Psychology with Criminology

Psychology with criminology is a pairing that examines both the internal workings of the human mind and the social and institutional frameworks through which societies define and respond to harmful behaviour. Psychology addresses fundamental mental processes, from learning, memory and attention to emotion, development and mental health, building an empirical and theoretical understanding of why people think and act as they do. Criminology brings the social scientific perspective, examining why crime is defined and distributed as it is, how criminal behaviour relates to social inequality, trauma and circumstance, and whether criminal justice institutions achieve their stated aims.

Together the disciplines offer a particularly coherent framework for understanding offending, victimisation and justice.

At the University of Plymouth you will study for three years full-time, with a foundation year available for those who need additional preparation before the main degree. The programme also includes a sandwich year in professional practice and a year abroad, giving you extended professional and international experience alongside your academic studies. You will develop core psychological skills including experimental design, hypothesis testing, data collection and analysis, working through practical workshops and research projects that build genuine scientific competence alongside your theoretical knowledge.

Graduates with psychology and criminology are well suited to careers in criminal justice, forensic psychology support, youth justice, probation, social work, mental health services, community safety, victim support and research. The psychological grounding opens routes into counselling, clinical support roles and human resources, while the criminological component is relevant in policing, policy and the legal sector. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminology or social work, moving into more specialist professional and research roles.

The combination reflects the reality that effective work in justice and social care almost always requires understanding of both individual psychology and structural context.