Course Overview
Have you ever wondered what drives a person to crime? If criminal minds intrigue you, then this course will give you some of the answers. Criminological Psychology combines studying the core areas of psychology with applied areas of forensic psychology, victimology and psychology in the criminal justice system.
This course looks at how psychology furthers our understanding of criminal behaviour. It’s an opportunity to become involved in contemporary research in the social, developmental, cognitive, individual differences and biological dimensions of behaviour. You’ll also immerse yourself in the psychology present at every stage of the criminal justice system (crime, policing, legal system, prison, probation and rehabilitation).
Become an expert in the Criminal Mind
There are many roles for psychology graduates within the Criminal Justice System such as the courts, prisons and probation services. We’ve designed this course to teach you all you need to know about the underlying principles of psychology used to great effect in various forensic settings. Strong links with several local prisons ensure you’ll be exposed to psychology in an applied context.
By the time you graduate, you’ll have skills that are attractive to a wide range of employers. You’ll also be prepared to further your studies in any area of forensic or criminal psychology.
This course is also available on a full-time basis.
Attendance and Personal Study
You will have six hours per week scheduled contact time at the University. You will also be expected to take responsibility for your independent learning outside of these contact hours.
Be a part of the British Psychological Society
This course has been accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), a qualification recognised by major employers throughout the country. All our compulsory modules take you through the core BPS requirements. Once you graduate, with a 2.2 or above, you’ll be eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC). From there, you’ll be able to take the next steps towards being a Chartered Psychologist.
More placements, more choices
Bucks is a Placements Plus university. So, whatever degree you do, you can be sure there’ll be plenty of industry-relevant opportunities on offer, to help you get into your chosen field.
We’ll also prepare you for work beforehand, with special skills for work training, further boosting your CV, and building skills employers will value. In recognition of the value we place on these skills we have incorporated this experience into your study time.
Placements Plus is all about helping you get some valuable experience under your belt while you’re a student. To increase your choices later, and help you get the graduate-level job you want.
Course Details
At Bucks, we explore every aspect of psychology on our wide range of courses. Our department is home to a fantastic community of Psychology and Social Science students who may collaborate with you on projects - providing a rich supply of volunteers when you run your own experiments. With psychology, learning doesn’t just take place in the lecture hall – you’ll have the chance to learn in labs and seminar rooms, gaining skills you’ll need for your career.
Learn from expert psychologists using specialist software
In workshops and lectures, we’ll take you through the various techniques you need to analyse data. You’ll focus on the practical use of the statistics software package SPSS, used by social scientists to analyse and present quantitative data. And you’ll have the opportunity to use the observation laboratory and measure psycho-physiological responses with Biopac©, a specialist research software tool.
Study in our well-designed facilities – both online and offline
You’ll study on our High Wycombe campus where everything is only a walk away. Our library is packed with all the information you’ll need for your assessments and there’s plenty of room to knuckle down for some quiet study. We also sign you up with our Virtual Learning Environment which grants you access to e-Journals and resources wherever you are.
What are the course entry requirements?
For this course, you'll need at least two A-levels and a GCSE Maths and English at grade C/4. Our offers usually require a minimum of 96-112 UCAS points.
For further details of our international English entry requirements, please visit our international pages.
Course Modules
Module Map
This module map provides a list of the modules that make up your course.
Each module is worth a specified number of credits (typically either 15 or 30 credits for undergraduate courses). Compulsory (or ‘core’) modules cover key subject knowledge, while ‘option’ modules enable you to develop your own interests. For a full-time course you must take modules worth a total of 120 credits at each level of the course. The number of option modules you can take depends on the number of compulsory modules at each level. You can find more information about how your course is structured via the Academic Advice pages.
Our teaching is informed by research and employer requirements, and modules change periodically to reflect developments in the subject area. In addition, where we have insufficient numbers of students interested in an option module, this may not be offered. If an option module does not run, we will advise you as soon as possible and help you choose an alternative module.
The modules available on this course are as follows:
Year One Modules
- Intro to Developmental and Social Psychology
- Intro to Biological Psychology and Cognitive Psychology
- Introduction to Criminology: The Concept of Crime
- Introduction to Criminology: The History of Punishment
Year Two Modules
- Intro to Personality and Applying Psychology
- Psychological Research Methods
- Intro to Cross-Disciplinary Psychology
Year Three Modules
- Psychological Perspectives on Criminal Behaviour
- Quantitative Research Methods in Psychology
Year Four Modules
- Developmental Psychology
- Biopsychology
- Qualitative Research Methods in Psychology
- Cognitive Processes in Psychology
Year Five Modules
- Historical and Conceptual issues in Psychology
- Issues in Personality and Individual Differences
- Police Psychology and Legal Framework (optional)
- Investigative and Forensic Psychology (optional)
- Victimology (optional)
- Interpersonal Violence (optional)
- Disability, Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System (optional)
- Communication, Interaction & the Criminal Justice System (optional)
- Radicalisation & Terrorism (optional)
Year Six Modules
- Empirical Dissertation
- Critical Social Psychology
- Investigative and Forensic Psychology (optional)
- Interpersonal Violence (optional)
- Disability, Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System (optional)
Fees
How much does it cost
Part Time Home and EU, Academic Year 2019-2020: £4,650 per year
Part Time Home and EU, Academic Year 2020-2021: £4,900 per year
Most courses will involve some additional costs that are not covered by your fees.
You could benefit from financial support through a bursary or scholarship during your time as a student. For more details visit our financial support, bursaries and scholarships section.
Questions about fees?
Contact our Enquiries Team:
0330 123 2023
advice@bucks.ac.uk
How do I apply?
For application details please visit bucks.ac.uk/applying-to-bucks
