Description
This qualification is only available until 31 December 2017.
To claim this qualification, you must complete the required 360 credits by this date.
If you have any questions about your eligibility for this qualification, please contact the Centre for Qualifications and Ceremonies on +44 (0)1908 653003 or by email.
What is the relationship between crime and issues of social inequality and social exclusion? If anti-social behaviour is associated with family and community breakdown, problems of mental health and substance abuse, how can these problems be dealt with more effectively? What is the evidence that early interventions in families and schools, and in communities, can achieve better outcomes? This degree takes your study of some of the key questions in contemporary criminology and social policy to an advanced level. You will examine in depth current controversies about crime and disorder in the context of the recession and cutbacks in social care, education and youth justice budgets. Local and global concerns are linked through a comparative approach to developments in different communities and countries. This wide-ranging approach will equip you with the concepts and the theories underlying contemporary social policy and criminology, together with the skills required both to evaluate the range of policy alternatives and to participate in implementing such initiatives.
You can also achieve a Certificate of Higher Education in Social Sciences (C95) or a Diploma of Higher Education in Social Policy and Criminology (E73) as you study towards your degree, depending on the modules you choose.
Planning your studies
You should note that the University’s unique study rule applies to this qualification. This means that you must include at least 120 credits from OU modules that have not been counted in any other OU qualification that has previously been awarded to you (with the exception of an undergraduate-level qualification of less than 120 credits). If you have graduated with an OU BA/BSc degree without honours and are continuing your studies on to honours, this minimum requirement is reduced to 60 credits. Before being awarded any intermediate qualifications on the way to your OU honours degree, we advise you to check that you’ll have sufficient new credits to qualify for your degree.
You should note the limitations on individual modules as mentioned below.
Career relevance and employability
This degree provides a solid foundation for a career in any aspect of criminology and social policy. It opens up employment opportunities for you in health, education and social care as well as in the criminal and youth justice systems, in both the public and the voluntary sectors. It provides a set of transferable skills relevant to research, policy and management positions in welfare, government, public health and criminal justice agencies.
Studying for this degree will also equip you with enhanced capacities for critical thinking and analysis, problem solving and written communication. You will develop skills in a range of research methods. The skills cultivated in this degree course – including the deployment of IT and communication techniques in the evaluation of the evidence base for different policy initiatives – are relevant to a wide range of careers, in social policy and criminology and beyond.
Careers and Employability Services have more information on how OU study can improve your employability.
Modules
60 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 1 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Introducing the social sciences (DD102)
|
60 |
|
- You and your money: personal finance in context (DB123)*
|
30 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued 60-credit modules D103, DD100, DD101, the discontinued 30-credit modules DD121, DD122, DD131, DD132, DSE141
*Can only be studied if you have already studied one of the discontinued 30-credit modules
And 60 credits from the following compulsory module:
Level 2 compulsory module |
Credits |
Next start |
- Welfare, crime and society (DD208)
|
60 |
|
And 60 credits from the following optional modules:
Level 2 optional modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Adult health, social care and wellbeing (K217)
|
60 |
|
- Childhood (E212)
|
60 |
|
- The uses of social science (DD206)
|
60 |
|
- Understanding politics: ideas and institutions in the modern world (DD211)
-
|
60 |
|
- Youth justice: theory, research and practice (K209)
|
60 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued modules D218, DD201, K202, K204
And 120 credits from the following compulsory modules:
Level 3 compulsory modules |
Credits |
Next start |
- Crime and justice (DD301)
|
60 |
|
- Personal lives and social policy (DD305)
|
60 |
|
Or, subject to the rules about excluded combinations, the discontinued module D315
And a maximum of 60 credits of free choice from any OU Level 1, 2 or 3 modules to bring your total number of credits to 360. Within the total, you must ensure that you have at least the required minimum number of credits at each level and no more than 30 from Openings modules or the discontinued Short module S154.
The modules listed can count towards this degree after we have stopped presenting them for a maximum of twenty years for Level 1 modules and ten years for Level 2 and Level 3 modules.
Learning outcomes
The learning outcomes of this qualification are described in four areas:
- Knowledge and understanding
- Cognitive skills
- Practical and professional skills
- Key skills
Read more detailed information about the learning outcomes, and how they are acquired through teaching, learning and assessment methods.
Credit for previous study elsewhere
If you have already completed some successful study at higher education level at another institution we may be able to give you credit for this study that you can count towards this Open University qualification. You can find out more on our Credit Transfer site. If you make a successful claim for transferred credit it may affect your choice of modules so you are advised to investigate this option as soon as possible.
Classification of your degree
On successful completion of the required number and type of modules you will be awarded a Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science (Honours) Social Policy and Criminology degree.
Your honours degree will be classified either as first-class honours, upper second-class honours, lower second-class honours or third-class honours. The class of degree is determined by the best grades you achieve in 240 credits from those modules above Level 1 listed above. At least 120 of those credits must come from modules at Level 3.
You will have the opportunity to attend a degree ceremony.
Regulations
As a student of The Open University, you should be aware of the content of the qualification-specific regulations below and the academic regulations that are available on our Student Policies and Regulations website.
How to register
If you want to study for this qualification, read the description and check you meet any specific requirements (for example, some of
our qualifications, require you to be working in a particular environment, or be sponsored by your employer). Then select the
module you wish to study first and ensure it is suitable for you before following the registration procedure for that module.
During the registration procedure you will be asked to declare which qualification you are studying towards.
See a full list of modules available for this qualification