BSc in Forensic Psychology
- Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom
- London, United Kingdom
BSc
DURATION
6 years
LANGUAGES
English
PACE
Full time, Part 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
Studying Forensic Psychology positions you to understand and untangle the elements that contribute to criminal behaviour.
At the Kingston School of Law, Social and Behavioural Sciences, our students and graduates are driven by a shared desire to create a safer, more just society. Our teaching is rated Gold standard by TEF and this course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS).
Our degrees combine a vibrant research culture with a wealth of opportunities outside of the classroom. Our teaching team blend practitioners and academics, to nurture employability skills for your future career in the criminal justice system.
During your Forensic Psychology BSc course, you will develop practical skills by working with risk assessments, researching possible treatment plans, engaging with the parole process and observing criminal trials. You can also gain valuable experience through work-based practice and observation. Or you may choose 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?
If you've ever wondered what drives some people to commit crime, from everyday offences to high profile cases, this course may be for you.
In forensic psychology, you will explore biological, social, developmental, cognitive, and psychological perspectives on crime. You will then use your understanding to help tackle pressing issues in the criminal justice system and society at large. You will also take several criminology modules to investigate how sociological, legal and political systems interact in shaping the way in which we classify crime and treat those who commit it.
Throughout your degree, you'll be taught by and conduct research with forensic staff with a wide range of expertise. As a result, you will graduate with the skills needed to succeed in your future career.
Accreditation
This course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS), which means that you could go on to become a Chartered Psychologist if that is your chosen career path. This is an ongoing accreditation.
Graduates, with a minimum of a 2:2 from this course, are eligible to gain Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) from the BPS. This is a necessary first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. You would then take further training in a specific field of psychology that you want to work in. This could then lead to a career as a Chartered Psychologist in your chosen field, for example forensic psychology.
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 our Forensic Psychology 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 explore key areas of psychology, from memory to social psychology, while critically analysing historical and contemporary issues. You’ll also develop essential research skills, including experiment design, hypothesis testing, and statistical analysis for future studies.
Core modules
- Introduction to Psychology
- Approaches and Professional Skills in Psychology
- Introduction to Forensic Psychology
- Psychology Research Methods 1
Year 2
In the second year you will examine the relationship between brain function and our understanding of cognition and behaviour. You will explore current theory and practice that focuses on the person in psychology. And start to explore mental disorders, antisocial behaviour and criminal offending. Whilst developing experimental research designs and delve further into inferential statistics.
Core modules
- Psychology Research Methods 2
- Brain, Behaviour and Cognition
- Social and Developmental Psychology
- Forensic Mental Health and Criminal Behaviour
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 able to choose from selection of optional modules, which cover a range of topics. This will enable you to tailor your studies to your own interests and aspirations. You will also explore a chosen topic for your research project.
Core modules
- Psychology Research Project
- The Psychology of Investigations and Cyber-Behaviour
- Personality and Individual Differences
- Future Skills Apply
Optional modules (choose one)
- Transnational Crime
- Neuropsychology and Neuro-rehabilitation
- Advanced Issues in the Psychology of Thinking
- Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity
- Advanced Developmental Psychology
- Critical Social Psychology: Memory, Narrative and Representation
- The Psychology of Health and Wellbeing
- Occupational Psychology
- Applied Psychology with Work Experience
This degree is the first step toward a fulfilling and challenging career. Graduates from this course go on to work in the prison and probation service, the court system, police departments, community rehabilitation settings, or in policy-making roles. In addition, many continue training to become chartered forensic psychologists.
You may seek further training in forensic psychology, or pivot to another field of psychology entirely. Our graduates are well-placed for roles in clinical, counselling, or educational psychology.
Embedded within the Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons) course and throughout the whole Kingston experience is our Future Skills programme. The Future Skills programme was developed to respond 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.