Whole Group Sessions (lectures, 2 x 22 weeks = 44 hours)
These sessions will introduce basic knowledge of the topics to be studied and will provide information and guidance for further personal study of each topic. They will be supplemented by handouts and teaching materials and some sessions will involve student participation and interaction. Lectures will provide an overview framework of the topics which should be effectively understood and developed. They will also provide the foundation for a structured programme of tutorial sessions.

Small Group Sessions (tutorials, 5 hours per semester = 10 hours)
The tutorial sessions, which can be found within the study guide, will examine particular aspects of criminology. The study guide contains reading for each session and a variety of learning methods including discussion questions, collaborative tasks and student-led sessions. The sessions will encourage active participation in a variety of ways, for example, as part of the group, as individuals presenting papers and as part of a team. Problem answering skills will be developed and critical evaluation will be encouraged. All the tasks are fully explained within the study guide.

Directed Study and Independent Learning (246 hours)
A proportion of the study time will be devoted to independent study in order to allow studentss to undertake the further reading which is of paramount importance to the study of criminology. Understanding of all apects studied in both lectures and tutorials should be developed during this time. It will also provide study time for the preparation of small group work, both individual and team work, and preparation for coursework assessment and the examination. Guidance for independent study can be found within the study guide and encourages students to use this time effectively to research current trends in the study of criminology and to use both traditional (library based) and non-traditional (internet-based) research techniques.

TOTAL LEARNING HOURS = 300

Access to appropriate texts, legislation and case law.
Module Study Guides
Computing facilities will be needed to access material available on the web and specialist on-line databases.

Essential:
Maguire M., (1997) The Oxford Handbook of Criminology, Oxford University Press.

Semester 1:
Written Assignment (50%) (2,500 words) assessing learning outcomes 1-4

Semester 2:
Unseen Examination (50%) (2 hours duration) assessing learning outcomes 1 - 3.

To pass this module, students must obtain a mark of at least 40%.
Students must obtain at least 25% in both the coursework and examination elements of the module.

Crime and the way society responds to and deals with crime and criminals are subjects which interest most people. Criminology takes the study of crime beyond 'thinking' about it to a more scientific level. In doing so it crosses the boundaries of many disciplines including law, psychology, philosophy, sociology and social policy. The discipline of criminology is large and therefore any criminology course must focus on a number of issues which reflect a balance of themes within the discipline as a whole. For this reason, this course focuses on topics from three major areas within criminology. These are:
- The Nature and Extent of Crime
- Social Dimensions of Crime and Justice
- Criminal Justice Structures and Processes
Within these areas the specific topics studied are as follows:
- the extent of crime
- the causes of crime
- crime and mental illness
- victimology
- research methodology
- gender and crime
- race and crime
- the birth of the prison
- current issues in imprisonment
- crime prevention