Diploma in Criminal Justice

Purpose

The intention of the Diploma: Criminal Justice is to

• Promote the development of knowledge, skills and values that are a prerequisite in the private and public policing field.
• Assist learners to realise their full potential in this field.
• Provide opportunities for people to progress to levels of recognition and possible progression to higher levels of learning within the safety and security industry.
• Contribute to the professionalising of private and public law enforcement.
• Provide a learning programme that would assist industry leaders to establish a clear career path for law enforcement practitioners.

The qualification will also facilitate access to, mobility and progression within education and training as well as progression along a learning path for learners who:

• Were previously disadvantaged or who were unable to complete their schooling and were therefore denied access to Further Education and Training.
• Have worked in the security industry or related field for many years, but have not obtained a formal qualification.
• Wish to extend their range of skills and knowledge of this field of study so that they can become competent law enforcement officials.

On achieving this Qualification, the learner will be able to

• Communicate effectively in a range of routine and complex public and private sector settings.
• Utilise knowledge and administrative skills to recognise and pursue public and private sector objectives.
• Apply the principles of business law responsibly.
• Apply the principles of individual rights to facilitate the investigation of crime scenes.
• Recognise and solve public relations and communication problems.
• Apply sound administrative management principles.
• Complete projects within agreed time frames and according to budgets and professional standards.
• Utilise essential managerial skills that lead to informed decision making.
• Implement information and communication technology practices in a work environment.
• Contribute meaningfully to corporate social responsibility in an organisation.
• Facilitate "Batho Pele" principles.

Rationale

Criminal justice, with reference to law enforcement officials is a demanding career requiring exceptional skills and knowledge. This qualification is directed at the private security industry as well as the broader field of policing. Security and risk management, although there are many generic issues, distinguishes itself from related fields of study such as social control, the criminal justice system and community safety, to warrant independent study.

Security and risk control practices are fast becoming a specialised field of study in safety and security in South Africa. Law enforcement investigators, analysts and response officers should be able to manage the primary and secondary functions within the sphere of policing in the public and private policing environment. Learners will be required to integrate this required core knowledge in society and effectively execute their functions. There is definitive escalating demand for professionally trained, practically orientated and knowledgeable law enforcement officers.

Private policing (security) is by far the largest sector in terms of numbers in the broader field of "policing" in South Africa. Indications are that the private law enforcement industry and governmental policing agencies will in future work more closely together in an effort to stem the unacceptable level of crime. It is therefore imperative that the private and public spheres of policing align their qualifications, as many of the issues that impact on the public law enforcement agencies also have a direct influence on the private law enforcement industry.

This qualification is career directed. Private sector law enforcers are offered the opportunity to enter the field of policing or to establish a private enterprise in the field of security. Apart from following a career as a private or public law enforcement officer, successful learners will also be able to articulate to related fields of study such as criminology and more specifically that of a police, traffic, metropolitan police or security officer. Learners studying towards this qualification will find that the acquisition of the numerous competencies in the qualification will add value to their understanding of any of these sectors and functioning in the work place. It will provide for consolidation of the broad knowledge, skills and values needed in criminal justice. This Diploma: Criminal Justice is designed to provide opportunities for the qualifying learner to access positions in:

• Safety and security.
• Various sectors within the broader context of policing.

It is also of benefit to practitioners within the public and private security and law enforcement industry.

The qualification assumes that the student is competent in the language of of learning and teaching and in the general theoretical, practical, professional and academic knowledge accomplished at NQF Level 4.

Recognition of Prior Learning

Learning that has been acquired through formal, informal and non-formal means is recognised for the fulfillment of the requirements of this qualification or part of the qualification. It is required that through assessment practices, the learner should demonstrate competence in the knowledge, skills, values and attitudes implicit in this qualification. Recognition of Prior Learning is performed by means of Integrated Assessment as mentioned in the previous paragraph.

This Recognition of Prior Learning may allow for accelerated access to further learning. All Recognition of Prior Learning is subject to quality assurance by the relevant accredited Education and Training Quality Assurance Body and is conducted by an experienced academic.

Access to the Qualification

The minimum admission requirement is a National Senior Certificate (NSC) with a minimum of 30% in the language of learning and teaching of the higher education institution as certified by Umalusi, coupled with an achievement rating of 3 (Moderate Achievement, 40-49%) or better in four recognized National Senior Certificate 20-credit subjects.

The qualification consists of the following modules

NQF Level 5

Learners are to complete the following compulsory modules

• General Management, 20 credits.
• Concepts of Policing 1, 20 credits.
• Security Practice 1, 20 credits.
• Business Communication, 20 credits.
• Business Law, 20 credits.

Learners are to complete one of the following elective modules

• Criminology and Victimology, 20 credits.
• Crime Scene Management, 20 credits.

Total maximum credits at NQF Level 5: 120 credits.

NQF Level 6

Learners are to complete the following compulsory modules

• Criminal Law 1, 20 credits.
• Law of Procedure and Evidence, 20 credits.
• Criminal Law 2, 20 credits.
• Security Practice 2, 25 credits.
• Concepts of Policing 2, 25 credits.
• Managing the Patrol Function, 20 credits.

Learners are to complete two of the following elective modules

• Criminology 2, 20 credits.
• Risk Management for Law enforcement, 20 credits.
• Crime Prevention, 20 credits.
• Community Policing, 20 credits.
• Project Management for Law Enforcement, 20 credits.

Total credits at NQF Level 6: 170 credits.

NQF Level 7

Learners are to complete the following compulsory modules

• Security Practice 3, 28 credits.
• Crowd Management, 28 credits.
• Business Ethics, 28 credits.

Total credits at NQF Level 7: 84 credits.

Total minimum credits for qualification: 374 credits.

On achieving this Qualification, the learner will be able to

• Communicate effectively in a range of routine and complex public and private sector settings.
• Utilise knowledge and administrative skills to recognise and pursue public and private sector objectives.
• Apply the principles of business law responsibly.
• Apply the principles of individual rights to facilitate the investigation of crime scenes.
• Recognise and solve public relations and communication problems.
• Apply sound administrative management principles.
• Complete projects within agreed time frames and according to budgets and professional standards.
• Utilise essential managerial skills that lead to informed decision making.
• Implement information and communication technology practices in a work environment.
• Contribute meaningfully to corporate social responsibility in an organization.
• Facilitate "Batho Pele" principles.

Associated Assessment Criteria for Exit Level Outcomes

The following Associated Assessment Criteria are applicable to all the Exit Level Outcomes and are assessed in an integrated way across the Outcomes:

• Identify and solve a range of problems when dealing with crime and the investigation of crime.
• Define the legislation that impacts on security in both the public and private sectors.
• Collect and collate information and use it to explain social and criminal justice issues.
• Work effectively with others as part of a team in the investigation of crime and the restoration of order.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the inter-relationship between various stakeholders in the field of safety and security.
• Identify and use technology effectively and efficiently to improve policing practice with due regard to the environment and the health of others.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the factors that contribute to the causation of crime and how to minimise the impact of these factors.
• Communicate effectively as a practitioner in the field of safety and security with colleagues and the community.
• Demonstrate an awareness and appreciation of the role of ethics in a policing context.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the world as a set of inter-related systems and that problem-solving tactics must follow this theory.
• Indicate the importance of human rights in the South African society.
• Demonstrate competence in the use of data to identify and solve crime problems.

Integrated Assessment

In the assessment strategy as a whole, evidence must be demonstrated through a variety of options

Formal written and, where applicable, oral examination/assessment will be made evident through both formative and summative assessment.

The learner is required to put together a portfolio of evidence that will act as proof of the learning that has taken place. This method of formative assessment will be required although it will not be measured or monitored by the assessors since the mode of learning is distance education. Compilation of the portfolio as well as self-tests throughout the learning period will provide evidence of development, which will be assessed through the submission of assignments.

Formative assessment refers to the assessment that takes place during the process of learning and teaching. It

• Is designed to support the teaching and learning process.
• Provides feedback to the learner on his/her progress.
• Helps to make decisions on the readiness of learners to do a summative assessment.
• Is developmental in nature.

Formative assessment is useful in terms of assessment of critical cross-field outcomes, as these are often difficult to assess during summative assessments. Gaps in terms of knowledge and abilities can be identified with individuals at this stage and appropriate action planned accordingly. The assignments that must be submitted will have a weighting of 20% towards the final examination mark.

Summative assessment is making a judgment about achievement. Learner-readiness determines whether the learner will qualify for the annual examination. It is required that the assignments are submitted in order to write the annual examination in each module.

Summative assessment/End of study cycle examinations

• Occurs at the end of each study cycle of learning.
• Is used to determine whether the learner is competent in knowledge and skills.

Summative assessments will be conducted on a continuous basis throughout the learning experience. As this is a distance-learning programme it is confined to an annual written examination. Summative assessments are standardised for learners per qualification, in order for all learners to be fairly assessed against the same criteria.