Get degree ideas using our A level explorer tool

Psychology with Forensic Psychology

Entry requirements


A level

B,B,B

Access to HE Diploma

D:30

Pass with 45 Level 3 credits including 30 Distinctions and a number of merits/passes in subject specific modules

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

33

With three Higher Level subjects at 655

Leaving Certificate - Higher Level (Ireland) (first awarded in 2017)

H2,H2,H2,H2

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)

DDM

Scottish Advanced Higher

B,B,C

Scottish Higher

B,B,B,B,C

T Level

M

Each application will be considered on its individual merits. Where the T Level subject area does not directly match the degree programme being applied for, the personal statement and reference will be particularly important in demonstrating interest, enthusiasm and suitability for the subject.

UCAS Tariff

120-136

We've calculated how many Ucas points you'll need for this course.

About this course


Course option

3years

Full-time | 2024

Subjects

Forensic psychology

Psychology

This degree offers a scientific approach to the study of psychology and behaviour. You will be introduced to psychological theories, methods and processes relating to the legal, criminal and civil justice systems.

**Why study BSc Psychology with Forensic Psychology**
- You will develop a thorough understanding of the key issues and debates that relate to psychology and forensic psychology.

- As part of our mentoring scheme you will be allocated a member of academic staff with forensic psychology expertise, who will advise you on career options and employability, as well as opportunities to gain more relevant experience.

- You will gain a wide range of transferable skills associated with the practice of psychology, including critical thinking, analytical skills, reflection, self-motivation, planning and organisation.

- You will be actively encouraged to seek opportunities for summer internships or other work experience placements to further build on your skills and knowledge.

- During your final year of study you will carry out a research project under close supervision of a member of faculty in the Department of Psychology whose research interests and expertise are in the forensic psychology field. You will learn about all aspects of research in the area of forensic psychology, which forms one of the roots of our research-led teaching.

- Working and learning in an applied fashion will allow you to gain an appreciation of how to use available evidence-bases to inform practice, and how research can feed back into the working process.

- Teaching in the style of small group tutorials and lab classes will provide you with particular focus on applying your learning to a forensic context.

The psychology department has recently augmented a long-standing research strength in Forensic Psychology. In addition to Professor Tim Valentine’s research in eyewitness identification, recent appointments to the department have brought skills and experience in the following areas:

Dr Fiona Gabbert has an international research track record in investigative interviewing
Dr Ashok Jansari brings his interest in exceptional face recognition abilities from CCTV images
Dr Caoimhe McAnena a Chartered Forensic Psychologist with expertise in the assessment and treatment of offenders

The degree is accredited by the British Psychological Society as conferring eligibility for Graduate Membership of the Society and also the Graduate Basis for Chartered Membership, which is the first step towards becoming a Chartered Psychologist.

Modules

Year 1 (credit level 4)
In year 1, students take introductory modules on the main topic areas within psychology (i.e., cognitive, developmental, social, individual differences and biological) and also practical courses training them in the principles, methods and techniques of psychological research. There will be an applied or forensic emphasis to the academic tutorials, which will be taught by an expert in this area. Furthermore, some assessments will be on a forensic-relevant topic.
Year 1 modules:
The Psychology of the Person
Biological and Comparative Approaches to Psychology
Information Processing and Cognition
Design and Analysis of Psychological Investigations
Practical Issues in Psychological Research
Extended Essay in Psychology
Skills and Employability in Psychology

Year 2 (credit level 5)
Year 2 modules provide more in-depth knowledge and understanding of concepts, theories and empirical research relating to biological psychology, individual differences; cognitive psychology; developmental psychology; and social psychology. Students take a course in statistics, and carry out laboratory-based research both individually and within small groups of peers. It is expected that research projects undertaken in the second year will have a forensic psychology emphasis, and will be supervised by a member of staff with relevant expertise.
Year 2 modules:
Biological Substrates of Behaviour
Personality and Individual Differences
Social Psychology
Developmental Psychology
Design and Analysis of Psychological Studies
Cognitive Psychology
Research Methods in Psychology

Year 3 (credit level 6)
In their final year, students will take compulsory modules in areas of applied psychology:
Psychology and Law
Individual Research Project which should have a forensic psychology focus.

You also choose three modules to the value of 45 credits. Examples that could be selected include:
Multivariate Statistical Methods in Psychology
Applications of Attention Research
Anomalistic Psychology
Topics in Neuropsychology
Neurodevelopmental Disorders
Behavioural Genetics
Psychological Approaches to Music
The Interpersonal Self
Psychology and Education
Social-Moral Development
Cognitive Neuroscience
Magic and the Mind
Social Psychology of Social Problems
Psychology of the Arts, Aesthetics and Attraction
Cross-cultural and Individual Differences in Attention and Awareness

Please note that some of the modules listed are 'compulsory', which means that you must pass them to progress to the next level of study.

Please note that due to staff research commitments not all of these modules may be available every year.

Assessment methods

You’ll be assessed by a variety of methods, depending on your module choices. These include coursework, examinations, laboratory reports, group work and research projects.

The Uni


Course location:

Goldsmiths, University of London

Department:

Psychology

Read full university profile

What students say


We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

30%
Forensic psychology
44%
Psychology

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Applied psychology

Teaching and learning

70%
Staff make the subject interesting
80%
Staff are good at explaining things
60%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
30%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

63%
Library resources
70%
IT resources
44%
Course specific equipment and facilities
40%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

91%
UK students
9%
International students
18%
Male students
82%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
14%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
A
D

Psychology (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

71%
Staff make the subject interesting
76%
Staff are good at explaining things
58%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
47%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

63%
Library resources
77%
IT resources
69%
Course specific equipment and facilities
35%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

91%
UK students
9%
International students
18%
Male students
82%
Female students
87%
2:1 or above
14%
First year drop out rate

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

C
B
C

After graduation


The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Applied psychology

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
91%
low
Employed or in further education

Top job areas of graduates

12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Other elementary services occupations
9%
Teaching and educational professionals

Psychology (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£18,000
med
Average annual salary
91%
low
Employed or in further education
45%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

12%
Sales assistants and retail cashiers
11%
Other elementary services occupations
9%
Teaching and educational professionals

20 years ago, this was a specialist degree for would-be psychologists but now it is the model of a modern, flexible degree subject. One of the UK's fastest-growing subject at degree level, and the second most popular subject overall (it recently overtook business studies), one in 23 of all graduates last year had psychology degrees. As you'd expect with figures like that, jobs in psychology itself are incredibly competitive, so to stand a chance of securing one, you need to get a postgraduate qualification (probably a doctorate in most fields, especially clinical psychology) and some relevant work experience. But even though there are so many psychology graduates — far more than there are jobs in psychology, and over 13,800 in total last year — this degree has a lower unemployment rate than average because its grads are so flexible and well-regarded by business and other industries across the economy. Everywhere there are good jobs in the UK economy, you'll find psychology graduates - and it's hardly surprising as the course helps you gain a mix of good people skills and excellent number and data handling skills. A psychology degree ticks most employers' boxes — but we'd suggest you don't drop your maths modules.

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Applied psychology

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£25k

£25k

£29k

£29k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Psychology (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£19k

£19k

£25k

£25k

£29k

£29k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

Explore these similar courses...

Higher entry requirements
University of Southampton | Southampton
Psychology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 136-144
Lower entry requirements
Leeds Trinity University | Leeds
Forensic Psychology
BSc (Hons) 3 Years Full-time 2024
UCAS Points: 112-136

Share this page

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

Have a question about this info? Learn more here

The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here