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Learn how criminal behaviour and the legal system have been conceptualised and approached. Examine violent offending such as murder, terrorism, stalking, cyber and sexual crime. Graduate and work with prisoners, offenders, victims of crime and provide forensic expertise to suspects, witnesses and victims within the Criminal Justice System.
This course examines the five core areas of Psychology as specified by the British Psychological Society (BPS) in a unique and integrated way to allow for learning to be more applicable and relatable to your future career. You will explore how Psychology is applied to understanding offenders and forms of serious and violent offending, such as those a Forensic Psychologist might encounter in the field.
You will also be introduced and guided through the process of using and interpreting psychometric tests, administering and interpreting risk assessments, conducting case formulations, critically evaluating police interviews, writing parole reports, presenting evidence in court as an expert witness, as well as designing and conducting empirical research.
Teaching methods include a mixture of large and small lectures, seminars and workshops, one-to-one and group tutorials. Students will have personal development sessions with academic staff to help with your studies and developing your employability skills.
As well as assessments that count towards your degree, there are also on-going assessments for feedback and consolidating your learning. Assessment methods include essays, scientific reports, presentations, multimedia web pages, expert witness reports, writing formulations, case studies, exams, portfolios, online quizzes, academic posters, patchwork text, an exhibition, an academic poster conference, post occupancy evaluation and designing behaviour change interventions.
This course shares a common first year with BSc (Hons) Psychology,BSc (Hons) Psychology with Counselling and BSc (Hons) Clinical Psychology, which allows you to change routes at the end of the first year should one of these specialisms appeal to you.
Being a forensic psychologist can be challenging, but rewarding at the same time. You could be working with prisoners, or giving evidence in court as an expert witness. It's safe to say that no two days will be the same. We spoke with BSc (Hons) Forensic Psychology Programme Leader Dr Laura Farrugia about being a forensic psychologist and why Sunderland's course is unique.
Read more about Forensic Psychology
A psychology degree develops important skills that could help you land your dream job. We talked to Senior Lecturer in Psychology and Employability Coordinator, Carole Carter, about the wide range of careers you can have as a psychology graduate.
What careers can a degree in psychology lead to?
If you know you’re passionate about psychology, but you’re unsure which course is right for you, we’re breaking down our specialist Psychology courses to help you choose the right pathway. All our undergraduate Psychology programmes are accredited by the British Psychological Society.
Find out which psychology course is right for you
Our typical offer is:
| Qualification | Minimum grade |
|---|---|
| High School Diploma along with one of the following at the required grade: SAT I and SAT II, ACT or Advanced Placement | GPA 3.0 or above and: Sat score of 1100/1600 from SATs AP (Grades 3+ in at least 2 subjects) ACT (score of 26+) |
If you don't meet our standard entry requirements, you can take one of the foundation pathways at our partners ONCAMPUS Sunderland. Find out more information and whether your course is eligible on our ONCAMPUS page.
If your qualification is not listed above, please contact the Student Administration team at studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk for further advice.
Our admissions policy uses a range of flexible options to support you to study with us. This may include a reduced offer of up to 16 UCAS tariff points, (or equivalent). Find out if you are eligible.
If English is not your first language, please see our English language requirements.
The annual fee for this course is:
Read more about EU fees and funding in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
Psychology is one of the best degrees for transferrable skills that a student can do, as it is about behaviour and can be applied to a range of areas. Graduates may go on to study forensic psychology at postgraduate level in order to become a Chartered Forensic Psychologist. Graduates can also apply their skills in workplaces such as prisons, rehabilitation units, and secure hospitals working with criminals.
Forensic Psychologists are usually employed in fields such as criminal justice and rehabilitation, police, probation, prison service, legal sector, and other Psychology careers such as clinical psychology, educational psychology and as mental health practitioners.
Many graduates also follow a non-psychology career route due to developing highly transferable skills. These occupations include careers advisor, counsellor, psychotherapist, human resources, marketing, schoolteacher, play therapist, art therapist, dance therapist, social worker, policy officer, neuroscientist, mediator and border force officer.
I would recommend the University of Sunderland without a doubt!
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