
LLM Professional Legal Practice
Embark on your journey to becoming a solicitor with full SQE 1 and 2 preparation.
Find out moreExplore the world of crime and get behind the psychology of criminology and social justice, on this BPS Accredited degree.
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Email:Â Call:ÂYou will develop key industry skills in analytical thinking, crime scene investigations, presentation of evidential studies and critical thinking, along with the key knowledge of psychological and criminological theory to prepare you for a career in relevant fields and sectors. The course is designed and constantly refreshed with current thinking, thanks to a lecturing staff with plenty of experience and current connections within the criminal justice and criminology arena.
You will also benefit from a wide range of guest speakers who are industry experts, giving you a valuable window into real-world situations and challenges – as well as a network of employment opportunities. The courses are also supported by site visits, both locally and internationally, giving you the chance to explore the global perspective first-hand and draw on this in your learning journey.
With a strong emphasis on essential professional and career skills, along with a curriculum which reflects the changing face of criminology, the course focuses on group interaction and makes use of the latest research, and features a strong mentoring support network that has led directly to employment for past students.
If you’re looking to study our psychology with criminology degree but don’t have the relevant qualifications or experience, the social sciences foundation year will help you develop the core skills and knowledge to progress. Find out more about the social sciences foundation year.Â
This course also offers the option of a placement year. A placement year allows you to put what you've learned in your first and second years into practice in the workplace, gaining valuable real-world work experience before you graduate. Our course and placements teams will help you find the perfect industry placement in your chosen field.Â
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This course is suited to students who wish to follow a career path in criminology and psychology or similar professional/voluntary capacity. You will develop analytical and research skills that can be transferred to a broad range of careers, both within related fields and in the wider justice and voluntary sector.
The course gives you the chance to make valuable industry connections through site visits, guest speakers and the lecturing staff’s own extensive network, drawing on their research and practitioner status within the sector.
Accredited by the British Psychological Society, this degree would be suitable for students wishing to pursue a career in Forensic Psychology.
On graduating you will be well placed for various roles within criminology, criminal justice and related fields, including police and probation services, youth work and victim support, human rights, fraud investigations and many more.
Students are taught by an experienced and supportive teaching team with a wide range of academic experience and professional expertise (applied, teaching and research).
The University cannot guarantee any particular members of staff will teach specific aspects of the course in the future, but will endeavour to ensure the teaching team maintains their balance of experience and qualifications.
Students have access to our portable crime scene and mock courtroom. You'll also find an extensive range of criminology resources, journals and online materials in the Solent Library.
Our vibrant campus brings state-of-the-art facilities to enhance your learning and elevate your student experience. Our award-winning teaching building, The Spark is centred around students and offers a stimulating study environment with flexible learning spaces. Away from studying, why not try out the gyms, fitness studios and sports halls in our £28 million Sports Complex, or watch a blockbuster film at our student-run cinema with Dolby Atmos audio.
Approaching offending from a range of perspectives, this module explores the impact of key social divisions on crime and justice. Themes such as ethnicity, sexuality, power, and class, are used to examine crime and deviance within the contexts of our social environment, cultures, and communities.
This module explores human development from neonatal stages through to end of life. It covers the progression of developmental processes throughout the lifespan, identifying both typical and atypical trajectories and the factors that influence these developments, such as genetics, environment, and societal factors. Central to the module is the exploration of 'mind' and 'behaviour' from a developmental perspective. This involves studying how cognitive functions, emotional responses, and behavioural patterns emerge and transform as individuals grow and age. You will explore key developmental stages, including infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood, and old age, with each characterised by unique psychological and physiological changes.
In our day-to-day lives we tend to make judgements about human behaviour in a subjective manner using anecdotal evidence. You will be introduced to qualitative and quantitative research approaches used in psychology to study human behaviour in an objective and systematic way. This will enable you to make informed decisions as to people’s actions and motivations.
By knowing more about the research process that is used to study psychology and the basic steps that are used, you can better understand the process researchers go through to arrive at conclusions about human behaviour. This module will develop and enhance your skills in conducting data analysis from both a qualitative and quantitative perspective.
Why do people commit crime? This module explores the wide range of fascinating psychological, biological, and sociological explanations for criminal and deviant behaviour
You will be introduced to major perspectives which exist within psychology, for example psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive and biological perspectives. This will enable you to establish an understanding of the origins and history of research within psychology and have awareness of the fundamental assumptions that each perspective holds. You will be able to see the continuity and development of psychology as a scientific disciple over time and understand the places of differing perspectives in psychology today.
On this module, you will gain an overview of brain anatomy and how processes are localised to different areas or structures - learning about the way our nervous system is structured to help us interact with the outside world or respond to internal sensations such as pain.
You will navigate the different ways in which social psychologists make sense of the human mind and behaviour and how psychological research can help us addresses real-life issues. How much influence does personality have on the actions we take and the ambitions we hold? How do other people's actions impact our behaviour? Social psychologists seek to understand human behaviour and how others influence our thoughts feelings and behaviour, and applicability to our daily social interactions and decision making.
This module further develops your understanding of theoretical and practical issues concerned with psychological research and will enable you to advance the skills required for the conduct of investigations and the presentation of findings. You will acquire knowledge of investigation design and methodology with associated essential techniques (such as a variety of statistical and/or qualitative techniques) that are applied in empirical research.
Wherever you have people living together, you have crime. As inevitable as death and taxes, crime has fascinated people for centuries. This module seeks to explore different aspects of what psychology can tell us about crime: why people commit crimes, how different crimes have vastly different psychologies underlying them, and how psychology can inform the detection and handling of criminals.
In this module, you will discover how to gather crime scene evidence, consider the appropriate application of such evidence and appreciate the necessity for procedural rules in practice. The module takes you on a journey through investigation practice all the way to Crown Court.
With more awareness of mental health issues, there is an increasing focus on how to support wellbeing. Positive psychology focuses on optimal human functioning and what makes life fulfilling. Although the positive side of human functioning is often neglected within psychology, this is not so for developmental psychologists who typically focus on adaptability and positive functioning. This module explores how taking a developmental perspective can aid our understanding of how to live well at every stage of life. The aim of the module is to develop your psychological literacy, the ability to apply what you know from studying developmental psychology in your first year, to understanding how positive psychology can improve wellbeing. You will explore how positive psychology techniques can help people flourish throughout the lifespan, and how you too can lead a flourishing life.
This module will help you to continue your development as a reflective practitioner by identifying and reflecting on your skill development over the course of your degree and in a short work placement. This will give enable you to further develop your professional skills such as: ethical competence; cultural competence; and evidence-based practice. You will gain knowledge of the work of a Practitioner Psychologist and related roles and will explore some examples of the type of work a practitioner psychologist would do. You will reflect on your work experience, skills, and areas for development which will contribute to a development plan for when you graduate.
Crime and punishment is an expansive topic, relevant to all of us in different ways. The reach of psychology in this field is extensive, encompassing the study of both criminals and those involved in the criminal justice system, as well as broader issues in society. This module will explore various areas of theory and research in psychology in the forensic field, with an emphasis on understanding the different sides of the debates triggered by such research. We will take an in depth look at some of the controversies in the forensic field since psychologists began taking an interest in it and develop a ‘critical’ understanding of the role psychology in today’s criminal justice systems and in wider society.
Is there an area of psychology that really interests you? Is there a psychological study that you’d like to replicate? Is there a psychological topic that you think is under researched that you’d like to investigate? If so, then this is the module for you! This module allows you to independently research an area of psychology that really interests you and gives you the opportunity to enhance and showcase the psychological knowledge you’ve acquired and the research skills and ethical understanding you’ve developed throughout your degree course. This module allows you to independently conduct and write up a piece of psychological research. This will require you to research an area of psychology of your own choosing.
In this module, you will engage in discussions covering a range of current controversies surrounding dangerousness, risk and offences committed by those offenders deemed to be a threat to the public.
Please note: Not all optional modules are guaranteed to run each year.
The impact of alcohol and drugs on the perpetration of crime and deviance is significant. Drawing on national and global perspectives, this module navigates the complex areas of crime, health, addiction, government strategy, and multi-agency co-operation to understand offending and victimisation related to drugs, alcohol, and gangs.
This criminology module offers you an insight into the intrinsic relationships between crime, gender, and sexuality, studying sexual offences such as rape and sexual abuse, as well as other serious crimes.
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Email: Call:ÂSolent’s curriculum framework builds on our unique, creative and applied approach to teaching. The transformation of students’ lives is at the heart of our mission as a university, and our curriculum – informed by the latest theory – reflects this shared educational vision.
Find out moreThe student achievement team are on hand to help you succeed during your studies at Solent. They aim to contact you at key times during your time here with personalised information, advice and guidance, by email or phone.
The disability advice team provides information, advice and guidance for disabled students.
All students can access Succeed@Solent, Solent's online guide to getting better grades. It offers extensive, practical information and advice on topics such as academic writing, research and presentations.
Criminology and psychology-related skills are key within the criminal justice sector and related fields. Crime, justice and the underlying behavioural and cultural factors are a critical part of society, and the industry offers a variety of employment opportunities that are interesting, stimulating, socially responsible, rewarding and professional.
The course provides specialist and broadly valuable skills that the criminal justice sector and wider employers, such as victim care and probation teams, are looking for, including presentation, analytical and critical thinking, writing skills and research.
Guest speakers provide opportunities for students in related fields, as do the professional networks of teaching staff, thanks to the course team’s close working relationship with local and national related employers.
Starting salary (in training): £22,294
Once you've completed your training (which can take 15 or 21 months, depending on your qualifications) your salary will rise to £30,208, plus allowances. You'll also receive a range of Civil Service benefits.
Youth support worker: £19,308 to £28,787
Qualified professional youth workers can earn between £25,313 to £42,718. Salaries for local authority youth service managers vary according to the size of the authority and responsibility of the post, but can be in excess of £40,000.
Starting salary: £28,551
Starting salaries can rise to £46,044 at the top of the scale - achievable after seven years. The range of salaries for sergeants is £49,077 to £51,948.
The stated salaries are published on prospects.ac.uk. Income figures are intended as a guide only.
The Solent Careers team is committed to getting students into great careers.
While you are studying, the team can help you with finding work experience or placements, link you with a mentor, check your CV, or offer one-to-one guidance.
We also have graduate job opportunities just for Solent graduates.
6th
UK uni for sustained employment
Longitudinal Educational Outcomes, 2022
Every student at Solent University will also have the option to study an additional Certificate in Practical Artificial Intelligence qualification alongside their course. Free of charge, the course ensures you'll be prepared for a fantastic and varied career after graduation.Â
Thinking about studying further than an undergraduate degree? Alumni can get 20% off their postgraduate study.
Embark on your journey to becoming a solicitor with full SQE 1 and 2 preparation.
Find out moreLooking for a career change to social worker? You’ll work with some of the most marginalised groups in society, helping them to overcome barriers in order to lead a fulfilled life.
Find out moreThe tuition fees for the 2025/26 academic year are:
For further information, please visit our tuition fees page.
While most course costs are covered by your tuition fees, some essential resources and optional extras may need to be paid for separately. These additional costs are listed below. For advice on budgeting and managing your money, please contact student.funding@solent.ac.uk.
The 2025/26 other costs are:
Compulsory costs
Optional costs
The course offers optional trips to all students to the USA and Strasbourg. The USA trip is around £1,400 to £1,500; the Strasbourg trip is around £500.
There will also be occasional trips to courts, police training, etc where students must pay for their own transport and subsistence. Study trips occur throughout the year, and although optional, prove very popular.
Solent University offers a range of bursaries and scholarships that provide financial assistance or waive fees for tuition or accommodation. Each bursary or scholarship has specific eligibility criteria. Check out our bursaries and scholarships pages to find out more.
Solent EU Welcome Scholarship (Fee Discount)
This scholarship is available to students from an EU country, with EU nationality, who are applying for an undergraduate course starting in September 2025. The scholarship will reduce your tuition fees to £10,500 per year - this includes foundation years.
Find out more about the scholarship
Cost of living support
At Solent, we understand that the cost of living crisis may be of some concern. To help, we've put together some detailed information to show what support is available and how to make your money go further.
Graduation costs
There is no charge to attend graduation, but you will be required to pay for the rental of your academic gown (approximately £45 per graduate, depending on your award). You may also wish to purchase official photography packages, which range in price from £15 to £200+. Graduation is not compulsory, so if you prefer to have your award sent to you, there is no cost. Extra guest tickets will go on sale after results publication and will be sold on a first-come-first-served basis. The cost per ticket is currently £20. Please note, we do not guarantee there will be any extra tickets available to purchase.
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Email:Â Call:ÂPlease select an option below:
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about EU qualifications, please see our course entry requirements document.
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, our trusted partner, QA Higher Education offers the following pathway programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills:
As a general guide, we look for qualifications that are equivalent to the British high school A-levels.
If you are applying from outside the UK, find information about entry requirements, visas and agents for your country here.
For further information about international qualifications, please see our course entry requirements document.
For international students who do not meet the direct entry requirements for this undergraduate degree, our trusted partner, QA Higher Education offers the following pathway programme designed to develop your academic and English language skills:
All international applicants need to be aware that the English language requirements to attend Solent University, and the English language requirements to obtain a visa from the Home Office, may be different. This means that if you meet the Solent University language requirement to gain a place on the course, you may still have to meet additional requirements to be granted with a visa by the Home Office.
We strongly advise all applicants to visit the Home Office website which outlines all the requirements for a successful visa application
Full-time
Any student applying for the first year of a full-time/sandwich undergraduate course must apply through UCAS (University and Colleges Admissions Service). This includes mature, overseas and EU students.
Nearly all schools and colleges offer their students the facility of applying electronically through the UCAS website using 'Apply'; it may also be used by those applying independently in the UK and overseas. This facility and all course information can be found on the UCAS website: www.ucas.com.
Your application should reach UCAS by 31 January if you hope to enter a course the following autumn. Early application is advised for the most popular subject areas. Late applications may be made until the end of June. The UCAS Code for the University is S30, code name SOLNT.
Find out what happens after you apply
Contextual offers
Solent endeavours to offer learning opportunities to students from all backgrounds. When we receive and review an application, we take into consideration the context and personal circumstances of applicants when making a decision, which means our advertised entry tariff could be reduced.
Find out more about Solent's contextual offers
Top-up route:
We welcome applications from students currently studying a Foundation Degree, DipHE, HNC, HND or modules of an undergraduate degree course at another university, who wish to enter directly into Years 2 or 3 of one of our undergraduate degree courses. Please contact our admissions team for more information: contact us
Applicants who do not have English as their first language will be required to demonstrate an approved level of proficiency in the use of the English language. The agreed minimum requirements for this course are:
Qualifications are checked before enrolment, and international students must bring their original certificates or certified copies when coming to study at the University.
Pre-Sessional English programme
The University also offers a pre-sessional English programme for international students who wish to improve their level of English before starting a degree course.
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