BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminal Justice

Learn to apply psychology to criminal investigation and study a degree that prepares you for a career in the criminal justice system, or for further study to become a Forensic Psychologist.

You’ll study forensic psychology, understanding what motivates criminal behaviour and how criminals are treated within the justice system. You’ll learn about the criminal mind and how individual differences relates to criminal behaviour. You’ll also study neuroscience, discovering how areas of the brain and brain damage can lead to riskier behaviour. You’ll apply this understanding of psychology and criminology directly to the criminal justice system, learning how the legal system works and how it treats offenders and victims of crime.

Our degree is strongly focused on your career and employability. When you graduate, your understanding of the human mind, criminology and the criminal justice system will allow you to excel in a range of careers. Our graduates have gone onto work for the Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service, charities supporting prisoners, people with convictions and their children and families, mental health services, the NHS and Education.

This course also has the option of a one year paid work placement, to boost your employability even further.

Our modules and assessments are based on real-world applications, allowing you to apply psychological and criminological theories to real-life cases and further increase your professional skills. You’ll spend time criminal profiling, writing case study reports, and discussing and debating criminal justice responses to build confidence in applying your own knowledge and judgement. You’ll also develop valuable skills in research and data analysis, teamwork, communication, negotiation and presentations, which will be an asset in your career.

You’ll be learning from our enthusiastic and supportive academic tutors, who are also practitioners and involved in the latest research. They’ll teach you in our state-of-the-art psychological facilities, giving you first-hand experience using the latest equipment, including our EEGs to record brain activity, eye-tracking software, access to an fMRI, and brain stimulation therapy, including Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).

Our degree is professionally accredited by the British Psychological Society. This means if you graduate with at least a 2:2 you’ll be eligible for Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the BPS – which is an essential first step if you want to go on to become a Charted Psychologist. It also means our teaching is of the highest standard, and you’ll receive excellent levels of support within our School.