Psychology and Criminology

Explore criminal behaviour, psychology, and justice systems through themes from brain processes and personality to policing, punishment, and social inequality, with placement opportunities and strong graduate career prospects.

Understand the psychology behind human behaviour and the complex social drivers of crime on Aston University’s Psychology and Criminology BSc. This dynamic, career-focused degree equips you with scientific insight, analytical skills, and real-world perspective needed to explore why crime happens and how society can respond effectively. By combining core psychological science with contemporary criminological theory and practice, you’ll graduate ready to make an impact across criminal justice, mental health, social policy, and community support sectors.

Explore the science of the human mind and behaviour alongside the social drivers of crime. This interdisciplinary degree combines core psychological theory with contemporary criminological perspectives, enabling you to understand why people think, behave, and offend, and how society responds.

You will investigate and analyse why people behave the way they do, and how our views are shaped by societal structures, culture, and our collective experiences. In addition, you will have the opportunity to research why these societal structures exist in the first place; giving you a rounded view of human behaviour and the impact we have on each other as fellow citizens.

Year 1

In your first year of the BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology programme, you will establish a strong foundation in the key principles and concepts that underpin both psychology and criminology. This year is designed to introduce you to fundamental knowledge and skills essential for your academic journey and future career.

Year 2

You will build on the core grounding you gained in your first year and be introduced to exciting new subject areas such as Applied Psychology and Professional Skills and Theories of Crime. You will also choose from a range of optional modules

Placement year

This is your opportunity to gain valuable career-boosting experience by setting your studies in the real-world context of a working environment alongside professionals

Final year

During your final year, you have the opportunity to specialise in the areas of criminology of particular interest and relevance to your career. You will also complete core psychology modules, deepening your understanding of developmental and social psychology, while undertaking a research project in an area of psychology with support from our expert psychology staff.

Course Modules

Yr 1:

• Key Skills in Psychology I and II

• Biological and Cognitive Psychology

• Developmental and Social Psychology

• Ideas that Shape Society

• What’s Trending: Contemporary Issues in Crime and Society

• Crime and Deviance

Yr 2:

• Applied Psychology and Professional Skills

• Research Methods and Data Analysis

• Cognition and Cognitive Neuropsychology

• Individual Differences and Personality

• Theories of Crime

Optional modules (select 3):

• Digital Methods for Social Science and Humanities

• Embodiment, Deviance and Feminist Theory

• Global Society

• Prisons, Policing and Punishment

• Media and Society

• Racisms

• Victimology.

Placement Year:

This module aims to provide a framework for students on placement (including working or studying abroad, working or volunteering in the UK in a variety of contexts) to demonstrate the learning they have achieved through their placement experiences and relate these to future employment opportunities.\

Final Year:

• Final Year Project

• Critical Social Psychology

• Child Development

• Corporate Power

• Ecocide: Enmvironmental Harms and Social Justice

• Migration, Borders and Detention

• Protest, Power and the State

• Fraud, Bribery and Corruption

• Ethics in a Crisis

• Emerging Technologies: AI and Law

Optional modules (select 4 - 3 of which must be selected from Criminology optional modules):

• Criminology: Drugs, Law and Society

• Criminology: Ecocide:  Environmental Harms and Social Justice

• Criminology: Ethics in a Crisis

• Elites

• Work, Organisations and Society

• Corporate Crime

• Emerging Technologies:  AI and Law

• Fraud, Bribery and Corruption

• Migration, Borders and Detention

• Protest, Power and the State

• Bodies, Power and Resistance

https://www.aston.ac.uk/study/courses/psychology-and-criminology/september-2027

The Aston BSc (Hons) Psychology and Criminology curriculum utilises a range of different assessment types and the assessment strategy reflects the national educational requirements in the Framework for Qualifications of Higher Education.

The programme will be assessed through a combination of written and oral examinations, class tests, individual and group coursework, projects, presentations and practical assessments.

Professionally accredited courses provide industry-wide recognition of the quality of your qualification.

• British Psychological Society