Criminology & Forensics - Level 3

Our Criminology & Forensics course incorporates a range of topics to give you the skills and knowledge to progress into a career or higher education in criminology or forensic science.

The College of West Anglia has delivered science courses for many years and we're pleased to offer a full-time Criminology course to make further use of our excellent facilities.

This course will give you a great understanding of investigating crime and the forensics, forensic psychology and all of the science which goes into supporting an investigation.

Modules

The following modules are compulsory to achieve the qualification:

• Principles and Applications of Science
• Practical Scientific Procedures and Techniques
• Science Investigation Skills
• Forensic Investigation Procedures in Practice
• Applications of Criminology
• Criminal Investigation Procedures in Practice
• Applications of Criminal Forensic Psychology

The remaining modules are to be confirmed but will include further subjects around forensics (e.g photography, genetics or chemical analysis) and may include specific criminal investigations such as fire or traffic collisions.

You'll be assessed through a mixture of assignments, practical work and exams (module dependent).

How many UCAS points will I achieve on this course?

Our level 3 vocational courses qualify for UCAS tariff points to apply for university in the same way as A-Levels. This course is an extended diploma which is delivered over two years and you could achieve up to 168 UCAS points (which is equivalent to three A* grades at A-Level).

BTEC extended diplomas are graded as a pass, merit, distinction or distinction star (with distinction star being the highest grade) with the overall grade being a combination of three grades which represent an aggregation of your performance on mandatory and optional units on the course.

The following table gives some examples on the amount of UCAS points you can achieve on a BTEC extended diploma:

| BTEC grade | UCAS Points |
| --- | --- |
| 3x D| 168 |
| 2x D, D| 160 |
| D*DD | 152 |
| DDD | 144 |
| DDM | 128 |
| DMM | 112 |
| MMM | 96 |
| MMP | 80 |
| MPP | 64 |
| PPP | 48 |

Depending on your circumstances, you may study a smaller qualification, such as a subsidiary diploma (for example, if you only complete one year) or general diploma which may carry less UCAS tariff points.

You can find more details and examples on the UCAS tariff points calculator here.

You will need:

• 5 GCSEs at grade 4 or above including English, maths and combined science (4/4)