University home > Unit and programme catalogues in 2020/21 > Programme catalogue > Faculty of Social Sciences and Law > School for Policy Studies > Criminology with Quantitative Research Methods (MSci) > Specification
Please note: you are viewing unit and programme information for a past academic year. Please see the current academic year for up to date information.
Programme code | 9SPOL030U |
---|---|
Programme type | Single Honours |
Programme director(s) |
Joanna Large
|
Faculty | Faculty of Social Sciences and Law |
School/department | School for Policy Studies |
Teaching institution | University of Bristol |
Awarding institution | University of Bristol |
Relevant QAA subject benchmark groups | Criminology (2019) (benchmark statement) |
Mode of study | Full Time |
Programme length | 4 years (full time) |
This programme aims to develop the student’s interest in and knowledge and understanding of criminology and quantitative analysis within the broader context of policy studies. Criminology is a multi-disciplinary subject, which draws on different disciplines such as sociology, law, history, psychology, philosophy, and social policy. Based in the School for Policy Studies, the Criminology programme has two core aims: (i) to provide an understanding of crime and related social harms; and (ii) to analyse the role and impact of public policies on crime and harm reduction. The programme draws upon zemiological (social harm) perspectives to examine conventionally defined crimes, and also other activities/behaviours that may not be criminalised, but yet cause extensive harm to individuals and society.
The pathway 'Criminology with QRM' is designed to allow students to further their understanding of the theory and practice of quantitative research methods.
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
---|---|
|
Acquisition of core knowledge and understanding is through lectures, seminars, classes and workshops together with regular course work in the form of essays, presentations, critical reviews, case studies and other forms of assessment. Advanced knowledge is acquired through individual supervision and one-to-one tutorials as part of the preparation of the student's dissertation. Throughout students are encouraged to undertake independent study both to consolidate and supplement what is being taught and to broaden and deepen their individual knowledge and understanding of the subject. This independent study will include the reading of academic texts and journal articles, public documents and internet material. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Throughout the programme there is a combination of formative and summative assessment. Formative assessment is given through structured learning activities, marking unit course work essays, marking ‘mock’/practice exams, feedback on student presentations and on a variety of work done in classes. During preparation of the 10,000 word dissertation regular meetings between student and advisor include feedback on the student's work in progress. Summative assessment is through a combination of methods that include: portfolios, essays, and critical analysis of published research. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
---|---|
|
Intellectual skills are being developed through the teaching and learning programme outlined above – and in particular students are exposed to this form of analysis in the lecture programme. Acquisition of 1 through to 6 are further developed by discussion of key issues, summarising key points from reading and unit course work unit essays. Acquisition of 7,8 and 9 are developed primarily through training in research methods and data analysis (e.g. statistical analyses, thematic analysis) (mandatory units), one-to-one discussion with academic advisor of student dissertation and dissertation empirical work. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Formative assessment of intellectual skills is through unit course work, feedback on student presentations and on a variety of class work. Summative assessment of intellectual skills is through methods that include: portfolios, essays, policy briefings, presentations and critical analysis of published research. Skills relating to the planning, performance and reporting on a programme of original research are assessed by the dissertation. |
Programme Intended Learning Outcomes | Learning and Teaching Methods |
---|---|
|
All learners receive initial guidance on how to identify, locate and use material available in libraries and elsewhere (6). Comprehensive bibliographies are provided for each course unit at the outset, as are guidelines for production of essays. Workshops are given in the use of on-line databases for literature searching. The final year dissertation is supported by a series of workshops relating to quantitative and qualitative and mixed methods which enhance and extend these skills.
Workshops provide support for students' own personal and professional development. |
Methods of Assessment | |
Formative assessment of skills 1-3, & 6 is through course work unit essays, feedback on student presentations (in particular the presentation of the student's own dissertation work at dissertation conferences). Summative assessment of skills 1 to 3 and 6 is throughthe range of coursework assessment methods used and through submission of the dissertation. Skill 5 is assessed by the ability to meet the deadlines set for assessment, and preparation of contributions to classes. |
Statement of expectations from the students at each level of the programme as it/they develop year on year.
Level C/4 - Certificate |
At the end of this level, students are expected to be able to demonstrate knowledge of: the nature, prevalence and patterning of major crimes and social harms; key concepts and theories in relation to these phenomena; the contemporary and historical development of criminal justice and public policy interventions responsible for controlling crime and social harm; and research skills relevant to their discipline and study skills for higher education. |
---|---|
Level I/5 - Intermediate |
At the end of this level, students are expected to be able to demonstrate that they have expanded the range and depth of their criminological knowledge. Through mandatory units, they should have deepened their knowledge of theories related to crime, deviance, victimisation, social harm and responses to these phenomena via an the examination of the ideas of key criminological thinkers, and also become familiar with the range of research methodologies relevant to their field. Through their choice of optional units they should be developing their skills and knowledge in relation to particular topics. They are expected to be developing a capacity for self-directed learning. |
Level H/6 - Honours |
Learners should continue to develop the depth of their knowledge and critical reflections through their study of both mandatory and optional subjects. Students are expected to demonstrate an ability to apply the skills learnt in the research methods unit and to enhance their capacity for self-directed study, especially through the completion of a dissertation. Students are expected to demonstrate an enhanced knowledge of how the production of crime and social harm is related to the way society is organised and how public policy interventions can contribute to a harm-free society. |
Level M/7 - Masters |
At level M students will be carrying out work at or informed by the forefront of an academic or professional discipline with a strong focus on quantitative research methods. Students will have shown originality in the application of knowledge, and they will understand how the boundaries of knowledge are advanced through research. They will be able to deal with complex issues both systematically and creatively, and they will show originality in tackling and solving problems. They will have the qualities needed for employment in circumstances requiring sound judgement, personal responsibility and initiative, in complex and unpredictable professional environments. |
The intended learning outcome mapping document shows which mandatory units contribute towards each programme intended learning outcome.
For information on the admissions requirements for this programme please see details in the undergraduate prospectus at http://www.bristol.ac.uk/prospectus/undergraduate/ or contact the relevant academic department.
Workload Statement
Success at undergraduate level in the Social Sciences and Law depends on your being able to make the transition to self-motivated, independent learning. The programmes offered in the Faculty are designed to assist you in this development, in many cases by starting with larger lecture-based units providing the foundations of knowledge and skills in a subject, moving through to smaller seminar-based specialist units and finishing with an individual dissertation or research project. Over time you will be expected to take increasing responsibility for your own learning. But at the heart of your studies at every level there must be regular and disciplined individual reading, reflection and writing, whether in the library or at home. It is this skill of independent study above all others that you will take with you when you leave.
This model of academic development is particularly obvious in the more discursive subjects such as law, politics, social policy and sociology. The typical timetabled contact time for a discursive 20 credit point unit in the Faculty is about 30 hours. You will find that you need to allow for about 10 hours preparation on your own if you are to get the most from one of these teaching sessions. In addition there will often be class presentations or essays to write. Typically, the final year will include an independent research unit which by definition has a much smaller amount of more individualised support. Towards the end of any teaching block you may have additional revision or updating classes, and many programmes have occasional ad-hoc lectures of general interest and relevance. If you get stuck, there is always the chance to speak to your lecturer after a class or during their hours of general availability, or you could see your personal tutor. The Faculty also includes programmes which require increasing levels of mathematical sophistication, typically in Economics, Finance and Management. In this latter case, much larger numbers of lectures - up to 18 hours a week depending on option choices - and fewer small group classes are normal, as in the sciences.
As a result, and depending on your particular programme and option choices, your timetable is likely to be a lot less structured than that of fellow students who are linguists, scientists, engineers or medics. But the time that others spend in laboratories you should be spending in private study. In a sense, the library is your laboratory, and you will want to make best use of the excellent range of resources available to you here. A good University education does not tell you 'what you need to know'. Rather, we assume that, like your lecturers and professors, you are intellectually curious about your subject. We invite you to join us and we are there to help you satisfy your curiosity as best we can.
Assessment Statement
Please select the following link for a statement about assessment. This is University of Bristol access only.
https://www.bris.ac.uk/fssl/current-students/fssl-undergraduates/assessmentandfeedbackstatement.pdf
There is also a four-year undergraduate degree option, offering more advanced quantitative methods for those wishing to graduate with a Master's (MSci) qualification.
This course is ideal for those interested in learning more about how to use numbers and data within social sciences, and in acquiring practical and analytical skills that are attractive to employers. It has been developed in partnership with the Nuffield Foundation, ESRC and HEFCE as part of the new Bristol Q-Step Centre: one of fifteen centres in the UK tasked with leading a step-change in the quality of quantitative methods teaching provided to undergraduate social scientists.
Undergraduate Programmes’ Office: sps-ugadmin@bristol.ac.uk
This integrated Masters programme has been designated as type II: Specialised or Advanced Masters in accordance with the QAA Degree Characteristics Statement. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Understanding Crime, Harm and Society | SPOL10020 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Critical Skills for Social Scientists: Criminology | SPOL10028 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Responding to Crime and Social Harm | SPOL10031 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Criminological Theory: An Introduction | SPOL10029 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Segregation and Inequality in International Perspective | SPOL10038 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Convincing stories? Numbers as evidence in the social sciences | UNIV10002 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Certificate of Higher Education | 120 |
This integrated Masters programme has been designated as type II: Specialised or Advanced Masters in accordance with the QAA Degree Characteristics Statement. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Key Thinkers in Criminology | SPOL20036 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Principles of Quantitative Social Science | SOCI20069 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Conducting a Research Project using Secondary Data | POLI20001 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Globalisation, Crime, Harm and Justice | SPOL20025 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Punishment in Society | SPOL20052 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-2 |
Please select 20 credit points from: | ||||
Youth Justice | SPOL20022 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Harms of the Powerful | SPOL20034 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Criminalising Welfare | SPOL20043 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Work and Work Placements: Criminology | SPOL20041 | 20 | Optional | TB-4 |
Diploma of Higher Education | 120 |
This integrated Masters programme has been designated as type II: Specialised or Advanced Masters in accordance with the QAA Degree Characteristics Statement. Please see the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes for further information on this type of programme.
Unit Name | Unit Code | Credit Points | Status | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Dissertation (with Quantitative Research Methods) (Criminology) | SPOL30064 | 40 | Mandatory | TB-4 |
Inequality, Harm and Public Policy | SPOL30061 | 20 | Mandatory | TB-1 |
Please select two units (40 credits) from the list below: | ||||
Gender based Violence | SPOL30029 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Sex Power and Consumption | SPOL30073 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Violence, Conflict and Forced Migration | SPOL30066 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Digital Technologies, Harm and Criminal Justice | SPOL30078 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Global Illicit Drug Markets | SPOL30080 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Children and Social Harm | SPOL30079 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
and the remaining unit (20 credits) from the list above or below: | ||||
Disability in Society | SPOL30075 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Children and Young People in the Law A | SPOL30057 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Drugs and Society | SPOL30011 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Climate Emergency | SPOL30074 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Children in a Global Context | SPOL32008 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Child Nutrition, Activity and Health | SPOL30034 | 20 | Optional | TB-1 |
Cities and communities in the urban age | SPOL30062 | 20 | Optional | TB-2 |
Criminology with Quantitative Research Methods (BSc) | 120 |
Please note: This specification provides a concise summary of the main features of the programme and the learning outcomes that a typical student might reasonably be expected to achieve and demonstrate if he/she takes full advantage of the learning opportunities that are provided.
University of Bristol,
Senate House,
Tyndall Avenue,
Bristol, BS8 1TH, UK
Tel: +44 (0)117 928 9000