Criminology and Forensic Investigation with Foundation Year

With this foundation year course, you'll gain all the credentials you need to begin your career in criminology and forensic investigation. It's ideal for you if you don't yet meet the entry requirements of our undergraduate degree, if you're returning to study after a break away, or you need a bit of extra support to get uni-ready.

You'll spend a year studying with us on campus, through ICP. You'll get the knowledge and academic skills needed to take on a bachelor's degree, learning how to analyse information, do research, and improve your academic writing.

The skills you'll learn will help you work in teams as well as on your own in culturally diverse workplaces. You'll develop your understanding of new workplaces and environments, and how to adapt to new environments.

After your foundation year, you'll be ready to move onto the first year of BSc (Hons) Criminology and Forensic Investigation.

A guaranteed place
Once you’ve successfully completed your foundation year, you'll be ready to progress onto BSc (Hons) Criminology and Forensic Investigation with a guaranteed place.

Course highlights

• ICP is based on the University of Portsmouth campus so you'll have access to all facilities, support and societies

• When you finish your foundation year successfully, you get a guaranteed place on BSc (Hons) Criminology and Forensic Investigation

• Get used to how lectures, seminars and tutorials work, so you can move onto your degree ready for success

• Learn how to meet the demands of taking on a bachelor's at university

Careers and opportunities
When you complete this foundation year, you'll be all set to continue on to our BSc (Hons) Criminology and Forensic Investigation. Because this course blends criminology and forensic studies, you’ll graduate with a particularly broad range of careers open to you. Your lecturers can help you identify the options that excite you most, so you can choose to study modules that fit your ambitions.

You’ll be especially well-prepared for the wide variety of criminal justice careers where forensic awareness plays a key role – from forensic practitioner in the police, probation or prison services, through to rewarding areas of expertise like community safety, crime prevention and criminological research. More broadly, the impressive problem-solving skills you develop could prove valuable in all kinds of careers.

What jobs can you do with a criminology and forensic investigation degree?

Our graduates have gone on to roles including:

• crime scene investigator

• investigative data analyst

• police officer

• intelligence researcher

• probation officer

• youth offending support officer

• emergency planning officer

• prison officer

• forensic and other laboratories

• teaching (with further training)

The University of Portsmouth is passionate about creating career-focused modules that do more than support your studies, they empower your academic journey and prepare you for what comes next.

We design modules that have:

• Clear themes and skills development as you progress through each year
• Assessments that feel meaningful, often based on real-world tasks rather than isolated exams
• Career-enhancing opportunities such as placements, live projects, enterprise and volunteering

For a full list of the modules you will study on this course, please visit https://www.port.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/bsc-hons-criminology-and-forensic-investigation?studyMode=4-years-with-foundation-year&startDate=september-2026#modules

You'll be assessed in a number of ways on your foundation year, including:

• assignments
• oral presentations
• exams
• lab reports
• portfolio
• court reports

Typically, you can expect to have two assessments per module.