Psychology and Criminology

Psychology and criminology is a pairing that gives you complementary perspectives on one of the central questions in social science: why do people commit crime and how do societies respond? Psychology examines the individual, asking how brain, mind, and behaviour interact, how personality develops, how cognitive processes shape decision-making, and what psychological factors are associated with criminal behaviour. Criminology situates these individual factors within broader social, cultural, and structural contexts, examining how crime is defined and measured, how criminal justice systems operate, and what the sociocultural repercussions of crime and punishment are for individuals and communities.

At Aberystwyth University, this four-year full-time programme with an integrated year in industry gives you the opportunity to apply your learning directly in a professional setting before you graduate. You will gain insights into the social and psychological perspectives on crime, studying the brain, mind, and behaviour to understand people's motivation to commit crime, what factors make someone more likely to reoffend, and how criminal justice, treatment, and prevention can be designed more effectively. The programme acquires a wide range of skills and knowledge that are highly valued by employers across police, probation, social work, healthcare, and research settings, and the year in industry provides the additional insight and experience that makes graduates genuinely competitive.

With a typical entry tariff of 104 UCAS points, this degree is accessible to students with strong social science aptitude. Graduates pursue careers in probation and offender management, police services, victim support organisations, social work with additional training, mental health services, youth justice, forensic psychology with further study, research and policy roles, and the voluntary sector. Many graduates continue to postgraduate study in forensic psychology, criminology, social work, or clinical psychology.