About this course
The FdA Criminal Justice course introduces you to the systems and policies behind criminal justice in our society. From exploring the causes of crime to analysing how laws are enforced, you’ll get to grips with today’s all-important issues.
You'll develop critical knowledge and practical skills that are highly valued by employers in a variety of criminal justice roles. You’ll study real-world topics like policing, rehabilitation, youth justice, and criminology, preparing you for a rewarding career.
Our experienced teaching staff bring a wealth of knowledge from across the criminal justice sector, ensuring that your learning is informed by the latest research and practice.
You'll also benefit from a supportive learning environment and opportunities to build valuable connections with industry professionals. This course will empower you to make a difference in the sector.
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The course includes a placement alongside your studies in areas such as policing, youth justice agencies, charities and local youth groups in the Mansfield area. -
On completing the course, you'll be eligible to top-up to degree-level study in BA (Hons) Criminal Justice (Top-up), BA (Hons) Professional Policing or BA (Hons) Youth Justice (year two). -
On completing this foundation degree you’ll be well-placed to go straight into the world of work and take up a variety of careers within the Criminal Justice sector. -
The course is delivered over 2-3 days a week, allowing you to fit in study around other commitments.
What you’ll study
This course takes a broad approach to studying criminal justice, incorporating ideas from fields like sociology, psychology, and law to deepen understanding of crime and justice systems.
By focusing on current issues, you’ll gain insight into modern challenges such as cybercrime, human trafficking, and justice reform, ensuring your knowledge remains relevant.
Its emphasis on local, national, and international perspectives prepares you to address complex, globalised problems like terrorism and cross-border crime. This approach equips students with the critical thinking skills and adaptability needed for diverse careers in law enforcement.
Here’s a full breakdown of the modules you’ll be studying.
Core modules
Criminology, Crime and Crime Prevention (20 Credit Points)
- Studying this module, you’ll be introduced to crime, ways to reduce it, and key criminology theories.
- You’ll learn about community safety strategies, including teamwork between agencies, managing risks, and the rise of restorative justice methods used by the police and youth justice services.
Preparing for Professional Practice (20 Credit Points)
- This module will give you an understanding of the working world by gaining experience with an organisation in the criminal justice system.
- Through this hands-on experience, you'll learn key ideas about how services are provided, connect theory with practice, apply what you've learned in other modules, and work on planning your own professional development.
Rights, Ethics and Safeguarding (20 Credit Points)
- Understanding rights, ethics, and safeguarding is crucial for working in the criminal justice system.
- This module covers the laws that guide this work, focusing on protecting children and adults, respecting offender rights, and managing conflicts with public safety.
- You’ll be introduced to ethical practices and biases, both conscious and unconscious. You’ll also reflect on their own ethical views, balancing welfare and justice.
The Criminal Justice Sector and the Role of the Police (20 Credit Points)
- This module gives you a clear overview of how the UK criminal justice system works and the role of the police in it.
- You’ll learn about the different agencies that make up the system, their partners outside it, and how people are processed through the system.
- You’ll also study UK policing and the challenges it faces.
Evolution of the Youth Justice System (20 Credit Points)
- This module looks at the youth justice system in England and Wales, its history, politics, and the challenges of reducing youth crime.
- You’ll learn about how youth crime is viewed as a social issue, study different theories about it, and understand how the system works at national, regional, and local levels. You’ll also compare the youth justice system in England and Wales with systems in other countries to gain a global perspective.
An Introduction to Criminal Law and Practice Level (20 Credit Points)
- This module introduces the legal system and helps you connect it to other modules you're studying.
- You’ll focus on what counts as an offence and outlines the steps an accused person goes through, from being charged to the trial decision.
Core modules
Crime & Social Inclusion (20 Credit Points)
- This module covers social policy, criminology, and criminal justice for marginalised groups, such as young offenders, BAME individuals, people with disabilities, and those with mental health issues.
- You will examine different reasons for social exclusion, like inequality, social divisions, and diversity factors like poverty, race, gender, age, and disability, and how these relate to government policies.
Skills Development for Professional Practice (20 Credit Points)
- This module builds on your work experience by giving you a deeper experience in a part of the criminal justice system where you’d like to work in the future.
- You’ll learn more about how organisations function, improve your reflective skills, and prepare for your future career.
Crime Investigation (20 Credit Points)
- This module introduces you to crime investigation skills, like taking statements from victims and witnesses, collecting evidence at crime scenes, and managing that evidence.
- You’ll also learn techniques for interviewing suspects using police methods.
Police Powers and the Law (20 Credit Points)
- This module helps you understand basic criminal law and court processes, including key laws, police powers, policies, and procedures. You’ll learn how to use police powers fairly and without bias, consider when to use force, and understand the laws and processes involved in handling offences.
- You’ll cover ethical standards for recording crimes and incidents and teaches you how to apply police powers and laws to real situations. You’ll develop knowledge of Proportionality, Legality, Accountability, and Necessity (PLAN).
Penology, the Secure Estate and Probation Work (20 Credit Points)
- This module looks at how prisons, young offender institutions, and secure units are run, including life inside them and how people are released into the community.
- You’ll learn about how these places are managed, inspected, and how information about them is shared with the public.
- The module also compares the UK prison system with others around the world, including the Nordic approach, the influence of the U.S. system, and how privatisation affects prisons and punishment.
Interventions and Offender Management (20 Credit Points)
- This module looks at how offender management is changing and modernising.
- You’ll learn about respecting rights and diversity, working with partners, and understanding reoffending rates.
- You’ll cover key laws and policies for assessing and managing risks. You’ll also study community and prison sentences, focusing on how they engage offenders, help them stop offending, and ensure rules are followed.
We regularly review and update our course content based on student and employer feedback, ensuring that all of our courses remain current and relevant. This may result in changes to module content or module availability in future years.
Don’t just take our word for it, hear from our students themselves
How you're taught
How will I learn?
You’ll be taught by a team with extensive experience of the criminal justice system. From working as prison officers to police officers, they’ve seen it all. With their knowledge, experience, and professional networks, you'll be well-supported.
You’ll learn through a mix of:
- lectures and visiting guest speakers, who’ll explain the realities of working in the criminal justice system
- small-group seminars and workshops, designed to improve your debating, teamworking, and problem-solving skills — our smaller class sizes make it a less daunting experience, and you’ll be studying with the same people all through your course
- real-world case studies, helping you to flag the signs and symptoms of crime, and identify the people and processes that could’ve helped prevent it
- field trips and court visits, where you’ll watch trials and then discuss the outcomes
- roleplaying and simulation, for key processes like safeguarding
- one-on-one meetings with your friendly personal tutor
- independent study, as you build up your research skills
- Work-experience preparing you for your future career.
Contact hours
You’ll be taught at NTU Mansfield 2-3 days a week, meaning you can fit your studies around other commitments. You’ll still have access to your tutors whenever you need them — we’re big on wellbeing, and we want to make sure that your transition from school or college to uni is as comfortable and supported as possible.
Work experience
You will also undertake valuable work experience in both years of study and plan for your own personal career development including a minimum 30 hours/1-week shadowing or work placement opportunity at Level 4 in pursuance of youth / community project. Plus 150 hours minimum at Level 5 - paid or voluntary work placement with police / youth sector.
How you're assessed
People learn in different ways, and we want everybody to have the best possible chance of success.
We’ve introduced a wide range of assessment methods onto NTU’s Criminal Justice foundation degree course — everything from essays and reflective journals, presentations and posters, case studies and critical reviews, to focus groups, quizzes, placements, roleplaying, and your very own research project.
- Year 1 coursework
- Year 2 coursework
- Year 3 coursework and written
Careers and employability
Your future career
With an FdA in Criminal Justice, you will be eligible to top-up to degree-level study at NTU in BA (Hons) Criminal Justice (Top-up), BA (Hons) Professional Policing or BA (Hons) Youth Justice (year two).
Graduates from this course are well-placed to take up a variety of careers within the Criminal Justice industry and students can go straight into work after their foundation degree.
With an FdA in Criminal Justice you can start your career path towards roles such as Welfare Rights Advisor, Prison Officer and Police Officer.
Excellent placement opportunities
The course includes a placement alongside your studies. You can develop your skills and experience in a working environment which is highly valued by future employers.
Students could undertake placement opportunities in areas such as policing, youth justice agencies, charities and local youth groups in the Mansfield area and the Citizens Advice Bureau.
Why undertake a placement?
- You will gain vital experience in a vocational position.
- It will boost your CV and build useful contacts for your future career.
- There are some exciting and challenging opportunities available.
Employability Team
At NTU in Mansfield, our award-winning Employability team is here to inspire and enhance your career planning, whichever path you choose. Whether you wish to go on to further study or to look for job opportunities, we can guide you to be a successful candidate.
Campus and facilities
As an NTU Mansfield student, you’ll benefit from the latest facilities and modern technology to support your studies and help you get the most out of student life.
We are continually investing in our facilities and enhancing our learning and teaching environment to make it an inspiring place for students.
Facilities and services include:
- University Centre
- Teaching and Learning Centre
- Library
- Dedicated study zones, including PC suites
- On-site café
- Social spaces
- Sports facilities
- Student Support Services
- Nottingham Trent Students Union (NTSU) drop-in events.
Entry requirements
UK students
- Standard Offer: 64 UCAS Tariff points from three A-Levels or equivalent qualifications
- Other requirements: GCSE English and Maths grade C / 4.
Additional requirements for UK students
You may also need to complete:
- a Disclosure and Barring Service check; and
- a Prohibition Order check; and
- a satisfactory placement suitability check.
Meeting our entry requirements
Hundreds of qualifications in the UK have UCAS Tariff points attached to specific grades, including A-levels, BTECs, T Levels and many more. You can use your grades and points from up to three different qualifications to meet our criteria. Enter your predicted or achieved grades into our Tariff calculator to find out how many points your qualifications are worth.
Other qualifications and experience
NTU welcomes applications from students with non-standard qualifications and learning backgrounds, either for year one entry or for advanced standing beyond the start of a course into year 2 or beyond.
We consider study and/or credit achieved from a similar course at another institution (otherwise known as credit transfer), vocational and professional qualifications, and broader work or life experience.
Our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy outlines the process and options available for this route. If you wish to apply via Recognition of Prior Learning, please contact the central Admissions and Enquiries Team who will be able to support you through the process.
Getting in touch
If you need more help or information, get in touch through our enquiry form.
International students
This course is not suitable for tier 4 visa applicants.
We accept qualifications from schools, colleges and universities all over the world for entry onto our undergraduate and postgraduate degrees. If you’re not sure how your international qualification matches our course requirements please visit our international qualifications page.
Additional requirements for international students
There are no additional requirements for this course.
English language requirements
View our English language requirements for all courses, including alternative English language tests and country qualifications accepted by the University.
If you need help achieving the language requirements, we offer a Pre-Sessional English for Academic Purposes course on our City campus which is an intensive preparation course for academic study at NTU.
Other qualifications and experience
If you have the right level of qualifications, you may be able to start your Bachelors degree at NTU in year 2 or year 3. This is called ‘advanced standing’ entry and is decided on a case-by case basis after our assessment of your qualifications and experience.
You can view our Recognition of Prior Learning and Credit Transfer Policy which outlines the process and options available, such as recognising experiential learning and credit transfer.
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Getting in touch
If you need advice about studying at NTU as an international student or how to apply, our international webpages are a great place to start. If you have any questions about your study options, your international qualifications, experience, grades or other results, please get in touch through our enquiry form. Our international teams are highly experienced in answering queries from students all over the world.
Policies
We strive to make our admissions procedures as fair and clear as possible. To find out more about how we make offers, visit our admissions policies page.
