BSc in Criminology and Forensic Psychology
Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
BSc
DURATION
4 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time
APPLICATION DEADLINE
EARLIEST START DATE
TUITION FEES
GBP 9,535 / per year *
STUDY FORMAT
On-Campus
* UK students: £9,535 per year | international: £19,200 for the first year
Key Summary
Investigate crime prevention and ways to limit the harm caused by crime.
Our degrees in the Kingston School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences are underpinned by a vibrant research culture. Our TEF Gold standard teaching is delivered by a blend of practitioners and academics, who are dedicated to equipping you with the employability skills to thrive in your career. You will have a wealth of opportunities outside the classroom to further your learning and to prepare for employment in the criminal justice system.
We are also located conveniently close to London's many high-profile law institutions and renowned criminal courts. As such, you will have the opportunity to attend a London Crown Court and visit a forensic crime scene house. You'll also have the option to study in a partner university abroad for a year to gain an international perspective on your studies and experience a different culture.
Why choose this course?
Our Criminology and Forensic Psychology course examines the causes and consequences of crime. You’ll investigate crime prevention, ways to limit the harm caused by crime and the workings of the criminal justice system (including policing and punishment).
You'll study individual motivations, psychological influences and the social, cultural and political environments that surround crime. There are advanced modules on the context of crime, criminalisation and investigation, criminal behaviour and therapy. You can also explore your area of interest in greater depth in your dissertation project. As well as subject-specific expertise, you'll graduate with skills in data analysis, communication, team working and project management.
To help you achieve your goals and develop the necessary experience and skills, this course has an integrated internship module and the option of a placement year. Our range of authentic assessments also mimic real-world tasks relevant to future employment.
You’ll learn from guest speakers from a range of relevant organisations and work on live briefs from real-world organisations as part of your assessment. To date, we have worked with local government, charities working on supporting and reintegrating offenders, and campaign organisations. By completing this assessment, you’ll not only learn vital skills for future employment but also help the organisation achieve part of their mission.
We want to ensure anyone with potential and drive has the opportunity to study with us, no matter their background or financial situation. That's why each year, we provide a number of bursaries to help our undergraduate students gain their degree.
- The Kingston bursary
- Bursaries for care leavers
- Bursaries for estranged students
- Bursaries for young adult carers
- Bursaries for Sanctuary Scholars
- Chancerygate Foundation bursary
- Salutem scholarships
- AVSH scholarship
Take a look at some of the content and modules that you may have the opportunity to study on this course. Please note: Optional modules only run if there is enough demand. If we have an insufficient number of students interested in an optional module, that module will not be offered for this course.
Foundation year: Social Sciences
If you would like to study this degree at Kingston University but are not yet ready to join the first year of a BSc (Hons) course, you may want to consider studying this course with a foundation year.
Year 1
In your first year, you'll cover the core theories and explanations for crimes, crime investigation and the criminal justice system. You'll be introduced to the foundations of Forensic Psychology and will develop your research methods skills.
Core modules
- Introduction to Research Methods
- Introduction to Forensic Psychology
- Crime, Law and Justice
- Foundations in Criminological Theory
Year 2
In Year 2 you'll deepen your knowledge of individual causes and consequences of crime through the study of mental health, and of crime control measures in the form of policing and punishment. You will explore the different ways of approaching criminology and assess how these different approaches relate to different kinds of criminological methods.
Core modules
- Forensic Mental Health and Criminal Behaviour
- Criminal Justice: Policing, Prison and Probation
- Crime, Media and Culture
- Researching Social Problems
Optional year
You have the option to take an additional year to study abroad or to undertake a year-long work placement overseas (or even a mix of both).
Professional placement year
This course has a professional placement year option which takes place between Year 2 and your Final year. During this professional placement year you will take a placement within a relevant setting, ensuring you gain essential experience to add to your CV and help you secure a graduate job.
Final year
In your final year, you will be introduced to relevant issues within the realm of globalisation, terrorism and international crime. You will focus on psychological aspects central to the investigative process, such as interviewing, identification, profiling, decision-making and deception. You will also choose between a Criminology Dissertation or the Applied Social Science module.
Core modules
- The Psychology of Investigations and Cyber-Behaviour
- Transnational Crime
- Future Skills Apply
- Risk, Crime and Justice
Optional modules (choose one)
- Applied Social Science
- Criminology Dissertation
Graduates from our Criminology and Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons) degree course typically work in careers connected to the criminal justice system. Alternatively, they go on to work in other ‘people-oriented' professions, for example as counsellors, teachers and probation officers.
Embedded within the Criminology and Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons) course and throughout the whole Kingston experience is our Future Skills programme. We developed this programme in response to the ever-evolving demands from modern day employment.
It will help you obtain the skills most valued by employers, such as problem-solving, digital competency, and adaptability, and learn how to apply these skills in different scenarios. You’ll also learn how to articulate to employers how being able to do so gives you the edge.