the subject area and the ways social sciences help us understand contemporary society and everyday life.

You will examine how social scientists study social behaviour, institutions, communities and global issues, and how social science perspectives can be used to explain and understand current social challenges and debates.

The module introduces you to key thinkers and theories that helped shape the development of the social sciences, before exploring more contemporary ideas and approaches used to understand the modern world. In doing so, the module prepares you for further study across a range of social science degree pathways.

Academic Literacy and Digital Competence

The module is also designed to help you make connections across your wider foundation-level year programme rather than viewing each module separately. In doing so, it supports both your immediate success in your assessments and your longer-term progression into degree-level study.

Understanding Crime and Punishment

Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to think critically about the relationship between crime, social control and systems of power, while developing your understanding of contemporary debates and issues within criminology.

Inequalities and Crime

This module develops a critical perspective on the criminal justice system by showing how the CJS discriminates against different populations. The students will understand how discrimination works across different parts of the CJS and through doing so will develop their critical and analytical abilities. This module is a foundational module for the programme and it fulfils EDI and decolonial objectives for the programme as a whole. It also prepares the students for work opportunities in a CJS which serves a diverse community.

This module explores inequalities within society, including poverty, gender, ethnicity, disability, and access to opportunities, and how such inequalities contribute to understandings of crime. Theory will be used to underpin discussions, with the influence on offending and victimisation being considered. Students will be guided towards relevant legislation, policy and practice that contributes to inequalities in the criminal justice system, as well as be required to identify and interpret trends within crime patterns. Throughout the module, contemporary examples of inequality in the criminal justice will be referred to, with students encouraged to think critically about such situations.

Research Methods

​​This module brings together research skills and knowledge developed in year 1 and provides a firm foundation for students to understand the importance of research within social science and the ethical considerations and processes needed to undertake empirical research. The module will combine theory with practice, allowing students the opportunity to fully understand and appreciate how evidence/statistics are created, analysed and disseminated. Topics covered in this module will help to underpin the Professionals Skills module that will occur in Semester Two, contributing to the empowerment of students to direct their own learning journey. ​

Policing

​​Policing is a core element of understanding and preventing crime, with this module exploring the role of the police as well as other forms of policing that occur in everyday life. The module will start off by introducing the role and responsibility of police forces in England and Wales, drawing upon the historical context in which policing emerged. It will then move onto looking at other mechanisms in which behaviour is controlled, such as family/community structures, societal expectations, and the role of education. Legislation and policies that hold the police accountable will also be referred to, enabling students to understand the complex nature of policing and what factors influence policing practices. The module will also explore the different career journeys policing can offer.

​The module builds on the content taught in the introduction to crime and criminal justice and criminological theory modules in year 1 and prepares students for subject matter taught in modules dealing with specific crimes such as serious organised crime and cybercrime.

Professional Development

​​The aim of this module is to build upon the skills developed in year one and provide knowledge and confidence for students to start determining their study journey in year three. The module has two complementary parts, one focusing upon developing skills needed to enter into the world of work and the other concentrating on the development of a dissertation proposal. Throughout the module, critical thinking and analytical skills will be enhanced, with students provided opportunities to apply learning to different scenarios/activities. Skills developed during the module will be transferable to job applications and allow students to reflect upon gaps in skills/knowledge that can be worked on in year 3.

Serious Organised Crime

​​This module focuses upon exploring the complex nature of serious organised crime and the impact it has on society at a regional, national and international level. Students will be exposed to definitions, characteristics and offending behaviour behind serious and organised crime, with contemporary examples being used to explain themes/concepts. The challenges of preventing and policing serious organised crime will be explored, with national and international legislation, policy and practice being discussed. The glamourization of organised crime will also be focused on, with the role of the media in contributing to narratives being considered. Overall, the module will move student thinking from broad theories and concepts of crime to a specific crime type, allowing students to make stronger links between crime, society and crime prevention, contributing to reflections on potential career pathways. It builds upon the introductory modules on crime to look at one specific aspect of crime in detail. ​

Prisons and Rehabilitation

​​Explore the role prisons and community rehabilitation have in preventing and managing offending behaviour and tendencies. The historical and theoretical development of punishment will be explored, with particular attention given to key legislations and policies that have contributed to changes in offender management. Debates around the effectiveness of prisons and rehabilitative approaches will be developed, with proposition being supported by contemporary statistics and research around the impact of punishment on reoffending rates. Distinctions between different categories of prisons will be made, alongside the role of young offender institutes. Reference to international prison/rehabilitation systems will also be made to encourage critical thinking around best practice.

​This module builds on content taught in year 1 in the introduction to crime and criminological theory modules. It also prepares students for modules in year 6 such as the crime prevention module. The module will also showcase work opportunities for students upon graduation.

Work Placement

This module aims to provide students with an opportunity to engage with a working environment associated with a criminological purpose or lens. The module draws together skills and knowledge developed over years 1 and 2, providing the space for students to form their own ideas of the type of role they may want to move into once they have graduated. It is also a chance for them to experience new/different environments and reflect upon personal strengths and weaknesses. The module will enable students to enhance their CV, whilst contributing to the development of social value and capital. In some instances, a work placement may support a primary research focused dissertation, enabling students to further direct their own study journey.

Dissertation

This module brings together knowledge, skills and feedback accumulated across the course, providing students an opportunity to complete an independent piece of empirical or desk based research. Students will be aligned with academics that have specialised knowledge in an area and supported to identify research area that can be academically explored in 8,000 words. Alongside this, students will be encouraged to consider wider social and policy implications their dissertation may have, as well as links to future careers. To ensure ownership and knowledge of chosen research area, students will participate in a viva voce upon submitting their dissertation. The module brings to fruition skills that have been learnt throughout the course with a specific focus on applying these skills in one area of research.

Crime Prevention

This module builds upon ideas, themes and concepts covered in years 1 and 2, with more attention given towards the prevention of crime and notions of proactive policing. The role of risk assessments in predicting offending and victimization will be explored, alongside the increasing shift towards a multi-agency approach to crime prevention that aims to work with individuals and communities, not for them. The module will critically explore contemporary approaches to crime prevention, with specific attention given to the role of technology in identifying and managing risk at the earliest opportunity. Influences of legislation and policy at a national and international level will also be woven into the module.

Crimes of The Powerful

Within society, crimes committed by individuals, organisations or nations that are deemed to be powerful are becoming more frequent. However, responses to such crime are often varied, with punishment seemingly being more lenient than crimes committed by other individuals. In some cases, crimes by the powerful are deemed acceptable and unintended consequences of wider contexts and/or decision-making processes. This module therefore, will explore the complex nature of crimes committed by the powerful, focusing upon the social construction of who is powerful and who may be above the law. Debates generated will be underpinned by theoretical perspectives and academic evidence, with the impact of such imbalance over society being explored. Discussions will start at a national level but broaden out to include examples from the international landscape and the impact such crimes have upon global opinions of crime and punishment. The module aims to develop the critical perspective of the students towards understandings of crime and also how the criminal justice system responds to different types of crime. It builds on understandings of crime and the criminal justice system that have been built up in years 1 and 2.

Applied Project

This module introduces you to the basics of applied research and gives you the opportunity to explore a real-world issue linked to your chosen subject area. You will learn how to ask simple research questions, find and use information from different sources, and communicate your ideas clearly to different audiences.

Throughout the module, you will explore practical approaches to problem-solving and begin to engage with relevant sources, ideas and examples related to your project topic. You will be encouraged to develop curiosity about real-world issues and to think about how research can help people better understand and respond to them.

By completing a project of your choice, you will develop confidence in planning and managing your work, making decisions about your project, and reflecting on your progress and learning.

The module will also help you strengthen important academic, professional and transferable skills, including communication, organisation and project planning.

The skills and experience developed through the module will support your progression into degree-level study and help prepare you for a range of future academic and professional contexts.

Introduction to Crime and Criminal Justice

​​This module will be complemented by Criminological Theory focusing more upon the application of criminological theory and thought into the criminal justice system and everyday practices and processes. In particular attention will be given to the Criminal Justice System in the UK - what it is, role in terms of law and order, key actors etc. The role of the police, probation and the prison service will be explained. Throughout the module, questions around whose interests the criminal justice system is focused upon will be asked, allowing intersectionality to be discussed.

​Themes, topics, and ideas explored in this module will lay the foundations for modules covered in the second year, allowing students to develop their understanding in a structured and long-term manner.

Criminological Theory

​​This module will lay the foundations for the whole course, introducing students to key criminology theories, thinkers and concepts. It will provide a broad overview of what criminology is, why it has developed as a discipline, influence on crime, deviance, and the criminal justice system, as well as where it can take students once they have graduated. These theories will be used in modules concerning crime and crime prevention throughout the rest of the degree.

​Intersectionality will be a core aspect of the module, with theories and perspectives exploring how different characteristics and positionings, e.g. gender, ethnicity and disability, have been considered through a criminology lens. There will also be some introductory links to criminology at an international level to demonstrate the contextual nature of perspectives and approaches.

​The module will also start to introduce key texts relating to themes covered, as well as the importance of identifying and engaging with reliable sources, e.g. academic literature and policy documents.

Critical Study Skills

* To provide the academic skills needed to support successful study at undergraduate degree level.

* To introduce students to the foundational principles of study in social sciences.

* To develop the ability to collect and provide evidence of academic development to support future career

opportunities

Crime and the Media

​​The influence on media upon everyday life has grown expeditiously over the past few decades, creating new and emerging narratives around the impact crime has upon society. Moreover, media reporting of crime and deviant behaviour has helped to shape attitudes towards risk, harm and abuse, which in turn contributes to pressures on government, policy and law makers to rethink what behaviour is acceptable. This module will allow students to navigate such complex ideas and influences, providing them with the knowledge to critically think about the role of media - news, film, music, books, adverts etc., upon attitudes towards crime.

​The module will introduce relevant theory and key concepts, as well as examine historical influences of media on understandings and attitudes towards crime. Moreover, the module will consider the impact of the media on perceptions of perpetrators and victims, introducing notions of 'deserving' offenders and victims.

​This module is part of a series of three modules in the first year that outlines that context for the study of criminology. This particular module helps the student distinguish between popular and media depictions of crime and the academic study of crime. ​

Crime and the City

​​The module aims to explore how crime operates within the urban environment. Students will be introduced to the sociology of the city, including the influence of different cultures, geographical designs and historical influence on shaping cities. Following this, attention will be given to criminology and the urban landscape, exploring links between crime, justice and city settings. The module will focus on the local level, using Bradford as a core example, with students being encouraged to think about how themes and discussions reflect other city areas familiar to them. Interactions between different actors in the city - communities, statutory, private and third sector - and their influence on crime and the criminal justice system, will be referred to throughout.

​The module is part of a series of three modules in the first year that explain the context of study for criminology. The aim of this module is to help prepare the student for studying crime in local scenarios through increasing their understanding of the urban context.

Young People and Crime

​​Increasingly, young people are being caught up in the criminal justice system, either as a perpetrator, victim, or witness of crime. The complexities around crime increase the likelihood of those under the age of 18 seamlessly moving between being a victim of crime, as well as the perpetrator of crime. Alongside this, the rise of the internet and social media exposes young people to new and emerging criminal opportunities, making it harder for the police and criminal justice system to prevent engagement to risky situations. This module will explore crime through the lens of children and young people, with a focus on how crime influences identity and future opportunities.

​This module is part of three modules that explain the context in which crime occurs in a city like Bradford. It is designed to provide the context for the study of the criminal justice system and specific forms of crime in years 2 and 3.

Core Concepts in the Social Sciences

We all live within society, but we do not always stop to question how societies are shaped, how they function, or why social issues emerge. This module introduces you to the social sciences by exploring both the historical development of the subject area and the ways social sciences help us understand contemporary society and everyday life.

You will examine how social scientists study social behaviour, institutions, communities and global issues, and how social science perspectives can be used to explain and understand current social challenges and debates.

The module introduces you to key thinkers and theories that helped shape the development of the social sciences, before exploring more contemporary ideas and approaches used to understand the modern world. In doing so, the module prepares you for further study across a range of social science degree pathways.

Academic Literacy and Digital Competence

The module is also designed to help you make connections across your wider foundation-level year programme rather than viewing each module separately. In doing so, it supports both your immediate success in your assessments and your longer-term progression into degree-level study.

Understanding Crime and Punishment

Throughout the module, you will be encouraged to think critically about the relationship between crime, social control and systems of power, while developing your understanding of contemporary debates and issues within criminology.

Inequalities and Crime

This module develops a critical perspective on the criminal justice system by showing how the CJS discriminates against different populations. The students will understand how discrimination works across different parts of the CJS and through doing so will develop their critical and analytical abilities. This module is a foundational module for the programme and it fulfils EDI and decolonial objectives for the programme as a whole. It also prepares the students for work opportunities in a CJS which serves a diverse community.

This module explores inequalities within society, including poverty, gender, ethnicity, disability, and access to opportunities, and how such inequalities contribute to understandings of crime. Theory will be used to underpin discussions, with the influence on offending and victimisation being considered. Students will be guided towards relevant legislation, policy and practice that contributes to inequalities in the criminal justice system, as well as be required to identify and interpret trends within crime patterns. Throughout the module, contemporary examples of inequality in the criminal justice will be referred to, with students encouraged to think critically about such situations.

Research Methods

​​This module brings together research skills and knowledge developed in year 1 and provides a firm foundation for students to understand the importance of research within social science and the ethical considerations and processes needed to undertake empirical research. The module will combine theory with practice, allowing students the opportunity to fully understand and appreciate how evidence/statistics are created, analysed and disseminated. Topics covered in this module will help to underpin the Professionals Skills module that will occur in Semester Two, contributing to the empowerment of students to direct their own learning journey. ​

Policing

​​Policing is a core element of understanding and preventing crime, with this module exploring the role of the police as well as other forms of policing that occur in everyday life. The module will start off by introducing the role and responsibility of police forces in England and Wales, drawing upon the historical context in which policing emerged. It will then move onto looking at other mechanisms in which behaviour is controlled, such as family/community structures, societal expectations, and the role of education. Legislation and policies that hold the police accountable will also be referred to, enabling students to understand the complex nature of policing and what factors influence policing practices. The module will also explore the different career journeys policing can offer.

​The module builds on the content taught in the introduction to crime and criminal justice and criminological theory modules in year 1 and prepares students for subject matter taught in modules dealing with specific crimes such as serious organised crime and cybercrime.

Professional Development

​​The aim of this module is to build upon the skills developed in year one and provide knowledge and confidence for students to start determining their study journey in year three. The module has two complementary parts, one focusing upon developing skills needed to enter into the world of work and the other concentrating on the development of a dissertation proposal. Throughout the module, critical thinking and analytical skills will be enhanced, with students provided opportunities to apply learning to different scenarios/activities. Skills developed during the module will be transferable to job applications and allow students to reflect upon gaps in skills/knowledge that can be worked on in year 3.

Serious Organised Crime

​​This module focuses upon exploring the complex nature of serious organised crime and the impact it has on society at a regional, national and international level. Students will be exposed to definitions, characteristics and offending behaviour behind serious and organised crime, with contemporary examples being used to explain themes/concepts. The challenges of preventing and policing serious organised crime will be explored, with national and international legislation, policy and practice being discussed. The glamourization of organised crime will also be focused on, with the role of the media in contributing to narratives being considered. Overall, the module will move student thinking from broad theories and concepts of crime to a specific crime type, allowing students to make stronger links between crime, society and crime prevention, contributing to reflections on potential career pathways. It builds upon the introductory modules on crime to look at one specific aspect of crime in detail. ​

Prisons and Rehabilitation

​​Explore the role prisons and community rehabilitation have in preventing and managing offending behaviour and tendencies. The historical and theoretical development of punishment will be explored, with particular attention given to key legislations and policies that have contributed to changes in offender management. Debates around the effectiveness of prisons and rehabilitative approaches will be developed, with proposition being supported by contemporary statistics and research around the impact of punishment on reoffending rates. Distinctions between different categories of prisons will be made, alongside the role of young offender institutes. Reference to international prison/rehabilitation systems will also be made to encourage critical thinking around best practice.

​This module builds on content taught in year 1 in the introduction to crime and criminological theory modules. It also prepares students for modules in year 6 such as the crime prevention module. The module will also showcase work opportunities for students upon graduation.

Work Placement

This module aims to provide students with an opportunity to engage with a working environment associated with a criminological purpose or lens. The module draws together skills and knowledge developed over years 1 and 2, providing the space for students to form their own ideas of the type of role they may want to move into once they have graduated. It is also a chance for them to experience new/different environments and reflect upon personal strengths and weaknesses. The module will enable students to enhance their CV, whilst contributing to the development of social value and capital. In some instances, a work placement may support a primary research focused dissertation, enabling students to further direct their own study journey.

Dissertation

This module brings together knowledge, skills and feedback accumulated across the course, providing students an opportunity to complete an independent piece of empirical or desk based research. Students will be aligned with academics that have specialised knowledge in an area and supported to identify research area that can be academically explored in 8,000 words. Alongside this, students will be encouraged to consider wider social and policy implications their dissertation may have, as well as links to future careers. To ensure ownership and knowledge of chosen research area, students will participate in a viva voce upon submitting their dissertation. The module brings to fruition skills that have been learnt throughout the course with a specific focus on applying these skills in one area of research.

Crime Prevention

This module builds upon ideas, themes and concepts covered in years 1 and 2, with more attention given towards the prevention of crime and notions of proactive policing. The role of risk assessments in predicting offending and victimization will be explored, alongside the increasing shift towards a multi-agency approach to crime prevention that aims to work with individuals and communities, not for them. The module will critically explore contemporary approaches to crime prevention, with specific attention given to the role of technology in identifying and managing risk at the earliest opportunity. Influences of legislation and policy at a national and international level will also be woven into the module.

Crimes of The Powerful

Within society, crimes committed by individuals, organisations or nations that are deemed to be powerful are becoming more frequent. However, responses to such crime are often varied, with punishment seemingly being more lenient than crimes committed by other individuals. In some cases, crimes by the powerful are deemed acceptable and unintended consequences of wider contexts and/or decision-making processes. This module therefore, will explore the complex nature of crimes committed by the powerful, focusing upon the social construction of who is powerful and who may be above the law. Debates generated will be underpinned by theoretical perspectives and academic evidence, with the impact of such imbalance over society being explored. Discussions will start at a national level but broaden out to include examples from the international landscape and the impact such crimes have upon global opinions of crime and punishment. The module aims to develop the critical perspective of the students towards understandings of crime and also how the criminal justice system responds to different types of crime. It builds on understandings of crime and the criminal justice system that have been built up in years 1 and 2.