Criminology with Psychology
Criminology with psychology is a combination that addresses crime and deviance from two complementary directions: the sociological and structural perspective of criminology and the individual and cognitive perspective of psychology. Criminology asks why certain behaviours are defined as criminal, how criminal justice systems respond, and what the social consequences of crime and punishment are. Psychology focuses on the mental processes, personality, development and social influences that shape individual behaviour, including behaviour that brings people into contact with the criminal justice system.
UWE Bristol's four-year full-time programme gives you applied knowledge, practical experience and transferable skills through a structure that includes a sandwich year with embedded work placement opportunities. The applied orientation of UWE's approach means that the programme is designed to connect theory to practice throughout, and the placement year provides direct professional experience in a criminological, justice or psychological context. The typical entry tariff is around 72 UCAS points, reflecting UWE's commitment to accessible higher education in the social sciences.
You will study theories of crime and criminal behaviour, the criminal justice system including policing, courts and prisons, victimology, forensic psychology, offender rehabilitation, research methods in both criminology and psychology, and the psychology of deviance, moral reasoning and social influence. The combination develops both the structural and individual-level thinking needed to understand and respond to criminal behaviour effectively.
Graduates of criminology with psychology programmes work across the criminal justice system including probation, youth offending, police services, prison psychology departments, victim support organisations and drug and alcohol services. The psychology component opens additional pathways in mental health support, therapeutic work with offenders, forensic psychology training, social work and community mental health. UWE's emphasis on applied learning and professional experience through placement helps graduates navigate a competitive labour market.
Postgraduate study in forensic psychology, criminology, social work or clinical psychology is available for those wishing to develop specialist professional credentials.