Program Overview

BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology with Integrated Foundation Year

Overview

This four-year version of our popular BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology course includes an integrated foundation year. Learn how criminal behavior and the legal system have been conceptualized and approached. Examine violent offending, such as murder, terrorism, stalking, cyber and sexual crime. Graduate and work with prisoners, offenders, victims of crime, and provide forensic expertise to suspects, witnesses, and victims within the Criminal Justice System.

Why Us?

• We are a University that is nationally recognized for supporting learners, particularly from non-traditional backgrounds.
• Psychology was awarded an Athena Swan Bronze Award in 2021, in recognition of its commitment to supporting and transforming gender equality.
• This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS). Students who graduate with a 2:2 or above have Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership to the BPS, which is an essential step to becoming a Forensic Psychologist.

Course Structure

Teaching methods include a mixture of large and small lectures, seminars, and workshops, one-to-one and group tutorials. Students will have personal development sessions with academic staff to help with their studies and developing their employability skills.

Foundation Year

• Essential Study Skills (20 credits)
• Foundation Project (20 credits)
• Practical Statistics (20 credits)
• Foundations of Psychology (40 credits)
• Contemporary Issues in Psychology (20 credits)

Year 1 (National Level 4)

Core Modules

• Mind and Social World: Developmental, Social and Cognitive Psychology (30 credits)
• Brain and Behaviour: Biological Psychology, Individual Differences, and Quantitative Methods (30 credits)
• The Building Blocks of Psychological Research (15 credits)
• Counselling Foundations (15 credits)
• Forensic and Criminal Psychology (15 credits)
• Clinical Psychology and Allied Professions (15 credits)

Year 2 (National Level 5)

Core Modules

• Interactions and Influences: Social Psychology, Individual Differences, and Qualitative Methods (30 credits)
• Human Development and Cognition: Developmental, Cognitive and Quantitative Psychology (30 credits)
• Mental Health and Psychopathology (15 credits)
• Biological and Evolutionary Foundations of Human Behaviour (15 credits)
• Psychology of Detection and the Criminal Trial (15 credits)
• Psychology of Investigative Interviewing and Interrogation (15 credits)

Final Year (National Level 6)

Core Modules

• Communicating Psychological Science (30 credits)
• Empirical Project (30 credits)
• Application of Psychology to Serious and Violent Offending (15 credits)
• Forensic and Criminal Psychology in Practice (15 credits)

Optional Modules (Choose Two for a Total of 30 Credits)

• Health Psychology (15 credits)
• Psychology Placement (15 credits)
• Sexual and Romantic Relationship Dynamics (15 credits)
• Advanced Research Methods and Statistics (15 credits)
• Digital Humans (15 credits)
• Perspectives on Addiction (15 credits)
• Psychology of Belief (15 credits)
• Classic Studies in Psychology (15 credits)
• Environmental Psychology (15 credits)
• Applied Environmental Psychology (15 credits)
• Independent Literature Review (15 credits)
• Research Experience (15 credits)
• Development in Unique Populations (15 credits)
• Neonatal Psychology Across the Lifespan (15 credits)
• Male Psychology (15 credits)
• The Psychology of Gaming (15 credits)
• Exploring Psychological Issues in Women's Reproductive Health (15 credits)
• Cognitive Neuroscience of Aging (15 credits)
• Human Animal Interaction and Wellbeing (15 credits)
• Applying Psychology to Work and Organisations (15 credits)
• Positive Psychology (15 credits)
• Creative Methods for Exploring Issues in Psychology (15 credits)
• Applying Research in Reality (15 credits)
• Biopsychological Measurement Skills (15 credits)

Facilities

• Psychology is based in the Murray Library on City Campus, close to the city centre and a three-minute walk from the University metro station.
• You'll find a range of specialist laboratories and excellent library resources here.

Entry Requirements

• Normally a minimum of three Level 2 qualifications (NVQ, GCSE or equivalent), including Maths and English at grade C or above, and a minimum of 40 UCAS tariff points from Level 3 qualifications (e.g., A or AS Levels, T Levels, BTEC certificates/diplomas, access courses or equivalent).
• Demonstrable evidence of appropriate knowledge and skills acquired from at least three years of post-school work experience.

Fees and Finance

• The annual fee for this course is £9,535 if you are from the UK/Ireland/EU settled/pre-settled.
• Undergraduate fees are set according to rules from Government in line with forecast inflation.

Career Ready

• Graduates may go on to study forensic psychology at postgraduate level in order to become a Chartered Forensic Psychologist.
• Graduates can also apply their skills in workplaces such as prisons, rehabilitation units, and secure hospitals working with criminals.
• Many graduates also follow a non-psychology career route due to developing highly transferable skills. These occupations include careers advisor, counsellor, psychotherapist, human resources, marketing, schoolteacher, play therapist, art therapist, dance therapist, social worker, policy officer, neuroscientist, mediator, and border force officer.