Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Sciences)

Psychology with Criminology Pathway

Course Summary

Required study hours: 380

Qualification: Access to Higher Education Diploma (Psychology with Criminology)

Fees: £1,199.99 (up-front)

Why Access to Higher Education?

  • Looking for a future career in Psychology and Criminology?
  • Been out of fulltime education for some time?
  • Do you need the skills and a qualification that will enable you to secure a future placement at university?

Our Access to Higher Education Diplomas have been specifically designed for you...

The Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Sciences) “Psychology with Criminology Pathway” features 18 academic study units with a focus on Social Science, Psychology and Criminology that cover the subjects that your chosen university will expect you to have completed to satisfy their entrance criteria. Your studies will build your knowledge and understanding and provide a solid learning foundation for students interested in pursuing a career in Social Science and in particular within Psychology and Criminology. (review complete course syllabus units’ list below). It’s a popular qualification, recognised by employers and many universities.

Course Unit Assessment, Assessor Feedback & Introducing “PEARL”

Your chosen pathway is made up of a number of individual units, each of which requires you to complete an associated assignment. Our bespoke e-learning management environment “PEARL” provides the gateway to everything that you will need to complete your course and includes many useful online features that will help you along the way.

Benefits of our bespoke system

  • Rich interactive learning content mapped to regulated qualifications
  • Unique online technology assisted e-assessments for competency and knowledge-based assessment
  • Incentives to motivate and encourage learners
  • Useful ‘Assessment Planners’ specifically designed to help you to complete assignments
  • An assigned personal Assessor will mark assignments and provide the results by email and via downloadable PDF’s online. Viewable at any time to track on-going progress
  • Assessors will provide any necessary feedback about the course work that you submit
  • On-going advice and guidance where necessary on how improvements could be made to your course work submissions.
  • Interact with fellow students studying on the same course via our thriving community forums.
  • Help and be helped by sharing course work tips, advice and participating in student debates – Collaborative “social” learners are engaged creating and sharing additional resources.

Your Academic Future...
Life after your Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Science)

It’s always a great idea to apply for the university or college of your choice whilst studying with us. Universities can offer 'conditional' places for all courses, this means that they will either offer a placement if you achieve the qualification or if you achieve a certain level of qualification.

  • Ideally, nearing the completion of this course you should have your chosen education related university degree lined up and ready to go.
  • After you finally complete and achieve this qualification, you will then be able to seamlessly advance to university life, knowing that you have already secured a place.

There’s no time like the present to start preparing for your future life at university and avoid the associated stress of last minute searching.

What's included:

  • All study materials
  • Study guide
  • Full tutor and Admin support
  • The course fee includes the awarding body registration and certification fee (valued at up to £96)

Unit 1: Preparing To Study

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand how study is organised and planned
  • Understand how to apply theories of learning in relation to personal approaches to learning
  • Understand a range of constraints upon study
  • Understand the importance of assessment feedback.

Unit 2: Academic Writing Skills

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Be able to write with relevance in responding to an academic task.
  • Know how to interpret and discuss concepts and debates in responding to a set, academic writing task.
  • Be able to summarise for academic purposes, selecting key points, information or central ideas.
  • Understand the role of reference, allusion and paraphrase to avoid plagiarism.

Unit 3: Preparing a Written Assignment

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand how to use key information sources.
  • Understand why sources are acknowledged and referenced.
  • Understand a range of reading strategies.
  • Understand note-making methods.
  • Understand how to plan draft and produce a written assignment.

Unit 4: Independent Research

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Be able to plan a piece of research on an approved subject area.
  • Be able to collect research material from different sources
  • Be able to use data to substantiate an argument
  • Be able to record sources of information
  • Be able to present research findings

Unit 5: The Origins of The Welfare State

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand what is meant by the term social welfare.
  • Know the purpose of the 1834 Poor Law Amendment Act and its effects on society.
  • Explain and discuss early twentieth century Liberal Reforms and their effect on society.
  • Recognise the significance of the Beveridge Report.
  • Recognise the social problems which the Welfare State attempted to address.

Unit 6: Progressing to Higher Education

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand potential next steps in education.
  • Understand key sources of information relevant to HE application.
  • Understand personal HE opportunities.
  • Understand the financial implications of further study.
  • Know how to apply for a course.

Unit 7: Introduction to Psychology

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the importance of research in psychology
  • Understand the main approaches in psychology.
  • Understand ethical issues in psychological research.

Unit 8: Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand research in an area of cognitive psychology.
  • Understand how the findings of research into cognitive processes can be applied to real-life issues

Unit 9: The Brain & Nervous System

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the major sub divisions of the nervous system.
  • Understand the structure and function of glial cells and neurons.

Unit 10: Abnormal Psychology

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the difficulties faced by psychologists in the definition and diagnosis of abnormal behaviour.
  • Understand a psychological disorder.
  • Understand therapy used to treat people with psychological disorders.

Unit 11: Psychology of Mental Illness

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the main issues arising from psychiatric diagnosis.
  • Understand the medical model of mental disorder.
  • Understand the symptoms, causes and treatments of schizophrenia.
  • Understand the symptoms, causes and treatments of affective disorders.
  • Understand the symptoms, causes and treatments of anxiety disorders.

Unit 12: Developmental Psychology

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the importance of early relationships in child development.
  • Understand explanations of the development of individual differences.

Unit 13: Introduction To Sociology

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the sociological approach and its distinction from common sense and other social sciences.
  • Understand basic concepts in sociological explanation.
  • Understand contrasting sociological perspectives.
  • Understand concepts and perspectives relating to a specific social institution.

Unit 14: The Criminology of Prisons

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the philosophical, social and official functions of imprisonment.
  • Distinguish between categories of prison and their relative costs.
  • Appreciate the effects of imprisonment and the increase in the prison population.

Unit 15: Criminal Justice & Social Policy

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Consider the key elements and developments of new right criminology.
  • Examine models of crime prevention.
  • Understand key arguments, current debates and developments in theories of crime control.
  • Examine arguments supporting an abandonment of ‘crime’.

Unit 16: Measurements of Crime

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Know sources of crime statistics.
  • Understand the reliability of published statistics on crime.
  • Understand factors that are not reflected in criminal statistics.

Unit 17: Understanding Crime & Deviance

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand explanations of crime and deviance.
  • Know theories of crime and deviance.
  • Understand perceptions of crime and deviance.

Unit 18: Criminal Law & Procedures

On completion of this unit you will:

  • Understand the criminal court process and its personnel.
  • Understand sentencing policy and procedures.

Open College Network West Midlands Access to Higher Education (Social Science)

On successful completion of the Open College Network West Midlands Access to Higher Education Diploma (Social Science) you will receive a QAA recognised Access to HE Diploma at level 3 (QAA ref: (4000885X).This course has also been assigned 60 credits.

Learners must have a GCSE in maths and english (or an equivalent), a relevant nvq at level 2 or above and aspire to study a healthcare related degree at university.

Access to Higher Education Diplomas are widely accepted as an alternative to 'A Levels' for University admission. The programmes have a track record of success in helping students to gain admission to University.

Learners should, however, be aware that Universities each apply their own admissions criteria, and these vary broadly depending on the reputation and popularity of the university and of the degree programme that relates to your area of interest.

These ‘variable’ admission criteria may include but are not limited to:

  1. Achievement of a certain amount of Access to HE units at Merit of above.
  2. Successful completion of a face-to-face interview at the University
  3. Successful completion of literacy and numeracy assessments by the University.
  4. Completion of specific unpaid  ‘work experience’ or a previous ‘job role’.
  5. Prior attainment of GCSE English and/or Maths Science – Or equivalents, such as Functional/Key Skills at Level 2, NVQ Certificate in a related subject at Level 2 etc..

It is vitally important that each student investigates the entry requirements of a range of universities that they could practically attend to determine if the diploma and unit choices within meet each set of entry requirements. 

Students should complete this exercise as early as possible so that they can plan for which establishment they will be applying to, and start to work towards it.

Whilst we have the fullest confidence that the Access to Higher Education Diplomas are compliant and perfectly sufficient to form part of a University application, CCfE will not be able to accept any liability for the inability of any Access to Higher Education learner to secure an offer from a Higher Education establishment due to the ‘variables’ involved.

Payment Method
Pay In Full
Total Price: £1,199.99
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Pay In Instalments
Deposit: £99.99
12 Monthly Payments of £125.00
Total Price: £1,599.99
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You can enrol today and pay much, much later

You can access your course information straight away. You can then review them in your own time and complete the assignments which you are required to submit to your personal tutor for marking and feedback.