Course Summary

This course responds to a major concern of any society: criminal behaviour. It looks at how resources are employed in detecting, preventing and understanding criminal behaviour and in prosecuting criminals and detaining them. It also investigates the psychology and motivations at work behind criminal behaviour.

The curriculum of this course highlights both general psychology as well as aspects of psychology that are relevant to understanding an individuals development from childhood through to adolescence and maturity. You will also explore the theory supporting and predicting peoples behaviour in groups. Alongside your enhanced subject knowledge, you will acquire improved study skills, teamwork skills and time management. There will be a Personal Development Planning component to this group, during which you will reflect on your own performance and learning.

This Foundation Degree allows participants to maintain employment while they study. Following the Foundation Degree, you will be able to progress directly onto the BA Hons Psychological Studies programme, or seek professional employment in relevant fields such as police and community work.

Why choose this course?

This course will enhance both your academic and vocational capabilities. Therefore, you will have a firm base upon graduation from which to continue your education in the BA Hons Psychological Studies programme. Alternatively, you may wish to pursue employment relevant to your studies. This could include areas like social work, police work, education and charity. Work experience undertaken on the course could allow you to secure work before you graduate.

During the course you will:

• Discover the roles of law, the legal system and its practitioners
• Spend at least 50 hours in work placements relevant to the programme
• Participate in supportive weekly tutorials
• Reflect on your own performance and learning
• Develop transferable study, teamwork and time management skills
• Gain a strong foundation for employment or further education

Areas of study you may cover on this course include:

• Introduction to psychology in general
• Introduction to criminal behaviour and the justice system
• Introduction to social research
• Research methods
• Diversity and difference
• Conflict, aggression and anti-social behaviour
• Prejudice and discrimination
• Advanced criminology
• Applied psychology and criminology
• Social and developmental psychology
• Practical experience

FDPSC-FP

Assessment

Written essays are used to assess:

• Your conceptual knowledge (your understanding of the material presented in the modules)


• Your ability to communicate ideas (core skill: Communication)


• Depth of knowledge of a topic

Student presentations assess:

• Aspects of successful group work (core skill: Working with others)


• Communicating ideas clearly and succinctly

Computer based assessments:

• Factual knowledge


• Relational knowledge (how one concept relates to others)


• Breadth of knowledge of a range of topics

Portfolios are used to assess:

• Your assessment of your own performance and learning (core skill: Improving own learning and performance)


• Breadth of understanding of issues


• Your use of different formats and writing genres

Reports are used to assess:

• Your understanding of a topic


• Your understanding of the structure of a report


• Skills in research and aspects of basic statistics (Core skill: application of number)


• Methods of investigation (core skill: Problem Solving)


• Analysis of cases studies (core skill: Problem Solving)

Exams are used to assess:

• Summative knowledge of topics in the course


• The degree to which you have studied the course


• Breadth and depth of knowledge of topics

Educational Aims

Foundation degrees provide vocational and practical perspectives of the subject studied and offer a range of skills to enhance students career development. In particular, this programme will:

• Provide you with a critical understanding of the well established principles issues, empirical methods and findings in psychology


• Foster your ability to apply those underlying concepts and principles outside the context in which they were first studied, including, where appropriate, the application of those principles in an employment context


• Equip you with knowledge of the main methods of enquiry in Psychology and criminal behaviour, and help you to evaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems in Psychology


• Enable you to reach your personal potential by enhancing your knowledge, key transferable skills, and self awareness through the development of critical enquiry, evaluation and analysis


• Provide the basis for you to pursue further academic studies in Psychology, such as continuing on an Honours degree, if that is your career aspiration


• Promote a culture of learning in which you are encouraged to contribute towards your own learning outcomes

Student support

The Foundation Degree offers a supportive environment in which to study. You will be in the same group of learners for all of your modules and the teaching staff are very accessible throughout the day. As the course is only taught on one day a week we make use of IT to support you outside of these hours. Tutors are within email contact during their office hours and are keen to offer support this way.

The colleges Student Services can offer support to students with specific learning requirements. Generally speaking, the teaching and assessment methods are varied in order to accommodate different learning styles and preferences.

You will have timetabled tutorial sessions throughout the year. Some of these will be based around your Work Based Learning module. You will also have subject based tutorial support as and when required for the other modules.

Moodle is the college virtual learning environment. This allow us to provide learners with lecture notes, practice assessments, reading material as well as other advice and guidance.

At the university the Learning Resources Centre (LRC) offers a range of services and specialist software and equipment. The LRC provides valuable resources to enable you to develop essential information literacy skills, knowledge and understanding of the range of online databases available to you so that you are in a good position to expand your knowledge of Psychology. The Psychology Division works closely with our subject specific librarian and with our commitment to supporting students employability skills we have embedded into the curriculum as series of lectures, tutorials and workshops to enhance your information literacy skills. These sessions are directly linked to other aspects of the Psychology curriculum and become more complex and detailed as you go through your degree programme. In addition, our subject librarian is available for one to one support outside of the teaching programme.

Embedded within the course is support for developing study skills and professional development as well as other important skills such as research methods. In your first year, the Study Skills and Social Research module will support you in developing study skills such as essay writing and presentation skills. In year two the Professional Development and Research in Psychology module will allow you to reflect on your own qualities and match these to the requirements of employers.

Within the college, the careers advisors are able to offer help in career planning. As a University of Bedfordshire student you will also have access to the Centre for Personal and Career Development. This service helps students to reflect on their unique capabilities, interests and circumstance which can be expanded whilst at university and to prepare you for successful employment or postgraduate study. This service offers one-to-one career coaching on job search, how to complete application forms, interviews techniques, and study and career planning. Also available to help you with your future after graduating is the Job Shop which is a service designed to help you gain valuable skills such as team working, problem solving, communication, planning and organisation. If you are interested in Community Volunteering then visit the Centre for Personal and Career Development to help to build your personal confidence and participate in work experience. The university also host a Going Professional Conference every year where employers and graduates are available to discuss your career options.

Team working

Where possible the Work Based Learning will involve working along side a mentor. This individual, appointed from your work place should be able to support you by giving you opportunities for new experiences and development. During the course you will work in groups to collect and analyse data. This will form the basis of some of assessed practical reports.

Career Management Skills

At level 2 you will focus on Career planning in the Professional Development and Research in Psychology module. In order to bring key issues to life, some of the classroom teaching will be undertaken by visiting speakers who will discuss the features of contemporary workplace settings application to psychology and crime, its needs and futures, as well as provide current examples of broad trends in context. Careers staff will contribute key how to sessions.

In the Work Based Learning modules you will be required to reflect on your career development. If possible your mentor will be able to give you new experiences in the workplace to allow you to develop new skills. You are also encouraged to gain useful experiences from volunteer work.

Career/Further study opportunities

Career:

The programme would be of benefit to anyone working in areas such as social work, the judiciary, policing, etc. The programme may also be of benefit to some Health Service workers.

Psychology students are equipped to enter such areas as:

• Public services (such as, the health service, education, the Civil Service)


• Assistant psychologist


• Research


• Market research


• Personnel management


• Police force


• Teaching

Further study:

On completion of the Foundation degree, students can progress on to an Honours degree programme if they so wish. The Foundation degree would lead on to the BA (Hons) Psychological Studies degree. This degree is not accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring the Graduate Basis for Registration (GBR). This is because there is relatively little in the way of research methods and statistics in the modules and the full BPS curriculum is not covered. It should be noted that the BPS are likely to make changes to the Psychology curriculum and the Department of Psychology will need to respond to those changes when the final versions are published. As a result the modules offered in the BA degree may be different from those advertised.

Students who manage to achieve 120 credits at Level 1 and who are unable to continue are eligible for a Certificate of Higher Education.

Entry

Additional:

You will usually be asked to attend an interview to discuss the course in detail. You will need to be in employment (either paid or voluntary) during the course to be able to successfully complete the Work Based Learning modules.

UK students Undergraduate entry requirements

Standard entry requirements for Foundation degrees (FD/FdSc)

A foundation degree will be of particular interest if you have completed a Modern Apprenticeship, vocational A levels, BTEC National or equivalent.

Foundation degrees are also particularly suitable if you want to qualify while working.

• As a guideline, a typical offer would require you to obtain a UCAS tariff score of between 80-120 points, based on your level 3 studies.

Many students studying for foundation degrees come to us through work-based routes so you can apply for a foundation degree even if you don’t have traditional academic qualifications.

We welcome applicants with relevant work experience.

Standard entry requirements for Undergraduate degrees (BA/BSc)

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for both breadth and depth in your current studies as well as enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

The general requirement is one of the following:

• UCAS Tariff Score greater than 200, which should include either two A level passes or an AVCE Double Award
• An Access qualification
• Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, Scottish Highers, International Baccalaureate or BTEC National Diploma

Students from the European Union

Entry requirements

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications.

How to apply

International students

• Undergraduate applications (BA/BSc) can be made direct to the University or via our representatives in your home country. If you intend to apply to more than one university in the UK you should apply via UCAS. If you want to apply to the University of Bedfordshire only you should apply directly using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Postgraduate applications should be made directly to the University using our international application form (link below) or via our representatives in your home country
• Healthcare, nursing and midwifery students Many of these courses are not available to overseas students due to UK immigration law in regard to bursary funding. Please contact international admissions to find out if you are eligible to apply
• BA Nursing Studies Level 3 (with or without Overseas Nursing Programme) is available to overseas students - please contact International Admissions by email at international-admissions@beds.ac.uk for further information

(Please note that applicants on a full student visa are not eligible for part-time study)

Course application form for international students

We recommend that you apply directly to the University where possible, as this allows us to offer the quickest turnaround time for your application.

• Course application form for direct applications [PDF]

How to complete your course application

Please read the Direct application instructions before completing the course application form.

Application forms for accommodation in the student halls at Bedford campus and Luton campus are available in the Student life section

Accreditation of prior certificated learning (APL)

APL is available for international students applying for undergraduate (Bachelor degree) study. Please do not use this APL form to apply for postgraduate courses.

Use the APL form to tell us about any non-standard qualifications and/or work experience you have that you think should be taken into consideration with your application. `

The APL form should be submitted at the same time as the course application form.

We regret we are unable to process APL forms from students who have not submitted a formal course application form.

• APL application form for International students [100Kb] updated 041007

What next?

Return your completed application to:

University of Bedfordshire
International Admissions
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
LU1 3JU
United Kingdom

Contact International Admissions

T: +44 (0)1582 489326 (non-EU Students)
F: +44 (0)1582 743469
E: international-admissions@beds.ac.uk

Awarding institution

University of Bedfordshire

Professional, Statuatory and Regulatory Body Accreditation

N/A

Students with disabilities

The college aims to provide support to help you make the most of your course. If you have a disability or learning difficulty, then we want to help.

As a higher education student it is essential that you have applied for, and been awarded, a Disabled Students Allowance if you require any additional support with your course. You should do this via your local authority when you apply for your student loan and / or grant the Welfare team in Student Services can advise you about this. The support we are then able to offer will be based on the local authoritys assessment of need.

For further information and help please contact the Additional Support team on 01234 291 751.

Skills Development

Communication

To help with the development of this you will:

Be encouraged to develop cogent arguments supported by relevant evidence to write both essays, scientific style reports, through experience and in giving oral presentations to groups. You will be supported through feedback, formative and summative assessment procedures, and classes on report writing techniques. Group work, and in class discussion and debate will also help to develop your communication skills. Some of the units will require you to reflect on your learning and academic and professional development. This will help to develop your transferable skills, while starting to think about career options and pathways.

Information Literacy

To help with the development of this you will:

Be expected to make full use of the Universitys Learning Resource Centre as well as the Colleges Library and to be proactive in researching your work. You will also be given guidance on using the facilities provided by Learning Resources during induction. All units are designed to enhance the development of your information literacy. You will be encouraged to retrieve and organise information and become familiar with locating and critically evaluating primary source material. You will be expected to develop your skills in word processing and the use of programmes such as Powerpoint. You will be given training in the commonest and one of the most powerful statistics packages (SPSS).

Research and Evaluation

To help with the development of this you will:

Be given training in research methods and ethical implications of conducting research at levels 1 and 2. This will involve research in Psychology and Sociology topic areas.

The staff team will help you to develop your research and evaluative skills so that you can interpret and understand basic statistics concepts at level 2. Understanding the Results sections of journal articles is an important skill developed through the 2 years of the programme.

Creativity and Critical Thinking

To help with the development of this you will:

Be required to evaluate arguments and underlying assumptions underpinning theories and research in psychology, criminology and law in light of important debates in these disciplines and the application to real world situations. The Work Based Learning modules will allow you to design and reflect on research into work related issues of your own choice. They may involve investigation of problems in your work place in order to find solutions.

Improving learning and performance

During level 1 you will complete the Study Skills and Social Research module. This provides the opportunity to extend and reflect upon a range of learning activities. It includes a range of study skills and requires you to give a reflective account of some of your learning experiences.

During the course you will experience a variety of teaching methods in order to encourage you to adapt your learning styles and to develop your confidence as independent learners. For example, a lecture may require you to develop note taking skills, a tutorial to work with others in a group to complete a task, to produce a draft of an essay / report so you can engage in a peer review process, or to receive feedback on the draft from tutors so that you can address the recommendations in preparation for the final submission of the essay / report.

Progress files

Portfolios are assessed for work based learning units and Personal Development. These should show how you have developed the ability to reflect on your own development as a person and in the work place. Your work placement portfolio also provides evidence of your understanding of how theory relates to practice.

Professional standards

• Students are expected to comply with the College code of conduct which can be found in the student handbook


• Plagiarism is claiming someone elses work as your own and is an academic offence. It is important that you read carefully regulations in the course handbook so that you avoid plagiarism. How to reference your work correctly and how to avoid plagiarism will be given in lectures and tutorials during level 1 of your studies


• Students are expected to attend all lectures, tutorials, seminars and IT sessions


• Students and staff are expected to be punctual. Arriving after a session has started is discourteous and disruptive


• Mobile phones should be switched off inside lectures and tutorials


• Generally you can wear what you like but it must be appropriate to the occasion which will include laboratory work. Clothing should be clean and odour free and must not give offence


• As part of your personal development planning you need to experience what it is like to be a participant in an experiment. This is particularly important as you will be required to conduct your own experiments at level 2 and taking part in other students or staff experiments will be valuable experience for you


• You are expected to adhere to the BPS ethical code of conduct throughout your studies. Information on this will be given early on at Level 1


• Students are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and to be sensitive and respectful to the needs of all students and staff in the College and University


• Each student is allocated a Personal Tutor and your tutor is there to support your academic development. If you encounter difficulties students are expected to inform their tutor so that the appropriate support and advice can be given

Strategy for developing and embedding the professional standards

The role of ethics and ethical procedures for psychologists are explicitly taught and incorporated into all practical assignments including relevant aspects of the BPS Code of Ethics and Conduct. Participation in experiments is expected (but not a course requirement) so that you have a practical understanding of what it is like to take part as a subject in a variety of types of experiment. The Code of Ethics and Conduct is available from the BPS website:

http://www.bps.org.uk/document-download-area/document-download$.cfm?file_uuid=5084A882-1143-DFD0-7E6C-F1938A65C242&ext=pdf

How to avoid plagiarism is explicitly taught at level 1 and guidance is available on Moodle.

Attendance and punctuality are monitored.