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Psychology and Criminology (Full-Time) (BSc Hons)

Swansea
3 Years Full-time
96 UCAS Points

Our BSc Psychology and Criminology programme is perfect for students who want to explore two exciting and important subjects. By studying this course, you will gain a deep understanding of human behaviour and the human mind, while also learning about the causes, consequences, and prevention of crime.

The Psychology and Criminology degree is designed to give you the best of both worlds. Psychology helps you understand why people think and act the way they do, and you will explore topics such as human development, personality and individual differences, and behaviour patterns. Criminology modules will focus on crime: the causes of crime, the criminal justice system, and causes and consequences of criminal behaviour. This combination prepares you for a range of career opportunities in fields like forensic psychology, criminal justice, and more.

In criminology, you will look at why people commit crimes and how society responds to crime. This includes studying anti-social behaviour, deviant behaviour, and the impact of crime on communities. You will also learn about criminological theory, which helps explain crime from different perspectives.

Our programme offers an international perspective, allowing you to see how crime and justice work in different countries. This is important because crime is a global issue, and understanding it requires looking beyond just one country. You will also explore legal contexts and criminal contexts, which are crucial for anyone interested in working in law or justice.

ÃÜÌÒ´«Ã½ing psychology and criminology together opens many doors. You could work in social policy, helping to shape the laws and rules that affect people’s lives. You might become a counsellor, using your knowledge of human motivation and behaviour to help others. Or, you could work in crime prevention, developing new ways to keep communities safe.

Course details

Start date:
ÃÜÌÒ´«Ã½ modes:
  • On-campus
  • Full-time
Language:
  • English
Institution code:
T80
UCAS code:
PSC1
Course length:
3 Years Full-time
Entry requirements:
96 UCAS Points

Undergraduate Fees
Home (Full-time): £9,535 per year
Overseas (Full-time): £15,525 per year

Why choose this course?

01
This programme will enable you to gain a critical understanding of criminal behaviour, human development, individual differences, cognition and social processes
02
Criminology modules will explore why criminal behaviour occurs, how the criminal justice system operates, and how we can try and prevent crime
03
Throughout the programme you will be taught by experts in the areas of psychology and criminology, combining expertise from both the Academic Discipline of Psychology and Counselling and The Blue Light Academy.

What you will learn

We believe in a hands-on, student-centred approach to learning. Our Psychology and Criminology degree combines theoretical knowledge with practical experiences to prepare you for real-world challenges in understanding and addressing crime and human behaviour.

Research Methods I

(20 credits)

Conceptual and Historical Issues in Psychology

(20 credits)

ÃÜÌÒ´«Ã½ Skills for Psychology

(20 credits)

Personality and Individual Differences

(20 credits)

Legal Process

(20 credits)

Introduction to Criminology

(20 credits)

Social Inclusion, Victimisation and Welfare

(20 credits)

Understanding Crime, Justice and Punishment

(20 credits)

The Brain, Biology and Cognition

(20 credits)

Research Methods II

(20 credits)

Developmental Psychology and Individual Differences

(20 credits)

Volunteering: The Gateway to Employment

(20 credits)

Crime and Vulnerability

(20 credits)

Gender, Race, Religion and Crime

(20 credits)

Forensic Psychology and the Criminal Mind

(20 credits)

Psychology Empirical Project

(40 credits)

The Psychology of Prejudice and Discrimination

(20 credits)

Course Disclaimer

  • The modules outlined above provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this course based on recent academic teaching. We continuously review our courses to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Where your course includes optional modules, these are to provide an element of choice within the course. The availability of optional modules may vary from year to year and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means the availability of specific optional modules cannot be guaranteed.

    You’ll typically complete 120 credits per year of study on a full-time course. For more information visit our Student Agreement.

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Staff

Our People

You will be taught and supported by a wide range of professional staff and teams here to help you get the university experience you are looking for. Our teaching staff were ranked 2nd in Wales for Teaching, Assessment and Feedback and Academic Support (NSS 2024) meaning that the support and feedback you get will help you learn and develop strong academic skills. Our students have placed us 1st in Wales for Learning Opportunities and Student Voice (NSS 2024) meaning that there are a wide range of opportunities available to enhance your studies and that students play an active role in shaping their learning experiences. Our commitment to your learning has seen our students place us as 1st in Wales and joint 3rd in the UK for student satisfaction (Times Higher Education, 2024, ‘Overall Positivity’ measure). Find out more about our academic staff who teach across our courses. 

Further information

  • 96 UCAS Tariff Points  

    • e.g. A-levels: CCC BTEC: MMM, IB: 30

    The UCAS tariff score is applicable to you if you have recently studied a qualification that has a UCAS tariff equivalence. UCAS provides a  for you to work out what your qualification is worth within the UCAS tariff. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

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    GCSE grade A*-C (grade 9-4 in England) in English and Mathematics is also required. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Alternative entry routes  

    If this course interests you, but you don’t have the entry requirements to join our bachelor’s degree you could consider:  

    • ‘with Foundation Year’. This route is designed to give you extra support as it provides you with an additional year (full-time) of supported study. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Once you successfully complete your Foundation Year studies, you will automatically advance onto the main degree. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    • Certificate in Higher Education (CertHE). This is a one-year course and is equivalent to the first year of the three year, full-time bachelor’s degree. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

     Once you have successfully completed your CertHE studies, you will be eligible to progress for the remaining two years of the bachelor’s degree. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    These are ideal routes if you are returning to study after a gap, or if you have not previously studied this subject, or if you did not achieve the grades you need for a place on this degree. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Admissions Advice and Support  

    We may make you a lower offer based on a range of factors, such as your background, experiences and individual circumstances. This is known as ‘Contextual Admissions’. For specific advice and support you can contact our enquiries team for more information about entry requirements. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    English language requirements  

    If English is not your first language or you have not previously studied in English, our usual requirement is the equivalent of an International English Language Testing System (IELTS Academic Test) score of 6.0, with not less than 5.5 in each of the sub-tests. We also accept other English language tests. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Visit the International Applications section of our website to find out more about our English Language Requirements and pre-sessional English Language Courses. 

    Visa and funding requirements  

    If you are not from the UK and you do not already have residency here, you may need to apply for a visa. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    For courses of more than six months’ duration you will require a Student visa. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    International students who require a Student visa should apply for our full-time courses as these qualify for Student visa sponsorship. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    For full information read our visa application and guides. â¶Ä¯â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Please note students receiving US Federal Aid are only able to apply for in-person, on-campus programmes which will have no elements of online study. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

  • The programme uses a range of different assessment methods to provide students with the opportunity to extend their practical and academic skills and encourage independent learning.

    These include innovative assessment methods such as academic posters, in-class skills assessments, group and individual presentations, research reports and research proposals, as well as traditional assessments such as academic essays and exams.

  • Students may be required to apply for and obtain a UWTSD Enhanced Disclosure Barring Check (DBS). The fee for this is dependent on the DBS; it is currently approximately Â£44.

  • Some modules in this course are available to study through the medium of Welsh either fully or partially. In all cases students will be able to submit written assessments through the medium of Welsh.  

    If you choose to study your course either fully or partially through the medium of Welsh, you may be eligible to apply for scholarships and bursaries to support you with your studies. 

    We are continuously reviewing our Welsh medium provision, the precise availability of modules will vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Where your course offers modules available through the medium of Welsh this may vary from year to year, and will be subject to minimum student numbers being achieved. This means the availability of specific Welsh medium modules cannot be guaranteed.  

    Extracurricular Welsh Opportunities 

    There are many ways to engage with Welsh culture and life at UWTSD, including joining clubs and societies for Welsh speakers and becoming a member of our vibrant Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol branch. &²Ô²ú²õ±è;

    Opportunities to Learn Welsh 

    We also provide a variety of opportunities to learn and develop your Welsh language skills. â¶Ä¯&²Ô²ú²õ±è;

  • You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available, please visit our Bursaries and Scholarships section.

  • Awaiting Accreditation 

    Students who graduate with a minimum lower second-class honours classification (2:2) are eligible for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership (GBC) of the British Psychological Society (following approval of accreditation from the BPS).

    This indicates that students have met the curriculum requirements derived from the Quality Assurance Agency’s (2023) subject benchmark statement for Psychology and is often an important prerequisite for students wishing to go on to further postgraduate study or training in psychology.

    Over the years, many of our students have progressed onto BPS stage II postgraduate training programmes (popular routes being Master’s programmes in Clinical Psychology, Occupational Psychology and Health Psychology) to progress within a specific field of Psychology. Students wishing to excel in the field of Criminology would also benefit from further study in Forensic Psychology or Criminology and Criminal Justice.

    For those not wishing to pursue a career in a specific field of psychology or criminology, our graduates have long been recognised as being of value to a range of organisations beyond Psychology such as HR, Prison officer, Advertising, Media, Fraud investigator, Research & Development, and Health and Social Care (with children, young adults, or vulnerable adults).