Criminology and Psychological Studies
Criminology and psychological studies is a combination that examines crime and criminal justice through both the lens of social science and the insights of psychology. Criminology looks outward at the social structures, institutions and policies that shape the distribution and experience of crime, while psychological studies looks inward at the cognitive, emotional and developmental processes that influence individual behaviour, including the behaviour of offenders, victims and the professionals who work within the criminal justice system. Together they produce a genuinely rounded understanding of crime as a phenomenon with both social and individual dimensions.
At Birkbeck College, this part-time programme is designed for students who need to balance their studies with working lives, and it is delivered through evening sessions that make it genuinely accessible without compromising its academic rigour. You will develop a critical understanding of the effects of victimisation and the prospects for healing and rehabilitation for victims and offenders, analyse real-world events through criminological and psychological frameworks, and engage with questions about social justice, government, policy, advocacy and activism that position criminological and psychological knowledge in the context of broader social change.
Graduates of criminology and psychological studies programmes move into careers across the criminal justice sector, health and social care, and the wider public and voluntary sectors. Probation, victim support, rehabilitation services, community justice, social work, mental health support and policy research are all well-established directions. The part-time evening format means that many students in this programme are already working in related fields, and the degree strengthens their professional knowledge and enhances their career prospects while they continue to work.
Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in criminology, psychology, forensic psychology or social policy.