Undergraduate Module Descriptor

SOC2101: Police and Policing

This module descriptor refers to the 2021/2 academic year.

Module Aims

This module offers you an opportunity to engage with the key issues, concepts and contemporary debates around the police and policing – a far-reaching and highly controversial area of study. The module also aims to provide you with an insight into the methods commonly used to research this topic, and their strengths, weaknesses and ethical implications. The focus is predominantly on English and Welsh policing, and you will benefit from an enhanced understanding of the institutional arrangements, policies and practices used in the jurisdiction. However material will also be drawn from a range of countries, to allow you to put policing practices into an international context.

Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
This module's assessment will evaluate your achievement of the ILOs listed here – you will see reference to these ILO numbers in the details of the assessment for this module.
On successfully completing the programme you will be able to:
Module-Specific Skills	1. Demonstrate an understanding of key concepts in sociological debates around policing. 2. Analyze practical issues and contemporary debates of relevance to policing in England and Wales, with reference to the literature. 3. Discuss the differing research methods commonly used in police research, and their implications.
Discipline-Specific Skills	4. Demonstrate an understanding of key sociological concepts in policing - and a capacity to apply them to specific topics and questions. 5. Assess different methods used in the social sciences. 6. Use relevant literature to contribute to contemporary issues and debates in criminology.
Personal and Key Skills	7. Present a clear, evidence-based argument both verbally and in writing. 8. Conduct guided independent study in order to research a specific topic / question. 9. Work independently, within a limited time frame, and without access to external sources, to complete a specified task.

How this Module is Assessed

In the tables below, you will see reference to 'ILO's. An ILO is an Intended Learning Outcome - see Aims and Learning Outcomes for details of the ILOs for this module.

Formative Assessment

A formative assessment is designed to give you feedback on your understanding of the module content but it will not count towards your mark for the module.

Form of assessment	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
A short, essay based, unseen mock exam, conducted during a tutorial.	20 minutes.	1,2,4,6-9	Verbal feedback will be given by peers, supported by the tutor.
Participation in seminars	Active participation in seminars, based on readings.	18	Verbal feedback by tutor.

Summative Assessment

A summative assessment counts towards your mark for the module. The table below tells you what percentage of your mark will come from which type of assessment.

Coursework	Written exams	Practical exams
50	50	0

...and this table provides further details on the summative assessments for this module.

Form of assessment	% of credit	Size of the assessment (eg length / duration)	ILOs assessed	Feedback method
Examination	50	1 hour exam	1,2,4,6-9	Written
Coursework	50	3,000 words essay	19	Written

Re-assessment

Re-assessment takes place when the summative assessment has not been completed by the original deadline, and the student has been allowed to refer or defer it to a later date (this only happens following certain criteria and is always subject to exam board approval). For obvious reasons, re-assessments cannot be the same as the original assessment and so these alternatives are set. In cases where the form of assessment is the same, the content will nevertheless be different.

Original form of assessment	Form of re-assessment	ILOs re-assessed	Timescale for re-assessment
Examination	Examination (1 hour exam)	1,2 4, 6 - 9	August/September re-assessment period
Coursework	Coursework (3, 000 word essay)	1 9	August/September re-assessment period