Criminology and Psychology

Criminology and psychology together offer a powerful lens for understanding crime, deviance, and the human behaviour that underlies them. Criminology examines crime as a social and political phenomenon, asking why crime happens, how societies respond to it, and what the criminal justice system actually achieves. Psychology investigates the mental processes, personality, and behavioural patterns of individuals, including those who commit or are affected by crime.

Studied in combination, these disciplines produce graduates who can engage with crime and justice from both structural and individual perspectives, a combination that is increasingly valued in research, policy, and practice.

At the University of Gloucestershire, this three-year full-time degree brings the two disciplines into close dialogue. You will study criminological theory, criminal justice systems, victimology, and the sociology of deviance alongside psychology modules covering topics such as forensic psychology, abnormal psychology, social influence, and research methods. The university has connections with external organisations working with offenders and victims of crime, and some students contribute to research groups examining serious crimes including homicide and sexual violence, working alongside experienced researchers on commissioned projects and case analyses.

You will develop both qualitative and quantitative research skills, learning to design and evaluate studies in ways that meet the ethical demands of working with vulnerable populations and sensitive data. The capacity to think critically about evidence, to understand institutional processes, and to engage thoughtfully with complex human situations are central to the degree.

Graduates move into careers in the probation service, youth offending teams, the prison service, victim support organisations, social work, counselling, the police, and public health. Many also pursue postgraduate study in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, or criminology, which opens the door to further professional practice and research. The combination of skills this degree provides is relevant wherever an understanding of human behaviour and criminal justice intersects.