Psychology with Criminology Bachelor of Science (with Honours) - BSc (Hons)

Are you interested in finding out more about yourself and the people around you? Do you find yourself distracted by ‘people watching’? Do you think you are in a good position to help others but need more knowledge to do so? Do you find yourself watching hours of crime dramas and documentaries? The BSc (Hons) Psychology with Criminology may help you to pursue your interests. Focused on the individual and mind, psychologists study people’s behaviour, motivations, thoughts and feelings. Contrasted with this, the study of Criminology is focused on the subject matter of crime and criminality, from explanations of criminal behaviour to questioning the legitimacy of the subject matter itself.

Students of Psychology with Criminology develop skills in generating and evaluating evidence, making reasoned arguments and ethical judgements which are useful in many careers. Combining Psychology and Criminology, this course develops intellectual skills required to be an independent learner. Including the ability to gather appropriate and relevant information from a number of quality sources and make an informed judgement about your own behaviour and that of those around you.

There is a lot more to Psychology and Criminology than it first appears and as a student of this course, you will develop your own personal interests following on from the numerous academics who have had similar curiosities in the past. In the first year the content is very much guided as you gain skills that may be new. As the course develops, you will gradually have more choice, culminating in the dissertation in the final year which combines all the expertise gained throughout the degree and focused on a subject matter entirely of your own choosing.

This course is particularly relevant to people already working in or looking to develop a career within and beyond Psychology. The British Psychological Society (BPS) found that Psychology graduates are readily recruited to a wide range of jobs as well as post graduate study. The proposed course is designed to prepare students for specialism at post graduate study or research e.g., clinical, forensic psychology, forensic science as well as a range of post graduate careers. Psychology and criminology students are ideally suited to careers in the police, probation, prison service, security services, local and central government, social work, youth work, public policy, offender charities, housing, mental health services, victim support, drug rehabilitation and research in general.

If you wish to continue studying beyond this course, it will provide you with a strong academic basis to do so. Whilst the degree follows the recommended curriculum of the BPS, it does not offer Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GRC). This would need to be achieved by undertaking a conversion programme at Masters level. Course progression routes could include an MSc in Health Psychology, MSc Developmental Psychology and MSc Forensic Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University as well as MSc in Clinical Applications of Psychology and MA in Criminal Justice at the University of Hull. Students may go onto to study for their PGCE at UCNL to become qualified teachers.