Psychology with Criminology

Psychology with criminology is a combination that examines crime and the criminal justice system through a psychological lens, bringing scientific understanding of human behaviour to bear on questions about why people offend, how the legal system assesses and responds to criminal behaviour, and how psychology can contribute to rehabilitation and crime prevention. Both disciplines have a strong empirical tradition, and studying them together develops a rigorous and evidence-based perspective on some of the most important questions in contemporary public life.

At the University of Sussex this three-year programme is taught within one of the UK's largest schools of psychology, working alongside world-leading academics in the areas they teach, combined with input from criminology experts. The programme includes a foundation year option, a sandwich year, and a year abroad, alongside work placement opportunities, giving you the academic depth of a research-led institution combined with significant professional and international experience. You will study the scientific foundations of psychology alongside the sociological and legal frameworks of criminology, developing both the theoretical knowledge and the research skills that graduate careers in this area demand.

Graduates from psychology with criminology programmes work in the probation service, youth justice, prison service, police, victim support, social work, community safety, and research. Forensic psychology roles in healthcare and criminal justice require further postgraduate training towards chartered psychologist status with the British Psychological Society. Many graduates pursue postgraduate study in forensic or clinical psychology, while others move directly into criminal justice, social work, or human resources roles.

The analytical skills developed through both disciplines are widely transferable across public sector, voluntary sector, and private sector contexts.