(BA) Bachelor of Arts
History and Criminology
Current
University of Essex
University of Essex
Philosophical, Historical and Interdisciplinary Studies (School of)
Colchester Campus
Honours Degree
Full-time
History
Sociology
BA MV91
26/06/2014
Details
Professional accreditation
None
Admission criteria
A-levels: ABB-BBB
IB: 32-30 points
Entry requirements for students studying BTEC qualifications are dependent on units studied. Advice can be provided on an individual basis. The standard required is generally at Distinction level.
IELTS (International English Language Testing System) code
English language requirements for applicants whose first language is not English: IELTS 6.0 overall. (Different requirements apply for second year entry.)
If you are an international student requiring a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK please see our immigration webpages for the latest Home Office guidance on English language qualifications.
Other English language qualifications may be acceptable so please contact us for further details. If we accept the English component of an international qualification then it will be included in the information given about the academic levels required. Please note that date restrictions may apply to some English language qualifications.
Course qualifiers
A course qualifier is a bracketed addition to your course title to denote a specialisation or pathway that you have achieved via the completion of specific modules during your course. The
specific module requirements for each qualifier title are noted below. Eligibility for any selected qualifier will be determined by the department and confirmed by the final year Board of
Examiners. If the required modules are not successfully completed, your course title will remain as described above without any bracketed addition. Selection of a course qualifier is
optional and student can register preferences or opt-out via Online Module Enrolment (eNROL).
None
Rules of assessment
Rules of assessment are the rules, principles and frameworks which the University uses to calculate your course progression and final results.
Additional notes
None
External examiners
Prof Helen Jane Laville
Pro-Vice Chancellor (Education)
The Manchester Metropolitan University
External Examiners provide an independent overview of our courses, offering their expertise and help towards our continual improvement of course content, teaching, learning, and assessment.
External Examiners are normally academics from other higher education institutions, but may be from the industry, business or the profession as appropriate for the course.
They comment on how well courses align with national standards, and on how well the teaching, learning and assessment methods allow students to develop and demonstrate the relevant knowledge and skills needed to achieve their awards.
External Examiners who are responsible for awards are key members of Boards of Examiners. These boards make decisions about student progression within their course and about whether students can receive their final award.
Programme aims
P1 To provide a wide-ranging and sound academic grounding in the disciplines of history and criminology
P2 To equip students with a range of subject-specific skills fostered by the study of history and criminology, preparing them for subsequent research or further study, and for a wide range of careers
P3 To enable students to design and conduct an independent research dissertation on an historical and/or criminological topic.
P4 To encourage critical reflection on crime and criminology from a historical perspective
Learning outcomes and learning, teaching and assessment methods
On successful completion of the programme a graduate should demonstrate knowledge and skills as follows:
A: Knowledge and understanding
A1: Knowledge and understanding of the intellectual foundations of criminology
A2: Knowledge and understanding of key criminological concepts and theories
A3: Knowledge and understanding of a range of historical and social developments in the modern era
A4: Knowledge and understanding of fundamental principles of historical analysis
A5: Knowledge and understanding of aspects of the history and/or sociology of crime and social regulation
Learning methods
Lectures introduce students to course content in a general manner and through specific examples.
Lectures are also designed to stimulate students' interest in the subject under discussion.
Each course entails a weekly class or workshop, for which students have to prepare, and where emphasis is placed on discussion.
Students make independent use of all library resources (databases, books, articles and in some cases films) in preparing for classes and writing essays.
Revision classes are provided to help students prepare for exams.
Individual supervision is given on the independent research dissertation; tutors provide feedback on all forms of coursework.
There is strong emphasis on developing students' theoretical understanding of criminology, as well as their sense of the historical construction of criminology as a subject.
History options are chosen from a substantial list of courses which relate particularly to the history of crime and social regulation.
Assessment methods
Outcomes A1-A5 are assessed through continuous coursework and written examinations.
Coursework consists mainly of essays, supplemented by other types of assignment such as book reviews, document analyses, glossaries of concepts, assessed presentations and oral contributions.
For SC104 and HR211, students submit self-reflexive journals as all or part of their coursework.
The ability to produce, under set time conditions and without access to notes, cogent arguments demonstrating the interconnectedness of themes, concepts and issues covered in the course components is assessed by the first-year examination of the pre-requisite module for the course.
Examinations are typically unseen, essay based, of two or three hours' duration.
B: Intellectual and cognitive skills
B1: Assemble, synthesise and analyse evidence
B2: Understand, summarise and critically assess criminological work
B3: Understand, summarise and critically assess historical work
B4: Formulate and present ideas and arguments
B5: Evaluate and compare approaches, theories and interpretations
Learning methods
Skills B1-B5 are primarily enhanced through all the activities involved in preparing for class discussions and producing essays and other assignments, although lectures and classes provide a means for teachers to demonstrate these skills through example.
Preparation for classes and class presentations involve the reading, interpretation and evaluation of historical and criminological texts and the collection and evaluation of empirical evidence.
Students keep journals for SC104 and HR211, encouraging the development of B2, B3 and B5.
Skill B1 is particularly cultivated in SC203, while HR211 and SC242 are designed to foster B5.
Students are provided with feedback on all coursework, including class presentations and contributions to classes through comment and discussion.
Assessment methods
All skills are assessed through the usual means of coursework and examination; a variety of types of coursework across the curriculum assess skills specifically.
The ability to understand questions and produce answers under set time conditions and without access to notes is assessed by the first-year examination of the pre-requisite module for the course.
C: Practical skills
C1: Critically read, summarise and evaluate sources in history
C2: Critically read, summarise and evaluate sources in criminology
C3: Retrieve relevant evidence using bibliographic and web searches
C4: An ability to plan work and manage timetables
Learning methods
Preparation of written work and oral presentations develops C1, C2 and C3, as does participation in class discussions; some courses emphasise work in groups by including assessment of the student's general participation in class discussions.
SC203 and the independent research project enable students to take C1 and C2 to a higher level.
Students have to carry out criminal justice web searches as one of their class assignments for SC104.
Students are strongly encouraged to discuss their projects with members of academic staff but are required to conduct their own bibliographic research and formulate their own lines of investigation.
Assessment methods
C1 and C2 are assessed through the usual means of coursework and examination;
C3 is assessed in the final-year dissertation as well as in SC203;
C4 is assessed by the requirement that students meet coursework deadlines, as well as by interim deadlines in preparing their HR211 journal and final-year dissertation.
The practical skill of working under pressure and without notes to produce cogent arguments in written work is assessed by the first-year examination in the pre-requisite course for the scheme.
D: Key skills
D1: Ability to produce fluent and effective communication
D2: Use of relevant information technology to research and present work
D4: Critically assess existing and proposed solutions to problems; understand and produce answers to essay questions
D6: A student's ability to reflect on his or her own progress and to respond constructively to the comments of others.
Learning methods
D1, D2, D4, and D6 are acquired and developed through the teaching and learning methods described above, including seminar/class discussions.
Students are encouraged to use the University key skills on-line package.
Early in the first year, specific assignments are given such as carrying out bibliographic or web searches; thereafter students are expected to make routine use of word-processing packages, email, library searches and internet sources as part of effective study and course participation.
Students have the opportunity to discuss essay feedback and essay plans with members of staff; they are provided with feedback on the coursework journal for HR211 part-way through the course.
Assessment methods
Key skills are assessed through the usual methods of coursework, including evaluation of seminar performance, and also for D1 and D4 by examination.
IT skills are a component in most assessed work which usually entails word processing as well as bibliographic and web searches, but there is a particular focus on them in coursework such as the criminological journal (SC104).
Coursework journals for SC104 and HR211 require students to reflect on their progress.