Programme summary for BSc (Hons) Psychology Studies with Criminology by distance learning

About the programme

Crime and the fear of crime are rarely off of the front pages of newspapers and rate highly among community concerns. But what is really behind crime and criminality, and what is the best way to prevent it and deal with it? If these are issues that fascinate you, then this degree option could be for you. The Psychology Studies and Criminology degree explores these and other questions in depth, examining the various theories and policies that have helped to establish our views about crime and our responses to it. It will give you fresh insights into the causes of crime and how we can view it as both an individual and social phenomenon. You will also lean about theories of motivation and individual differences through the study of social, forensic and developmental psychology, applying theory to real life experience.

Programme structure

BA (Hons) Psychology Studies and Criminology is a flexible programme offered on a distance learning, home study, basis which you can take up to eight years to complete. This programme is offered as a single pathway; it is not possible to combine modules with those from another programme. All modules are therefore core modules; which means that they must be studied.

Each module carries a 20-credit value. At Level 3 the Research Project spans two modules.

To be awarded an honours degree in Psychology Studies and Criminology, you will have to complete a total of 18 modules, with a value of 360 credits. This will comprise 120 credits at Level 1, 120 at Level 2 and 120 at Level 3. The Project on Level 3 must be passed in order to achieve an honours degree.

Career opportunities

This degree is relevant to a wide range of areas of work. Examples of these are social welfare, police force, probation service, education, private security, local and national government, and community work. In addition to covering specific areas of psychology and criminology, a degree in psychology and criminology provides training in data collection and analysis, communication skills and report writing, IT skills and interpersonal awareness. It therefore provides an excellent basis for employment in areas unrelated to psychology or criminology.

Support

On enrolment, you will be provided with an induction pack containing all the information you need to prepare you for your studies. UEL has a team of dedicated Distance Learning Student Advisors who will be the first point of contact for all non-academic support matters. The Distance Learning Student Advisors will:

welcome you by email, and provide advice on how to log to UEL Plus (the virtual learning environment) and Connecting UEL (the Resource & Community site)
work with you in conjunction with your academic tutor to agree a study programme, discuss your progress and remind you about deadlines
explain university procedures and policies
help you plan for assessments and exams and provide advice on time management
help you determine which university Award suits your career or personal needs
refer you to the best learning and support resources including dyslexia and disability support and career advice.

In addition all distance learning students receive academic support from course tutors. Tutors will communicate with you via UEL Plus (the virtual learning environment). Support is also available via the Learning Resource Centre where there are dedicated librarians and the ‘ask a librarian’ feature. Peer support is very important and you will find a broad range of opportunities to build networks and exchange ideas with other students via our online communities.

Admission

Entry to Level 1 or the Full Programme

To enrol on the first Level or the Full Programme you must normally hold 200 UCAS tariff points.

Entry on a Modular Basis

If you do not hold the required tariff points for Level 1 or Full Programme entry, studies will be permitted on a modular basis, following a counselling interview with a programme advisor. If you are concerned that this level of study may not be suitable for you, we will provide an online basic skills exercise with feedback to assist you to make a decision.