Criminology BTEC Extended Certificate

Applications Open: - 13th November 2025

Applications Close: - January 2026

Entry Requirements: - 5 levels 4 grades including English Language

How to Apply: - Please apply via KentChoices

An understanding of criminology is relevant to many job roles within the criminal justice sector, social and probation work and sociology and psychology. WJEC Level 3 Applied Certificate in Criminology is a qualification with elements of psychology, law and sociology that complements studies in humanities.

This is an Applied General qualification. This means it is designed primarily to support students who wish to progress to university. It has been designed to offer exciting and interesting experiences that focus learning for 16-19 year-old learners and adult learners through applied learning, via the acquisition of knowledge and understanding in purposeful contexts linked to the criminal justice system.

Mandatory Units

Unit 1: Changing Awareness of Crime - Internally Assessed (90 GLH)

Unit 2: Criminological Theories - Externally Assessed (90 GLH)

Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom - Internally Assessed (90 GLH)

Unit 4: Crime and Punishment Mandatory - Externally Assessed (90 GLH)

The WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is assessed using a combination of internal and external assessment.

Unit 1: Changing Awareness of Crime - Internally Assessed

Unit 2: Criminological Theories - Externally Assessed

Unit 3: Crime Scene to Courtroom - Internally Assessed

Unit 4: Crime and Punishment Mandatory - Externally Assessed

Students must pass Unit 1 and 2 that will be completed by the end of Year 12 to enable them to progress to Unit 3 and 4 in Year 13.

To be accepted onto the course a student should have at least 5 GCSE's at grade 4 or above including English Language

Strong essay writing skills are essential.

The main purpose of the WJEC Level 3 Applied Diploma in Criminology is mainly to use the qualification to support access to higher education degree courses, such as BSc or BA (Hons) Criminology, LLB (Hons) or BSc Law with Criminology or BA Criminology and Criminal Justice. Alternatively, the qualification allows learners to gain the required understanding and skills to be able to consider employment within some aspects of the criminal justice system, e.g. the National Probation Service, the Courts and Tribunals Service or the National Offender Management Service.