Criminology with Psychology

Criminology and psychology together address some of the most challenging questions about human behaviour. Criminology asks why crime occurs, how societies define and respond to it, what causes certain individuals or communities to come into conflict with the law, and how justice systems function in practice. Psychology brings a complementary focus on the mind and behaviour, offering theoretical frameworks from cognitive, developmental, social, and forensic psychology that help explain why people act as they do.

The two disciplines intersect productively, particularly in understanding criminal behaviour, the psychology of offenders and victims, and the operation of the criminal justice system.

At Middlesex University in London, this three-year full-time programme includes a foundation year for those who benefit from additional preparation before the main degree, a sandwich placement year, and work placement opportunities. The foundation year builds the academic skills and subject knowledge needed to engage confidently with degree-level criminology and psychology. The placement year connects your academic learning to professional environments in policing, probation, social work, research, or other relevant settings.

You will explore the causes of crime from sociological, psychological, and structural perspectives, examine the workings of the criminal justice system from police to courts to prisons, and develop an understanding of key concepts in psychology including cognition, development, social influence, and mental health.

You will develop critical thinking, research skills, and the ability to evaluate evidence, which are capabilities valued both in further study and in professional practice. The combination of criminological and psychological perspectives gives you a richer analytical toolkit than either discipline alone.

Graduates from criminology and psychology programmes pursue careers in probation, youth justice, police services, victim support, social work, mental health services, research, and the voluntary sector. The combination is particularly well suited to roles in forensic psychology and criminal justice, and many graduates continue to postgraduate study, including professional training in forensic or clinical psychology.