Criminology and Forensic Psychology BSc (Hons)

30 credits

This module will focus your attention on how social scientists have utilised a range of qualitative and quantitative methods to research social life in its various forms. This module grounds your understandings of research methods through the practical application of data collection and analysis, and critical reflection on the research process. You will gain hands-on experience of research skills throughout the module that can be applied to future study and employability.

You will also be introduced to Future Skills through engagement with Navigate; an innovative programme designed to support your personal and professional development, and your ability to articulate your skills and graduate qualities in an external context.

30 credits

This module will introduce students to major areas of investigation within forensic psychology with special emphasis on how these link to core areas of the discipline (social, biological and developmental psychology and approaches to personality/individual differences). Students will also be introduced to related topics in law, court procedures and forensic science. The module will also provide some insight into the training and career pathways for forensic psychologists.

30 credits

This module will provide students with an introduction to the institutions, processes and legal foundations of the criminal justice system in England and Wales. The module is core to the undergraduate degree. The module familiarises students with the language and reasoning of the criminal law and the structure and chronology of the criminal justice process. There is an emphasis on the development and practice of key academic skills especially information retrieval.

30 credits

This module will introduce students to a range of theoretical perspectives and debates that inform criminology, and which underpin their learning throughout the criminology programme. Theories will be evaluated in relation to academic scholarship, empirical evidence, popularity and application in crime policy and practice, and in relation to their geographical, social, cultural, historical locations.

Students will learn about a changing and dynamic field of study, which has encompassed both positivistic and social analyses of crime and criminalisation. They will learn to evaluate criminological theory in relation to a range of intellectual movements. They will be encouraged to understand criminological theory in relation to shifts across allied subjects like sociology, gender studies, critical race studies, social policy, politics and psychology.

30 credits

This module will introduce students to the associations between mental disorders and antisocial behaviour and criminal offending. Consideration will be given to the predisposing and precipitating factors that influence antisocial and criminal behaviour among those with mental disorders. Students will be introduced to the reasons for assessing risk and the validity of the instruments used. Students will also gain knowledge about the police investigative process and approach of the criminal courts to those with mental disorders and their disposal.

30 credits

This module explores how true crime and fiction drama - across video games, podcasts, social media, and traditional media - shape our understanding of crime and justice.  

Media can sensationalise crime, create ethical dilemmas, and distort reality, influencing public attitudes and trust in the justice system. With crime increasingly treated as entertainment, research shows it can heighten fear, increase punitive attitudes, and fuel distrust in law enforcement.  

Miscarriages of justice, widely covered on streaming platforms like Netflix, raise concerns about fairness, potentially discouraging crime reporting and encouraging informal justice. This module critically examines these issues and their real-world impact.

30 credits

In this module, you’ll work in small teams to research and address a social problem affecting your community or society. Each member will explore different aspects of the issue, and together, you’ll create an informative website outlining the problem and proposing solutions or policies.

Alongside learning about your chosen topic, you’ll develop key research, teamwork, and problem-solving skills. You’ll also take part in a Graduate Assessment Centre to practice the skills for job applications and interview techniques.  

This module helps you grow in confidence, preparing you for the workplace with essential professional skills. 

30 credits

In this module, you will gain a critical insight into key issues and controversies in the delivery of justice by the principal institutions of the criminal justice system: the police, prison, and probation services. You will explore the historical context in which these institutions developed and examine the main challenges they face in the 21st century.

Debates around policing will be situated within wider discussions of procedural and spatial justice, decolonisation, globalisation, and the role of the police in a diverse society. You will also engage with the prison and offender management services through a critical exploration of both theoretical perspectives and practical realities.

You will consider the logic of punishment and examine the range of penalties available – from fines and community sentences to restorative justice – while reflecting on how justice is conceptualised and delivered (or not delivered) in contemporary society. Particular attention will be paid to the changing place of the victim in criminal justice processes.

Through real-world learning opportunities and authentic assessments, developed in partnership with external organisations, you will connect criminological theory to practice and gain a deeper understanding of how justice is enacted in practice.

30 credits

This module will focus on psychological aspects of investigations and will combine theoretical and practical approaches to activities central to the investigative process such as interviewing, identification, profiling, decision-making and deception. In addition, the module explore the psychological and behavioural underpinnings of feelings of security, and describe psychological factors in various measures that police, government, and security personnel take in ensuring the security of people in the community.

15 credits

This module gives you a dedicated opportunity to develop your Future Skills Graduate Attributes. 

At the start of the module, you will be supported to self-assess your current skills profile. You will determine which attributes and skills you need to develop to support your career ambitions. In this process, you will be supported by a dedicated career coach, helping you explore a range of options that includes self-employment/freelancing, starting your own business, higher level study, and other professional graduate-level opportunities. Throughout the module, you will be given opportunities to engage with external mentors, to support reflection and to develop a professional network.

You will undertake a tailored series of activities and projects, aligned to your goals, from a menu of development options. This could include short courses, enrichment activities and experiential learning options such as micro-placements. You will also be able to reflect on activities outside the University that develop your graduate attributes, such as work or volunteering.

30 credits

In this module, you'll explore key debates around crime, harm, and control within a global context. You’ll be encouraged to think critically about the dominance of the Global North in criminological discourse and engage with the call to decolonise criminology.

Through a comparative lens, you'll examine how crime and justice are defined, experienced, and addressed across different nations and regions. You'll explore both the convergences and divergences that emerge globally, developing an understanding of how local and global dimensions of crime are interconnected.

You'll interrogate the concept of global crime and explore its transnational nature by studying a wide range of substantive topics. These may include drug and human trafficking, terrorism and the 'war on terror', violence against women and girls, organised crime, environmental harm, genocide, and crimes against humanity.

15 credits

In this module, you’ll explore how the youth justice system in England and Wales operates as a distinct system from the adult criminal justice system. Designed for children and young people aged 10 to 17, this system raises important questions about how society understands and responds to youth offending.

You’ll examine what is meant by 'youth' – both as a life stage and as a social category – and consider how young people are often framed as a 'problem' within policy and media discourse. You’ll explore young people's lived experiences of crime, harm, and justice, and critically reflect on how they are treated by the criminal justice system.

You’ll study the rules, processes, and institutions that respond to youth offending, and engage with the complex and often contradictory discourses of 'care' and 'control' that underpin youth justice policy. From the point of arrest through to sentencing, you’ll learn to analyse the relevant legal framework and apply wider criminological research to real-world issues.

While the focus is on England and Wales, you’ll also consider how youth justice systems operate in other jurisdictions, helping you to develop a comparative and critical perspective on how young people are policed, prosecuted, and supported – or punished – by the state.

30 credits

This module gives you the opportunity to independently develop your own area of specialism through a focused research project. You’ll choose a topic related to criminology or criminal justice and explore it in depth, with support from an academic supervisor.

You’ll have two pathways to choose from:

• Dissertation: You’ll design and complete an independent research study, either by collecting your own data, analysing existing datasets, or conducting a critical review of the research literature.
• Internship: You’ll undertake a voluntary placement with an organisation working in criminal justice or social justice – this could include state bodies, charities, or voluntary sector organisations. You’ll then produce a written project that reflects on your work-based learning in the context of criminological research and theory.

Whichever route you take, you’ll be supported throughout. Dissertation students will work closely with an academic supervisor, while those choosing the internship route will also be supported by the department’s Employability Lead in securing a suitable placement. The form and focus of your project will reflect the pathway you choose and the specific context of your research or internship experience.