WJEC Diploma in Criminology

Applications Open – 3PM Thursday 6 November 2025

Applications Close – August 2026

Entry Requirements – For Level 3 courses, students must have 5 or more Grade 4s at GCSE. No minimum entry for Level1/2 courses

How to Apply – Please apply via KentChoices

If you are fascinated by reading or watching programmes about crime and you want to find out more, or even pursue a career working with offenders or in fields such as Law, policing, social work or forensics, why not take Criminology?

What makes someone a serial killer? How does a society decide what behaviour is criminal and what is OK? Can you be born a criminal, or does stuff happen to people that turns them into criminals? How can forensic officers work out how someone died just from a spatter of blood? How can an insect tell you when someone was killed? What exactly did Ted Bundy do? How did Harold Shipman get away with so many murders? Why was Colin Stagg sent to prison for something he never did? What happens to someone once they go to prison?

The course we study is two years and at the end you’ll have an Applied Level Three Diploma in Criminology. The course is run by Dr Stubbs with a little help from guest speakers such as Professor Robin Bryant (CCCU), Shaun Taylor (DDC), visiting Police personnel and other forensic and crime experts from local colleges and universities. Dr Stubbs loves finding out about crime and criminals, and has a large collection of books, DVDs and other resources to help you learn.

Unit 1 Looks at different types of crimes and why some crimes don’t get reported. You’ll also plan a campaign to raise awareness of an unreported crime. Controlled Assessment

Unit 2 This unit covers Theories of Crime, such as social learning theories, psychological theories and biological or genetic theories. Exam

Unit 3 This unit focuses on forensics, evidence, and how evidence and legal teams can secure a just verdict. At the end will ask you to examine a case and explain whether the verdict was safe or unsafe. Controlled Assessment

Unit 4 In this last section we learn about how Laws are made. We also look at the penal system and ask ‘does punishment work?’ Exam

Controlled Assessment and Exam

5 GCSEs at 4 or above

· Many varied progression routes into FE and HE, examples:-

· Nursing degree, Uniformed services, Social work degree, Teaching, Childcare, Psychology, Sociology, Biomedical Sciences

· Helps increase employment opportunities within care sector

· Excellent opportunities to develop a range of skills/techniques, personal skills and attributes essential for successful performance in working life, and will inform career or further education decisions.