Psychology and Criminology (with optional placement year)

Psychology enables you to study the workings of the human mind and how this is revealed in human behaviour, both consciously and unconsciously. As a psychology student, you will be introduced to psychological theories and will learn to critically evaluate them so that you can reach your own well-informed conclusions about the nature and origins of human and non-human behaviour. Criminology is the scientific study of crime and criminals, including individual motivations, consequences, perpetrators, and preventative measures. In the same way as, psychological theory is used to explain abnormal or atypical behaviour, it can be used to explain deviant or criminal behaviour.

You’ll have access to excellent facilities and equipment. We have recently invested £320k in new hardware and software for our psychology laboratories and we also have a laboratory in the new £13m state-of-the-art Health and Wellbeing Building officially opened in June 2023.

Studying psychology enables you to develop a diverse range of transferable skills which are valued highly by employers. We are proud to be ranked 1st in the UK for graduates in career 15 months after graduation for Psychology (Guardian University Guide, 2023).

On this course, you will be equipped with a thorough grounding in each of the major fields in psychology: social psychology; developmental psychology; biological psychology; and cognitive psychology. In addition, you will explore abnormal psychology, contemporary and historic issues in psychology and individual differences. This will be underpinned by thorough training in research methods, both qualitative and quantitative, and exploration of the scientific method. You will be encouraged to evaluate a range of theories and research evidence, helping you to become a critical thinker whilst encouraging you to reach your own informed conclusions.

This programme is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) which means that on successful completion of your degree, eligibility for graduate based chartership (GBC) of the BPS will be conferred. GBC of the BPS is a mandatory requirement for access to most professional practitioner training programmes.
There are many opportunities open to psychology and criminology degree holders, including:
Psychologist, Psychotherapist, Social Worker, Counsellor, Educational Psychologist, Human Resource Manager, Teacher, Research roles, Media roles, Civil service administrator, Community development worker, Crime scene investigator, Detective, Police officer, Prison officer, Probation officer, Social worker and Youth worker to name a few.