BSc (Hons)Psychology with Criminology

Core modules

Police and Social Control

This module introduces and explores how the police operate in England and Wales and the sometimes complicated relationship between society and their police. You will develop an understanding of the historical development of the police, and how British society has shaped this, and formulate an evidence-based appreciation of the organisation’s efficiency and effectiveness.

Psychology Launchpad

This module will introduce you to fundamental and historical approaches in psychology, including psychodynamic, behaviourism, cognitive and biological (both evolutionary and physiological) approaches. This will give you a grounding in how psychology has developed and the ability to describe trends in psychological history.

The Social Toolkit

This module is an introduction to social psychology, developmental psychology, individual differences and qualitative research methods. To prepare towards work in the second year, students will be introduced to the history of social psychology and the history of personality psychology.

Behaviour and the Brain

This module will develop your understanding of how the brain supports perception, memory, thinking, emotion, and behaviour, and how dysfunction in these systems reveals the cognitive processes we rely on in everyday life. By the end of the module, you will be able to discuss key biological and cognitive concepts, evaluate research evidence, solve applied problems creatively, and communicate your own research with clarity and attention to detail.

Core modules

Neuropsychology

This module deepens students’ insight into perception, memory, attention, executive function and decision-making, with a particular emphasis on the research methods used to investigate these processes.

Diversity in the Social World

This module aims to provide an engaging exploration to the study of social psychology, and individual differences and studying advanced qualitative research methods to investigate social influence and diversity.

From Cradle to Grave

The aim of this module is to develop your psychological literacy, the ability to apply what you know from studying developmental psychology in the first year to understanding how positive psychology can improve wellbeing.

Optional modules

Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.

Punishment, Resistance and Desistance

This module aims to develop an understanding of the key concepts of punishment, resistance and desistance with specific reference to comparative criminal justice responses (Britain, Scandinavia and South-East Asia) to offending and research on desistance from crime following the introduction of the 2012 Transforming Rehabilitation Programme in England and Wales.

True Crime in the Information Age

This module provides an analytical understanding of true crime as a cultural, sociological, and digital phenomenon. You will examine and interpret the ethical complexities of representing trauma and the impact of "citizen detective" culture on the criminal justice system.

Core modules

CHIP

This module seeks to highlight how the discipline of psychology has wielded power and influence, and how this has led to controversies within the discipline and real-world impact beyond the academic pursuit of the discipline.

Psychology Project

This module allows students to independently conduct a piece of psychological research, in an area of their choosing. Students will develop in-depth knowledge of this area by reviewing psychological literature, deciding on a research question to be investigated/hypothesis to be tested, and will then design a study to answer this question.

Psychology Professional Practice

This module will progress the psychological theory studied in years one and two, and develop how to apply social psychology and individual differences to the workplace incorporating evidence-based practice.

Optional modules

Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.

Working with Gender and Sexuality in Criminal Justice

This module critically examines the relationship between crime, gender and sexuality within contemporary society and the criminal justice system. You will learn to apply theory and methods to analyse and solve real-world issues in gender and sexuality within criminal justice and related fields.

Radicalisation to Terror: Ideology, Threat and Political Violence

This module explores the nature and impact of terrorism and other forms of political violence in the modern world, including a critical examination of extremism and radicalisation. You’ll examine how terrorism is defined, why these definitions are often disputed, and what motivates individuals and groups to use violence for political ends.