Psychology with Criminology

Psychology with criminology brings together the scientific study of human behaviour and the social scientific analysis of crime, justice, and the systems that respond to harm. Psychology provides the empirical and theoretical framework for understanding how people think, feel, develop, and act, including the cognitive, developmental, social, and neurological factors that may contribute to antisocial or criminal behaviour. Criminology broadens this to examine the social, structural, and institutional dimensions of crime, including how it is defined, measured, and addressed by criminal justice systems.

At the University of Law, this three-year programme explores the psychology behind criminal behaviour alongside contemporary criminological theories and issues, combining evidence-based psychological knowledge with a critical understanding of how justice systems operate in practice. Teaching draws on the expertise of forensic psychologists and practising criminologists, and the programme engages with real-world case studies and current research. You will develop psychological inquiry skills alongside the broader criminological and sociological understanding the subject demands, including how social structures and cultural contexts shape both crime and the response to it.

Graduates are well prepared for careers in the criminal justice system, probation and offender management, social work, victim support, the prison service, police intelligence, and forensic settings. Those who wish to become forensic or clinical psychologists will need to pursue further postgraduate training following a BPS-accredited degree. Other graduates move into research, policy, community and youth work, safeguarding, and roles in organisations working with vulnerable people.

The combination of psychological science and criminological understanding is directly applicable across all these professional contexts.