Criminology & Psychology

Criminology and psychology address questions that are as compelling in everyday life as they are in academic study: why do people commit crimes, how does the criminal mind work, and what does deviant behaviour tell us about human nature and social organisation? Both disciplines offer ways of exploring these questions, but from quite different angles. Criminology situates crime within social structures, institutions, and power relationships, while psychology examines the individual mental processes, motivations, and developmental factors that shape behaviour.

Together they offer a genuinely richer account than either would alone.

At the University of Southampton, this three-year full-time programme develops your understanding of both disciplines in depth, exploring the psychology of offending alongside sociological and criminological accounts of crime and criminal justice. You will engage with topics including the forensic assessment of offenders, risk and dangerousness, the psychology of victimisation, criminal careers, the role of mental disorder in offending, and the principles that should guide sentencing and rehabilitation. Psychological research methods are central to the programme, equipping you to design studies, collect data, and interpret findings with appropriate rigour.

The course includes a sandwich year and work placement, giving you extended professional experience in relevant settings such as forensic services, probation, police, or psychological research organisations.

Graduates from criminology and psychology programmes go on to careers in probation, police, prison services, forensic and clinical psychology, victim support, social care, research, and policy. Many graduates go on to further study, as routes into practitioner psychology require postgraduate training. Postgraduate programmes in forensic psychology, clinical psychology, criminology, and social work are all well-trodden paths for graduates of this combination.