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PgDip Youth Justice

Academic Year 2021/22

A programme specification is required for any programme on which a student may be registered. All programmes of the University are subject to the University's Quality Assurance and Enhancement processes as set out in the DASA Policies and Procedures Manual.

Programme Title

PgDip Youth Justice

Final Award
(exit route if applicable for Postgraduate Taught Programmes)

Postgraduate Diploma

Programme Code

SOC-PD-YJ

UCAS Code

HECoS Code

100484

ATAS Clearance Required

Health Check Required

Portfolio Required

Interview Required

Mode of Study

Part Time or Full Time

Type of Programme

Postgraduate

Length of Programme

Part Time - 2 Academic Year(s)
Full Time - 1 Academic Year(s)

Total Credits for Programme

120

Exit Awards available

INSTITUTE INFORMATION

Teaching Institution	Queen's University Belfast
School/Department	Social Sciences, Education and Social Work
Quality Code https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code Higher Education Credit Framework for England https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/higher-education-credit-framework-for-england	Level 7
Subject Benchmark Statements https://www.qaa.ac.uk/quality-code/subject-benchmark-statements The Frameworks for Higher Education Qualifications of UK Degree-Awarding Bodies https://www.qaa.ac.uk/docs/qaa/quality-code/qualifications-frameworks.pdf	Criminology (2014)
Accreditations (PSRB)

REGULATION INFORMATION

Does the Programme have any approved exemptions from the University General Regulations
(Please see General Regulations)

Programme Specific Regulations

N/A

Students with protected characteristics

N/A

Are students subject to Fitness to Practise Regulations

(Please see General Regulations)

EDUCATIONAL AIMS OF PROGRAMME

The PG Dip Youth Justice aims to explore the interface between social justice, criminal justice and children’s rights - The course has been designed with a view towards encouraging students to consider the interface between social justice, criminal justice and children’s rights. The connections between criminal justice policies and practices and social policies and practices will be critically explored.
Interdisciplinary teaching and learning - The course has been constructed to ensure students receive a grounding in the field of youth justice, but are also given some scope to choose from the range of optional modules across the various schools. All students will undertake two core introductory modules, which will be taught collaboratively by colleagues from across the four schools. This will enable students to understand the place of their named qualification within the broader field and enable them to consider a range of other perspectives.
Blended learning – In order to make the course accessible to those across the island of Ireland (and beyond), a blended learning approach has been adopted. This will include a mixture of face-to-face and online learning as well as short condensed modules (e.g. running over a weekend). We anticipate the blend may evolve over time in response to student evaluations and the choices they make between modules delivered in different ways.
Building Capacity - The PG Dip in Youth Justice will equip graduates with a range of knowledge and skills of direct relevance to work in areas including youth justice, youth and community work, criminal justice, public policy and research. For participants already employed in these areas, the programme will build on existing skills and knowledge and enhance capacity.
In particular, the programme aims to:
Critically examine the construction and representation of ‘youth’ and youth offending (in legal, media, political and popular discourses);
Raise student awareness of contemporary youth issues and the complexity of the lives of children and young people in conflict with the law;
Highlight the links between criminal justice and social justice;
Provide students with an advanced understanding of theories relating to the study of youth and youth offending;
Encourage students to critically analyse policy responses to contemporary youth issues;
Provide students with an understanding of the social and historical development of responses to youth offending;
Enable students to critically appraise criminal justice responses to children and young people in conflict with the law;
Enable students to access and apply relevant international standards to child and youth policy and practice;
Inform students of the ethical and practical issues in carrying out research with children and young people.

Interdisciplinary teaching and learning - The course has been constructed to ensure students receive a grounding in the field of youth justice, but are also given some scope to choose from the range of optional modules across the various schools. All students will undertake two core introductory modules, which will be taught collaboratively by colleagues from across the four schools. This will enable students on all Improving Children’s Lives routes to understand the place of their named qualification within the broader field and enable them to consider a range of other perspectives.

Blended learning – In order to make the course accessible to those across the island of Ireland (and beyond), a blended learning approach has been adopted. This will include a mixture of face-to-face and online learning as well as short condensed modules (e.g. running over a weekend). We anticipate the blend may evolve over time in response to student evaluations and the choices they make between modules delivered in different ways.

Building Capacity - The PGDip in Youth Justice will equip graduates with a range of knowledge and skills of direct relevance to work in areas including youth justice, youth and community work, criminal justice, public policy and research. For participants already employed in these areas, the programme will build on existing skills and knowledge and enhance capacity.

In particular, the programme aims to:

Critically examine the construction and representation of ‘youth’ and youth offending (in legal, media, political and popular discourses);

Raise student awareness of contemporary youth issues and the complexity of the lives of children and young people in conflict with the law;

Highlight the links between criminal justice and social justice;

Provide students with an advanced understanding of theories relating to the study of youth and youth offending;

Encourage students to critically analyse policy responses to contemporary youth issues;

Provide students with an understanding of the social and historical development of responses to youth offending;

Enable students to critically appraise criminal justice responses to children and young people in conflict with the law;

Enable students to access and apply relevant international standards to youth justice policy and practice;

Inform students of the ethical and practical issues in carrying out research with children and young people.