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  • About the course
  • Why choose this course?
  • What will I learn?
  • How will I be assessed?
  • Entry Requirements
  • Career prospects
  • Fees and Funding
  • Extra Costs
  • Facilities
  • How to Apply
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Psychology and Criminal Behaviour BSc (Hons)

Link to https://www.ucas.com
Link to https://www.beds.ac.uk/international
Link to https://www.beds.ac.uk/open-days
Link to https://www.beds.ac.uk/enquire/

About the course

Why do people offend? Can we predict the victim? One of the most fascinating applications of psychology is in examining and tackling criminal behaviour. After a broad introduction you will explore specific areas of criminal psychology.

This BPS accredited course covers the relationship between psychology and the criminal justice system, exploring police investigation, false confessions, expert witnesses, jury behaviour and treatment of complex offenders and gives you the chance to work on research projects such as offender profiling and crime analysis, criminal thinking styles and lie detection.

The BSc (Honours) Psychology and Criminal Behaviour course is accredited by the British Psychological Society (BPS) as conferring eligibility for the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership of the BPS (GBC), provided the minimum standard of a Second Class Honours is achieved.

This is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist. In order to be eligible for the GBC, you are required to successfully complete the empirical psychology project.

Students must recognise that training in specific fields of psychology such as health, forensic or counselling psychology is acquired through postgraduate education and supervised practice, not through an undergraduate degree.

On completion of this course students are not qualified to practise as a Forensic Psychologist without further training.

  • Apply Via - UCAS
  • Course Level - Undergraduate
  • UCAS Code - CL83
  • Campus Location - University Square Campus, Luton
  • Start Dates - Oct
  • Duration - 3 Years
  • Attendance - Full-time | Part-time | Part-time day
  • Download Course Specifications

A Degree with a Foundation Year gives you guaranteed entry to an Undergraduate course.

Whether you’re returning to learning and require additional help and support to up-skill, or if you didn’t quite meet the grades to pursue an Undergraduate course, our Degrees with Foundation Year provide a fantastic entry route for you to work towards a degree level qualification.

With our guidance and support you’ll get up to speed within one year, and will be ready to seamlessly progress on to undergraduate study at Bedfordshire.

The Foundation Year provides an opportunity to build up your academic writing skills and numeracy, and will also cover a range of subject specific content to fully prepare you for entry to an Undergraduate degree.

This is an integrated four-year degree, with the foundation year as a key part of the course. You will need to successfully complete the Foundation Year to progress on to the first year of your bachelor’s degree.

Why study a degree with a Foundation Year?

  • Broad-based yet enough depth to give you credible vocational skills
  • Coverage of a variety of areas typically delivered by an expert in this area
  • Gain an understanding of a subject before choosing which route you wish to specialise in
  • Great introduction to further study, and guaranteed progression on to one of our Undergraduate degrees

The degrees offering a Foundation Year provide excellent preparation for your future studies.

During your Foundation Year you will get the opportunity to talk to tutors about your degree study and future career aspirations, and receive guidance on the most appropriate Undergraduate course to help you achieve this; providing you meet the entry requirements and pass the Foundation Year.

 

This course has the option to be taken over four years which includes a year placement in industry. Undertaking a year in industry has many benefits. You gain practical experience and build your CV, as well as being a great opportunity to sample a profession and network with potential future employers.

There is no tuition fee for the placement year enabling you to gain an extra year of experience for free.

*Only available to UK/EU students.

​

Accreditations
  • British Psychological Society (BPS)

Why choose this course?

  • Learn about individual differences, psychological theories of criminal behaviour, the criminal justice system, assessment and treatment of offenders, social and developmental theories of criminal behaviour
  • Study psychology within the larger context of law and economics with lecturers who are active practitioners or researchers in the field
  • Develop your ability to apply psychological and criminological theory and research methods to the understanding of criminality, its consequences, investigation, management, treatment and prevention
  • Gain a thorough understanding of the workings of the criminal justice system and the responses to behaviour labelled as criminal
  • Benefit from a degree accredited by the British Psychological Society
Visit the School of Psychology

 

Unit Information - What will I learn?

Units

  • Foundations To Psychology (PSY001-1) Compulsory
  • Introduction To Psychological Research Methods And Data Analysis (PSY002-1) Compulsory
  • Psychology And Criminal Behaviour (PSY005-1) Compulsory
  • Psychology In Every Day Life (PSY004-1) Compulsory
  • Biological And Cognitive Psychology (PSY002-2) Compulsory
  • Methods Of Research In Psychology (PSY016-2) Compulsory
  • Psychology And Criminal Justice (PSY004-2) Compulsory
  • Social Processes And Lifespan Development (PSY001-2) Compulsory
  • Culture And Individual Differences (PSY019-3) Compulsory
  • Forensic Psychology In Practice (PSY010-3) Compulsory
  • Psychology And Criminal Behaviour Research Project (PSY035-3) Compulsory
  • Atypical Child And Adolescent Development: Theories And Applications (PSY001-3) Optional
  • Cognitive Neuropsychology (PSY003-3) Optional
  • Critical Social Psychology (PSY004-3) Optional
  • Occupational And Organisational Psychology (PSY015-3) Optional
  • Problem Solving (PSY007-3) Optional
  • Psychology Of Language And Vision (PSY032-3) Optional
  • Psychology Of Mental Health (PSY006-3) Optional

How will I be assessed?

Throughout your degree you will encounter a wide variety of types of assessment collectively designed to suit the variety of individual learning styles. Each assessment will provide the opportunity to offer you feedback to help with your development and inform the completion of your future assessments. There will be an opportunity in each year of your study to develop and refine a number of key academic skills, many of which will be transferable to the workplace. These include team-working, report writing, oral presentations, constructing a coherent written arguments, the ability to analyse, synthesise and evaluate complex information from a range of sources, reflective writing and, personal and professional development planning. Whilst you will be expected to undertake a few examinations, the assessment diet is more heavily weighted in favour of coursework assignments. The assessments reflect to some extent Sternberg's Triarchic theory of intellectual abilities and hence cater for a diverse student population. Analytic tests (e.g., essays, case studies, critiques, essay based exams) assess -traditional' academic abilities. Synthetic/creative tests are designed to allow students to apply knowledge and skills to problems that can vary considerably; for example, presentations require students to synthesize ideas, and reports and final project require both synthesis and creativity. Students who display a mainly practical intelligence have practical assessments in the form of a coaching logbook and a family information pack where knowledge and skills are applied to a particular procedure or artefact. The teaching reflects the BPS core curriculum with an emphasis on research and research methods as well as the other core areas of a Psychology curriculum. There is an introduction to the main areas of psychology in the Foundations to Psychology unit with examples of the application of psychology in Psychology in Everyday Life. The Introduction to Research Methods and Data Analysis unit introduces the student to the philosophy behind the scientific and interpretivist/constructivist approaches to research, the various methods used to examine human behaviour and an introduction to different types of qualitative analysis as well as statistical analysis and the software used to analyse data. At Level 5 the main aspects of the BPS core curriculum are delivered (social psychology, developmental psychology, cognitive psychology, biological psychology) along with some aspects of the measurement of individual differences incorporated in the Methods of Research in Psychology unit. Collectively, these enhance the topics and research skills introduced in Level 4 and allow the student to develop some autonomy by researching an aspect of behaviour in a group. The analysis of the experiments conducted in Biological and Cognitive Psychology are aligned to the statistics taught in the Methods of Research in Psychology unit. At the same time students perform both a qualitative and a quantitative study themselves with support and in a group. By the end of the year they will normally have chosen a topic for their honours project topic and have identified a supervisor. At Level 6 students will be in a position to engage in their own project, building upon the knowledge and skills learned up to this point. There is also a unit on Cultural and Individual Differences covering the final core BPS area of the curriculum and dealing with a topic that several staff members have published in. The students will also undertake another dedicated Forensic Psychology unit, which will complement the previous two and move on to consider treatment and assessment issues inherent in forensic practice. Alongside these there are a number of option units to give students a flavour of areas of applied psychology such as Applied Health Psychology and Coaching Psychology which could lead on to the Masters courses in those areas. There is also Occupational and Organisational Psychology giving an overview of psychological aspects of working in organisations. For students who may be interested in working with children particularly in education, child welfare are childrens mental health there is Atypical Child and Adolescent Development: Theories and Applications, and for those with an interest in the clinical or biological aspects of psychology there is the Psychology of Mental Health and Cognitive Neuropsychology. The assessment types are varied to reflect both a progression in terms of developing skills that assess the learning outcomes and to cater for different thinking styles. The portfolios in Social Processes and Psychology and Criminal Justice have an emphasis on employability which feeds in turn into the e-portfolio in the Honours Project.

Entry Requirements

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

We will consider you as an individual and take into account all elements of your application, not just your qualifications. We are looking for breadth and depth in your current studies and enthusiasm for the subject you wish to study.

UCAS Tariff Points

  • At least 112 points with 96 points from at least 2 A level passes
  • At least 112 points with Distinction Merit Merit in BTEC Extended Diploma or Distinction* Distinction* in BTEC Diploma
  • A completed Access to Higher Education Diploma (with 12 merits and 12 distinctions at level 3)
  • Equivalent qualifications such as Irish Leaving Certificate, OCR Nationals, International Baccalaureate and CACHE Level 3 awards.

You can work out how many UCAS points your qualifications are worth with the UCAS tariff calculator

Contact the Admissions Team for additional guidance on whether the qualifications you currently hold or are taking would be suitable for entry.

T: +44 (0)1582 743500
E: admission@beds.ac.uk

As a general guide, to apply for a place on an undergraduate course (BA/BSc) at the University you need to have completed your high school education and have the required English qualification.

We have students from all the European Union member countries so we are quick to make decisions on most qualifications. See your country page for more details

Check Your Country page to confirm that your local qualifications are suitable or contact your International Admissions Team

  • Maths GCSE Grade C or above (or equivalent)

How will this course improve my career prospects?

The practical and specialised skills you acquire on the course, in conjunction with the qualifications, will help to qualify you for fascinating career opportunities in the police, prison service, social services and the mental health sector, among others.

Fees and Funding

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2020/21 is £9,250 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees. You can also apply for a maintenance loan from the Government to help cover your living costs.

See www.gov.uk/student-finance

The University of Bedfordshire offers a number of scholarships and bursaries to help you finance your studies.

See www.beds.ac.uk/scholarships

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees by no more than inflation.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the Academic Year 2020/21 is £9,250 per year. You can apply for a loan from the Government to help pay for your tuition fees.

See www.gov.uk/student-finance

The University of Bedfordshire offers a number of scholarships and bursaries to help you finance your studies.

See www.beds.ac.uk/scholarships

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees by no more than inflation.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

The full-time standard undergraduate tuition fee for the academic year 2020/21 is £12,350 per year. A prompt payment discount is available if you pay the full Year 1 fee before or at registration. There are also special scholarships available.

See www.beds.ac.uk/intfees

The University reserves the right to increase tuition fees by no more than inflation.

Alternatively if you have any questions around fees and funding, please email admission@beds.ac.uk

Extra Costs

Find out more about additional costs while studying at Bedfordshire. Click here.

Facilities

Postgraduate & CPD Centre

Postgraduate & CPD Centre

Campus Centre

Campus Centre

Campus Library

Campus Library

STEM Building

STEM Building

Campus Centre Interior

Campus Centre Interior

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Luton campus centre

Luton Campus Centre

The Campus Centre brings together all our student services under one roof including the Students’ Union and spaces to eat, drink, relax and learn.

There's a large central lecture theatre as well as a range of study rooms & breakout spaces on the upper floors.

Luton campus accommodation

Luton Campus Accommodation

The University guarantees accommodation to all new students. Fitzroy Court and Wenlock Court, the two main halls of residence, are located on campus so getting to lectures, shopping in town and participating in events and activities is easy.

STEM building

STEM building

The STEM building is home to courses in the subject areas of science, technology, engineering and mathematics.

Opened in Autumn 2019, its cutting edge facilities provides four computer laboratories; workshops for subjects such as automotive engineering, cyber-security and robotics, along with three large teaching labs, and four specialist containment labs. 

Luton campus library

Luton Campus Library

The library is a modern 9-storey building dedicated to study and learning.

As well as traditional library provisions it offers individual and group study spaces, a cafeteria on the ground floor and a ‘Study Hub’ offering guidance and workshops on academic writing and research skills to ensure all Bedfordshire students get the help they need to succeed in their studies.

Aspire gym - Luton

Aspire Gym - Luton

The Aspire Gym has state of the art cardiovascular equipment with smart phone compatibility. There is also an extensive range of fixed resistance machines and a small free weights area.

Changing rooms with showers and lockers are available for members to use.

PG and CPD centrew Luton

PG and CPD Centre

The Postgraduate & CPD Centre at Luton campus is home to our University's postgraduate courses and continuing professional development (CPD) students from industry.

The Centre has modern lecture theatres and seminar rooms and a large ground floor lounge area where careers fairs and speaker events take place.

TV studioMedia Arts

Our Media Arts Centre has state-of-the-art facilities for students on our journalism, media and writing degrees.

Facilities include broadcast television and digital radio studios, digital video editing suites, electronic newsrooms, white space studio, multimedia suites, and additional studios for online and design work.

School of Art and Design

Luton Cultural Quarter

The School of Art and Design is located in the Cultural Quarter of the town.

The Cultural Quarter is a regeneration project to convert the old hat manufacturing area of Luton into a hub for the creative industries.

London luton airport

Luton - Location

The Luton campus is right in the centre of town next to a large shopping mall and within easy walking distance of train and bus stations. Luton is the largest town in Bedfordshire, approximately 50km north of London which is a 30-minute train journey away. Luton has excellent transport links to the rest of the UK and Europe.

How to Apply

  • UK
  • EU
  • International

Application for most full-time undergraduate and foundation courses is via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS).

We expect to receive UCAS applications between 1 September and 15 January for courses starting in the following academic year, but may consider applications received after this date should places be available.

Please contact admission@beds.ac.uk for further details.

All UK schools and colleges are registered with UCAS to manage their students' applications. Advice on how to submit your UCAS application is available from your school or college.

If you are not at school or college (including mature students) you should apply independently via UCAS

EU students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply via UCAS or direct using our admissions form

International students applying for a full-time undergraduate degree at the University of Bedfordshire should apply direct using our admissions form or via our representatives in your home country

You can also apply online

Find out more about how to apply as an International student

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